August 23, 2023

3 Tips from a Designer to Maximize Space and Reduce Clutter

No matter how big or how small your home is, storage solutions always seem to be a priority. To maintain a tidy home, we crave more space to keep our belongings organized and out of sight; even after you've decluttered, every item still needs a designated spot to live. In this article, we’ll cover organizational optimization of two suites; a larger 3-bedroom, followed by a smaller studio.

Less Clutter. Less Stress.

Your home is your sanctuary. By keeping it clean and having it be easy to clean up and reset, you'll likely find yourself less stressed, and more ready to tackle the outside world. Not to mention, getting creative and finding storage solutions in unexpected places can be incredibly satisfying.

Research has shown a connection between physical clutter and our mental well-being. Clutter can lead to stress, fatigue, and even poor health, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). If our environment affects our mood, it's crucial to eliminate the clutter. So, let's clear our minds by clearing our space.

One practical organizational approach is adopting the Mise-en-Place (MEEZ-ahn plahs) philosophy, originally from the hospitality industry and professional kitchens. Chefs organize their kitchens with everything in its place for maximum efficiency. This same philosophy can be applied to our homes to create better-organized interiors.

Effective solutions to organize your home can range from simple to complex, but this can come with a correlating price tag. For example, budget-friendly solutions such as closet organizers, additional shelving, or selecting furniture with embedded storage can help optimize dead space that wouldn’t otherwise be used. More elaborate solutions such as adding built-in millwork for your television, a kitchen island or hidden pantry spaces will be more labour intensive, and have a higher cost, especially if part of a renovation as opposed to during an initial pre-construction design appointment.

So, depending on your level of commitment to organization, whether higher (e.g., renovation) or lower (e.g., placing organizers, or choosing furniture design), there are options to help you declutter. Below includes three professional tips from a Tridel designer on how you can enhance the overall functionality of your home.

1. Home Layout Design Choices

Initially, you can plan and set up your home to best suit your lifestyle during the pre-construction design phase. At this time, you can make requests to do things like adding built-in millwork for your television, widening your kitchen island, adding a reading nook, or having an inset shower soap niche installed. Alternatively, any of these examples can also be added via renovations after the fact.

In the floorplan above, red dots indicate ideas that should be considered up front if possible.

2. Organizers

Adding organizers around your home is a great way to optimize your living area. Many people simply hang clothes and stack things on the floor of their closet, but with a closet organizer, you can create a built-in linen closet, maximize wall space, add additional cubby storage, and optimize dead space that wouldn’t normally be used.

See the yellow dots for creative ideas such as closet organizers, pullout pantry shelves, and door mount shelves.

3. Furniture Design Choices

Lastly, by making furniture design choices to boost space, you will optimize your everyday living. Think of things like furniture with storage, ceiling-high cabinets, bins, boxes, containers, or a credenza with drawers. All these options can be selected on a budget that suits you upon move-in or added after the fact with less hassle than renovating.

The green dots indicate easy to implement solutions in your home, such as: a bed with built-in drawers, maximizing the length of night stands, and selecting furniture with drawers and cabinets.

A challenge that arises for some people is finding ways optimize smaller space, such as a studio suite. Navigating storage in a smaller space requires ingenuity and strategic thinking. Embracing minimalism and clever organizational solutions can significantly transform the way we use and perceive our living areas.

Let’s look at an example of a smaller home, using the same organizational options as above to find places for additional storage that you may not have thought of. In a smaller space like a studio home, even one thing out of place can make your space feel messy, so it’s vital to have your area organized, efficient, and tidy.

Imagination. Inspiration. Organization.

Eliminating the urge to add furniture should be prioritized. For example, utilizing the space behind the drywall with insets or adding built-in shelving to the structural column that’s in the center of the room for privacy and storage can create opportunities to make space where it otherwise wouldn’t exist.

Alternatively, explore having a space be multi-functional based on usage during time of day. With a pull-down bed, flex space can be created when the bed is not in use, resulting in more open area and space to add seating.

When it comes to storage and reducing clutter, there are various effective approaches that can transform your home into an organized haven. From pre-construction design choices to incorporating organizers and selecting furniture with built-in storage, you have the power to maximize your space and create a stress-free environment.