Best way to organize a small apartment. (To seem like there is more room than there really is)?

Question

I've got the over the door shoe racks, over the door ironing boards, and canned foods rack over the pantry door. But I need to find out what to do with my tons of genealogy, family stories, and pictures. For the most part it has been stored on Ancestry.com, and cdrw. I'm looking for new ideas.

Answer 1

Hi, To address your specific need in geneology, I have an idea. While I too have used Ancestory.com to store informaton in the past, it was always difficult to access histories and stories in reference to a particular ancestor. I always wanted to be able to store it in the same location as an ancestor in my gedcom file as an attachment that way if I searched an individual I could get the information.

Well there is a site MyHeritage.com, they have a software product like PAF, or Family Tree, it is free and will import gedcom data seamlessly (the only problem I had was on names that I didn't have death dates on, it coded them as living so I had to manually mark them as dead).

The best part of this software is that they have modified the gedcom handeler so that it can accept not only photos, but documents as well. Just scan it and attach it to the person like you would a picture and there it is, easy to access with other details of an individual, you can even assosiate it with multiple individuals if you choose.

They offer free small web sites that will display your famly tree and attached info to others you choose over the web. They are still working on the web based feature to display attached documents but the in software used on your home computer it works great today and is free.

If you want to see a my heritage website you can visit ours at the source address below.

I know how much space genealogy info can take up. I have over 4500 names in my tree and all the attached information gathered through research. Now I am able to truly archive the physical documents and preserve them without worry because I never have to access them again. They are all online and readily accessable in a logical organization.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Since what you're trying to do is make a small place seem larger, you need to think about optical illusions. Wall mounted mirrors to refect light back into a room or a dark hallway are very effective. Light-coloured paint in the same family of colours also works. So, for instance, a parchment white in a dark hallway which opens into the main space which is a darker taupe on the same paint chip will fool the eye into thinking that there's more space.

The same goes for furniture and the soft stuff like pillows, throw covers and drapes. Cut down on patterns and too many colours.

I went to IKEA and bought 4 beech wardrobes for real cheap. The doors have an insert of semi-transparent plastic so that, although they are tall, they do not appear to be "heavy" and, therefore, do not dominate the small room in which they sit. The doors can hang either way so I butted two up together to look like one unit. Should I ever move, they can always stand alone. I store all my office and computer supplies, craft stuff, reference books and hobby stuff in them. No clutter.

Over-the-door units, as has been mentioned by someone else, actually create the look of claustrophobic tinyness. Closets organizers are made by Rubermaid and other, less expensive manufacturers and are available at Home Depot and lots of hardware stores. The beauty of a closet is that the door shuts and everything goes "all gone".

There are simple concepts to make for BIG. 1. Out of sight. 2. Put away in dedicated spots when a task is completed and not leaving it for "later". 3. De-clutter. 4. Give away what you truly do not use or need. 5. Brutal honesty about "stuff". 6. Thematic decor that is harmonious. 6. Multi-functional pieces of furniture. (The trunk idea that serves as both an ottoman and a coffee table, was mentioned by another person.)

As to being able to access your family pix, what about albums with acid-free page protectors? If the spines are similar (or the same), they will contribute to the illusion of more space when they sit on an open shelf or in a bookcase.

2007 appears tp be shaping up as an exciting time as you carry out your plans to bring openess and space to your surroundings! Good luck. Judith

Answer 3

I think drawers or sliding storage boxes under the bed are good for keeping paper records, art supplies, etc.

You could pick a wall and post ALL the pictures on it! Then you wouldn't have to store them elsewhere. To prevent this from looking cluttered though, you'd have to have the other walls fairly bare. Or you could put them all in a row, just along where the wall meets the ceiling. This creates a strong line that draws the eye all the way around the room, and makes it look a little bigger.

I had some art dolls that were taking up a lot of space, being bulky, but solved that by hanging them on the wall.

Answer 4

Mirrors will help make a room look larger and using smaller scale furniture helps a lot too. The over the door things can make a room look cluttered and smaller. How about a cool old trunk / coffee table? You could store and share easily without worrying about damage... and they can be easily moved. The best thing for saving valuable stuff is to keep it from light, moisture, dust and fingers. Don't store anything in plastic- it does not breathe- use old pillow cases or such for stuff like that and be sure to put cedar or something like it to keep rodents and other pests away. You could also get some old crates and turn them into shelf units to display a montage of the coolest stuff. Good luck & God bless.

Answer 5

Keep your furniture in small scale - you don't want your place to look like Barbie and Ken lives there, but don't use big, overstuffed chunky furnishings, either. Go for lighter colors for walls, and use lots of mirrors.

Glass top tables give the illusion of more space because they are "see through." When possible, have furniture and pieces that do not sit flush on the floor. Those pieces that are raised by legs give the "more space" look as well.

Go for dual-use pieces. For example, an ottoman or bench with storage could hold some of your items. Handsome wicker baskets with lids, small trunks, or decorative boxes could stack in a corner or be a part of a vignette - plants, tall vases, etc. and hold odds and ends. I have a set of three graduated sizes of hat boxes, stacked one on top of the other, on my tv armoire in my bedroom. All three boxes are full of "stuff," but it's out of sight.

Use small chests in unique ways, such as in a foyer or bathroom.

Use baskets to hold rolled towels in your bathroom, cutlery or napkins in your kitchen, etc.

Shelves are great to showcase your keepsakes. Just don't let them become cluttered with junk. Plan what you want to display and store on your shelves. A small decorative shelf in your bathroom could hold lotions bath oils, rolled wash cloths, etc.

Make sure everything has a place in your apartment, and be ruthless about not allowing clutter to accumulate.

Answer 6

I don't know about your ancestry information, but for a small apartment needing to look bigger, go for lots of light, minimalism, look at japanese interior design, you don't want a lot of furniture

Answer 7

Baskets are great for decorative storage and can slide anywhere you have room.