A lot of what I personally buy new is for space saving. I have to use every inch of this tiny house to do what I need to do with it. And that is the way a space should be used, but wow... the gleaming new closet organizers and the shiney new bins for stuff, compact flat screen moniters and tv's, tiny computers, and even the Ikea shelves with magnetic wall, etc suck me in like nothing I have ever experienced before. I get rid of all I can, but I am still using space for a million things. My home is a small farm (chickens and huge garden), a school (homeschool), a restruant (I cook for 5 families once a week), a movie theater (we don't have cable, so we only watch movies and never go to the theater if we can help it), a Game Stop (Don is a gamer, and games with 4 other friends every two weeks), a itty bitty buisness (I make and sell crafts and quilts), and a home for 5 along with everything else a home is. We have tried to make it everything.... and all in 900 sq feet. And it is hard... I find the hardest thing to steer myself away from is the stuff to make the organized spaces ever so much more organized.

Anyone else get past this and have tips?

Val

I don't think my house really qualifies as small (2100 sq. feet), but it feels smaller all the time...And, while I know there is still some stuff we can reduce, I sometimes feel like we've run out of stuff to get rid of. (We also don't need much new stuff either, but the allure of "space saving gadgets" is definitely there...).
We are in a bi-level, no basement. Attached garage, still filled with some stuff in the rafters from the original owners(so, obviously, purging that would give us a little more room)...I don't know...I've run out of ideas on how to deal with it all...A trip to Ikea could be deadly for me.

My house isn't small but we do lack organization and I hate seeing things "out". I would really like a few armoires: one for the tv etc, one for the computer and one for my sewing.

You must be pretty good at organizing to fit all that into 900 sq ft!

My house isn't small but we do lack organization and I hate seeing things "out". I would really like a few armoires: one for the tv etc, one for the computer and one for my sewing.

You must be pretty good at organizing to fit all that into 900 sq ft!

Come again? they make an airmore for sewing? Oh do tell..I put my machines away becasue I don't have room to keep them out.

Not that I know of! But I would love it! I do have a sewing table to keep my machine but I think an armoire would be better!

My dh has this habit.
He always lookin to buy stuff to make things more organized and orderly.
It doesn't work well unless you have taken a room and decontructed it and really looked at the way you need to store things.

Once you have everything sorted and think about their usage, then you should look at dimensions of spaces you could use for storage and what would best work for those particular items.

You need to have a master plan.

VAl, something that helps me is if I keep in the front of my mind what my home is all about. It is a refuge and the place that we live. We cook a lot here, we craft and have animals. the house is going to look like we do all those things. I hope this make sense. I think you do a great job with the space yoiu have, all you do and all who live there. Sarah

We have about 900 sf as well. I have bought almost nothing since we moved in, to organize things. What I have used:

*hooks for the walls - simple, no need to get a wooden backing that makes the price skyrocket. But, the cheapy Walmart ones are razor sharp and shred clothes. For things like coats, hats, gloves, etc. I also use cup hooks to hang the skillets and cutting board on the side of the cabinet. I don't know how this works in your house - everything here is solid wood so the walls are fair game.

*we reused pieces of wood and simple shelf brackets to make an "entertainment center" along one wall in the living room. Stereo, Matt's amp and harmonica mike, small dvd player hooked up to it, speakers, satellite radio receiver.

*Baskets. I have had them for years. A few big wicker ones hold toys and one holds hats and gloves by the door. I have some of those wicker ones from IKEA and I use them for all sorts of things but currently they're all empty and in the basement awaiting their next job. A couple of African ones from the Oly food co-op in 1997 hold magazines.

*Boot tray. I did buy one but can't bring myself to buy another...I have an old rag rug folded lengthwise in half for most of our boots. Have a cedar shoe rack that I've had forever holding the shoes/slippers.

When I look around, this is about all I see...oh the kids don't have dressers. I have fabric bins for their clothes. I did go out and buy 2 large ones and 2 small ones for Jake's clothes recently (like 6 mos ago) and I'd like to get 2 more because some of his clothes are folded on the floor next to the bins.

I don't know if I helped. I guess what I do is try to do without first - why is X a problem, do I really need to organize X or do I need to get rid of some or all of it. Then I try to recycle - can I empty one of those baskets from somewhere else? Do I really need X out and in a basket? If I get rid of X, I can use those baskets for Y. I have tried really hard to purge, purge, purge. But I also might just have collected so much "organizing" stuff that I don't need any more. ;) Our house used to be twice the size so I feel like I have plenty of bins and baskets to work with. I have no closets so I can't organize them. :lol:

I am sucked in by the laptop computers. They've been a great solution for our space needs because the desktops do take up a ton of room. And then if I need quiet I can go in the one separate room we have (the rest of the house except the bathroom is one room) and shut the door and have some peace. It gives us flexibility.

Also try sketching or drawing out how you want things to look before you buy. Where do you want those IKEA shelves and magnetic wall? If you decide you MUST have an organizational tool, sketch it out, then wait a few months - see if your needs change or if you've figured out a non-buying solution. If it is still the same, maybe consider it then.

Laptops. I want one. I do... but only because I want to get rid of the huge computer in the middle of our diningroom... But honestly, it costs SO much more to get a laptop that would work for what Don wants it to do (a $250 notebook would do all I want it to do, albeit slowly)... but he is a gamer. Truth is, that is important in my household.

I need to look UP. That is the space I have been missing. I am slowly working out solutions to the kids rooms.

#1 Logan and Cyan are moving into Alex's room (big room) and Alex is moving into Cyan's room (Small room).

#2, Logan is going in the closet. I mean, his crib. I will have a toddler bed still in my room because he will still want to sleep next to us, but for naps, and all his toys, etc will be in Cyan's room.

#3 I am turning Alex's new room closet into a desk area with shelves above. He is getting my dresser (or Cyan is and he is getting a new one) and I am taking two drawers of dh's dresser for my unmentionables. This will save space, save time, and give Alex a place to draw (his personal favorite pass time).

#4 Above this desk I am putting two large magnet boards. Then I bought him spice canisters for those for his tiny collections (to which he has MANY, he is a pack rat)... all of his tiny rocks, acorn tops, mini pinecones, dried seeds, bottle tops, pop can tops, and twisty ties can go there... and he can only have enough to fit in one of those things. That is it. He will have to curb his desire to get tons more each time we go to the grocer because he already has enough to fill his little spice thingy. This is a brillant idea that will save us BOTH a lot of arguing for whether or not his plum pit collection should be tossed or not. (I so wish I was kidding). I think I am going to add a pencil holder to the magnet boards (or between.. maybe even two on the wall) and then a nice chair (I got one for free from my neighbor... ugly, but a coat of paint and we have a perfectly good wooden chair for Alex's room.

#5 the Hall closet. For right now it is the homeschool closet, but I am saving a bunch of peoples stuff in there in the form of unit studies I have put together for our homeschool group. So I need to move those out to the garage so I have room for Cyan's every day homeschool stuff.

#6 There is more, but I must pull muffins out of the oven, check Cyan's map work, and put Logan down for nap... I'll be back.

Val

I'm subbing for ideas! I'm in a 3br 1600sf house not including basement for the 6 of us. We need another room for ds1 and have to clear out my really messy and cluttered basement to make room!:wah: l

Come again? they make an airmore for sewing? Oh do tell..I put my machines away becasue I don't have room to keep them out.

They have one of these sections with the sewing amoire at Ikea. It is BEAUTIFUL! I love it... don't have room for it, but I just love it. Currently my sewing is in the middle of the livingroom on a rickety craft table. It doesn't really work. When my sewing machine gets going, the whole table moves. lol...

That sounds great, Val! I hear ya on the gaming notebook....*shudder.* Those things are $$$$. :eek: And I admire your ability to admit - hey, this is important to Don, it's going to take up a chunk of the living room and that's that. ;) Acceptance. :)

Oh but sister it SUCKS! You walk into my tiny house and it looks like an ad for Best Buy 2005. It is so sad! Becuase that is not my ideals at all! This is the reason that when we buy a house, we are getting something with a den. Because it is important to him, and I love him, but I hate that it takes over what our house stands for. It just SUCKS! You can see not only one, but TWO screens from our front door. You can see a guitar, black and white pictures, kids art, classy used furniture, and a craft area too, but the fact still remains, you can see two screens, the second you walk in my house. For most people with male body parts, that is ALL you see when you walk in. For most judgemental women too... good thing that I don't hold many of those as friends anymore. :heart: I love my friends.

Val

Hey you see a flatscreen monitor on a desk and the side of a laptop when you walk in my house. ;) I don't care. LOL. Of course it is the home office...

the screens don't take away from your house, Val. It is always homey and peaceful and the only clutter that is ever there is from teh kids daily schoolwork. Of course, this is coming from someone who hasn't been to your house in ages and who is a confirmed clutter-aholic so maybe I shouldn't speak.

But, honestly, I think allowing your husband those two small things is ok. The whole house is all about you and family. The flatscreen tv is not always on. Your house smells good and is peaceful. Your garage is a wonder of crafting and preserving. Your garden is a small wonder to behold, even in the depths of winter.

Don't get discouraged. Your ideas for switching the kids rooms around sound wonderful. In exchange for "losing" "his" room, Alex is getting a wonderful workstation and a place of his own. Cyan will be closer to you, which is so important when the newest addition becomes the complete center of everyone's world. I know you don't ever leave her out, but the world at large will immediately look at the big eyed happy baby instead of the little girl next to him. I will never forget a day I was shopping with Anna and Daniel when she was about 6 months and him 2 and a half... someone came up and said, "OH, she is BEAUTIFUL, what is her name??!!!" and Daniel just looked up and said "I am Dan" in such a sweet plaintive voice. (Yes, Daniel can be very sweet, lol... expecially when he was younger).

Anyhow. Don't stress too much about your home. I think you have done amazing things with your 900 square feet. And with the semi finished garage ;) Its more than 900. 900+ well organized feet of HOME.

The problem generally lies with that... I do have more than 900 sq ft... except when I need it, like in the depths of winter when it is freezing out... I don't have the garage right now.... because the temp gage says 41* out there. lol! It is only 37* outside. So the garage is a no go right now. Maybe that is why I am more than overwhelmed. That loss of space, and not being able to really get outside? Well that is overwhelming.

Thanks for the comments though Selena. :) It is true. They don't take away... much. I told Don that if the screens get bigger I will quilt covers for them... he actually said it was ok like "Well if I can get bigger screens you go ahead and cover them with crafty crap." :eyes: Didn't deter him a bit from coveting the 24inch flat moniter that his friend just bought. :rolleyes: Men.

Val

LMAO about the monitor. I can really relate. I'm talking Matt down from a 32" LCD panel in the living room. I keep focusing on how I don't want the living room to be dominated by a screen. I think I talked him down to a 24" monitor (for TV/movie watching) or maybe even a 20". Of course then he says, "Well in a year or two when we can afford it we'll get a huge honkin' LCD panel for the BEDROOM and snuggle in bed and watch movies there." :rolleyes: But hey, that's improvement.

I have my machines set up in the basement, but our basement is about 32* right now...it's 17 outside. So I hear you there. The basement is my "space" but when it's freezing it sucks. I just had a propane guy come out and tell me that for $500 installed we can get a vent-free heater w/thermostat for down there. We can't afford it now, but it's on the list for when we get our tax return, because having that space will make winter SO much better. Crafting space for me and Katie, a place for Matt to keep his amps and mikes. Just a bit more room in the winter. (When it's dry...getting it dry for spring/summer/fall is a whole other story, ugh.) Anyway, something to think about. It might be worth investing in heat like that for the garage? Is it insulated?

If it makes you feel any better at one time there were FOUR computers in my house. One in the man cave, one for the kids in the playroom, one laptop in the kitchen for me and one laptop in the living room of dh's. Now we just have the kids and dh's because it was TOO MUCH. AND when dh finally gets the flat screen tv he wants (we are still using my 32 in from college) he thinks he's getting a 52 in screen. Thinks being the operative word. Maybe he's trying to make up for lost time?
I want to second saving up to insulate the garage. I think it would be totally worth it. I wish I could see your home. It sounds wonderful.

They have one of these sections with the sewing amoire at Ikea. It is BEAUTIFUL!

Do you know if there is a picture on the website? Do you think it wouldn't shake when the machine is running? I wasn actually thinking of down the road converting a computer armoire into a sewing machine table but I wondered about the shaking.

Currently my sewing is in the middle of the livingroom on a rickety craft table. It doesn't really work. When my sewing machine gets going, the whole table moves. lol...

There's no way around that unfortunately. I had the same problem when I had my machine set up on a fold up table. Maybe you could find an old kitchen table and paint it? Kitchen tables seem a little more sturdy. My dining room table is called a trestle table (I think). The sides fold completely down to leave a narrow table that could easily be pushed to the side or behind a couch when you don't need it. DH hates it but if we ever do get a new dining set (doubtful) I told him I am going to keep it anyway.

In my craft room (garage with a blanket on the floor... but it works great in the summer!) I have an old shop table that weighs about 150 lbs. lol... solid wood. Not even the surger going full speed makes that thing shake. I LOVE it!

When we can be in the garage the table that is now my sewing table in the livingroom is the kids art table. We have a whole side set up for that.

Seriously, Selena is right. With the garage, when we can use it, this house isn't too small. Perhaps saving up to insilate the garage would be a good idea. Becuase the garage was at once our computer room, our craft room, and my sewing space. It was much better.

And no... there is not a scrap of insilation in there. It is just as cold as our garden shed.

Picasa Web Albums - BlueRoseMama (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/searchbrowse?q=House&psc=S&filter=0&uname=bluerosemama#0+1)

Here is my house. Granted, it is clean here, and I don't have pictures of either screen (I will see if I do on my computer and then upload) but... this is what it looks like. :)

Val

Thanks for the comments though Selena. :) It is true. They don't take away... much. I told Don that if the screens get bigger I will quilt covers for them... he actually said it was ok like "Well if I can get bigger screens you go ahead and cover them with crafty crap." :eyes: Didn't deter him a bit from coveting the 24inch flat moniter that his friend just bought. :rolleyes: Men.

Val

Perhaps a curtain hanging from the ceiling? ;) you could do a wallhanging type thing... the tv is on a table in an inset sort of thing, right? you could always hang a curtain all around... close it when it's not in use so you don't have to look at it. It's a bit drastic, I know, but sometimes those things stifle you when all you do is focus on them, you know? so perhaps a nice floor to ceiling curtain might help you. and it would be another nice trip to ikea ;) they have some REALLLY long curtains... very pretty and reasonably priced, too ;) One last small excersize on the credit card before it gets snipped?:lol:

oh, and have you tried a space heater in the garage? You could use it alone during naps. Does Cyan still take a nap?

I found a sewing/craft armoire!
Sauder Craft Armoire 158097 (SW8097-475) (http://www.furniturebuzz.com/products/Sauder/158097.htm)

http://www.sauder.com/images/product/Normal/Craft_Armoire_8097-475_1.jpg

Oooooooo... that looks like fun!