Archives for Small Spaces

Video: Incredibly efficient efficiency

Last year, we wrote about Architect Gary Chang’s amazing 344 square-foot apartment with sliding walls. We recently discovered that Chang let video crews into his Hong Kong apartment, and now we can see his design in action:

Chang’s tiny apartment is proof that small-space living doesn’t prevent someone from living large. If you can’t see the embedded video, check it out on YouTube.

Posted by Erin on Apr 26, 2010 | 32 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Preserving cherished sentimental items

Reader Brittney submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I appreciate being uncluttered. It’s the only way I can stay organized and focused on the tasks I enjoy doing. My greatest obstacle is memory clutter. My family moved all my life. I live far from my loved ones and see them once in 5 to 10 years due to financial restrictions. As a result, I have boxes of family photos, cards, high school and college mementos, childhood drawings, well-worn childhood dolls & toys, yearbooks since middle school, etc. I irrationally keep these things to fill the loneliness I feel with my loved ones scattered around the world. But the memory clutter is suffocating me. How do I minimize this memory clutter without emotionally scarring myself.

I know how to display photos, but what about all of this other stuff? How can I possibly display and store such varied items in a one-bedroom apartment without looking like a junk shop? Help!! Thanks, in advance, for your desperately needed ideas.

A great question, Brittney. Sentimental items are difficult because some of the trinkets are clutter and some aren’t. One thing is for certain, though, keeping and displaying all of it doesn’t work for your space.

Start by sorting through all of your items and tossing out the junk. If you’re anything like me, you’ll find items that you can’t even remember why you’ve kept them. You might not have a lot of these types of things, but it’s best to get rid of the obvious clutter first.

Once the obvious clutter is gone, go through your items a second time. Sort the items into three piles: 1. Can be photographed or scanned and still have the same impact, 2. Definitely want to keep and display on my shelves, 3. Can’t yet decide what I want to do with the item.

For items that landed in the first pile (photographs, memorabilia, drawings, cards, etc.), set up a light box for the non-flat items and take pictures of them. Then, either scan all of your photographs or have a company scan them for you. Once all of the items are digitized, make digital scrapbooks of all of the images.

Next, make room in your space for the items you chose to keep and display on your shelves. Be honest with yourself about what you’re willing to dust and sacrifice space to store. You will likely find a few important pieces are worth displaying and more valuable than having everything out on your shelves. You notice objects more when they’re not in competition with dozens of other objects for your attention. Shadow boxes are a great idea if you don’t want to use shelves for these items. Group like items with like items, and aim for quality, not quantity.

(For advice specifically about yearbooks, check out this post and its comments: “Yearbooks: Worth keeping or clutter?“)

The third pile — those things you don’t yet know how to handle — are always the most difficult to process. I recommend putting them all in a box, writing a date six months from now on the lid and on your calendar, and putting the box on a hard-to-reach shelf in your closet. When the date six months from now rolls around, photograph or scan every item that you didn’t touch a single time over the six-month period. You were able to live without the items for six months, which means you can live without them physically being in your space. An image of the item should be all you need in the future.

Thank you, Brittney, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. Good luck to you as you go through this process. Also, check out the comments with more suggestions from our readers.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Apr 16, 2010 | 19 Comments | Tweet This

Closet offices

Reader Shalin tipped us off to a fun photo set on CNN.com featuring “Amazingly tiny home offices from closets.” Image six is my favorite:

From the CNN.com description of this office:

Mark Halliday of Franklin, Massachusetts, says he finished this office in one day at a cost of around $45. “We needed an office, but it didn’t make sense to use an entire room for it,” he said. He and his wife used hanging shelves and leftover paint from another project to create the work area.

I’m a big fan of the closet office, especially when living in a small space. For additional inspiration, check out the five closet offices we’ve featured in the past as Workspace of the Week features:

(Image via CNN.com via Mark Halliday.)

Posted by Erin on Mar 1, 2010 | 14 Comments | Tweet This

Saturday’s assorted links

Except for when a kind neighbor drove me to the grocery store in his all-wheel drive station wagon on Monday, I haven’t left my house in 10 days. Since I declared February as Super Simple Month, I guess I should think of this time as Mother Nature’s way of helping me to keep to my plans. (We’ve received about 4′ of snow in the past two weeks.) But, unfortunately, being shut up in my house for so long has negatively affected my creativity. I haven’t been able to run (usually this is my time to be alone with my thoughts each day), and I’m finding nothing in my house inspiring right now.

Instead of reading about my cabin fever, I thought you might enjoy checking out some links that have more valuable insights into uncluttering, organizing, and simple living than I can produce right now. Trust me, this is what is best for all of us:

Posted by Erin on Feb 13, 2010 | 27 Comments | Tweet This

Moveable mudroom

Small spaces often lack utilitarian areas where people can hang hats and gloves, process mail, and store purses, backpacks, briefcases, and keys near their main entrances. It’s easy for mail and travel items to clutter up the inside of your home when there isn’t somewhere convenient to place these things when you immediately come indoors.

I don’t have a mudroom or even a simple coat closet in my home, so I’m always on the lookout for storage solutions to replace these conveniences. Late last week, my husband forwarded me a link to a beautiful storage solution from Hansen Family Furniture in Paris and told me to click on the “Collection” link at the top of the page, and then select “Trunk” from the items:

The Trunk was designed to be used as a wardrobe, but I think would be perfect in a foyer. The Trunk is the brain child of Scandinavian-born but now-living-in-Paris designer Gesa Hansen, and is made of solid oak. It is 27.5″ x 55.1″ x 27.5″ (700 mm x 1400 mm x 700 mm) and includes a hat tree, flip-up mirror, cubby holes for shoes or papers, two drawers, and two large shelves for additional storage (a shredder and trash can could easily fit on the lower one of these). The item has hinges and does close completely.

We’re not the only ones to take interest in this beautiful piece of craftsmanship, as it will appear at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair this May in New York. Also in May, the company will release a Trunk for Bar Items.

Learn more about contact information and see additional images on the Hansen Family Furniture website.

Posted by Erin on Feb 8, 2010 | 7 Comments | Tweet This

Small space solution: The picture table

Over the weekend, Lifehacker wrote about a folding table that I think many of our readers who dwell in small spaces will find interesting. The article “DIY Folding Table Saves Space, Doubles As Picture Frame” aptly describes this extremely practical solution:

The measurements and directions on how to make a similar table for your space can be found on the Make website. Or, if buying is more your style, they’re available from Ivy Design.

I’m in awe of designers who can see small spaces and are inspired to create attractive and multi-functional solutions.

(Image from Lifehacker via Make via Ivy Design)

Posted by Erin on Jan 11, 2010 | 19 Comments | Tweet This

Are tiny dwellings a humane alternative for the near homeless?

The New York Times reported on Saturday on the economic crisis in Japan and how small hotel “capsules” are being repurposed as housing for the unemployed. These tiny dwellings are often all that is affordable for Tokyo’s near homeless:

Now, Hotel Shinjuku 510’s capsules, no larger than 6 1/2 feet long by 5 feet wide, and not tall enough to stand up in, have become an affordable option for some people with nowhere else to go as Japan endures its worst recession since World War II.

… continuing …

The rent is surprisingly high for such a small space: 59,000 yen a month, or about $640, for an upper bunk. But with no upfront deposit or extra utility charges, and basic amenities like fresh linens and free use of a communal bath and sauna, the cost is far less than renting an apartment in Tokyo, Mr. [Atsushi] Nakanishi says.

The article describes more of what is included in the $640 per month rent:

Each capsule is furnished only with a light, a small TV with earphones, coat hooks, a thin blanket and a hard pillow of rice husks.

Most possessions, from shirts to shaving cream, must be kept in lockers. There is a common room with old couches, a dining area and rows of sinks. Cigarette smoke is everywhere, as are security cameras. But the hotel staff does its best to put guests at ease: “Welcome home,” employees say at the entrance.

The article fascinated me because the tone of the reporter felt negative to me. However, in my opinion, these capsule hotels seem like a humane housing alternative for those truly in need. They are safe (the article mentions a strong security presence), warm, and provide a permanent address. (Not having an address is a huge disadvantage when seeking employment.) Obviously, they’re not the finest or largest dwellings in Tokyo, but they seem better than the streets or an unsafe, poorly maintained apartment building.

What do you think of these small capsules as semi-permanent dwellings for those in need? I’m interested in reading your reactions in the comments.

(Image from The New York Times. View the complete slideshow.)

Posted by Erin on Jan 6, 2010 | 64 Comments | Tweet This

Creating two bedrooms in a small space

Dwell magazine featured a “Kids’ Room Renovation” project recently on their site that shows how a small room can be transformed into two unconventional, yet spacious, bedrooms:

Rather than simply building a partition down the middle of the 140-square-foot bedroom, which would have created two constrained rooms, the architects decided to build up and within. “The idea of putting the bed on a higher level came up quite quickly in order to win space,” explains Santiard. “At the same time we decide to incorporate many ways to use the bed/partition (storage, office, climb, hide with interior windows, doors, etc).”

The bed seems to soar above the playing space, held up by bookshelf columns and a carefully angled staircase.

The result is a massive piece of what is essentially furniture, crafted out of several large sections of painted MDF and secured to the ceiling to keep it from toppling. Six-year old Eva plays and sleeps in the upper level, while small cubbies hold her toys, books, and dolls. There’s also a built-in desk for schoolwork and drawing. Jean, now almost two years old, mainly scampers around on the bottom level, where easy access to his bed and toys defines his area.

Building up provides for each child to have a designated area, without having to feel cramped and claustrophobic. The built-in storage and bookshelves also keep the rooms clutter-free and organized. I think it’s a very creative solution for a small space.

(Image from the Dwell article. View the complete slideshow.)

Posted by Erin on Jan 5, 2010 | 24 Comments | Tweet This

The convenient Light Switch Rack

I spotted the Light Switch Rack in a recent Museum of Modern Art Store catalog, and immediately started to think about all of the places I could use it in my home and office:

The rack, which is designed by Paul Koh, fits over your lightswitch, and then you attach your switch plate to the front of it. I think it would be terrific to hang the switch next to a back door to hold a dog leash and all of those papers you can’t forget to take with you when you leave. You could use it in an office to hold out-going mail and keys to the bathroom. It would also be great to use as it is in the image to sort mail and hold car keys. The Light Switch Rack is a great way to keep from losing those things you need when you’re on the go.

Posted by Erin on Nov 4, 2009 | 43 Comments | Tweet This

Sheetseat eco-friendly and ultra-storable folding chair

With the theme of Thursday’s Blog Action Day being climate change, we’ve been thinking more about green organizing and uncluttering. Even just rethinking everyday items can make a small difference, like the Lunch Skins that Erin posted about on Tuesday.

I’m always a big fan of new solutions to old problems, so I was impressed with Ufuk Keskin’s unique take on portable seating with his Sheetseat folding chair:

Folding chairs are certainly not a new concept — the idea dates back around 4000 years to the Middle Kingdom of Egypt — but Keskin’s Sheetseat is the first I’ve seen that collapses down to a thickness of a mere thee quarters of an inch.

The simplicity of this design and the use of little more than a small sheet of plywood make the Sheetseet quite environmentally friendly. And the fact that you can easily store seating for six friends inconspicuously behind a curtain or couch, or under a bed, is about as uncluttered as you can get.

Posted by Brian on Oct 17, 2009 | 28 Comments | Tweet This

How I keep project clutter under control

I’m a project guy. It’s rare that I don’t have four or five small projects going on at once, and since I’m not a neat person by nature, it’s very easy for me to let clutter get out of control.

About six months ago, I replaced the shelf that I was storing my printers on with Elfa drawers. This created the opportunity for a whole new project organization system.

Several of the drawers on the left serve as storage for office supplies. Most of the drawers on the right are for my photo printer paper. And the drawers in the center are individual projects.

Each drawer slides all the way out, so when I want to work on a particular project, I can bring the whole drawer to my desk. When I’m finished, the entire project slides back into the cabinet. I never feel like I’m actually cleaning up, but everything remains much more organized than it would otherwise be.

The whole thing is on casters, so I can roll it out away from the wall when I’m printing with really large paper, or I can store unfinished paintings against the wall behind it.

Posted by Brian on Oct 7, 2009 | 19 Comments | Tweet This

Rethinking the vase for a small space

I recently learned about the store-flat reusable Vazu vases and instantly thought about our apartment and small-space dwelling readers:

They are available in many colorful designs (some holiday themed, most are abstract patterns), and so much easier to store than their glass sisters:

Check out the product video to see the Vazu vase in action. I have one in red and adore it. These vases are simple, reusable, and perfect for a place with limited storage.

Posted by Erin on Oct 5, 2009 | 14 Comments | Tweet This

Space-saving mobile dining table

The theme of both of today’s posts is “Wow, that is cool!”

This first post is about an amazing space-saving table that I spotted last week on BoingBoing. It’s a portable chest that transforms into a dining table, which appears to comfortably seat nine people:

I think this piece would be perfect for someone who entertains but lives in an incredibly small space.

(Looks like this table made it to BoingBoing via the French site TrendsNow. Images from Link-Design.)

Posted by Erin on Aug 17, 2009 | 24 Comments | Tweet This

Color-coded storage solves bathroom confusion

Sharing a bathroom with a roommate, parent, spouse, or sibling can be a difficult task even for the most organized. One person might leave his things strewn about the counter, you might have more stuff than your allotted storage space, and your bathroom might look messier than any other area in your home.

The Rubbermaid company offers some terrific advice on their website for sharing a bathroom in their Back-to-School section. The article “Room for Two” talks about the whole dorm room, but one of their tips caught my attention and is perfect for anyone sharing a bathroom:

What’s mine is…blue
Identify what’s yours at a glance and avoid confusion by stashing supplies in color-coded containers.

One roommate can go black/blue and the other brown. Everyone who shares the space should go through their things to first make sure that only necessary items are being stored in the shared space, and then organize what is left into color-coded containers. It’s so simple I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of it before reading this article.

Posted by Erin on Jul 27, 2009 | 7 Comments | Tweet This

Small space fun and games

While surfing through the Apartment Therapy website over the weekend, I found this brilliantly designed space-saving door/ping-pong table and knew I had to share it with you:

I especially like that when the unit is acting as a door you can remove the net and use the metal structure as a towel bar. (It’s more clear that this is possible in photographs on the AT site.)

This incredibly functional design comes from Tobias Franzel. I couldn’t find a retail outlet selling the doors, so you’ll need to contact the designer through his website for custom information. Even if you never buy one of these doors, it is still an inspiring and clever product design.

I love when people think outside the box … or, in this case, the door.

(According to AT, the images are by Marcel Koehler.)

Posted by Erin on Jul 13, 2009 | 6 Comments | Tweet This

Outfitting a minimalist kitchen

Although I am a fairly adventurous cook, I find that I repeatedly reach for the same utensils, pots, pans, and ingredients in my kitchen. You probably do, too. We’re creatures of habit.

A friend who is getting married recently asked me what I think are the essential items in my kitchen. I first directed her to the “Creating a multi-tasking wedding registry” post I wrote last year. Then, I made a list of the 10 things I can’t live without in my space.

Making “essentials” lists is a risky endeavor. Obviously, the items I turn to every day aren’t going to be what other people use. It was still a fun experiment and I created my list by answering the question: “If my home were destroyed in a disaster, what 10 items would I replace first?”

The minimalist kitchen:

  1. 10″ cast iron skillet. The Lodge version and the Le Creuset enamel-coated version both get the job done extremely well. I prefer the enamel coated version because I don’t have to season it and can throw it in the dishwasher, but both are excellent and the Lodge price tag is unbeatable. They work on the stove top, in the oven, and on the grill.
  2. 12 qt. stock pot with lid. The best and cheapest way to get one of these is to head to your local restaurant supply store and pick up a well-made aluminum one for under $30. You can make soups, pasta, and sauces, as well as using it for frying and soaking. It also works in the oven and on the grill.
  3. 9 qt. cast iron Dutch oven. Roast or braise in this amazing product. You can fit an entire chicken in this bad boy. Plus, it can go on the grill or directly over an open flame. Expensive, but it will last you a lifetime.
  4. Two silicone oven mitts. I use an Orka brand, but there are many others out there. Because they’re silicone, I can reach into boiling water and grab things without risking burns (the way you do with fabric oven mitts).
  5. A good knife set. I’m a big fan of the Cutco 5-Piece Set because they’re durable, can go in the dishwasher, and come with a solid warranty. Plus, since there are so many dealers around, it’s always easy to find where to have them sharpened.
  6. Cutting board. I love my Epicurean Cutting Surface because it’s nice on my knives, can be tossed in the dishwasher, and can be used as a trivet (up to 350 degrees F). I’ve had mine for a number of years and it is as good as new.
  7. Tongs. Not a lot to say about them, but love that they lock closed for easy storage. Long-handled stainless steel ones can be used for items in the oven as well as on the grill.
  8. Food turner. I grew up calling these things spatulas, but apparently that is not their official name. Again, you can use them on the stove, grill, or in the oven. They also do nicely in the dishwasher.
  9. Infrared thermometer. Simply point it at your food and know the temperature. Nothing to clean, and really cool.
  10. Baking pans. All you’ll need to get started are anodized aluminum sheet cake, loaf, and jelly roll pans.

I believe anyone can make fantastic meals with only these items. Do I have more in my kitchen? Definitely. This is just a basics list and nothing more. If I were to add five more items, I’d throw in a long-handled ladle, heavy-duty stand mixer, bread machine (I use mine twice a week minimum), coffee pot, and tea kettle.

Are there essentials that I have forgotten from my list? Do you think any of these items are unnecessary? Give your opinion in the comments.

Posted by Erin on Jun 11, 2009 | 83 Comments | Tweet This

East Village apartment makes amazing use of space

Design magazines are starting to pay more attention to the unique demands that smaller living spaces present. We were very pleased to see that the June 2009 issue of Dwell has a great cover story on homes under 1,000 square-feet.

One of the residences featured is a 640-square-foot East Village apartment that was recently renovated by Michael Finger and Joanne Kennedy. The design work, which was done by No Roof Architects, employs some brilliant space-saving techniques to make the small home livable for a family of four.

We particularly like the under-floor storage and the Murphy bed hiding behind the desk shown below:

Posted by PJ on May 21, 2009 | 44 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Metro mini

This week’s Workspace of the Week is RunningDive’s small solution:

I chose this office because it truly surprised me. Almost every horizontal surface in the room is created with Metro shelving. This setup is easy to move and easy to configure however its owner needs it.

The printer and two shelves appear to be on a stand on the left-hand side of the desk, providing for additional storage. The filing cabinet looks to be the cream color box under the television. There is task lighting, overhead lighting, and wonderful light pouring in through the windows. And, for being an office, it blends in wonderfully with the other decor in this efficiency. (If I’m not mistaken, the couch is a pull-out and the coffee table is on casters to easily be moved. Also, brilliant.)

In the comments, he explained how he made the hanging bicycle rack:

I drilled a hole into the ceiling, and inserted an anchor bolt that expands when you tighten it, there is an eye hook on the end. And voila, bike hangs.

Thank you, RunningDive, for submitting your photo to our workspace pool. It’s a very well-organized space.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on May 15, 2009 | 16 Comments | Tweet This

A home office for a small space

Having a home office in a 450 square-foot space may be a pretty tough task. How does one make room for a home office and make it feel separate from the rest of the living space? The Unfolding Office featured in Dwell’s Dec/Jan 2007 issue is a unique option for a home office in a tiny space.

unfolding-office-dwell

The Unfolding Office was a project of Michael Chen and Kari Anderson of Normal Projects who designed this solution for teacher Eric Schneider’s 450 square-foot apartment in New York City. The outcome was an all-in-one unit that holds everything from a desk to a bed and nightstand. For a better idea of the finished project, take a look at the slideshow.

Posted by Matt on Apr 20, 2009 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

Toronto architects utilizes under stair storage

stair-storage-tanUnder stair storage is a great way to utilize dead space in your home. It may not be the easiest project to tackle yourself, but it is an ingenious way to store things. We highlighted some under stair storage a while back and the most recent example is from Toronto architects Christine Ho Ping Kong and Peter Tan.

Dwell magazine featured this wonderful home in their April issue and the slideshow is well worth viewing. The home took Peter and Christine six years to complete and features many unique ideas. Peter constructed the under stair storage himself with each stair being its own separate drawer. Here is a excerpt from the article on making the most of a small space:

The unusual site and limited budget created a crucible for Ho Ping Kong and Tan’s intense creativity. Beyond the constraints of building codes and cost, the extremely tight quarters presented their own challenges. “In this house, the small spaces were massaged to hold as much as possible,” Tan says. The pair met the demands of the compact design, but just as they got all of the pieces arranged, along came their two children. “Originally, Pete wanted only one bedroom,” Ho Ping Kong remembers with ?a grin. “I had to say to him, where will our kids sleep?”

“I was in my purist phase,” Tan counters, smiling. “I was thinking: Here are the architectural elements we need—now how can we fit bedrooms inside?” The solution is a testament to their inventiveness. The bed in the master bedroom sits up against three small screen doors with the children’s beds on the other side. The flexible barrier creates a semiprivate room that can be kept open while the children are young. A second sliding wall system will be installed when the kids are ready to have their own rooms.

Posted by Matt on Apr 6, 2009 | 22 Comments | Tweet This