Small-space expert @PlanterJoey shares tips from his 220 sq ft. NYC apartment. Get started on your own transformation & save 15% on Yamazaki Home's Small Space Organization Collection, Oct 7-28.
It's Small Space Organization Month at Yamazaki Home: enjoy 15% off the Small Space Organization Collection, October 7-28.
Most people downsize gradually. Joseph Carano, known to his followers as @planterjoey, did it almost overnight, going from a 3,000-square-foot home to a 220-square-foot studio.
Today that studio is his bedroom, office, entertaining space, and home to a thriving plant collection. In honor of Small Space Organization Month we consulted Carano, a veritable small-space expert, about how he makes the most of his home.
Packing and Paring Down
Carano didn’t begin with a packing strategy when he decided to move to New York City. He began with a question. “I had to look myself in the mirror and ask what I actually wanted,” he said.
He borrowed a familiar thought experiment: what would you grab in a fire? Whatever didn’t make his list didn’t make the move. He also saw the adjustment to a smaller footprint as a chance to feel more joy, since everything he would end up with is something he loves and uses.
That minimalist mindset still guides what enters his home. “There’s no room for anything I feel mediocre about,” he said. For plants, that means being honest about what will thrive in his apartment's conditions. For everything else, there’s a simple test: “Anything that comes up my four flights of stairs has to be worth carrying back down.”
5 Tips for Small Kitchens by @planterjoey
As Yamazaki Home's resident small-space expert, Carano understands what it means to create a space that looks good, feels good, and works with efficiency and ease. Here are his 5 tips for organizing (or re-organizing) your kitchen.
#1
Treat your fridge like a closet. Install drawers for specific ingredients similar to how you store shorts versus shirts.
#2
Clear off anything you can from the counter. I like to store my towels on a magnetic rack to free up space.
#3
Don’t forget to maximize the space inside of your cabinets too!
#4
Cables can distract from the feeling of calm. Use boxes to contain them.
#5
Designate a spot for closed storage. Hack you can hide clutter in here!
Creating Storage Everywhere
Nearly everything in his light-filled studio pulls double duty. “There’s storage in almost every piece of furniture, from my desk, to my couch, even inside my coffee tables.”
Beyond his much-loved tatami mat, Joseph relies on a portable TV on wheels and a standing desk/bookcase he built himself from basic shelving. In the bathroom, he added cabinets he affectionately calls his “bathroom garage.”
Yamazaki Home designs help keep his apartment tidy. “I love Yamazaki Home's items because they let me have a beautiful home without sacrificing organization,” he says. “They make pieces small enough for small spaces. (And they keep me sane... LOL)!”
From Habitation to Hosting
Carano hosts often, and the secret is his daily reset. First things first, his bed disappears during the day, so the room reads as a living space rather than a bedroom.
"Second, when I have guests, I give them a designated spot for their suitcase. Anyone visiting knows we're in a small space and can't spread their stuff across the apartment — but I do have designated spots for their things in the bathroom and shelf space for them in the kitchen. It's all about giving people a place to put their things."
Carano believes "You could live in a massive house, but if there's no place for someone's coat, it'll end up on the couch or the floor anyway."
His Golden Rule: Airflow
His advice for anyone moving into a small space or looking to take better advantage of their small space isn’t as easy as one product or a trick. It’s airflow.
Small spaces can feel confined and stale fast, and mess overloads your senses, so he never leaves dirty laundry, dishes, or trash out, and he vacuums almost every day. “Keep your space clean and you’ll keep your sanity intact!”
Make Your Own Small Space Work
Keep what you love, give everything a home, and stay on top of the little things. If you’re settling into a new place or need a new organization system, now is a perfect time to start. From October 7 to October 28, take 15% off the Small Space Organization Collection at Yamazaki Home.
Follow Joseph at @planterjoey for more small-space inspiration.
@Planterjoey's Favorite Small Space Organizers
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