Small Space Living - Organization

“Where do I keep all my stuff?”

This question has been posed more than once when people see photos of my home. First of all we do not live a clutter free life! I am no Marie Kondo! But I do try to keep visible clutter and “stuff” to a minimum. I feel like since we bought our cottage I’ve become more conscious of how to downsize. Out cottage has zero closet space, so it’s important to try to use whatever tools we can to keep things organized! 

If you were to show up here on a Saturday morning right after we get Aidan out the door to his back-to-back basketball & hockey practices, you’d often find our porch, kitchen and bathroom under a whirlwind of food, water bottles, dishes, clothes, hockey gear and toiletries - and that’s with only one child. I’m so thankful that all of us rarely have to get out the door in the morning at the same time anymore other than on the weekends. Especially with only one bathroom! 

Just to clarify, I'm likely never going to do a blog post of cleaning tips unless I have a guest blogger like my friend Johanne join me! One thing she taught me is to clean my cutting boards using half a lemon, sea salt and a natural wax for buffing. I also really love this all natural Norwex all purpose cleaner I bought from my friend Brooke for spot cleaning and removing stains from clothes. It works beautifully!

Here are a few simple tips I follow to keep our space tidy:

Seasonal clean ups:

I do try to purge our closets with the seasons; a seasonal closet cleanse! Every 3-4 months I do a sweep of our clothing and shoes and get rid of (either donate or sell) what’s outgrown of Aidan’s or no longer worn of mine & Aaron's. Our off season winter wear (hats mitts heavy sweaters etc) get stored downstairs in summer and then swapped out as seasons change. In some ways I follow a capsule clothing method for myself. A capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that don't go out of style, such as dresses, jeans, blouses and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces- usually in basic colors like navy, black tan and white. I would say these days 80 percent of my wardrobe would be considered capsule pieces, which I will blog more at another time about this, but essentially it ensures you have basics in your closet that are fitting for any occasion.

I also try to do seasonal clean ups with my dishes. There’s no need of having Santa plates mixed in with Easter baskets. This is harder to accomplish but necessary as we just don’t have the space in our cupboards! So I’ll box up what’s not being used, stick a label on it and store it in our furnace room until the next time it’s needed. 

Baskets:

Ok, so I do have a little in common with Marie Kondo. I think I mentioned this before, but I have baskets throughout the house which I use as catch all’s for everything from books & magazines to cold weather accessories, to cutlery in the kitchen, toiletries in the bathroom, extra throw pillows and blankets, and Aidan’s toys. 

Hooks:

One thing that has made a huge difference for us is having hooks on the backs of most of our doors for extra storage! I purchase my over the door hooks at Winners for $12.99- $19.99. Every bedroom in our house and cottage has a set on both the bedroom door and closet door and it frees up so much closet space! I also really like look of having some of my purses on display in my bedroom or pretty towels in the bathroom. The hooks in Aidan’s room are great for his jerseys and things you don’t want to get wrinkled in drawers! For purse storage, you can also use the bag inside of a bag method, but I like to see my purses. To quote Carrie Bradshaw: "I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet". :) 

Under the bed storage:

This is a big one. Ikea makes these: https://m2.ikea.com/ca/en/p/roemskog-underbed-storage-box-rattan-40329892/ under the bed storage containers which you can use for so many things! Extra sheets, blankets, shoes, paperwork. I’ve always used under the bed storage since university. It’s a great way to maximize space! I’m so excited to have Ikea in Dartmouth now. Every time I’m there I see a new way to organize my home! 

Cutting boards over the sink:

Hide those dirty dishes! I’ve been doing this for years. It’s one of my favorites. One of my pet peeves is dirty dishes. If I don’t have time to wash them or if the dishwasher isn’t unloaded, I don’t want to see cereal bowls and coffee mugs. I use two cutting boards over my double sink to hide the mess. It also gives extra counter space if you’re entertaining. 

Other storage:

Our basement is partially finished with a small bedroom/den and furnace room and main living area. We have built in shelving in the furnace room which is great for storing those totes of off season clothing and seasonal items as well. I do plan to invest in some additional wire shelving at some point in time. And of course our patio furniture is in the garage - no parking in there for us! But it all helps keep from overflowing in the house! 

Until next time...

TBC