Things in our small apartment that just make sense…
Alex and I have been married almost two years and since we’ve been married, we’ve lived in a 800 square foot apartment. That’s pretty spacious for someone living in New York or California, but for Arkansas that’s pretty small. Arkansas is one of the cheaper places to live in the country so lots of people end up moving here from all over. With the size of our apartment though, we’ve had to get creative with storage in order to make the most of the space we are given. Here’s some things that have made the biggest different in the functionality of our apartment.
Fridge Magnet Spice Racks.
These things are incredible! They don’t move once they are attached to the side of your fridge. I mean, like at all. I’m pretty sure I could put my entire body weight on one and it wouldn’t budge. We have this awkward gap between our fridge and the wall which was just space being wasted. So what better way to utilize that gap than these shelves? Each shelf can hold upwards of 10lbs easily and can fit about 4 cans each.
Slim Storage Cart.
Again, the awkward gap makes this space difficult to use. The gap is about 10 inches wide and most “slim” carts were just beyond that 10 inches that I needed so I spent lots of time researching the perfect cart that would actually fit there but would have enough storage to be useful. This cart currently holds our snacks on the top shelf, some dishrags, coffee equipment that we barely use, and more canned goods. It was easy to put together, not the sturdiest but sturdy enough to hold what I needed it to.
Over the Door Pantry Organizer.
We don’t have a pantry. In fact, we have two upper and lower cabinets and that’s it. Most of that space is dedicated to holding our plates, cups, mixing bowls, skillets, etc. That leaves very little room for actual food storage. We ordered this pretty soon into us living there because we realized there was no way we could safely store food with our space. It’s been the work-horse of our kitchen. I typically load it with our canned goods, Pam spray, olive oil, ramen, popcorn, etc. Just about everything that we need on a regular basis and need to be able to see easily goes on that organizer. It’s held up great for the almost two years we’ve had it! Being in an apartment has definitely made me realize the beauty and necessity of utilizing vertical storage.
Under Sink Organizer.
Our bathroom cabinet is unique. It has a big opening under the sink, but to each side is a very narrow and deep opening. With these being such a weird space with no shelves, it ended up being a place that we both just shoved our stuff in and let it become a pile towards the back. It wasn’t very usable, at least not well. These were about 7 & 1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long and tall, which was perfect for the narrow, deep space. These are also drawers so they can be pulled out to reload or to reach easier. My husbands side has all his shaving stuff and mine has all my hair curlers, nail polishes, etc. This has helped us adopt a minimalistic approach to our bathroom where we avoid having anything on the counter except the necessities like our toothbrushes.
There you have it! These are the biggest work-horses of our small apartment and they make our lives so much easier. Without them, the smallest things would be big inconveniences. Always be sure to measure before looking for storage to fit your needs. Happy Organizing!