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My memories of living in the few big cities that I have graced with my presence are of small apartments or shared houses where space is often at a premium.

It is interesting to see the psychological effects that a person’s living space can have on them. As an interior designer I am often amazed by how having lots of space tends to make some people obsessed with filling every nook and cranny of it! On the other hand, small apartments have the opposite effect, often leading people to eschew things that they need because they simply don’t have the space.

Well, in this post I am going to try and show you that a perceived lack of space does not necessarily mean that you have to deprive yourself, and that your situation just calls for a little creative thinking…

One of the most prevalent ‘small space myths’

The idea that unless you populate a smaller space with less stuff it will always look cluttered often leads people to try and pursue home design schemes that are supposed to look minimalistic, but just look bare. If you fill a space with less of your own touches and personality, the less it will feel like your home.

This myth mixes with a few others (namely the idea that small space dictates that you can’t have large furniture pieces, that you can only use neutral colours and that you must never use patterns) to dampen people’s creativity when it comes to creating functional and beautiful living quarters from small spaces.

Here are a few tips on how to optimise space and kit out a small apartment:

The “skyscraper principle”

To get the most from your space you are going to have to start thinking vertically, not only by stacking things on shelves but also by utilizing your wall space to its full extent.

If your ceilings are high enough, why not raise all your bookshelves and dressers off the floor (either by attaching them to the wall or adding some legs) by a foot or so? This will create a huge amount of new storage space underneath! Rafters make an excellent impromptu set of shelves for those fancy ornaments too, leaving your other surfaces free for books and the like.

Many designers have already been designing ‘vertical systems’ such as this one for bathrooms. Look to conquer that vast hinterland of unused space: your ceilings. Why not hang all of your plants and pots from the ceiling, thereby freeing up loads of new storage space at ground level?

The “multipurpose principle”

One great way to maximise and optimise the space in a small apartment is to focus on furniture that is multipurpose.

This can range from making sure that all your tables have shelves underneath the main surface, right up to transforming your bedroom or spare room with the quite frankly magnificent “bookcase bed” or the fold up table that doubles as a picture frame.

The key here is to see objects as not simply having a singular purpose and as the multifaceted beauties that they can be.

Innovative shelving and drawers

This is especially important when it comes to really space efficient kitchen design. Here, there are a range of innovative drawers, shelves and lazy Susan-esque designs that can help you here.

These kinds of creations are a fairly inexpensive way of being able to take advantage of the space you already have, but also allow you breathe new utility into corners and other nooks and crannies you might not be making the most of at present.

Better organisation on your part

Finally, you may need to get more organised with the way that you are storing your items. You should always pack clothes drawers from front to back rather than bottom to top and take a quick course in effective, space saving folding.

So there you have it friends, if you think about some of this stuff you should have a small apartment

Do you have any other great space saving tips for people living in small apartments?

Estelle Page is an interior designer who loves to try and find the perfect balance between beauty and functionality, and there is no bigger challenge then a small apartment! When not at work or enjoying time with her family, Estelle likes to write blogs for KDCUK.

I grew up in a kitchen where social status was measured in tupperware containers; the more you had, the better cook you were. My mother never met a Pyrex she didn’t like. Later in life I went to work at my aunt’s gourmet kitchen supply store eventually developing my own love for kitchen gadgets, machines, and “clutter.” But times are a changing and Crystal and I have learned that less is more and that even the most difficult dishes can be prepared with the essentials.

Let’s be clear though. Decluttering a kitchen is a big job. There are so many areas of a kitchen to focus on that it can be instantly overwhelming. Before anything I suggest breaking the job down into more manageable tasks. So today I want to talk about target area #1 (and possibly the most difficult) – the kitchen drawers! We all have them. There is the silverware drawer, the serving drawer, the “junk” drawer, the towel drawer, and even the lid drawer.

When we moved into the Bungalow and again established our own culinary cave, we had a fair amount of boxes (many being unopened wedding gifts), some pieces from my bachelor days, and just about two of every cool gadget sold at the local box store. We spent almost three solid hours working on just the contents of our two, new, unchristened drawers. There was more coolness than kitchen!

Looking at things through the eyes of a relatively new minimalist gives an entirely different perspective on such a task. Instead of asking, “How many of these should we keep?” we started asking, “Do we really need to keep this?” It’s a small difference, I know, but it gave us a totally different starting point. One instance began with the assumption we would keep something as long as it wasn’t old or broken and we had room for it. The second question seeks to determine if it’s necessary and if we could manage without it. (Is a coffee pot that important to our morning? Is a microwave worth the space it takes up? Should we get a toaster oven?)

We knew that we would be cooking only about half of our meals in the Bungalow as in our latest communal living situation we eat dinner with four other people each week night. And because Crystal enjoys it so, most of our cooking is done from scratch or with a number of freshly prepared ingredients. It’s much cheaper, it’s certainly healthier, and it’s not usually too much added effort to scale up a recipe you were already making anyway. Needless to say, letting go of kitchen gadgets was somewhat challenging since we (okay, me) use them a lot. But when we reflected on the our decision to only have a 4-piece table setting with equally numbered silverware, we figured we could make do with a lot fewer gadgets and utensils.

5 Tips on How to Declutter Your Kitchen (or the aforementioned target areas):

• Start by throwing out anything old, broken, or rusty.
• Prioritize by picking out the items you use 95% the time.
• Pick up every remaining item one at a time and determine if it is used often enough to justify keeping it. Ask, “Would I buy it again?”
• Isolate items with only one purpose. See if you have another tool that could perform it’s function and get rid of the unnecessary tool.
• Finally, give everything a home, place similar items together, and space items out so they’re easier to see.

Now that baking season is upon us we are beginning to realize that we can probably make another pass and pass on even more things. Do we really need a talking digital thermometer? I am pretty sure my grandmother just watched the cakes and cookies to see when they were done.

What about your drawers? Can you open them? Are they so full of “clutter” you don’t even know what is in them? Have you recently scaled back? And as always, leave a comment, or share this post on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the ‘Like’ button!

About Andrew Odom: Bigger does not always mean better. Progress does not always mean forgetting our roots in order to forge a new future. Blogger, photojournalist, tiny house enthusiast, and hobby farmer Andrew Odom has spent much of the last few years rediscovering the lost art of living, growing, and being truly happy. Visit him online at www.tinyrevolution.us.

Jan took on a craft room redo after getting tired of not being able to find her punches that no longer fit in one basket, while having piles of beautiful paper scattered, and constantly moving stamp sets that didn’t have a home.

According to Jan she used “graph paper and pencil to visualize an organized space. I took the papers first and sorted the colors, types and patterned styles into 12 x 12 clear plastic boxes. I tackled the punches into a clear shoe organizer over the door of the closet.  A friend helped me with a quick style shelf of small random spaces for those stamp verses. The stamp sets got sorted into plastic drawers by occasion (baby, birthday, get well, etc.). Rolling drawer carts fit neatly under the table to store other accessories. My friend also framed out a plastic pegboard to hang some of the tools and the cartridges for my die-cut machine.”

We love how she got creative with the punches by storing them in a clear over the door shoe organizer. The stamp holder on the wall gives the space a real custom look. If you’re tackling a craft room organization project, check out these scrapbook storage containers, these craft storage drawers, and these craft totes.

Rhonda submitted photos from four organization projects including her home office, kids’ closet, pantry, and entry way.

Living in a 1500 sq. ft. home she adores, Rhonda says it’s important to establish order. She worked to stain the bench in the entryway, added jars to the pantry, found a floor model desk for her office, and tearing out old wood in her son’s closet and adding in a pop of blue paint. If you’re looking to do similar projects, you might be able to use some of these pantry organizers and even the DIY closet storage systems on Space Savers.

Sarah sent an entry showing how she built these wooden shoe shelves using old wood from her pantry:

Sarah also organized her closet by putting all of the hangers backwards and turned them around as she used them. After a year, any items that didn’t have the hangers turns around were donated. About the shelves, Sarah says “I started with the bottom shelf 10″ high, the next shelf was 8″ high, the next two were 5″ high, the Next three were 4″ high, the next two were 3″ high. The final shelf is the one at the top. This was an unused section of my closet. It fit most of my shoes. I used a Concord 9 pair Shoe Rack that I already owned for my dress shoes. All of my clothes are neat. All of my shoes are neat, fit and are where I can reach and see them. I love it.”

We’re fans of anyone who can break out their tools to build their own custom shelves. If you want a similar result but don’t have a handyman (or woman!) in the house, give these shoe organizers a try. If you like the look of wood, this wooden shoe rack is made with beautiful mahogany.

Thanks ladies for sharing your projects with us!

The entries are rolling in but you still have time to submit your project. Email your photos to brandi@clickstop.com by Oct 31st and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of these six prize packs. Read the details.

Happy organizing!

You don’t have to spend a lot on filling these plastic shoe boxes. Coming up with Operation Christmas Child shoebox ideas without breaking the bank can  take some creativity.

There are tons of bloggers and organizations that have tons of Operation Christmas Child shoebox ideas. Here’s a few of our favorite tips for the gift list:

1. Wrap plastic shoe boxes. Make a gift box itself part of the gift. Organizers on the ground handing out the Christmas shoeboxes can tell you how a plastic box is a powerful part of the gift. With limited resources, the recipients can use these clear plastic shoe boxes to carry water from wells. The lidded shoe box can also store grain, bread or other foodstuffs and protect it from insects or elements. Even the lids can be useful—Jessica at Clip with Purpose suggests putting a game or maze on the lid.

If you want to keep the traditional gift feeling, line the inside of the plastic shoe box with scrapbook paper or gift wrap for pizzazz. Buying plastic shoe boxes in bulk like this Sterilite 6 quart shoe box is one the best ways to save. Consider teaming up with others pulling together the Christmas shoeboxes so you can get the best deal. To do our part here at SpaceSavers, we’ve priced the clear plastic shoe boxes in bulk to pass along the wholesale savings. See all of the Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes packs we’ve created for the cause like this set of 12.

2. Involve the kids. Chrissy makes a great point to involve her kids in packing the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. Not only do the kids learn about helping others but they also help you really see what kids of a similar gender and age might enjoy. Make sure to pick an age of child your own can relate to.

3. Shop after holiday sales all year long. Back to school is one the best time to pick up crayons, markers, and pencils. Keep in mind some of the traditional college back to school items like wash cloths and socks would also be greatly appreciated. End of summer sales have tons of shorts and flip-flops at great prices. You can almost always find hair clips and headbands for girls on sale.

4. Pick up freebies and samples of new items. One of the hardest parts of Operation Christmas Child ideas is coming up with what to include. This one is a no brainer to include things you don’t have to go looking for – it’s the stuff people give you. The toothpaste and toothbrushes handed out at events and fairs? The soap and comb at a hotel? These are small amenities you might not even take advantage of if you travel but just think of how much someone in another country would appreciate those things. Mummydeals points out that promotional items with logos like key chains, chap stick, little balls, and pens make great additions to the shoe boxes. Even the wrapped toys in a fast food kids meal would be small items. Anytime you get a sample of something hang on to it to include in the shoebox.

5. Buy packs and cases. One of the most obvious Operation Christmas Child shoebox ideas is to buy in bulk to save money. Get creative by splitting up larger packages of things into separate shoe boxes. Some ideas might be tennis balls and bouncy balls, hair bows, small stuffed animals, or even hard candy. Charlene at MyFrugalAdventures mentions jump ropes, stickers, and toy cars too.

Regardless of what you decide to include, know that the time is well spent and the items you choose will be greatly appreciated by the children.

What other Operation Christmas Child shoebox ideas can you think of? What have you included in the past? Have you started planning for this year’s boxes yet? Share your favorite items you like to include.

For those of us who don’t have the space for a wine cellar (or the need to store hundreds of bottles of wine) we need to be a little more creative with our wine storage. I personally enjoy a good bottle of wine, and like to keep a couple on hand to serve with dinner or on special occasions. So what can you do to ensure that the wine you do have is stored properly, and fits into your current organizational strategy? Here are a few ways to add wine storage creatively:

Set it on a Table or Shelf I personally like to make my wine bottles, glasses, and tools part of my home’s décor.  Many wine bottles are very attractive, and with the right set of stemware, any wine storage rack you choose can be functional as well as decorative. SpaceSavers carries several different wine holders to match your personal style, such as the Bali 10 Bottle Natural Wine Rack, which also comes in 12 or 15 bottle designs. If you only have a few bottles, check out the Bottle Bouquet or Table Tendril racks, which hold six and four bottles, respectively.

Hang it Up If you are running low on table and shelf space, you can still add plenty of wine storage to your home. These attractive hanging wine storage racks turn your favorite bottles into works of art. If you’re looking to display just a few bottles, the Bottle Gallery rack holds up to 5 bottles. If you have a few more, the Wine Ledge rack holds 9 bottles, and the Mid-Century rack holds 10. Also be sure to check out the Climbing Tendril racks, which hang directly from the ceiling! The best part about hanging wine racks that double as art pieces, is that they look good whether they are full or not, so no worries if you’re down to your last two bottles: your wine rack will still add a little something to your walls.

Put it to Work Have you always wanted a wine cabinet, but don’t have enough space in the corner of your kitchen or dining room? If you think creatively about your wine storage, the cabinet can work for you. The Large Kitchen Serving Cart and Linon Bamboo Kitchen Island with Inlaid Granite Top feature wine storage, while providing additional storage and functionality in the kitchen.  The Mendoza wine cart is on wheels, so you can store it out of the way until you need it then wheel it right where you need it to serve wine. And the Kingston Modular Cube Wine Racks are perfect as room dividers, since you can use as many or as few as you need to create the perfect modular wine storage rack.

 Think beyond the Kitchen If your living or family room is near the kitchen, why not take your wine storage into the next room? The Apachi Wine Rack has a table on top, and it would be perfect as a side table next to your couch. And instead of trying to find the perfect sofa table, check out the Fuji Wine Racks. Three or four of these pieces placed side by side would work well as a sofa table that just happens to store 36-48 bottles of wine at the same time..

If you’re creative with your wine storage, it’s easy to keep a few bottles on hand without having to build a wine cellar. Space Savers offers a great selection of wine storage options to add to any home, easily and quickly.

What’s your best kept wine storage secret?

The following is a guest post from blogger Andrew Odom about going paperless at home. The Odoms are building a 200 sq ft home and redefining a person’s true needs and cutting back on “stuff.”  Thank you Andrew for your organizing insight!

THE ISSUE

There are a number of reasons to go paperless at home.

For years, all kinds of companies – banks, utility companies, insurance companies, and even cab drivers – have been about going paperless at home. Not only does it save money (both on the part of the company and the consumer) but it is environmentally responsible, easier to keep track of your budget (especially if you use an online budget app or some sort of banking software), and space saving.

Granted there are a few concerns including security, archives, and compatibility. Those pale in comparison though when thinking of a newfound ability to view banking statements, balance statements, recent purchases, instruction booklets, etc. on the go! This doesn’t even take into account how much space and aggravation can be spared when you take even your media – photos, movies, music, etc – into cyberland, on to external hard drive, or on large format disc.

So when we first began downsizing and then preparing to move into our bungalow we reevaluated our consumption of paper and extraneous media. We realized very quickly that by transitioning to a paper free lifestyle we could live a more simple and more organized life. In our quest to live more simply then we outlined our ideas for filing digital photos, our desire to stop holding on to receipts and other paper statements, and our refusal to print….well, anything. (In fact, we haven’t owned a printer since 2010).

But the question continues to be asked. Why? Why go paper free? Is it really just about convenience? NO! Here is our thinking.

Paper is made from trees with a healthy addition of chemicals and lots of carbon energy for production and distribution. It is neither organic nor truly bio-degradable. Disposing of it causes extraneous use of trash bags (which end up in the landfill) which then causes a larger empty spot in our pocket books. It goes against everything in regards to sustainable living, organic living, and even tiny house living. Honestly, when living in less than 200 sq. ft. who has room to store extra toilet paper and paper towels?

And then the second question appears. Why get rid of your DVDs and CDs and photos? The answer? Why not? It is now common practice to download and even rent music and movies via digital resource such as iTunes and Amazon so why take a step back in time and either purchase a CD/DVD or commit your favorite tunes to one? Keep the file digital. If you do want to hang on to that coveted ‘Top Gun’ soundtrack or your Director’s Cut copy of Bladerunner then you can at least take a stab at proper organization. I think the Stacking DVD Rack and the Jute Rectangular Baskets by Organize It are nice if you want to blend your collection in with your decor.

GETTING STARTED

We have found that before you throw away a CD or call your bank to have your paper statements discontinued the best plan of action is to survey your home for areas that can be converted to paper free. This includes the media area (CDs, DVDs, photos), bathrooms (Kleenex, toilet paper, etc), the kitchen (paper towels, napkins, scratch pads). The second task is to figure out how your lifestyle would be effected by limiting your use of such products or eliminating them altogether. To that end, I offer a few tips.

• Get “fancy.” Perhaps the easiest paper to eliminate is the napkin. Granted many of us take pride in our vast collection of fast food and take out napkins (colors deserve extra respect, of course), they only add to the clutter and trash. Try to get a little fancy, as it were. Replace paper napkins with cloth ones. You don’t have to use expensive cloth from boutiques and gourmet stores. In fact, you can be cavalier by buying some cheap bandanas at the five-and-dime or you can be a bit more creative and sew your own. Can’t sew? Try this method then.
• Post-It permanently. Post-It notes are expensive. Convenient and colorful? Yes. Expensive? Oh yeah. Wasteful? Um, yeah. How about trying a blackboard or a whiteboard instead. We used chalkboard paint on the outside of our bathroom door (which is conveniently open to the main room of our bungalow) to leave each other notes, take phone messages, start a grocery list, etc. We have already planned out a small whiteboard for the Tiny House to do much the same thing. They are small, affordable, and available almost anywhere!
• Bill me later, please. One simple thing you can do to reduce your paper footprint is to say no to paper bills. If you already pay by direct debit or standing order, then making the switch is simple. In fact, some banks are offering monetary incentives for this such as reduced fees, so it’s a win-win. If you don’t see the option on your current paper bills visit the companies website and check the FAQs.
• Cleanliness is next to….well, cleanliness. All bathrooms needs to be cleaned. Perhaps using paper towels on the mirror, TP on the toilet seat and some Kleenex for left-behind dust may not be the most eco-friendly answer though. Instead, try using towels. Old tshirts, socks, or even, well, towels, make for great cleaning towels. Use one for the toilet and keep it separate. Then have one for washing/scrubbing and one for drying. You can easily throw them into the washer on HOT to clean them and prepare them for reuse.
• Welcome to the digital age. No one wants to throw away greeting cards or college term papers. So why do it? Instead of holding on to all the paper stock or even using it in the first place, consider digital options including scanning services, home scanners, and cloud storage. In regards to sending greeting cards there are a number of websites now that offer free and minimally priced memberships to greeting card services.

I will not pretend it is easy to make the transition. Most of us don’t know life without paper product. But is that the legacy we want to leave for our children? Do we want them to live in a world that continues to bury itself in dead, stripped, oxidized trees? What do you think? Are you paper-free already or are you trying to reduce your paper consumption? What stumbling blocks have you encountered? What suggestions do you have? And as always feel free to share this post on Facebook or Tweet out the link to show your support for living a more simple life!

About Andrew: Bigger does not always mean better. Progress does not always mean forgetting our roots in order to forge a new future. Blogger, photojournalist, tiny house enthusiast, and hobby farmer Andrew Odom has spent much of the last few years rediscovering the lost art of living, growing, and being truly happy. Visit him online at www.tinyrevolution.us.

How to Enter:

• Take a picture of your latest organizing project
• Email the picture(s) & a quick summary (500 words or less) to brandi@clickstop.com.
• Make sure to include your address so we know where to send the items if you win.

Note: The items used in your project DON’T need to be just Space Savers items – run wild! The pictures and description you send may be featured on the Space Savers blog or one of our sister sites. Multiple winners will be selected by SpaceSavers staff and will be contacted to choose from several reward packages that retail from $35 up to $170.

Deadline to enter is September 30, 2012 extended to October 31st!

This takeover was becoming especially evident in my linen closet. While it housed all of the normal things a linen closet is supposed to have, like towels, sheets, blankets, and extra pillows, it also became something of a catch-all closet. Extra candles that don’t have a home? Linen closet. Cute vase with marbles in it that doesn’t match a thing in the house? Linen closet. Small stick vacuum that hasn’t been used since college? Yep, it was living in the linen closet. It was time to dive in and decide what belonged and what didn’t, and tackle a major line closet organization project.

I started by doing something that terrified me: emptying the linen closet. Who knew what was lurking under those piles? I knew the closet was fairly clean, but it was just piled and piled with stuff and I knew I was going to have to find a home for it all. But, I knew it was time. What I discovered is that my linen closet really is pretty big. Just because I was barely able to close the door before, didn’t mean it wasn’t big enough for the things that actually belong there.

So I emptied the whole thing. I then proceeded to go through and make piles: Keep in this closet, keep but find a new home in the house, donate or sell, and toss. Once I had my piles sorted, I got to work deciding where everything was going to go once it went back in the organized linen closet.

One of the items I got from SpaceSavers to try out for the linen closet organization project was a Closet Compactor chest (the Large size which measures 28.5″ Long x 19.5″ Wide x 7.5″ High when fully compressed.)  I used it to tackle a particular challenge in my linen closet : the blankets.  Over the years, we’ve accumulated sheet sets, comforters, blankets, and pillows that get used from time to time. They don’t need to be out all the time, but we can’t necessarily get rid of them. So they needed a home. Their previous home (the floor of the linen closet, spilling out every time the door opened) wasn’t quite working.

I was really excited to try the Closet Compactor, because I’d never used anything like it before. I was a little worried I wouldn’t use it correctly, but I was pleasantly surprised by how foolproof it was. You literally just load up the bag, zip it up and get to work.

Vacuuming the air out was a cinch too, because it has LED lights that flash until all the air is out of the bag. Then you put on the lid, slide it into your organized linen closet (or under a bed), and admire how much more organized everything is.

To re-load my shelves I started with the sheets and towels, because those are the things that actually need to be in an organized linen closet. I used shelf dividers to keep my towel stacks nice & neat, which will help with putting the laundry away in the future. I put the towels we use most on the shelf at eye level, and put the rest on the upper & lower shelves. Same with the sheets. Then, it was time to tackle the baskets. I bought these pink baskets years ago, set them on the top shelf of the closet, and have been tossing random stuff in them ever since. I used four white storage baskets to organize things like toiletries we buy in bulk, over-the-counter medications, and first aid. Once I tossed all of the stuff that was either expired or not needed anymore, everything fit nicely in the four baskets. The bottom shelf was reserved for paper products, again divided by shelf dividers.

I’m so excited about my improved linen closet, where there is a place for everything, and everything’s in its place.

Has your linen closet gotten out of control or do you have a perfectly organized one?  Do you have any tips for keeping a linen closet organized once you do the major purge?  Share them here.

The benefits of air drying clothes are legion – if you want to go green, it’s an easy, low-investment cost way to start saving energy right off the bat. Plus, it’s good for your clothes; while an electric or gas dryer is super convenient for quick drying, it’s also hard on your clothes. (Where does the dryer lint that’s building up to a fire hazard in your vent come from? Fibers stolen from your favorite comfy sweatshirt and your super comfy house socks!)

Air Drying Clothes saves money – an average load of clothes dried in an electric dryer costs $.35-$.40 per load.  An average load of clothes dried in a gas dryer is cheaper, at $.15 – $.20 per load.  Air drying?  Free if you already have a drying rack or clothes line.  How many loads of laundry do you do per week?  Are you seeing where you can justify your next mocha frappucino?

If you can air dry your clothes outside you get the added benefit of the sun as a natural bleaching agent. With no chemicals added, you get extra white whites, and a free anti-bacterial treatment. There’s also the great fresh scent of clothes and bedding when you choose air drying your clothes over the manufactured scents of dryer sheets. If you don’t like the rough feel of air dried fabrics you can concede to a quick fluff in the dryer on ‘cool’ or ‘air dry’ setting, or run a steam iron over sheets and garments to loosen the fibers a bit.

You might think that if you don’t have an outdoor clothesline or a lot of space to install one you’re out of luck for air drying clothes. Not so! There are wide variety of options for portable clothes lines, wall mounted retractable clothes lines, and even clothes lines that you can mount to a deck rail if you’re an apartment dweller lucky enough to have a deck space. These clothes line options are out of the way when not in use so they won’t detract from your landscape or decor.

Air drying clothes inside isn’t impossible either – no matter what size space you have to work in. Turn your bathroom into a drying space with an over the tub drying rack that folds away when not in use. Install a pull out drying line that hides away inside it’s casing when it’s not laundry day. You can even choose an over the door drying rack that is great for hand-washed lingerie or keeping bath towels from getting musty so they can be re-used several times.

Air drying clothes is good for your home environment too – in the winter air drying clothes acts as a natural humidifier for your home. In the summer air drying eliminates heat output from your electric or gas dryer – if you’re using AC to cool your home, why create an additional heat source and make the AC unit work harder?

So it’s simple, whenever you can air drying clothes and bedding is the way to go.  Do you currently air dry clothes?  What do you love about it?

Both areas make me feel like I’m just 20 cats away from being on an episode of “Hoarders.” In fact, scenes of that show flash before my eyes when I look beneath my sink. Then, I black out.  What I am trying to say is, that throwing things away in my house is dangerous.

I’m not exaggerating. Look at that before picture. Now judge me.

But before you reach for your bottle of Xanax, know that it’s all over.

With two new trash & recycling containers, I got my life and my dignity back. Well some of my dignity. These pictures of the “Before” are still on the internet, aren’t they?

I used the Wall Mount Canvas Basket Storage Rack by Winsome Wood and the Under Cabinet Pull Out Recycler from simplehuman®.

You see the problem with my sink/basement stairs area was they are both small spaces that just by virtue of who they are accumulate a lot of clutter. And my 90-year-old home, while it has charming woodwork, does not actually have storage.  This is because, as Wikipedia tells me, 90 years ago no one had shoes and their husbands didn’t have to take wads of receipts, loose change and lint out of their pockets everyday and dump them on the counter.

Also, no one recycled back then. So, no need for a space to collect recycling. Cheaters.

All of this activity (shoes, coats, keys, pocket lint, recycling, trash and cleaning products) all located in such a small area. My house was a Midwestern Mount Vesuvius, ready to blow at any moment and sent villagers running for cover. I believe in seeing where you live your life and where your clutter collects, before attempting to corral it.  I’ve discovered that artificially imposing an organizational system only leads to revolts from the natives. You have to work with the clutter. And after six years of living in this house, the clutter said, “I’m homesteading by your back door.”

So, I essentially needed two things: a place to collect backdoor clutter and a better system of trash & recycling containers.

And I know you can’t tell, but I’ve tried a lot of different things. Most trash cans don’t fit in my kitchen or under my sink. And the back basement stair area is narrow with no room for big shelves or a storage bench.

But, the Under Cabinet Pull Out Recycler from simplehuman® actually fit. My husband and I wept a little when we saw how lovely it looked and how well it worked.  And since it has space for recycling and trash, we could take the recycling bag off it’ ghetto wall hook and add some storage there to collect the messy acquisitions of our daily lives. Enter the Wall Mount Canvas Basket Storage Rack by Winsome Wood. You can hang it horizontally or vertically to maximize the space and the baskets are versatile enough that they can hold keys, sunglasses, pocket link and even sports equipment.

The new hallway drop zone:

The new trash & recycling containers under the sink:

I’m even ordering vinyl lettering so I can put our names above our respective baskets.  Finally, now I can let my mother-in-law know where we keep our trash, without cowering in shame as she opened the cabinet door. Success!

Are you shamed by your current trash or recycling strategy?  Spill!  The SpaceSavers gurus might be able to help you out too.