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Small Space
Megan wrote to us wanting to know how she can better organise her small bedroom...
Q
hello there! My name is Megan Baker, I am 17 and in grade 11 at high school.
THANK YOU SOO SOO SOOO much for your wonderful website, although I am still young and learning how to organise myself, your helpful hints have lead me in the right direction plenty of times. I have tackled my workload, now i am having trouble with my room its very small with a built in wardrobe (with draws and shelves in them), the thing is i find myself putting meaningless things in shelves and cramming everything elsewhere. Could you please give me some tips that can help a teenager like me to organise my room so things like magazines, clothes, trinket boxes and cds are organised.
Thank you for all your help once again,
Megan Baker
A
Megan, great to see you're wanting your life well organised! Without seeing your space, a good rule of thumb is to store the size of your belongings according to the size of the space. I'll explain how:
SHELVES Use your shelves for folded clothes (if they are deep) or books, CDs and smaller knick nacks like picture frames if they are narrow. Also use narrow space for things you LOVE; a framed image, a small box or piece of coloured glass, a memento from a special day or place.
A dresser, benchtop of waist high shelf is best for:
-Items you USE daily (perfume, pretty hairbrush, diary, jewellry)
-things you NEED (like keys, wallet, metcard, phone book).
If shelves are deep and narrow, consider using shallow baskets to create better storage. Being able to slide out the contents will save you time searching for things. If the shelves are too deep to reach into, consider removing some a shelf or two to open up the space.
Mix pretty and practical - a picture frame next to books, a candle near a mirror, a jewellry box next to a tumbler of pens. Use interesting containers and always check the kitchen for any unique and lesser used items. Op shops and markets are a great source of funky, colourful items. Experiment and you'll soon work out which containers you like and why. A bead stacker makes a great container for fiddly bits. Funky bowls work a treat too. make sure they're matching and it won't look cluttered.
Make sure everything you store between waist and eye level is commonly used. Out of season or lesser used objects can be stored high or low.
DRAWERS
Unless they are really deep - big enough for jumpers- use your drawers for small to medium sized objects like CDs or cosmetics. You can neatly divide the space in the top drawer by using oblong take-away containers. Divvy up your make up for easy retrieval... my six cosmetics categories are:
-face (eyeliners, lipsticks, lip balm, pencils and powder)
-nails (polish and files)
-hair (clips, combs and brush)
-cotton buds and balls
-tubes... pretty much anything that comes in a tube!
Having a system like this means I always know where to find things. Items I use frequently - like moisturiser and deoderant - live out on a dresser, desktop or shelf. Where I use the object I'm also putting away.
Old shoe boxes work a treat to divide space within a drawer to house socks and undies etc. Ask at your local shoe store for some unwanted boxes. Consider kid's shoe boxes too - great for smaller items (stockings etc). IKEA make great drawer dividers called Komplement ($15 for a set of 6) that will do the same trick.
In a small space, two things are crucial.
1. The floor is your most valuable real estate. Cultivate a routine of putting things away periodically; it doesn't have to be every day, just regularly. A clear floor (and that includes not having piles of "stuff' - paper, odds and ends) will increase the look and feel of your space tenfold. Hang clothes, fold t-shirts, donate read or unwanted magazines to a friend or the recycling tub. Take dishes to the kitchen. Dust the things you LOVE. Make the bed. It looks nicer and will give you a sense of clarity. You don't have to make it every day, like a chore, but do it often. It's a simple 60 second task you can do to make your space more welcoming and fresh.
It's essential to have some sense of tidiness in a small space. Mess looks much messier when it's condensed!
2. Use the walls, use the walls, use the walls.
If it's light, hang it up. If it's little hang it up. If it's fragile, hang it up. A pinboard is a very spunky way to display practical information (gym schedule, calendar, business cards) and memorabilia (concert tickets, nice cards, small pictures or photos, badges and ribbons. The secret to making it look fabulous is to make sure all the items are small or medium sized. Big things don't work so well... unless you have a whole wall of pinboard. A small panel of wall (anything under a metre wide) is perfect for a strip of pinboard and makes a nice feature. Major hardware stores sell Canite, giant sheets of pinboard for this purpose. Cover in fabric in your favourite colour and use a hot glue or staple gun to affix at the back. Screw to the wall and stand back and admire - it makes a very professional looking board. Very nice when the colour peeks through!
Use magazine racks on the walls to keep mags up and out of the way. Be wary of keeping too many mags and catalogues... do you actually go back and reread any of them? IKEA have a great, affordable range in plywood (Mackis, $12 each), or if you're feeling extravagant, check out Room's Lucite range. Not cheap, but very sexy! A good investment.
While you're revamping your space, launder curtains, air the quilt and blankets and water any neglected plants. The secret to making watering easy is to keep a small jug in the bathroom, where you you see it and remember to water your green friends. Real, live, growing plants are a simple, cheap and nurturing thing to have in your space. Don't consider fake plants and flowers unless you PROMISE to dust them. If you have to have them, at least keep them looking fresh! Something growing is always nicer for your soul. And I don't mean the fur inside a forgotten hot chocolate cup!
Regularly clear out your wardrobe. Pair up your shoes and hang clothing on timber hangers (IKEA sell a pack of 8 called Bumerang, $12.95) - you'll own them for a long time so they're an investment. Be ruthless about only keeping what you love and wear ALL the time. Just in case isn't good enough! Same goes for ill-fitting, itchy, bad cut or simply too old and worn out.
Use a decent sized mirror - well placed - to reflect light and colour. Make sure toiletries and grooming items are housed very close at hand. No point having them on opposite sides of the room! If you use a hairdryer, give it a dedicated hook.
Put your CDs back in their covers. It's about respecting your belongings and the things you value. If you don't care if they scratch, get rid of them! CDs cost money. Purpose built CD racks or holders will only ever have one use, but neat, boxy shelves can house books, nick nacks or any other small items. Think versatile when you're shopping for new organising containers. Don't use boxes for CDs; it's high maintenance removing a lid, and then having to return it to the top of the container. Being organised should be simple, not hard work.
Dedicate a small box, drawer or carton to memorabilia like letters, childhood drawings, momentos and old school reports.
Using a wall mounted or clip style lamp adds instant atmosphere and saves floor space. Lighting should allow for reading in bed, or studying if your desk is included in the layout.
Finally, make sure your bedroom is a place or rest and calm. It's your place to kick back and feel good. Try not to store anything under the bed unless you really have to. Let fresh air in when you can. Keep the balance between work and play if you also have to study in that space. Express your personality and it will be a great space, no matter what!
Write a plan of action by deciding what needs to change and plan time to make those things happen. You'll soon be SORTED!
Lissanne Oliver
Organiser Extraordinaire
