Living in a rental has it's perks. Usually you don't have to shovel or take care of something big when it breaks but there are definitely some downsides to rentals. When you rent it usually means the space is smaller so you really need to maximize that space. I've learned some tricks the past few years to make the most out of a temporary smaller space.
Get Rid of Stuff
First and it's a big one do you need all the stuff you have? After we moved to our current place we did a lot of getting rid of stuff. We filled up so many boxes for a garage sale, took lots to consignment stores, shredded old documents and pitched things that needed to be pitched. When you start looking through your stuff and seeing what you really need or don't need you'll find that there is a lot you can get rid of.
One of my favorite ways to maximize the space we have (and it cuts down on clutter) is to purchase items that are multi use. This is something I find especially important when it comes to kitchen tools and gadgets. There are so many one use gadgets out there it's tough to resist them. While that strawberry huller shaped like the strawberry is super cute it's kind bulky and you can only use it for that one thing. I recommend investing in something more like the Core N' More which can be used for hulling, scooping and all sorts of other things. Keep multi use in mind for other things around the house like cleaners and storage tools.
Go high (vertical storage)
This one actually can go hand in hand with the improving your closet. While the square footage of an apartment might be small you still have the opportunity to use the height of the room to your advantage. Use tall shelving units or attach things to the wall.
Improve Closet Storage
When it comes to a small apartment a lot of times you'll have a decent sized closets but the downside is that they usually don't have more than one shelf. We maximized the closets in our current apartment's closets by adding removable shelving units, we went with the Kallax shelving from IKEA. I found that the size of the openings is perfect for things like my crafts and Pampered Chef materials and products. Maybe a regular bookshelf will work for the storage you need or since it's your clothes closet just some storage at the bottom. Any way you slice it instead of just piling things in an open closet really make that space work for you.
Keep colors simple
Color can make a huge difference in how big or small a room feels. It can also mess with the way the light is in the room and give the room a weird vibe. Stick with light more neutral tones to make the room feel as big as possible. As awesome as that dark blue statement wall is it can really make a room feel small. Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also join me on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. In addition to life-capades and doing it for yourself, I love all things 'real life' so use the hashtag #museumfanatic on social media so I can see your beautiful unstaged life. Oh and on the top of the side bar to your right, you can follow me on Bloglovin or on social media to be alerted to each new post!
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