It’s exciting to live in a city like Ottawa with so many great restaurants and world-renowned events and attractions to keep you busy. To be located in the Ottawa’s most exciting neighbourhoods, you may find yourself sacrificing space for the great location. But don’t fret! A few small adjustments to your organization strategy will help you maximize your space for the apartment – and location – of your dreams. Here are some tips to help you organize a small apartment.
All Space is Useful Space
Even the smallest little nook is a storage space waiting to be claimed. Though often over-looked, the below spots in your apartment can be major space-savers if used effectively!
Under The Bed
Store your off-season clothes under the bed. Buy cloth storage bags and in the summer put your winter coats, snow pants and hats and mitts in them and slide them under the bed. Cloth bags are better than structured bins because they will be more likely to fit under every bed no matter how tight the space between bed and floor. When it comes time to switch seasons simply pile your shorts and summer shirts in the bags and make the switch!
Top of Cupboards
Get some decorative bins or boxes from the dollar store and you can store almost anything on top of your kitchen cabinets (assuming you have the open space to do so). If you don’t have a separate storage locker, this can be a great place to store the items you don’t use there often, like Christmas decorations or larger cooking pots and pans. The bins provide a decorative disguise for whatever you need to tuck away.
Behind Doors
Put hangers on the back of your doors. They make excellent extra storage for sweaters and jackets and even belts and hats. With the addition of a hanging wall organizer behind the door, you can also use this space to store shoes, jewellery, stationary – the possibilities are endless!
Small Furniture is Key
Though you may dream of a big sectional couch, you may want to scale down your furniture size to optimize the floorplan of your small apartment. Sleek furniture that offers form and function will help boost the use of your space. If you’re really looking to boost feeling of more space in your apartment, a couch without arm rests can feel much easier to navigate around, creating the feeling of a wider open space. Smaller tables that can be moved around when you have company will also help to optimize the flow of a smaller apartment.
Though you may dream of a big sectional couch, you may want to scale down your furniture size to optimize the floorplan of your small apartment. Sleek furniture that offers form and function will help boost the use of your space. If you’re really looking to boost feeling of more space in your apartment, a couch without arm rests can feel much easier to navigate around, creating the feeling of a wider open space. Smaller tables that can be moved around when you have company will also help to optimize the flow of a smaller apartment.
Multi-Purpose Furniture
Furniture that doubles as a storage unit is a magical tool for creating space in a small apartment! DVD’s, extra shoes, books or extra linen can easily be stored in an ottoman-style table or foot stool. Multi-use furniture allows you to eliminate clutter and maintain a sleek design.
Get Furniture That Can Grow as You Need It
You can buy a dining room table that comfortably seats two but very easily stretches to fit 4 or 6. This will allow you to have more space for the majority of the time but also allow you to entertain larger groups when you feel like it.
Living in a small space and compacting your life is not always easy, however it is entirely doable! Have fun with the possibilities and watch your small space come alive with character and creativity!
Looking for a one- or two-bedroom apartment in Ottawa? Or perhaps looking to upgrade to more space? Check out CLV Group’s collection of beautiful, affordable apartments for rent in Ottawa’s most exciting neighbourhoods, including the ByWard Market, Centretown, The Glebe, Little Italy, and more!
