Sunday, February 12, 2012

Junk Cupboard Organization

We've already mentioned that our condo is petite. Actually, I think that the Apartment Therapy 'Small Cool' competition would classify it as Little. But only just. If we didn't have our patio, it would fall into the Tiny category. təˈmātō, təˈmätō. Call it what you will, it's not large.

And with a piece of real estate such as this, we don't have the same storage options as others. We don't have a linen closet or a pantry and our laundry is merely a cupboard.

We do, however, have the luxury of a spare room, which has... a closet! Hooray!
Seeing as it's our primary storage space, it needs to be organized. We also had to find ways to get stuff in and out as easily as possible, because it's inconveniently shaped like a funnel. The door is far smaller than the space it conceals, so only rarely used items are stored up high (camping equipment, suitcases etc.)


It originally just had the shelf/ clothes rail, but we've since added some other smart storage solutions; both store bought and home made.


All of the stuff that you see on the left was originally stacked in a big pile. Not helpful when you want to access the item at the bottom. And around here, Murphy's other law states that the box that you want is ALWAYS at the bottom. *Groan*. We bought these invididual Rubbermaid shelves at Canadian Tire for $10 a shelf. They were 2" too wide for the cupboard, so we had to saw off the excess on each shelf. An hour later, our problem was solved. Yippee!

The blue and green boxes up the top are from the dollar store. Seeing as I live with another human and we like to use the same stuff, I have labelled what's in the boxes and pegged it to the box. It's not fancy or pretty writing, but it's easy to see and might save us some time when hunting for stuff around the house.


The hooks that hold the broom and swiffer came with the place and were attached to a wall (who puts their cleaning stuff in plain sight?), but one of them was broken. Instead of tossing them, we moved them into the cupboard and I wrapped rubber bands around the one with broken ends. It is now so strong, it can hold a Wet Jet Swiffer.


I have stolen someone's Pinterest idea with my wrapping paper storage. I think they suggested you attach it to a low ceiling with cable ties or something. Seeing as we have 9' ceilings, I think the cupboard is more practical and I just tied some yarn around the clothes rail. I also used the widely-pinned idea of using a toilet paper roll to secure wrapping paper. Genius.


This next idea, however, is my own. Previously, my wrapping paper had been standing in the corner with some venetian blinds, scraps of wood and curtain rods. Every time I reached for the ironing board (which, thankfully, is rarely), everything came crashing down. Now, the wrapping paper is up high and all of these other stick-like objects are corralled in a big cardboard packing tube.


It also stands up on its own, so it's much easier to shove out of the way.


Oh and in this shot, you can see our new dining room chairs (collapsible) and the extension leaf from our new dining table. Very versatile dining set for a small space. But more on that another day...

So there you have my storage problems solved. I'd love to hear other solutions/ suggestions on how to organize junk.

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