June 21, 2012
All month long, we’ve been sharing the best tips and practices for working and living within a small space. Now we’d like to introduce you to Alisa Hanft, our Organizing Consultant and Space Planner with Innovatively Organized. She’s our expert at space planning, whether it is a small closet, a home office, or an entire company warehouse! What’s your favorite small space in your home?
My condo is 850 square feet, with one bedroom and a small den. My favorite space is the den, where I spend a good amount of time. When we moved in, we knew that our den would need to function for two purposes: as a place for our turtles to live in and as my office. I’ve set up my entire office within the boundaries of a 6×6 cube. In order to do this efficiently, I’ve utilized the vertical space with wall shelves for my office supplies and a small bulletin board for my current invitations, events, etc. I also limit the amount of paper I have floating around by using my scanner and digital systems to make sure I’m as “paperless” as possible.
Is there a particular client project that you’ve enjoyed relating to small space organizing?
Yes, I really enjoyed working with a client to organize all of her holiday decorations! This project was interesting because her home was absolutely gorgeous and quite large; however, her available storage was pretty small. We created a space plan to accommodate approximately 20 boxes of decorations that fully utilized her storage space, allowing her to store all the decorations. It was a fun challenge to figure out what shelving would fit the angled ceiling and which boxes would maximize the shelf space. It was all about maximizing the space while still making it easy to find what they need. We also printed a map of the space plan so they knew exactly where each box should be returned to.
What are your top 3 tips for working within a small space?
- Always utilize the vertical space—think wall shelves, bookshelves, cubbies, etc.
- Remember that just because you’re provided with a certain shelf or space does not mean you have to use it that way. Be creative with your space and find the exact solution for you.
- Take inventory of what you need to store, measure the space, and then create a map. Lay out your space on paper to figure out what the best arrangement is.
Contact us for a 15-minute phone consultation if you’d like to learn more about our space planning services!
