Successfully transitioning to small space living

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By Clare Kumar

I FOUND IT! AFTER SEARCHING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, I just signed the lease on a corner condo unit with magnificent water views. Now the fun begins. For the past eleven years, I’ve been helping my clients make the transition to smaller spaces, and it’s time for me to practice what I preach. Any move is stressful, but when you’re shrinking your real estate, there are even greater challenges. Here are a few tips to ensure you love your new place.
Choosing Your Unit
To set yourself up for success, you’ll want to be clear on two things:
a. How you want to spend your time. Figure out what kind of space (rooms and storage) you need to support your activities.
b. How you want the space to feel. Do you prefer minimalist or densely packed, neutral or colourful, traditional or modern? Articulate your vision or simply collect images that reflect what you’re aiming for.
Along with your preferences for location, light and privacy,these become your ideal space specs that will guide your future choices.
Planning the space
When you’ve locked in a unit that meets your needs, you’ll want to develop a ‘space plan’ to help you fit in your must-haves. Try to obtain the floorplan which serves as a first pass planning tool. It may not be 100 per cent accurate, so be sure to take your own room measurements as well. Don’t forget to measure ceiling heights as they often vary even within a condo unit.
Next, grab graph paper, a pencil and ruler, and draw out each room. If you want to do this digitally and in 3D, try roomsketcher.com. Note which way doors open, window positions and mechanisms, the location of electrical and cable outlets, light switches and any vents. Measure your existing furniture pieces. Draw them to scale and cut the pieces out so you can test placing them in different ways. It’s much easier to move paper around than a heavy bookcase! Be sure to consider light, heat sources and power supply as you place furniture. You’ll want to maintain 30 inches for high traffic paths and allow 36 inches space for dining or office chairs to be moved comfortably.
You’ll often find that a piece that worked in one space simply doesn’t fit in your new space. Don’t be afraid to repurpose furniture in a different way, especially if you love it.
If there are gaps, then it’s time to source new pieces. Keep maximum measurements for furniture and storage pieces firmly in mind. Use your choices about how you want the space to feel and any overarching theme to guide your purchases.
Getting organized
Maximize storage by developing a plan to make every storage area efficient and effective, from drawers in the kitchen to front-hall closets (Image 1).
Remember these key principles (VAMP) for organizing your items:
» VISIBLE – Keep things in sight. This will make you more likely to use them
» ACCESSIBLE – Place items so you’re expending the right amount of effort to retrieve them. Store daily use items at your fingertips and holiday items in harder-to-reach spaces.
» MANAGEABLE – Keep pieces easy and safe to manipulate by using the right containers (bigger is not always better), and organizing tools (Image 2).
» PLEASING – Choose materials in colours, finishes and shapes you enjoy, or that help you keep things visually pleasing for you, and they will be a treat to use.

TOP TIPS FOR MAXIMIZING SMALL SPACES
1 EMBRACE SPACE SAVERS – Items that compact or fold down take up less room (Image 1).
2 GET VERTICAL – Look for products that are modular, stack or nest so that you can best take advantage of the space you have (Image 2).
3 HEALTHY MULTI-TASKING – Clever pieces can serve you in multiple ways, for example ottomans that serve as seating, storage and a step stool (Image 3).
4 EASY MOVERS – Furniture on wheels gives you the ultimate in fl exibility so you can easily reconfi gure your space (Image 4).
5 BE CREATIVE – Think beyond a product’s intended use. For example, if your bedroom is very small, consider using a shallower depth TV stand or bookshelf as a dresser (Image 5).


 

Clare Kumar – is an executive productivity coach and professional organizer. Her company, Streamlife (streamlife.ca), o ers organizing and productivity services. She also developed the Pliio Clothing Management System which helps keep clothes tidy.
Original article New Home & Condo Guide September 16-30, 2016