https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:45:17 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729991 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:42:13 +0000 runsyellowlites 729991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@honeybear: "Knick-nacks are for people who have more space and photos should be framed and hung on walls when your space is tight. ;) "</p> <p>This is SO true! I definitely need to get on a gallery wall or something to open up my top of shelf storage space! I love that shelf you got too!!! Just scanning the target page I didn't even realize they have a whole "small spaces" section! *gasp*</p> <p>@rawrasaur: I totally forgot about being able to use under P's bed! For us, I was so sad to lose our under the bed storage when we started co-bedding (moved the mattress to the floor)... Then we used the pack n play (under the bassinet portion), but now we don't have the space to have it up! I do also wish we could fit one of our dressers in the closet! I actually just checked both &amp; was sad to see both ours &amp; G's are packed full of stuff! (G's has his toy bins).</p> <p>I'm so glad to see all these ideas though! I think I may be being too hard on myself considering we just recently moved &amp; lost over 300 sq ft of space including 2 hall closets! eek! These give me a place to start though! =) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729737 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:03:53 +0000 rawrasaur 729737@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I second under the bed storage. I keep all clothes LO is too small for in one of those wrapping paper boxes and our wedding memory box under a twin bed. Also, if you have good closet space but smaller rooms, moving a dresser into the closet is a good option, especially for kids rooms. If not, adding plastic storage drawers to the bottom of a closet is a great way to get more storage vertically. I think it is great to maximize the use of the closet so you have more living space. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729704 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:46:52 +0000 honeybear 729704@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think how you approach this depends on whether you own or rent. We rent a 1000 sq ft apartment, and I can't drill holes for over-the-door bookshelves in my walls, or take down the closet racks and hang new ones. But I do have a variety of bookshelves in different shapes and a rod that hangs from two hooks that do the same thing. (Also, my "small space" cred is real, yo! ;) Our current 1000 sq feet is a palace compared to our family's other apartments, which started at just under 500 sq ft and went up to a whopping 810.) </p> <p>I think bookshelves are by far the most versatile pieces of furniture we own. They can house books, yes, but also baskets of whatever stuff you need to keep but also need to keep out of sight (i.e., all the out of season stuff that other people put in their garages or basements). Our bookshelves came from a wide range of places: Ikea, Container Store, Office Depot, Target, and Restoration Hardware (the latter was not budget friendly at all, but it is a solid and beautiful piece of furniture). The ones from Office Depot are basically MDF garbage. They won't survive a move, but they cost $10 and they keep our books off the floor. I really, really love my Target shelves, I've had them for almost a decade now, and they've moved over 8 times! Here's the link: <a href="http://www.target.com/p/madison-loop-ladder-bookshelf-antique-black/-/A-526613#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink" rel="nofollow">http://www.target.com/p/madison-loop-ladder-bookshelf-antique-black/-/A-526613#?lnk=sc_qi_detaillink</a>. </p> <p>I think the key with bookshelves and small spaces is to ignore every "styled" photo you've seen and put only 1) books and 2) baskets of whatever needs storing on them. Knick-nacks are for people who have more space and photos should be framed and hung on walls when your space is tight. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729522 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:43:30 +0000 Sugar.Biscuit 729522@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love looking through <a href="http://www.houzz.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.houzz.com</a> they have thousand of ideas there! I don't have any photoa of what I've done on my phone otherwise I would share. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729503 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:38:02 +0000 runsyellowlites 729503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LovelyPlum: That's a great idea &amp; seems very simple! I'll have to look for melamine boards, I've never heard of them!</p> <p>@bpcmarj: Ours too! We moved in 3 weeks ago &amp; I have stuff piled into a back room still in boxes b/c somehow I'm supposed to fit craft, school, &amp; office stuff in there &amp; only have ONE piece of shelving furniture... as my mom put it, "I have more stuff than furniture space/need". lol</p> <p>@lindseykaye: Those all sound like such great ideas! I would LOVE to see pictures!!! =) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729496 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:33:17 +0000 lindseykaye 729496@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes - great thread!<br /> We live in a 2 br/1bath duplex. It also has a living room and dining nook/kitchen.</p> <p>I like to make very good use of the spaces "over" and "under" items.</p> <p>Shelving on the walls, and above doorways and windows. Shelving in closets where it may be lacking, or adding another shelf at the top if there's extra wasted space.<br /> Double bar your closets so that you can hang twice as many articles of clothing (if that fits your needs) or put your dresser directly into one side of the closet to free up floor space in a room while keeping the storage you want. </p> <p>Under-bed storage bins (and under-crib and under-sofa).<br /> We also store a lot of stuff under our dining room table where it isn't visible. Things like packs of drinks, bins of pet food, other bulky stuff. </p> <p>Slowly swapping out furniture that does double-duty can also be good. Our coffee table has a giant drawer that pulls out where we store all our blankets. The table we use as a stand for the fishtank also has drawers where seldom-used kitchen stuff is stored.</p> <p>Of course you'll have to find what works for you and what your level of comfort is when it comes to your "stuff" being visible. After bringing home LO, we had a lot more stuff that just can't be hidden away any longer and slowly I've gotten used to seeing it all the time. </p> <p>I'll try to come back and add some photos if I can! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729478 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:22:40 +0000 bpcmarj 729478@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't. Our apartment is so unorganized! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729460 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:12:36 +0000 LovelyPlum 729460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oooh, good thread. We live in a small one bedroom and are on a budget, so most of our solutions are DIY and Ikea. We have tall ceilings, so we store vertically! Our games and puzzles that we don't use a lot are above the closets in the hallway. We got some melamine boards from Lowe's and cut them to fit. We used metal brackets that were about 2 dollars apiece. </p> [attach=3423/13/mliih1.600x338.IMAG0010.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/show-me-how-you-organize-your-small-spaces#post-729439 Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:59:12 +0000 runsyellowlites 729439@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I posted a couple weeks ago asking for some "small spaces blogs", since our home is a cozy 900 sq ft, &amp; was pointed in the direction of Apartment Therapy. So far most of what I've found seems very out of reach for our space &amp; capabilities, but I know from the recent "How big is your home" thread that there ARE some other bees that also have cozy homes.... How do YOU organize them?</p> <p>Any special shelves/units that you just can't live without?<br /> Projects that have saved your small space sanity?<br /> Favorite stores or products?</p> <p>I need some help for my decorating handicap self! lol<br /> (pics would be a huge plus) </p>