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Compact Living in Style with Studio Franco
Here you will discover a few types of multi-purpose furniture that are
the ideal solution to the limited storage space in a small apartment. “A
Place For Everything And, Everything In It’s Place”, as the old adage goes.
You really find out how much junk you have when you want to “de-clutter”,
or “down-size” I did this just recently, and thought: There must be other
people who are going to be doing the same thing – Let me write out my experiences
and share some of my thoughts on a Compact Lifestyle.
The secret is: You are not trying to fit stuff IN. You are trying to leave
stuff OUT.
I lived in a 3-bedroom house, with two bathrooms, 2 offices, a huge kitchen
with a scullery, 2 lounges, 2 dining rooms, 2 patios a double garage AND
a 2-bedroom cottage with lounge, fitted kitchen, and bathroom, and a garden
with 52 trees growing in it.
Down-sizing – I moved into a bachelor apartment.
It is important that every bit of space has to be as functional and practical
as possible.
The first thing to be is merciless: Have only what you need.
There are things you will need every day. Things you will need once a
month. Once in a while. And things you will hardly ever need.
“Need” is not the same as “nice to have”.
For those things – leave them until last. If they wont fit – get rid of
them While there are hundreds of good Ideas of how to maximise your living
space – I am only concerned here with the “hardware”.
Study the floor plan before the move. Familiarize yourself with your new
apartment’s measurements so you know what can fit there and what won’t
make it in to your new home.
Here is a Hard Part:This is for the more ignorant, ill-prepared and
plebian: Get a piece of paper and a pen and write the measurements down.
And have a tape measure with you. All the time. Until you have moved and
settled. There is nothing to beat Guessing and Buying! And discovering
that what you have just blown your money on DOES NOT FIT!!!
Meanwhile - Here are some tips on how to maximize the space in your Compact
Living space.
Your Compact LifeStyle Guide
Introduction to Compact Living
Guide to Small Apartment Living
Choose Appliances That Fit
Best 'Must-Have' Appliances
Enjoying a Compact Lifestyle
Benefits of Buying Top-Grade
If You Have to Pay For It
Energy-Efficient Appliances
Energy Saving vs Time Saving
Ten Things to Consider
11 Storage Solutions
Advantages of a Small Apartment
Benefits of Ironed Clothes
Induction vs. Electric Hot-Plate
Other Things to Read
The best way to avoid clutter in your Compact Lifestyle is by not allowing
clutter in the first place. That means downsizing by purging any and all
unnecessary items.
Consider donating furniture and clothes to charity shops. Or sell your
hardly-used items online. Or give it away to friends.
The bed is the biggest item of furniture. Make sure it is multi-functional.
When it’s important that every piece of furniture counts, that means making
sure all items in your space serve more than one purpose where possible.
Sofa beds that fold out from being a couch to a bed are very helpful where
space is tight.
Or for the occasional guest.A sofa that can fold out as a bed may
be your first choice.
I wont be dealing with those here. I have my limitations.
A fold-out bed unit of the type usually attached to a wall, that only
has to be folded out when you need to use it? Like EVERY night. A "nice
idea", until you consider the ramifications. For example: When you need
the bed - everything occupying that floor-space has to be moved out of
the way -
Hmmm.
I bet no one who ever buys one of these "solutions" ever thinks of that
part.
I wont be dealing with those either.
Storage beds are great because they act as both a bed and storage space.
The base can be utilised as a storage place for items not often used. Luggage
cases (that pack into each other being one of them. Otherwise, a base with
drawers located underneath the bed).
I selected these units because they are the best on offer with the highest
number of Good recommendations from people who have purchased them.
The balance are chintzy. Good luck with any of them.
Lucky for you - I have a selection of these right here >>
One of the best storage solutions for a Compact Lifestyle is a coffee
table with concealed cavities or drawers. Coffee tables with storage can
hold anything from blankets and shoes to items you only need on occasion
– making them both stylish and functional.
A coffee table that can convert to a small desk (or small dining table)
is first prize. There are No ottomans. The ottoman is an over-rated prop
favored by set dressers for fashion magazines.
You cannot relax on it. You cannot put your drink down on it. But - each
to their own.
Lucky for you - I have a selection of these Multi-Purpose Coffee Tables
>>
Right: Innovative 4-drawer multi-functional coffee table by Bera Design
Wall Units are the best solution for storage anywhere. Things get packed away. The doors close. And the clutter is gone. You can buy these everywhere, in everystyle imaginable. From dirt cheap to over-priced Hollywood designer jet-trash. Most wall units have a glass fronted display cabinet or display shelves – and a cavity for a TV monitor. This only works up to the point where you want to fit in a cinema-sized monitor – if that is your thing. In which case, you had better make a plan for a stand unit just for the TV monitor.
In addition to freeing up floor space, floating furniture makes a room
appear bigger than it actually is, so that your small apartment wont feel
so cramped.
Examples of popular floating furniture include TV consoles, office desks,
bathroom vanities, and dressers. These items will help maximize the space
inside the apartment, while also serving a necessary function.
The Down-side of Floating Wall Furniture The operative word is “wall”.
These units have to be attached to a wall. That is, hung.
Think - drilling machine, screws, handywork. If you cannot do it – you
will be paying someone to do it for you. AND – if you do not own the apartment
– you will be repairing the walls when you move out.
So think about One of These Solutions >>
The best way to avoid clutter in your kitchen? Use simple drawer organizer
inserts to each of your drawers. Cutlery trays will do the job. Keep everything
organized and in place.
Place drawer organizers inside kitchen, bathrooms and closet drawers.
Do try to avoid bins and baskets. They fill up with stuff – and in 6 weeks
they will just be small bins and baskets full of dusty stuff to throw away.
I have no storage solutions for you here. All the places I have ever rented
or owned were fitted and had permanent fixtures. So you are on your own
here.
Installing shelving above the toilet only works if you are not going to
meet it with your head.
It is a stupid idea. Don’t do it.
You need one cabinet. Over the sink. With a good, large mirror or three.
Well lit. Large enough for all your toiletries and some medications. If
you have more than this – keep it in your bedroom cupboard. If you have
MORE than that – change your mind. You have too much junk. Plus. Some of
it has probably expired or is half-used since 6 months ago.
I have no storage solutions for you here. All the places I have ever rented
or owned were fitted and had permanent fixtures. So you are on your own
here, also.
Have fun with This solution until the storage bill exceeds the value of
the things being stored.
Of course, you can always rent a self-storage or a full-service storage
unit to hold your leftover things. These storage facilities are a safe,
secure and convenient way to store belongings, either temporarily or long
term. Storage units also “tend to be very affordable”, with most facilities
offering contracts on a month-to-month basis.
Keep bigger items on the perimeter of rooms.Be strategic about where
you put them. If you put bigger furniture like couches and bookcases against
the wall instead of the middle of the floor you can create a better illusion
of depth.
Use the available light as best you can to open up the space.Proper
lighting can really make a difference and brighten up a small space. Let
the natural light in. Use additional lighting to create a feeling of warmth.
If you don’t have room for larger lamps, get creative with string lights,
wall sconces, or pendant lighting.
Make use of mirrors.Strategically placed mirrors can create an illusion
of more square footage by reflecting back natural and non-natural lighting.
Use one large mirror or arrange a few smaller ones throughout the apartment.
I know that every flat surface matters when you live in a tight space.
I know that windowsills can hold plants, picture frames, books, and anything
else you might have.
It is unsophisticated.
It just looks crap! Don’t do it.It encourages more junk accumulation.
AND DUST.
And, besides all that, if you have a cat you will piss it off - because
don't you know? That is the only place for a cat to sit and lord it over
the world.
Do not hide your nicest hats and scarves. Hang them on something Good
Looking that you can buy for the purpose, so that they can double as displays.
Do Not Install wall-mounted shelves throughout the apartment. Open shelving
of this sort does not “provide stylish and functional décor” to your home.
It collects dust.
If you do not have a house-keeper – avoid the shelving schtick. At all
costs.
If you can have shelves - you can have cabinets the same depth as the
shelves. Such as book cases or wall units
The same think can be said for hanging hooks. Compact Living should NOT
include exchanging clutter for half-arsed work-arounds that are not “solutions”
so much as they are an untidy attempt to explain away your Lack of Imagination.
If you must have wall hooks because of the type of climate you experience
– lots of rain and snow – ensure that you have something Stylish. Decent.
Important looking. That guests can actually use.
Not so that you can hang stuff up there to become semi-permanent because
you are too lazy to hang the items up in a closet where they actually belong.
Try to Not Hide clutter behind a curtain. Get rid of the stuff if it wont
fit into your storage spaces.
Do Not Use wall space for accessories.It is not "creative", or "clever".
It is lazy. And encourages the creep of Junk
Do Not Hang a cork wallto hang everything from mail to photos to accessories.
Frame your photos and hang them up. Find a place for your accessories and
deal with your mail.
Displaying old mail makes you look inefficient and forgetful.
Store your bike on a wall rack. Get a wall-mounted bike rack. It is far
more stylish.
It will also make your place look much less cluttered on a daily basis.
I am a graphic designer and industrial product designer who has worked
40 years in the Advertising & Marketing Industry.
This article was originally written for my website
“A Guide to Compact
Living”and my foray into affiliate marketing.
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