#HTE

How to Stay Organized in Small Spaces

One of my challenges as a professional organizer is to find creative ways to store things in small houses and apartments. Even when people have uncluttered their spaces, there are often challenges—so I appreciate thoughtful designs that help make the most of the space that’s available.

Bulky items can be a challenge, and sports equipment often falls into that category. So I was pleased to see the folding sled from 3R, designed by Max Frommeld and Arno Mathies, which originally launched on Kickstarter. The seat is made from high-density polyethylene using a CNC router.

The sled folds to less than half its original size, so the end user could potentially store it under a bed or a couch. Even if it’s stored in a closet or garage, it will take  significantly less space than other sleds. 

Another piece of sporting equipment is the ONAK origami foldable canoe; the Kickstarter for this product will fund on August 1. It’s made from a “patent pending Honeycomb - Curv Polypropylene material." 

The canoe folds into a suitcase that’s 120 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm. The rectangular shape makes it much easier to stash away than a regular canoe.

The developers say it may take a purchaser about 20 minutes to unfold the canoe the first time, but less than 10 minutes after some experience. Folding it back up takes them less than five minutes.

Luggage is another type of bulky item that can present storage challenges. Travelers who don’t travel too often can use suitcases as storage spaces for clothes or other items, but the darn suitcases still have to go somewhere. So the collapsible Neit luggage, originally launched on Kickstarter, has a lot of appeal. This is hard case luggage, made from polycarbonate and an aircraft-grade aluminum frame.

Néit luggage reduces to 30 percent of its original volume in 10 seconds. The collapsed suitcase is only three inches tall, so it will fit under some beds. It could also be hung from its handle.

Barracuda collapsible luggage also launched on Kickstarter. It has some interesting features, including a rotating handle and a laptop tray built into the handle. It’s made from Makrolon polycarbonate, ballistic nylon and aircraft-grade aluminum. 

But for organizing purposes, what’s interesting is that within about 10 seconds the suitcase can collapse down to four and a half inches in depth. That’s not as compact as the Néit luggage, but it should still fit under many beds; many under-bed baskets and bags run about seven inches deep. 

The Barracuda also comes with a storage bag, and that bag has a hook that allows the traveler to hang it in a closet, similarly to how a garment bag would hang. If the traveler has two Barracudas, one can be hung from the other.

CDs are yet another item that can take up a huge amount of space for those who have substantial collections—and there are still a number of people who have such collections and want to hold onto them. For those who want to keep the cover art and other related materials, sleeves can be a good option. Jewelsleeves, made of heavy duty vinyl, have three top-opening pockets: one with cushioning on both sides for the CD itself, one for the booklet or cover art, and a taller one for the tray card. (Full disclosure: I happened meet the man who makes this product, and he sent me a few sample sleeves.)

The sleeves are about 25 percent as thick as a jewel case, although a purchaser noted that’s more like one-third as thick once the sleeves are loaded. But that’s still a substantial space saving. The sleeves can then be stored in specially designed chests or in nice cases—or in simple inexpensive storage boxes.

For CD (or DVD) owners who don’t care about keeping the printed material handy, there are numerous CD/DVD binders. But the Discgear Selector is another intriguing space-saving design that gets lots of raves and repeat purchases.

With the Discgear, the end user loads the CDs into the unit and creates a numbered title sheet of all the CDs, using software that’s provided; that list rests in a tray that pulls out. To get any specific CD, the end user notes the number, moves the knob to the right number, presses the bar—and the disc is retrieved. 

This won’t work for everyone; not all end users are disciplined enough to create and maintain that index. And one purchaser noted that the listing was a bit small for aging eyes to read. Some models have pop-out LED lights for reading the title sheet, which seems like a nice addition to the design.

Loft beds are one way to make use of all the space in a room, and there are many such beds for children. But when I tried to find an adult-sized one for a client a few years ago—a queen-size or king-size bed—there wasn’t much around. But now I’m seeing a few options, such as the Urbano adult loft beds from Casa Collection, designed by Roberto Gil. 

There’s a lot of storage built into this king-size bed, which is nice for rooms that have the space for that. And some end users will find those stairs easier to use than the ladders that often come with loft beds. Coming off hip replacement surgery, I noticed (and was glad to see) the grab bar along the stairs.

For end users who don’t have that kind of space, the loft beds from Francis Lofts and Bunks will work better. Purchasers comment on how sturdy the thing is—definitely a key design feature for a loft bed! They also note the assembly was easy, which is another big plus.

One of the accessories available for this bed is the bookshelf at the head of the bed, which seems like it would be useful to many end users. One side rail is standard, but another side rail and one or more end rails are also available; that’s a nice accommodation for different bed placements (against a wall or not) and different end user needs. There are also three heights available, for 8-foot, 9-foot and 10-foot ceilings. 

The Cabidor is yet another way to make use of every little bit of space: in this case, the space behind a door. It fits any standard door and pivots off the hinges. If the door is in a corner, there must be at least 3 ½ inches from the center of the hinge pin to the side wall.

Six of the eight shelves on this model are adjustable, which is an important feature for any kind of shelving. The retention rods help keep things in place while still keeping them visible. 

A metal striker plate and magnet keep the Cabidor closed when not in use. (Some purchasers said the magnet is so strong that it’s hard to open the Cabidor.) The Cabidor isn’t the most attractive thing when closed, so end users might want to be a bit fussy as to where they install this. A number of purchasers mention using them in bathrooms with limited storage.