It's Storage & Organization Week here at Food52! We're sharing our best tips for keeping your home in tip-top shape.
Today: How to make a small space feel a lot larger.
Despite the obvious allure of having an extra bedroom for your cat or a finished basement to hoard all those boxes of who-knows-what, the reality of so many modern homes is that they're compact living situations. This trend towards greater efficiency is led by urban dwellers, many of whom reside in apartments under a thousand square feet, but has broadened to influence the design of houses—and storage solutions—the world over.
The first step to living comfortably in a small space is to get rid of things you don't absoultely need, and the second step is to decorate with storage in mind. Here are some of our favorite tips for making a small space cool, comfortable, and anything but cluttered:
Our Art-Director's Best Advice for Styling Open Shelves by Alexis Anthony
Open shelving can be the perfect harmony of storage and decor—if, of course, you know the secrets to making your everyday stuff look its best.
How to Build a Copper Clothing Rack at Home by Madelyn Hackwith Furlong
Not quite enough closet space? This clever hanging clothing rack is made from copper tubes you can find at any hardware store.
Recipe for a Well-Stocked Bar Cart by Let's Drink About It
By buying the right bottles and tools—based on your favorite drinks—your home bar will be tidy, efficient, and really, really ridiculously good-looking.
Moving In Together: Finishing Touches for a Small Space by Amanda Sims
Whether you're consolidating two homes into one or just tricking out a new tiny space, these real-life solutions for a Manhattan apartment are cute and ingenious.
How to Make a Terrarium (and Keep it Alive) by Amanda Sims
When there's no back yard for a garden plot, a tabletop terrarium will add a dose of green without taking up much space.
Space Saving Solutions for Every Room in Your Home by Leslie Stephens
Room by room, some of our favorite tips for hiding extra storage where you most need it (and least expect it)—like right under your seat.
The Beekman Boys' Library Cupboards by Brent Ridge
Bookshelves are a great thing if all your books are in mint condition—but if you've got a spare cupboard, those worn and weathered favorites can be secreted away.
How to Choose the Right White Paint by Tricia Foley
Making a small space feel as expansive as possible is important, and the easiest means to this end is in a bucket of white paint. Here's how to find the right one.
Real Solutions: How to Use Baskets as Side Tables by Amanda Sims
Jen Gotch spotted this trick for flipping over wire baskets and using them as side tables, and we like the idea that you could reverse that strategy for instant storage.
The 6 All-Natural Cleaning Products You Should Be Making at Home by Sarah Engler
Get rid of all those bottles clogging up your under-the-sink storage space and replace them with these six workhorse DIY solutions.
Calling All Cooks: How I Stocked My First Kitchen by Leslie Stephens
A butcher block with hidden shelves, a rolling pantry cart, and a magnetic knife block make Leslie's tiny kitchen a very happy place to cook.
1 Ceramic Hanging Planter, Style 4 Ways by Amanda Sims
Hanging anything—whether it's a pot of succulents or all your summer produce—will free up counter space and fill an otherwise empty corner with cheer.
How to Make a Leather Magazine Display by Geneva Vanderzeil
Consider that stack of magazines hogging prime real estate on your coffee table; wouldn't it be nice to find them a new home on the wall?
Real Solutions: The Perfect Bathroom Shelf by Lauren Kellley
Sometimes the best solution for a small space is to put up a tiny shelf, stock it with things that make you happy, and go on about your day.
What are your favorite small space solutions? Let us know in the comments!
It's here: Our game-changing guide to everyone's favorite room in the house. Your Do-Anything Kitchen gathers the smartest ideas and savviest tricks—from our community, test kitchen, and cooks we love—to help transform your space into its best self.
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Written by: Amanda Sims
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4 Comments
#7: The photo are so dark that transition from the one on the left to that on the right is impossible to imagine, let alone view.
#9: If I were short of table-like surfaces, I'd turn the baskets right-side-up, use them as storage, and cover the open tops with inexpensive cutting boards which could function as small table tops as well as cutting boards, thereby obviating the difficulty of finding storage for cutting boards in a small kitchen.
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