Being in college means living independently, which also means you are essentially a nomad for the next four years and your seasonal destinations are a variety of small, cramped spaces. If your first thought upon seeing your room at the beginning of the semester was, “This closet size space is barely big enough to hold my wardrobe,” then this article is for you. Be it a box-size dorm room, cramped apartment or amply-spaced yet grossly overpopulated house, here are some organizational interior design hacks that will make your living area as fabulous as you.
Your Space: Embrace your inner minimalist
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Minimalist style is the only style this season. Decorate with simple, open-concept furniture. Slender legs and space under the bottom of furniture allows you to see around and under the furniture which gives the illusion that it takes up less space.
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Add a touch of white wherever you can; it is crisp and gives the room a cleaner feel. A white comforter with white sheets is an easy way to do this, plus if you don’t make your bed it still looks good. Seriously, think about it!
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Store scarves on hangers or railings. This eliminates bulky containers that take up floor space and allows you to see all of your fall scarf essentials in an easy-to-manage way.
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Use a cake platter to display perfume and jewelry. Raising random dresser items off the counter reduces the appearance of clutter because you can see underneath the platter. Plus it makes you feel like a princess, and who wouldn’t want to be Kate for a day?
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You can’t deny a classic. Stackable tubs are clutch, especially for moving in and out. After unpacking them use them to store all of your decorative pillows at night and lift your bed so they are easy to slide in and out.
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Hang curtains higher and wider than the window to give the illusion that the window is larger and provides more natural light.
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Use a bookshelf to store your shamefully large shoe collection. While it may not look like Kylie Jenner’s (we all have goals), keep working at it. ‘Til then this hack will give you the perfect look for less.
Work Space: Kate Spade Organizers don’t have anything on you!
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Wall space is your best friend! Create a gallery wall above your desk with a mixture of organizational containers, inspirational quotes, or pictures of your fabulous life. Be sure to include a calendar, no matter how awesome your digital calendar/planner is, giving yourself a written visual in a frequented area of your room makes things easier to digest and remember. Get creative, that’s the fun of it!
Glam Space
Class, work, parties and the in-between, everyday requires a little one-on-one glam time, but this can be nothing but stressful if nothing is in its place.
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Clean counters are essential. I always keep the motto that the only visible thing on my bathroom counter should be hand soap. The bathroom is the one place that looks messy quickly and make-up, toothpaste and face wash gets everywhere. After every bathroom encounter wipe off the counter and put your toiletries back in their place, it immediately makes the bathroom less daunting when you have to glam up before that 8 a.m. class.
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Remember walls being your best friend? Store cosmetic essentials in mason jars, or shelf organizers and stick them to the wall with command strips. This is perfect for the ladies that need to see all of their essentials in front of them in the morning while simultaneously maintaining a clean counter space.
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Put a pipe connector under the counter to hold your straightener and blowdryer. I do not know about you but the only time I entered Home Depot on my own volition was to buy a pipe connector to organize my hair supplies and I am so happy I did. It helps eliminate the messy cords and keeps your straightener/blow dryer/curling iron out of sight, but easily accessible.