Why don’t we ever have enough space? City-dwellers know what I’m talking about. You think you’re organized and then more stuff just keeps appearing. When it’s time to change out your summer clothes for fall ones, all chaos breaks loose. (About that…keep reading to find out how you can get someone to haul away your extra clothes and store them for free below!)

Or maybe you finally purchased all the kitchen essentials you need to make you feel like a real adult, but you can’t fit them all in your measly cupboards. Maybe you just can never find your remote or your keys for the life of you and you just can’t take it anymore. 

Luckily, there are some easy solutions out there that you can implement as soon as this weekend. That’s right, you could be well on your way to stress-free, organization bliss by Sunday night. 

 

Create a designated remote holder 

Photos via Yellow Brick Home and Country Living. 

I cannot tell you how many hours of my life I’ve wasted searching for the remote. Can you say the same? The best way to combat “lost remote syndrome” is by designating a place for the actual remotes to live. They need a home, if you will. If you’re like me, it’s a delicate balance of not being able to stand the sight of them but getting very angry when you can’t find them. I love both of these “secret” solutions, like storing them in a cigar box on the coffee table, or even hiding them in a book!  (P.S. this would also work for things like keys, which also seemingly go missing ALL. THE. TIME.) 

 

Hang pots, pans & utensils on pegboard 

I saw this genius idea when perusing through one of my favorite coffee table books, Design Sponge at Home. I also found the same tutorial on her website, here. I’m absolutely going to implement a white version on the back wall of my kitchen, which will free up SO MUCH cabinet and drawer space I’m not even going to know what to do with myself. I’ve also seen mini versions which you can use to hang smaller items like measuring spoons and measuring cups.  

 

Free up your dish towel drawer 

Via Remodelista 

As you already know, my kitchen is small. Really small. As in, I have three drawers. THREE. And one is a junk drawer because where else does that stuff go? So then, I’m left with one measly miniature drawer and one regular sized drawer. So clearly that precious space can’t be taken up with nonsense like dish towels. I got a cute basket and now they live above my fridge. Lifesaver. 

 

Tension rod under sink organizer 

Photos via Martha Stewart and A Thousand Words 

The black hole that is the kitchen sink cabinet is often such a mess it gives us anxiety every time we open it. Sometimes I go hunting for trash bags and just give up all together. But this tension rod trick? It’ll change your life. I did this in my old apartment and it worked like such a charm. Note to self: buy new tension rod. Hang all your spray bottles on it and you’ll never lose them again. Plus, it frees up tons of room for baskets to organize your other essentials. 

 

Outsource your storage 

Have you heard of MakeSpace? They first launched in NYC, and just recently expanded to Chicago and D.C.–they’re a seriously awesome storage company. They drop off these big green plastic bins for you to pack, and then they haul it away to store for as long as you need, and bring it back whenever you’d like. You’ll never have to visit a storage unit again. The prices are super affordable all around. Chicagoans pay a monthly fee of $4.99 per bin or $9.99 for a big wardrobe box. (This would also be a great idea to store post-wedding items like your wedding dress!) They’ll also store items like your skis, snowboard, golf clubs, and in Chicago, furniture too!  For tiny apartments with no storage, it’s a brilliant, affordable solution. 

The best part? You can try it out fo’ free! Just go to MakeSpace.com and enter the code GOLDENGIRL50 to get $50 off! 

 

Do you have any great organization hacks we should know about? 

This post is sponsored by MakeSpace, however, all opinions are 100% my own.