Of course, with a family of six in a 2 bedroom home, there are some small space challenges. One of the most challenging is fitting four children in one bedroom. After people recover from the shock of that statement, they usually ask how we do that. Since I grew up in a small home, I'm familiar with some small space design like what works, what's needed, and what doesn't work. Here are my top four tips to assist with small space challenges that I applied in our children's room. 1. Simplify! Society in general is so used to having everything, they forget its actually more beneficial to have less. Kids need to use their imagination and don't need every toy. They need to learn the value of taking care of their belongings, so they don't need a ton of clothes. They should strive to bond with their siblings and learn how to work through conflicts, so they don't need a ton of "their own" space. By simplifying, we allow our children the opportunity to develop basic skills that will assist them throughout their lifetime. 2. Use under-bed storage: When anyone sees their room, one of the first things they ask is where are all their toys? We utilize under-bed totes to hold all their toys. The dimensions of these totes from Target allow us four totes under each set of bunk beds. That means each child gets two totes full of toys. If they don't fit, they have to simplify and get rid of some things. They can choose to donate, or save for the next yard sale. This may not seem like a lot to you, but don't let this fool you. Those four totes you see hold over 50 Barbies, their accessories, two Barbie houses, 3 American girl dolls, with the American Girl Doll Kitchen set, and a host of other things I'm sure I'm missing. They have plenty. 3. Organization: Every child has a space for everything. If something doesn't have a place, we make one. For instance, the bunk bed method didn't allow for nightstands, so they lacked that place to put their water, reading book, tissue, etc. Hanging baskets on the wall by each bed eliminated the need for nightstands, but organized those miscellaneous items. 4. Behind the door storage: One of the most wasted spaces in homes is behind the door. I love using this dead space to create a hanging station. In this case, our kids had their robes and purses hanging on their bed posts which looked cluttered and disorganized. By adding a 1x4 strip of wood with hooks and another 1x4 across the top of it as a shelf, we added a new area of organization. The girls also use this spot for combing their hair, putting in their earrings, and doing their make-up since they have the shelf space to assist during these tasks. 5. Bonus Tip: Always add a little vintage to every space.
I hope sharing these tips will provide inspiration to simplify your spaces, and help you to love what space you have. Simply Yours
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Country girl by birth. Archives
May 2022
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