Downsizing Your Living Environment? Tips For Making The Most Of Your New Apartment Space
Posted on: 8 June 2016
If you've decided to sell your house in favor of downsizing and moving into an apartment, you may find the packing and consolidation process to be a little bit daunting. Don't let the smaller living area leave you feeling like you're restricted. With a little bit of advanced planning, you can maximize your storage space and organization. Here are a few tips to help you optimize your new apartment space.
Make The Most Of Your Closet Space
Closets are one of the easiest spaces to lose control of in any living environment, but since the closet space is often more limited in an apartment, it's important to maximize the closets you do have. For example, invest in organizational tools that allow you to store things on shelves and in drawers. Consider behind-the-door shoe racks so that you can keep your shoes organized and together.
In addition, sort your clothing out by season. Pack away any clothing you won't wear in the current season to limit the amount of space you need for clothing storage. Put off-season clothes into vacuum-sealed bags to seal them flat. You can store those under beds or even on the top shelves of closets.
Optimize Your Vertical Spaces
When you have limited floor space, the best thing to do is maximize your vertical space. After all, shelving units allow you to increase your storage space without sacrificing the floor space required for things like dressers, baker's racks and similar items. Attaching shelving to your open-space walls will give you more vertical surfaces to place things on. For example, shelving attached to the wall above your sink in the kitchen makes room for you to put dish detergent, vegetable brushes and other small items that might otherwise take up space on your kitchen counters.
If possible, invest in a wall-mount flat-screen television, too. That way, you can reduce the space you'd need on the floor for an entertainment center. Just make sure you check with your landlord first, as there may be some restrictions to the types of mounting brackets you can use. If you do mount your television to the wall, eliminate the need for an entertainment center entirely by placing your other audio-visual equipment on shelves attached to the wall below the television.
Dedicate Your Space To Things That Serve Multiple Purposes
By choosing multi-purpose items for your apartment, you'll save space. For example, increase both counter space and storage space in the kitchen with a wheeled cart that features a butcher-block top. Choose a coffee table that has internal storage space or shelves as well.
The more attentive and proactive you are about maximizing your space, the less you're likely to notice the smaller floor plan of your apartment as compared to the home you're moving out of. Apartments are convenient for the minimal maintenance costs and the ease of cleaning, particularly when everything has its place.
Share