The Home Edit: How to Organize Small Spaces
A few months ago I Marie Kondo'd my drawers after the world watched this amazing woman teach people to either see joy in their belongings, or live without them. Although I was inspired by this show, I didn't really need it. I have the opposite of hoarder tendencies. I get rid of/donate/sell everything that doesn't have a place in my 400 sqft apartment, which is most things.
I have one box of sentimental items I keep, but even that gets a quarterly comb through to determine what really needs to be kept. Even still, every time I move and have to lug this box around, it weighs me down. I know ONE day I will appreciate that I held on to all those yearbooks, or at least I think so.
The first cleaning show I watched growing up was Hoarders on TLC, but it's pretty extreme, and a little hard to watch/grasp sometimes. When I saw Get Organized with The Home Edit come across my recommended watch list on Netflix, I got a twinkle in my eye. A show about organizing, and...Reese Witherspoon makes an appearance?! I'm in.
I didn't even finish the series before I made a trip to my local container store, I needed those damn overpriced acrylic bins! There is one specific area in my house that has been causing me frustration since I moved in. It's essentially the only storage in my apartment, and has become a catch all shelf that I can never keep tidy.
*click the arrows to see before & after*
Of course, I couldn't stop there! The other area of my apartment that I am constantly trying to figure out is the "pantry." I put in quotes because it is just a cabinet in which I cannot reach 1/2 of the shelves. My DREAM is to have a beautiful walk in-pantry one day *sigh.*
I'm actually pretty embarrassed, as a cook, for you to see this. The spices are a constant mess, and the strange built in shelving also makes it difficult. I switched the pantry and the dish cabinets so that the dishes are directly above the drying rack (no I do not have the luxury of a dishwasher), and the food above the cutting board/food prep area (a tip I learned on T.H.E to create a flow). Another thing to note is in the kitchen, I did not get rid of anything, this was just the power of thoughtful organization..
Items I purchased from The Container Store:
I imagine you can find these things at Ikea or the like for cheaper. I was going to go there if the acrylic bins weren't the exact right size for my cabinet, I don't care about having name brands.
(3) 10 inch acrylic bins (my cabinet measures 30 inches wide so this made my brain so happy)
Various small, medium, and large containers that fit inside the bins to separate (the same brand so they fit in the larger bins correctly)
(1) hanging shelf (as pictured, to hold my hot tools)
(1) expandable spice rack
I moved the silver drawer from my catch all cabinet to under the sink, which was another disaster...
Doing a full on home edit can be overwhelming if you have a lot to organize, so I recommend choosing one area at a time, and finishing it in one day. The feeling of accomplishment will encourage you to move on to the next space. Now that you're inspired- happy home editing!