I'm very excited! There was this really nice apartment I was hoping we would get in an historic area of the inner loop in Houston and we got it :0). It has biking and jogging trails along the road, is a small complex, and has a pool and courtyard on the property. Now I need your help! Does anyone know of space-saving solutions? The apartment is a little over 1000 square feet (a pretty good size for the city, if you don't want to fight traffic constantly and still live in a nice area). I have about a thousand books (no exaggeration) and am trying to do away with these bulky bookshelves I have, but am not sure of an alternative. Additionally, I'd love to know of any space-saving tips you guys might have in general. I really want to make the dining area a computer nook/eating area. It's just the 3 of us. Are there any tables that maybe fold after eating? I appreciate your help!
I did have a table that was round, small and the 2 sides dropped down so it was just a strip of a table. I think I got it at a place called Shopko, but I don't think there are too many of those around anymore, but they do sell them at other places. maybe you can mount your book shelves side ways....... or make some that do that...... you know going up near the celing so that you still have floor space. the bags you can buy that vaccume out air really do work, you can put seasonal clothes under beds. have tables (end tables and coffee tables) that have storage in them so that your child can put school supplies or other things in side.
Vacuum Bags! I had totally forgotten about those! I remember hearing about them years ago but now I will definitely look into them because I tend to store our seasonal stuff in these bulky totes. Thanks so much for the reminder!
A few years ago I went to a class by Jan Bloom, who wrote a book called What Should We Then Read. In it, she has some directions for making little wooden bookshelves which are pretty utilitarian. Basically, they are small and not very deep, as you do not need a great deal of heighth or depth for most books. The big reference or coffee table books are different, of course. I believe she recommends a depth of 12 inches for most shelves, and then she makes them pretty narrow, so the weight of the books don't bow them. Then you can just line up as many as you need side by side. She also said that she has made bookshelves over the inside of all the bedroom doors in her house. She was pretty creative about places to put books. She did not believe in storing books anywhere but inside the climate-controlled house.
I live in a two bedroom house that is around 900 sq feet. Some appraisers say it is a little smaller some say a little bigger but it is definitely under 1000. We have hundreds of books. I have a bookshelf in the hall. It makes for a tight squeeze to get towels but it works. We keep school supplies and craft supplies in an armoire/coat closet in the living room. We also have bookshelves in both bedrooms and in the garage. Do you have a garage? The computer is in my room, next to my bed. We have a California King which takes up most of the bedroom so I only have a little room to pull out the chair but again, it works. My dining area/nook is small. We have a small table, small china cabinet, and an old hospital thinamabob from the late 1800's filled with baking pans, craft supplies, and small school supplies. Every wall in the house is utilized to say the least. LOL But we make it work but it is tight. We only have three people living in the house but it is still tight when it comes to storage. The funny thing is, we have a small house on a decent size lot. It is about an acre.LOL
Patty, I know what you mean--we have a king sized bed and it can be a serious challenge, but I wouldn't give it up for the world!! We do have the option of renting a garage for an extra fee, but I'm trying to take the opportunity to "de-clutter" and at our old place, we used the garage as a junk bin! We have to find a way to fit 2 small computer desks in the home. I think I will get a small corner desk to put in the bedroom and one in the dining room (maybe just a cart). My husband is a graphic designer, so he has to have his little space. Perhaps if we do a drop leaf in the dining room and only lift it for meals it will work. We do have a hall closet lined in shelves, so that could work! Didn't even think of that! My husband was talking about lining to top of the 4 walls in our bedroom in shelves and getting me a stepladder. At least that way they would be out of the way and actually might be an interesting display. We are trying to think of creative, slim coffee table ideas. Thanks so much!
There is an Ikea on I-10 going Westbound on the feeder outside the 610 West Loop. Ikea.com to see the map
Our computers live in our dining room as well. We generally use the adjustable office chairs at both the computer desks and the table and bring the real dining chairs in from other parts of the house (kids' desks, etc.) only for special occasions like company. I also put a storage bench against the wall behind the table. Besides giving us storage, three of my children can sit there together which reduces both the number of chairs needed and the required size of the table. Another thing that helps (we have six people living in 1000 sq ft) is loft beds. My older children have a bed, dresser, desk, and bookshelf all in just the space required for a twin bed. It conserves space and gives them each a defined personal area even though they share a room.
I have been looking into a loft bed for Cameron. I love this solution! And thanks for the Ikea info; I'll be looking into it for sure. We did just find a dining table with 2 drop leafs on either side; we can pull up one when it's just the 3 of us and the other when we have company. But when we aren't using it, it's so thin. Thanks guys!
