The only way to live in a small space is to downsize stuff, unfortunately. I was in a similar situation in college, and I basically cut everything down to the bare minimum- a couch, two lamps, a small table, a bed, and two bookcases (gotta have my books). The one thing that I do know is that there is always space up high. If you can, I totally agree about mounting shelves or cubes to keep the dolls in. Or, get rid of or convert the TV cart (underneath) into a doll storage corner. Keep the things that mean the absolute most to you in the apartment, and put the rest in a well-packed, well-marked storage container. Don't worry, it's not forever.
I sympathize with your predicament. It's too bad you don't have a parent's place or somewhere to store your stuff until you can upsize. Our children all used us as their storage units. I won't say I was pleased, but I am sentimental, so we tolerated it and they are now taking their stuff, bit by bit. The 31 year old still has a few boxes here-LOL. Now, if you'd like me to, I will play with your doll accessories until you have space.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ha! I'm sure we all would!Originally posted by sewcial:
Now, if you'd like me to, I will play with your doll accessories until you have space.
As for organization, I would also recommend shelves or storing under the TV, etc. I actually have curtains with elastic bands to hold stuffed animals, so if you could do that they could hold the dolls' dolls. Tell the professional organizer that the dolls are very important to you, but DON'T have all their stuff out or risk getting it thrown away! Protest the throwing-away of AG items!
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I can too!Originally posted by sewcial:
[qb]Now, if you'd like me to, I will play with your doll accessories until you have space.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, my mom does live alone in the 4-bedroom house I grew up in, but she wants (and needs) to move to a smaller condo without stairs. I have 2 rooms full of stuff at her house, too and she is always bugging me about getting rid of that stuff. One room that used to be my brother's room is filled with hundreds of Beanie Babies and Beanie Buddies, and I've been intending on selling that collection off. I'd like to wait a few years and see if the value goes up but I need the $ and my mom needs to move.Originally posted by sewcial:
I sympathize with your predicament. It's too bad you don't have a parent's place or somewhere to store your stuff until you can upsize. Our children all used us as their storage units. I won't say I was pleased, but I am sentimental, so we tolerated it and they are now taking their stuff, bit by bit. The 31 year old still has a few boxes here-LOL. Now, if you'd like me to, I will play with your doll accessories until you have space.
I also have a desk from IKEA in her garage, still in the box because I don't have room for such a large desk here, so I'm using the older wooden computer cart I've had since I got my first computer about 10 years ago.
Your perspective is good -- you know you won't be living like this forever. I would definitely make sure up front that the professional organizer is someone (like a friend of mine who does this) who honors your priorities and accepts that eliminating dolls is not an option.
I lived in an efficiency for about 8 years. It did have a separate bathroom and kitchen but I moved into it from a 2-bedroom flat. I had three rings of furniture in mine -- big stuff up against the walls, smaller stuff in the next circle in and then floating messy stuff in the center. With two cats to knock it all over! If you can live with clutter without going crazy, then I would skip the organizer and spend the money on a free standing shelf unit that you can move around to change the space orientation. Mine was two metal poles that springloaded against the floor and ceiling and the shelves were exactly the right width and length to balance a Kirsten bed on. 5 shelves in all, and the shelves were just metal rungs with cross pieces at the ends. I didn't have AGs back then but if I had, I would have hung the doll clothes off the outside edge of the shelves.
You can also make space to hang doll clothes in your own closet if you keep all your short items, like blouses, in one place. Unbend two coat hangers so the hook part stays intact and the rest of the wire is straight. Figure out how long your short clothing section is and buy a round metal curtain rod that length. Take a doll hanger with you to ensure that the hanger will go over the curtain rod -- AG hangers fit over the kind of rod that has springs on each end perfectly. Bend up the bottom of each coat hanger so the rod, which goes between them, is about an inch below your longest blouse. Hang up the rod below your blouses and store AG clothes there.
Even though I've finally (after 35 years of living in apartments) bought a house, it has tiny closets. So all of you who thought that using the bathroom for doll storage was funny -- well, that's what I do with the half bath! My bedroom has a steamer trunk in it full of out of season doll clothes stored in the flat boxes AG used to use, the ones that are 9 x 11 or something. Empty letterhead stationery boxes are great for storage, too, if you can find someone to save them for you.
Good luck and keep thinking that some day you will have more space than this. And -- sadly -- if you're like me, you'll use up every inch of extra space as soon as you get it! [img]confused.gif[/img]
Also, can you replace your table with something that has drawers/shelving underneath? Although you might not like that because it might look a bit cluttered.
EDIT: Ah, as per your post above, I guess you have shelves there.
<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ July 15, 2006 12:03 AM: Message edited by: Kenshinchan ]</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">In the diagram, there is a square between the stove and computer that says TV. That's a little TV cart with my 19in TV, VCR and DVD player. My "stereo" is a little boombox on the lower shelf of the oval table near the windows.Originally posted by McMasters:
Do you have a TV? CD player? You could get a long TV stand type thingy with baskets underneath it. I can't think how to say it! Like something 4 feet long, put your TV, CD player, etc. on top then have shelves with pull out baskets for your stuff. Or since you're still going to college, how about a loft? Sleep up top and have your table or doll things under? Or even better! Put your dolls away while your organizer is there, then bust them out when she's done!! [img]wink.gif[/img]
As for my futon, it has 2 drawers underneath(which I can't get into because of all the stuff on the floor [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) and the drawers are not attached to the bed, they just sit on the floor on rollers. I don't have a dresser so those 2 drawers are the only places I have to put clothes besides the closet(and yes they're full). I don't even have a table I can eat on! I eat on a tray on my lap on the bed! The oval table is a small, antique night table with a drawer so my lamp and other things go there.
that was the one piece of furniture I bought brand new when I moved in here because it has so many places for things(2 drawers underneath, the arms flip up and you can put things in them like pens, flashlight or the remote, and magazine racks on the sides)
<font color="#33CCCC"><font size="1">[ July 15, 2006 12:03 AM: Message edited by: Diamond Dragon ]</font></font>
<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ July 15, 2006 12:04 AM: Message edited by: Diamond Dragon ]</font>
All right, I've got the answer. [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img] Use McDonalds bathroom from now on and convert your current bathroom into a doll room!! Just kidding! [img]smile.gif[/img]
Hey don't pay a professional organizer, just watch HGTV, Mission Organization.
After you have cleaned out some stuff reward yourself with some kind of small chest or shelf unit for your dollie stuff.
If you can go to college you can certainly clean your apartment.
I know you can do it yourself, keep the money for more important things, like "you". [img]graemlins/rose.gif[/img]
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