Tip #7: Store thoughtfully.
we’ve moved together four times in five years.
in every new space, there’s a temptation to rush to the local container store and buy a new solution. the perfect shelf for that perplexing 10″ deep closet, or a shoe rack that fits just-so in the wardrobe your landlord lent you.
but if you’re anything like us and you haven’t exactly found your dream home, it’s worth a pause.
right now, we have two beautiful old soda crates hidden in our closet where nobody can see them. they’re filled with shoes and towels and it’s kind of a shame that they’re not getting time in the limelight. but i think of it this way: chances that the perfect solution for one apartment will be perfect in the next are super slim; so i might as well invest in something nice to look at, even if it is hidden for awhile. and in the next apartment? maybe we’ll have more than 250 square feet. if that day comes, i’d rather have a beautifully patinaed crate to show off than one of those awful plastic drawer thingys.
{post script. living in new york city means your clogs get really dirty. alas}.
12 Comments
oooh, i think i might love your clogs (the ones on the left)- who makes them? i have been in the market for a good pair of clogs and i can't seem to find any I'm excited about!
they're made by ugglebo (both pairs)! http://www.uggleboclogs.com/ they've recently scaled back their selection, so i'm not sure what you'll find, but here's hoping!
i've never been so creative as i am in my tiny nyc studio. and you're right: beautiful, functional, long-lasting solutions are ever so much better than quick, plastic organizers. the good news here is that it's such a task to get to target, plastic storage is rather difficult (and expensive) to come by anyway!
I couldn't agree more. Gorgeous crate!
We use crates for our book storage for that same reason! We don't move very often, but our tiny space is not a permanent one either. Thanks for sharing.
my husband's poor apartment (we are living apart temporarily while he finishes school) is nothing but unpacked boxes stacked. when he needs something, he goes to the box. it's kind of sad, but it's good for me because i know he's just waiting for the day he can throw those all in a truck and get back to me.
this is a much better way though.
We have a crate that is almost identical to this and we use it for shoes! Although it doesn't look nearly as neat as yours. We keep it by the door and it ends up being full of shoes and we have to root through it to find them. Why do two people have so many shoes?
Yes, know that feeling. Living in NYC forces creative storage and I keep thinking if i just had 200SFt more, that's all i would need. Glad I stumbled across your blog.
We use old crates for our shoes too (and just about everything else). When we lived in a studio apartment we dealt with the same dilemmas. To buy temporary storage or Ikea furniture just because, or to just go with out in hopes that those quality items will someday appear..Still waiting for the most part..
I like your crate…and I see that great tq blue tool box you posted about earlier…great sense of style again Erin!
Thanks for the tip about clogs – now I'll avoid them! After three summers in NYC, I have completely given up on sandals. The resulting filthy feet are just too much for me to deal with. Glad to have stumbled across your blog!
Great tips, I love your crate!
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