Organizing Small Living Spaces In College

Last week on the furniture blog we discussed storage ideas for small apartment or dorm living in college. This week, we take on areas of your living space that can benefit from organization. Once you have these three areas in check, you can save time and not have to worry about last minute changes of plans, or all night study marathons!

The Closet

Arranging clothes and shoes by color is a classic technique, but it is not always practical and even more difficult to maintain. Instead, keep your lifestyle and habits in mind to find an arrangement that works best for you. Organizing clothes by season, by outfit choices that would look good together, or for dedicated occasions (gym, class, dinner date, etc) are all ideas to consider. Refer to our last furniture blog post for storage tips for your closet that can also help you organize.

The Desk

Usually, this is where you will be when you are on what we like to call “academic lockdown” – the time when a deadline is near and all coffee shops in the area with wi-fi are closed. The key is to make your desk area clutter free and well lit. Accordion files keep stray paper at bay, while plastic drawers can divide and store your tools (calculators, pencils, rulers, headphones etc). Before buying a desk lamp, be sure to test it out. You don’t want to buy a weakling lamp with low or harsh lighting. This is what has to keep you up until five in the morning finishing your mid-term papers!

The Kitchen(ette)

Make the most of limited cabinet and drawer space by using the walls. Install hangers for pots and pans or cooking utensils. If you have cooking appliances that you do not use often, there is nothing wrong with storing them somewhere else, like your bedroom closet. It is important that your kitchen is as accessible as possible. Clutter can deter you from cooking and cramps your food prep workspace.

Are you still without furnishing before the big move? Don’t stress! CORT can handle your student furniture rental needs and move everything into your apartment or dorm. Furniture rental packages can even include small furnishings, like pots and pans. Until next time on the furniture blog, catch us on Facebook and Twitter and share your organization tips!