Parenting Teens

Living in small spaces (like dorm rooms or small apartments) can be challenging for college-age teens, or anyone else for that matter! Today, I’m posting some tips for making that small space feel bigger and more organized. Some are my own tips, and some come from professional organizer, Marcia Ramsland, author of the book Simplify Your Space.

These tips work for college students, other teens still living in their own room at home, and anyone else who needs to make a small space more usable and comfortable.

1. Minimize the clutter. This is just good, common sense. The more clutter lying around (clothes, notebooks, beer kegs, etc.), the more cluttered a room feels. Instead of spending a Saturday or Sunday picking up the entire house, try taking two minutes to put away as many items as you can every time you leave a room.

2. Clutter can also include frequently used items. If you will have a roommate, make sure you communicate with each other about who will be bringing a toaster, a coffee maker, etc., so you don’t end up with two of everything to go in a postage-stamp sized kitchen! Keep in mind that keeping two-thirds of every flat surface, such as tables and countertops, clear will make your space appear bigger.

3. Create storage wherever you can-under the bed, over the door, and on the walls. There are over-the-door organizers for everything now! If your bed is a little too low, you can get bed lifts at stores such as Bed, Bath, & Beyond or Home Depot, which will give you several extra inches to stash things.

4. Hang shelves above your desk for textbooks and small items. You don’t have to find a place to put a bookcase!

More tips after the break!

5. Take stock of your closet, and make it fit your needs. If most of your clothes are folded, try a hanging bag with compartments, to store sweaters, t-shirts, etc. On the other hand, if most of your clothes are hung, add a second closet rod, and double the amount of things you can hang.

6. Before buying furniture, remember to scale it to fit the size of your room or apartment. Smaller pieces of furniture make small rooms look roomier. Instead of that huge computer desk, buy a small desk or even a table, if you have a laptop. Go for a small, round table for your kitchen, rather than a square or rectangular one. Tall pieces of furniture, like armoires, draw your eyes upward and make a room feel bigger. So do floor-to-ceiling drapes, rather than short curtains.

7. Mirrors, especially if they hang in a place where they can reflect sunlight provide more natural light and open up a room. They’re a quick and easy way to create the illusion of more space.

8. Never underestimate the power of a made bed. Once your bed is make, your room looks 50 to 70 percent cleaner! It’s an excellent way to start the day, and immediately makes you feel as though you have accomplished something!

Pass these tips on to your teenagers, your friends, or anyone else who needs help organizing their space! Then, please, someone come to my house and practice! Have a great weekend!

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