Cork and Paper

Sometimes there is not a choice in the matter. Small living quarters happen to almost all of us. Small fridges are even worse as they hold less bottles of moscato. If you have ever been to an Ikea, you will notice that they have many showrooms. If you ever visit my flat, you will notice that I have put my Ikea furniture together incorrectly. That is another mildly infuriating story. Back to the showrooms. They have complete kitchens and bedroom/living room combos reflecting studio apartments. Around 400-80– sq. ft. I think my flat is somewhere in the middle. Theirs organization is amazing because they 1. do not have all the treasures I have accumulated over the years, and 2. they have pieces of furniture that fit the space.

Before buying anything for your new apartment declutter. Throw things away or donate them. If they don’t hold special meaning, toss them. I tossed a lot of books. I kept my special cookbooks, and quality books, but random things people wanted me to read, I tossed. I have a new rule and a kindle. All future books have to be purchased as ebooks. If you hate amazon, buy a Kobo. I also have an iPad that I can pull cookbooks up on in the kitchen. My very obvious point is declutter. Next when you are shopping for furniture, take into account floor space, height, and any objects like electrical outlets or breaker boxes you don’t/can’t/shouldn’t cover. If you don’t have limitations, I like tall and narrow pieces or wide pieces that have doors. Desks I like small 42″ or shorter because it allows for more configurations. I love moving furniture around. Try hanging photos, out of direct sun, instead of placing them on shelving. Really use your space. Make sure you have a place for dirty laundry and clean laundry. My dog’s crate also serves as a nightstand next to our bed. we bought a special top for it. My place is pretty small. And it is pretty much filled with Ikea furniture. Right now, we don’t have a solution for the vacuum or steam cleaner, because under the bed is all occupied. It currently just floats around the apartment. Annoying, but doable. Avoid seemingly good but short solutions. The aim is to utilize floor space effectively and those three tier plastic bins from Target don’t cut it. Sure they stack, but they also have issues opening, at least on carpet, when they are loaded with weight. I would like to point out, that at the time of writing this, Ikea has these tea lights that are electric, come in a pack of 12, and are rechargeable. they are very nice and fit perfectly, as they should, in my Orrefors crystal votive holder, that is, obviously not, from Ikea. I also got an average, candle stick holder there, that I am neither Euphoric nor melancholic about, I just am. and it was inexpensive. Less than $2. If you have a studio apartment, or if your dining room/kitchen table is close enough to your desk, you don’t need to buy a separate chair. I use two style of bowls and one style of plates. The goal is to keep it simple and limit clutter. I am a big proponent of lamps. I like diffused light. Go crazy with sheets. I love sheets. No charges next to the bed. and the computer goes in the living room area. Bathrooms often need extra shelving and closets need extra sturdy hangars. I hate rugs on carpet, but rugs on hard hard surface floors are a must, and go bigger rather than smaller. A good quality rug will last a lifetime.