Smaller=greener
Smaller=simpler
Simplification and greening has been helped enormously by my new mantra - THROW IT OUT. I have gone through my clothes and rather than asking myself "Will I ever wear it again?" or "Have I worn it in the past year?" I ask "Would I choose it?". If the answer is no, then it is donated to the Red Cross shop. If I feel sentimental, I take a photo of it. If I feel very sentimental, I take a photo of me wearing it. We have done the same thing with books, camping gear, kitchen appliances, gardening tools. But even after throwing a lot of stuff out, we still have a small house without a garage containing the ever-lessening belongings of 4 people and a dog. Which is why we have had to use every bit of space available to build storage. Although we still have a long way to go, we aren't crowded with stuff anymore. Neither of us are naturally very tidy (I would be called quite messy really), which is why the system of a box for everything works so well (a box for wet weather gear, a shoe box, a clean clothes box, a board games box and the list goes on). Everything looks tidy, is put away easily but inside the box can look however you want it to (but you can still find things). Amazing. Here are just a few of our conversions for storage.
Another bag of stuff off to the Red Cross shop
Boxes are our storage friend. This one was a find in a local antique store and is supposed to be for shoes (although I just noticed a soccer ball in there)
Our custom made cupboard on the front deck
And inside all of the boating, surfing and camping gear
Another life-changing box - for all of my clothes (which used to be spread over the floor)
Our seats have all been converted for storage
This daybed is great storage
And is even home to my mushroom farm
I've used the method that has been successful before, just a bag of organic mushroom compost, top cut off and spray each day
The crop is a surprise too. We have had button mushrooms and once had swiss browns.
From here it just looks like bamboo and a tiny shed...but on closer inspection
Our wood storage area (with bamboo being dried out for kindling) underneath, and a cubby house on top
Around the other side is the compost pile with ladder access to the cubby
3 comments:
Throwing things away is very difficult for me. a)I'm a crafter and I've never known a minimalist crafter! b)We grew up with very little and I've actually enjoyed being able to have well-stocked cupboards; art supplies for the kids, etc.
But it does reach a point where it's too much and I'm there. Besides, stacks of stuff make good hiding places for mice and our area has something of a plague on at the moment. So I'm gradually sifting and sorting and throwing out. But it's still at the stage where it goes against my nature.
I like your storage ideas. Thanks for inspiring me to do another cupboard today.
No probs - I like the concept of a cupboard (or even a shelf, or even a section of shelf) at a time. I have a long way to go too. Thanks for reading.
Inspiring post. Better organisation, clever storage solutions, a place for everything, is what I'm working on. It's ridiculous that the biggest house we've ever lived in feels inadequate. I'm rather cranky at the builder and his no can do attitude. For example I wanted a small cupboard in one particular spot (quite prepared to pay for the change) and now I often find myself thinking how convenient it would be to have it there, but the builder said the space was too narrow and you can't get cupboard doors in that size. Back then I was too willing to accept such excuses, now I know what he meant was he just wanted to do what was easiest for him. Anyway, I'm loving what you're doing with what you've got and a can do attitude!
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