Decorating Small Spaces, Studio and Efficiency Apartments

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Making the Most of a Small Home

Living in a small house or apartment, or even in a studio or a dorm room, is a challenge in many ways but that doesn't mean you can't maximize the space you do have and create a beautiful home for yourself. Leave some open space and a wall or two bare in your home. This will give your home a more spacious open feeling, plus it's restful for the eyes. Crowding every inch of floor or wall space is counter-productive when you're trying to create a beautiful home. Declutter and down size. Get rid of the excess stuff you don't need. A small space looks junky when you pile on the knick-knacks, have an excessive amount of books, or you hang too many pictures on the walls. If you just can't get rid of your excess stuff, then put the best on display, a few at a time, and rotate them. Don't hang lots of magnets, photos, or kids papers on your refrigerator either. It never looks good. Hang one or two special kids art projects, and photos at a time if you must. That's enough. Create storage where there was none. If you're handy you can create DIY storage units. Use multi-purpose furniture, like storage benches in your dining area, or ottomans that with a storage compartment inside. You can also use wicker trunks as a coffee table or bedside table. If your bathroom or kitchen areas are lacking in storage space, try to find room for at least one bookcase. Bookcases can hold so much more than just books and are often slim enough to fit in spaces that larger furniture won't. Add wall shelves wherever feasible including hallways. Hallways are a great place to put narrow dressers or bookcases too. Choose comfortable furniture that not only looks good but feels good to sit or lounge on. Buy smaller sized furniture and less of it, but get what you love. A small home means you see your stuff a lot more often than you would in a huge home. Meet the neighbors and get out and explore the neighborhood. You may not be living in your ideal home yet but this small space is home for now. Getting comfortable with your surroundings and the people around you can make living in your small space a whole lot more enjoyable.

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Recycling Aluminum and Reducing Your Aluminum Foil Use

How to Reuse, Recycle, and Reduce Aluminum

Aluminum is 100% recyclable, yet only about 65% of the average Americans household aluminum gets recycled each year. Nearly all of that is in the form of aluminum cans. You can recycle 100% of the aluminum your family uses, and here's how to do it.

Eliminate, or significantly reduce your aluminum foil use. It's estimated that each American throws away about three pounds of aluminum foil per year. None of that foil should be getting to the landfill, recycle it instead. 

Not all recyclers allow aluminum foil, but if yours does then make sure to do your part. Remember it takes around 400 years for that aluminum foil to break down naturally. 
If you're lucky, like me, your city does allow aluminum foil to be recycled. Just wash, and dry before recycling with the rest of your household aluminum. Or follow your cities recycling regulations for aluminum. 

Instead of using aluminum foil to cover leftovers place food in bowls with lids. Or make your own covers. 
Rewash and reuse all the aluminum foil that you do use until it can't be used anymore and then take it to the recyclers. You can also recycle those aluminum pie plates and other baking containers, so be sure to recycle them too.

Recycle all the aluminum packaging that comes into your household per year. Remember aluminum is 100% recyclable. The average American throws away 14 1/2 pounds of aluminum from packaging a year. That's not counting aluminum cans. 

It is all recyclable, and we can all do our part to see that our household aluminum does get recycled. Consult your area recycling company for how and where to recycle aluminum packaging from your household, or from your job.

Aluminum cans are the most common aluminum recyclable, but we can do even more. Do you recycle the 2.5 cans that each American worker is said to consume at work each day? 
If your work does not recycle aluminum cans, maybe someone can at least be responsible for taking the cans home and recycling them. Recycling aluminum cans is big business. It's also good for the environment so do your part.

Other aluminum recyclables include things like aluminum siding, gutters, aluminum wire, and anything else made of 100% aluminum. It can all be recycled. And it all should be. Our landfills are far too full of recyclable materials like aluminum.

Tips 

• Recycle 100% of the aluminum that comes into your household.
• Drastically reduce your households use of aluminum foil.
• Don't forget to recycle aluminum cans and other aluminum at your workplace.
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  
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