Living in a tiny home with very little storage means I’ve gotten into the habit of cramming anything that fits into every nook and cranny, without regard for category, common sense or convenience of access. Oh, you need a serving platter? No problem! Just squeeze behind the bed, lay flat on your stomach, turn your head to the side, and reeeeeeeach as far as you can under the bed and feel past the plastic bin with the extra flower vases, over the basket with the spare extension cords, and wiggle your fingers until you feel a bag containing something that feels like a ceramic dish. Don’t be surprised if you run into any dust bunnies, spiders or sleeping cats. This is to be expected and no cause for alarm.
Well, I’ve decided to take one small step toward sanity and create a linen closet in my oddly large bathroom. It’s the only room in the place that could legitimately be described as spacious – at least in comparison to the rest of the place! No storage to speak of in there but plenty of wide open floor space. I’m guessing the architects couldn’t figure out any other way to design it while giving access from two doors – one of which I never use. I considered turning the space into a bathroom-slash-rec-room, to take advantage of the space, but… even I have my limits when it comes to creative space-making. Instead, I have decided to use my old bookshelf as a starting point and give myself a place to put all the usual bathroom items plus extra linens and anything else that makes sense to keep in a windowless, occasionally damp room.
I try to buy as little new stuff as possible and keep things as ‘green’ and sustainable as I can. That’s one of the reasons why I love using what I already have or what I can find second-hand, to repurpose them into a second (or third) useful life. Despite the fact that spell check does not recognize the word (how about re-purpose? Yep, that’s good), I’ve noticed that ‘repurposing’ seems to be all the rage on the internet these days. Sometimes it gets a little wacky – repurposing something useful into something just plain nutty. (“I chopped up this perfectly good table and turned it into a light saber-shaped planter for my succulents!”) But, that’s okay. I like people who make nutty things for no good reason. You never know when they might strike gold, right? Anyway, consider this my way of jumping into the rage, with a rather staid example of re-use.
“Before” pics after the jump…
