Many individuals, couples and families these days are finding themselves in smaller homes and apartments. With poor organization, oversized furniture and too much clutter, a small space can easily feel even smaller. Taking any of these three steps will simplify your home and help your small space feel organized, controlled and even more spacious.
Master the Clutter
An essential element to a simplified and well-organized home lies within your ability to de-clutter. There is no need to hang onto items “just in case” or because your Great Aunt Martha gifted something to you. If you don’t need it, get rid of it.
Take a look through cupboards and drawers, and as you come across excess silverware, Tupperware with no lids, cookbooks you never use and clothes you don’t wear, ask yourself these two questions:
Is it one of five things I would save if my house caught fire?
Have I used it in the last year?
If you can’t answer “yes” to at least one of these questions with various items in your home, then you can consider them merely space filler. Get rid of them. It may hurt at first, but you’ll feel much better in the long run.
You have likely heard the saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Everything in your home needs a place to “live” whether it’s your car keys, mail, the kid’s crayons and artwork or extra toilet paper. If everything does not have a place to live, it is more likely to get left out and lost among the piles that inevitably build up on counters and coffee tables creating confusion and added stress.
As you de-clutter, avoid the temptation to multitask. Focus on one space at a time and see the de-cluttering and organizing through to completion.
Furniture for Small Spaces
When it comes to living in a small space, the right furniture can play a huge role in the effectiveness and comfort of your home. As you de-clutter cabinets and drawers, you may also realize that a couch or bean bag chair have to go to make room for something else.
The key to making a small space feel larger is having the right furniture. If you shop around the internet, you will find several companies that sell amazing multi-functional furniture that will maximize every inch of any small space with ceiling mounted beds, collapsible tables and chairs, or all-in-one furnishings such as a kitchen table that transforms into a computer desk in the morning and a bed at night.
Simplify Your Home with Apps
When designing your small space, consider adding current technology to simplify your living quarters. For starters, a truly user-friendly home automation system allows you to control features from a touchscreen module placed in your home as well as remotely from any internet source such as your smart phone or office computer.
Electronic locks ensure that your home can easily be locked up at the touch of a button. You can also unlock your house just as easily to let a friend in while you aren’t home.
Additionally, some home automation systems allow you to turn simple home appliances off or on. This can come in quite handy on the mornings you forget to turn off the coffee pot, television or curling iron as you run out the door to work.
Another great feature you can find with home automation is the capability to turn lights on or off as well as the thermostat up or down from anywhere whether you are at the office, on vacation in Barbados or watching a movie on your couch.
As you bring in more multi-functional furniture, eliminate the clutter and take advantage of the latest in home automation technology, you will find your home feeling larger and smarter so that you can enjoy more of what life has to offer.
About the Author: Lindsey Patterson is a freelance writer who specializes in technology and home automation. For more information on home security systems check out Vivint reviews.
