My Little Corner of the World: Creative Apartment Living

I have suddenly discovered what apartment living is all about! Having always lived in my own home, we are now in the land of "Mortgage Freedom," at least for a while. One day we will probably buy another house, but with the economy so uncertain right now, I'm kind of nervous about having that "mortgage monster" looming over my shoulder every day. So, in the meantime, I have realized that apartment dwelling can be very different than living in my own home, and the challenges can be a bit annoying (frustrating on most days!). But we can all strive to make our apartments more like "Home Sweet Home" with some creativity and resourcefulness. Here are just a few of the tips and tricks that I have discovered to help our family deal with the challenges of apartment living, and help us to feel more "at home" in our cozy little corner of the world.

Challenge #1: Of course, it would have to be SPACE. There just isn't enough of it. And there is nothing we can do about it. However, the limitations of space in our apartment have forced me to be more selective about the STUFF that I bring into our abode. And, it has given me reasons (OK, forced me) to weed through all of the junk that we have accumulated over the years and get rid of a bunch of STUFF. That is a good thing. Except when you get rid of something, and then the next week discover that you need it. So be careful. But start by sorting and getting rid of all the excess STUFF that you possibly can. This is also the first step in simplifying your life, but that is a discussion for another day. Do I really need all 35 pair of shoes in my closet? And how many pair of jeans do I REALLY need? And what about the 42 shirts and sweaters? ALL of those slacks, skirts, dresses, and jackets? Well, you get the picture. It's probably time for an overhaul of your wardrobe anyway, and I promise you that life will be so much easier when you aren't wandering around in "Overloaded Closet-Land," mumbling something about "nothing to wear." You really will be less confused, and that is a good thing.

Challenge #2: The next challenge would be continued CLUTTER CONTROL. Once you get the closet monster under control, you will want to do that same purging process with all of your other THINGS: books, bedding, pots and pans, dishes, linens, knick-knacks, wall hangings, table cloths, electronics, yada, yada, yada. You know what I mean. Throw it out or give it away, and don't look back. You don't need it ALL! OK, now you need to use the space you do have as wisely as possible.

In our little apartment, we actually have a walk-in closet that I have turned into my "creative corner". I was able to do that by limiting the amount of clothing and shoes that we have in our apartment, and then moving all of our clothing and shoes into a large closet in the second bedroom. No, it's not as convenient as having it all right there, but apartments are small, right! So, the closet in the second bedroom really isn't that far away! The second bedroom is actually our daughters' bedroom, but they have very few hang-up clothes, so most of their stuff can be kept in their dresser drawers, including their shoes in the bottom drawer. Their toys are in a basket on the floor of the closet, and they have lots of room to play.

We were also able to put our washer and dryer in the other side of the closet in the girls' bedroom, but I know that not all apartments have that option. But in our compact home, the "laundry room" is actually just inside a set of folding closet drawers, with a shelf above for all the laundry stuff. There is even room on the side where I keep my broom, dustpan, and mop. My tiny little laundry room can be closed up and out of site, but it is very convenient.

Challenge #3: "TEMPORARY-NESS" That is a word, isn't it? Well, even if it isn't, I have found it to be a reality that must be dealt with when living in an apartment . . . . when my home really doesn't belong to me. So, how can we make our little corner of the world cozy and comfy, reflecting our personalities when it is all so temporary? I have discovered many products that are readily available at most hardware stores that are so helpful when trying to organize in a not-permanent environment.

In almost every room of our apartment I use the adhesive-backed plastic hooks, in various sizes. The small hooks are great for the kitchen where you can hang cooking utensils and small pots and measuring cups on the wall or inside of cupboard doors. The medium size hooks work really well in the girls' bedroom for holding their jammies, tote bags, hats, and belts. We have several on the back of their bedroom door and inside their closet. This size also is great for mom and dad's closet for hanging up a nightie or lightweight robe, belts, caps, etc. And then the large hooks are perfect in the bathroom for holding towels to dry when you don't have enough towel bars (especially if you have little people who like to use LOTS of towels when they play in the bath tub!).

Just one more idea for now . . . . and I'm sure you have probably already thought of this one, but it really works great! BASKETS, baskets, and more baskets. And those plastic underbed storage containers on wheels are perfect for storing shoes so you don't have them cluttering up the floor of your closet. In every nook and cranny you can stash those plastic storage drawers, especially if they are on wheels. And finally, there is a huge variety of portable shelving units, of all sizes, to fit in every corner of your apartment. I found a corner shelf set, with three glass shelves, that sits right in the corner of our bathroom counter and holds all of our morning "stuff." And then there is a basket for the washcloths on the back of the toilet, and a basket for the extra toilet tissue on the floor, and then ANOTHER basket in front of the bath tub that holds all of our bath towels. And of course, what would I do in my sewing corner without baskets and storage shelves!

Look around your little world, and see if there isn't some way that you can convert one space into a more useful space. We have a front coat closet just inside the door to the outside hallway. I put some inexpensive shelving inside that closet and we are using it as a pantry where I have stashed things like box mixes, canned goods, pasta, and soups. Now if we just don't accumulate 25 coats this winter, we'll be fine! There is even room for the kids' boots in the bottom of the closet, and the shelf will hold baskets for mittens, hats, and scarves. And on the pantry side of that closet, I have baskets on the top shelf for things like the hammer, screwdriver, tape measure, nails, extension cords, light bulbs, and all that kind of stuff. The key here is to use baskets and shelves in a strategic manner, and don't let them get full of extra JUNK that will just make your life miserable when you have to dig through all the JUNK to find what you are looking for. And it will actually save you money, too, because when you can't find what you are looking for, then you have to go out and buy another one of whatever you are looking for. Then, eventually you will find the one you already had, and now you have two, and that's how you start down the "Too Much Junk" spiral. If you aren't careful, it will eventually suck you in and you will drown in TOO MUCH JUNK!

Give it a try and you'll see that even a boring, plain, ordinary apartment can come alive and be your very own special place, away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Put on some great music, make yourself a cup of tea, take a seat in your own private, peaceful place, and you'll just love to be at home. Creative apartment living - you can do it with a little imagination, organization, and creativity.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

My name is Nina Newton, designer and creator of boutique treasures at "mamas*little*treasures" online shop. As a long-time WAHM, I have been designing and creating custom-made, hand crafted clothing for my children and for myself for many years. Quilting, all types of fiber artistry, journaling and scrapbooking have kept my creativity active in so many ways! I am the mother of two beautiful daughters adopted from China, ages 5 and 7, and I love designing fun clothing for them. In the past couple of years, I have been turning my designs into eBook patterns to help other creative moms make garments for their own children. I have also written several tutorials for craft projects. My online shop is at www.mamaslittletreasures.com and on my blog I will be posting pictures to go along with some of my WAHM articles, so be sure to vist me at mamaslittletreasures.typepad.com/ for more creative homemaking, sewing, and crafting ideas.

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