Contrary to its name, “downsizing” is a lifestyle trend that has many upsides in today’s modern world. Sometimes referred to as decluttering, minimalism, or “living small,” downsizing refers to reducing the number of items you own. People are drawn to this lifestyle for many reasons. For some, downsizing brings the opportunity to save money on rent and utilities (not to mention, saving time spent cleaning) by moving into a smaller and more energy-efficient space. For others, downsizing presents an eco-friendly option for living with a smaller carbon footprint. Meanwhile, for some people, downsizing brings the freedom of the “digital nomad” lifestyle, which involves traveling full-time, often while living in an RV, tiny house, houseboat, AirBNB, or other small space.

Whether you simply want to reduce clutter in your current home or hope to relocate into a smaller home, downsizing can appear to be a daunting task at first. If you’ve never decluttered or downsized before, you might be overwhelmed and uncertain of where to begin. Adding to the difficulty of downsizing, the thought of parting with your favorite keepsakes can really tug at your heartstrings.

Luckily, downsizing doesn’t have to be so difficult. From first time home buyers to seniors looking to move into a smaller home, here are some general downsizing tips that are helpful for anyone — including beginners:

1. Repurpose Sentimental Items. Can’t bear to part with your wedding dress even though you know you’ll never, ever wear it again? Find a crafty friend who’d be willing to help you turn it into a keepsake pillow. You might also save pieces of fabric from your wedding dress for a shadow box that you can proudly display in your home. Repurposing sentimental items not only makes them smaller so they take up less space; it also gives you a creative way to work them into your home decor rather than storing them out of sight in a closet.
2. Consider Your Needs. Sure, downsizing is the latest lifestyle buzzword. However, that doesn’t make it a great fit for everyone. There are different ways to live the minimalist life, and most of them are much less intense than selling everything you own and moving into an off-grid camper. In many cases, simply organizing your belongings in a more efficient way can significantly reduce clutter and the anxiety that comes with it. A room-by-room strategy may work best, according to HomeAdvisor. Adding roll-out shelves like these in the kitchen and closets, utilizing vertical wall space in living and office areas, and “containerizing” in the playroom and bathroom are all tips to make your existing space and stuff feel less burdensome.
3. Don’t Do It All Yourself. To be clear, I truly love a good Do-It-Yourself (DIY) project. However, that doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself. This is especially true when it comes to organizing and decluttering your home. You could hire a professional organizer to help you determine which items you want to keep or part with. Or, if you are downsizing in preparation for an upcoming move, you might consider hiring professional movers and packers to help ease stress. Either way, be sure to do your research and check out local prices and reviews beforehand. The bottom line is that you will reduce stress and overwhelm by asking for help when needed.

There are many benefits to downsizing and decluttering. By reducing the number of items in your home, you free up your time, effort, and finances so that you can focus on the things that really matter in your life. Eliminating any unnecessary clutter can bring you feelings of accomplishment and calm. Downsizing could be one of the most effective self-care steps you could take in reducing stress during this next chapter of your life.

Harry Cline

Author of The A-Z Home Care Handbook

Owner of http://newcaregiver.org

Are you remodeling a kitchen or bathroom?  Maybe building your own custom home?  Have you given much thought to how you’re going to organize everything in your new space?  There are so many storage solutions available on the market today, but in order to appeal to a large enough market to sell successfully in big box stores and the like they need to make these solutions so they can make the crowds happy.  This doesn’t always work for the homeowner who has cabinets or shelving needs that don’t fit the norm.

Custom rolling shelves and drawer solutions can be added into any room in the home, almost any type of existing cabinetry or cupboards can be retro-fitted with a rolling shelf solution.  If you’ve been considered rolling shelves or custom drawers for your home, here are 5 more reasons you should consider them.

#1.  Tired Of Searching For Items

A common problem with standard cupboards and drawers is that everything is just crammed into wherever it will fit and as you move one item around, or bump another you are continually re-arranging your cupboard space.  Nobody enjoys having to bend over just to dig around in their cupboards looking for a specific pot or pan, tupperware lid, ingredient or other item that should be at their fingertips the moment they need it.

If you’re tired of searching for items in your cabinets, drawers or cupboards then a rolling shelf solution would be a perfect addition to your kitchen remodel or even better for a new installation into your new construction home.

#2.  Maximizing Your Available Cabinet Space

Rolling shelves for underneath a bathroom sink with a notch cut out for the plumbing.

Standard drawers and cupboards don’t exactly maximize space in the best possible way, especially when you’re storing items of different heights or widths in the same space.  There is storage gaps that are just “dead space”.  What if you could have a storage solution that eliminated all that dead space in your cupboards?  Or how about adding storage somewhere like under the kitchen or bathroom sink, where plumbing and piping are commonly in the way?

Custom drawers can easily be made to fit in these difficult places such as underneath your kitchen or bathroom sink.  These drawers are custom built, after taking measurements of your space and they are built with a special notch in the back to get around your plumbing.

Rolling shelves and custom drawer solutions exist for any cabinetry, drawers or shelving in your home, there are many ingenious ways to take advantage of the empty spaces.

#3.  Improve Accessibility For People With Mobility Issues

If you or someone you love has mobility issues, has trouble bending over or cannot stand on stools or chairs (to reach high cupboards) then rolling shelves would be a good solution.  Common in “accessible” home design, organizational solutions such as rolling shelves make it easy for people with mobility issues to access the items they need without having to be a contortion artist or put themselves into positions that will hurt or worsen any conditions they might have.

#4.  More Enjoyment Out Of Your Home

When your kitchen, bathroom or other room in your home is well organized, you’ll get more enjoyment out of it.  Nothing is worse than adding a few extra minutes onto every meal-time because you’re digging around or re-arranging items in your cupboards!

The Drawer Guy works with our customers on an individual basis to come up with custom shelving and drawer solutions that will improve your daily life, make things easier for you.  We come to your home, listen to your needs, accurately measure your space and provide you with many different options.

#5.  Stay Organized For Your Hobbies and Crafts

Do you have an entire room of room of your home, a garage or a workshop devoted to your crafts or hobbies?  Custom shelving and organising solutions are an excellent way to stay organized and keep your work area clean and uncluttered.  Maybe it’s a home based business that you operate?  In this case, your custom shelving could be a tax write off for your business (check with your account to make sure).

Why Choose The Drawer Guy For Your Custom Shelving and Drawer Solutions?

When you choose The Drawer Guy for a custom rolling shelving or drawers you’re going to be getting a high quality and convenient storage solution that will meet your individual needs perfectly.

All Wood Construction

The Drawer Guy doesn’t use any particle board or MDF in the construction of our rolling shelves and drawers.  Instead we use 100% clear (clear – meaning it has no knots – just the wood grain) Birch or Maple hardwood of the highest quality.

High Quality Drawer Runners (rollers)

We sell and install Blum hardware as an additional option for our custom shelving clients. These are the best drawer runners in the industry and they ensure that whether the drawers are fully loaded with pots and pans or empty, closed carefully or slammed shut with force, they will operate smoothly, quietly, and effortlessly every time for a very long time!

If you’d like to receive a consultation and estimate for a custom shelving and rolling drawer solution please call (339) 206-7000 or fill out our contact form and we’ll get right back to you.