Storage space comes at a premium with apartment living. It’s a luxury not all apartments offer, that being said Essential Living pride themselves on offering ample storage throughout their apartment living portfolio. So how do you style and organise this space to work for you without it stressing you out or costing a fortune?
Being organised can reduce stress and help you feel happy...this is proven and something we all need at the moment. So why do we find it so challenging to get ,& stay, organised? Now we have more time at home then ever before so, why not make your apartment living as organised and functional as possible! Here are a few organisational tips, which are affordable & achievable that anyone can manage.
Kitchen Cupboards
Kitchen cupboards can be awkward sizes with shelves at random heights & different depths and widths. Tins, jars & packets come in all shapes and sizes too so how can anyone make this look good right?
Introducing the IKEA Variera white storage boxes of dreams (amazon also sell very similar storage items available), these boxes comes in various sizes and can house a whole host of goodies from spices to tins. Using these boxes to organise all your pantry essentials into separate zones doesn’t just look pretty, it’s super easy to maintain too.
As memorising the contents of each box is both challenging and frustrating consider investing in a label maker!
You won’t regret it and before you know it everything in your home will be labelled up ..... it’s addictive.
As well as organising packets and tins into boxes consider storing dried goods in flip jars. This solution is ideal if you shop at zero waste stores, just take your empty jars along to top up. These also look stylish on open shelves and work in both the kitchen & the bathroom.
Organising your Drawers
Last year we were all blown away by Marie Kondo’s KonMari folding method.…but how easy is it to maintain? With #KonMari reaching 345 thousand on Instagram it seems we’re all converted! 12 months on from when I decided to try the method out in our home and all the drawers have remained ‘Kondo’d’!
It’s definitely time consuming, especially initially when you decide to give the method a go however, it’s definitely easier to find exactly what your looking for within seconds and you’d be surprised how much you can actually fit into your drawers.
Granted this level of organisation isn’t for everyone. The majority of us don’t enjoy spending hours folding and organising drawers, that being said its quite satisfying once you’ve mastered the method and open your drawers in the morning to get dressed.
Here are 6 steps (taken from Google) to achieve this look
- Lay your T-shirt/Top down flat
- Fold the right side inward
- Fold the right sleeve back halfway
- Repeat with the left side
- Fold the neckline down towards the hemline with an inch of space between each
- Fold in half, then in half again so it stands
Once you’ve completed this task consider looking at other areas of your home to simplify and organise. Getting rid of physical items which you no longer use or need can declutter your home and mind at the same time. I once heard if you’ve not used an item in the last 12 months and you can replace it for less then 20 pounds from a shop less then 20 minutes away then get rid. I apply this rule to any items which take up a lot of space in my home as space is a luxury we don’t all have.
With any organisation there is a level of stress involved. Whether it be letting go of items you have an emotional attachment to or trying to make objects fit in a space which is not quite the right size. My advice would be to go room by room, space by space. You’re not going to become an organised guru overnight. Decide to tackle something small like your chest of drawers and go from there. It really will help relieve stress in the long run and you never know, you might be a Kondo convert before you know it.
