Sweep away clutter for instant fall cleaning results

Ever heard of fall cleaning? As the weather gently cools, somehow I've acquired the desire to straighten up and do a deep clean. How does that relate to small living spaces?

Turns out the single best thing you can do to increase the sense of largeness in a room is to get rid of all the clutter.

I know that this sounds simplistic, but along with washing windows, organizing and cleaning is a wicked tool.

I'm embarrassed to admit my own shortcomings. I bought a changing table and stashed it in my own bedroom for visiting grandchildren. The only trouble is that I've used it precisely twice and the apple green stand is laden with my ironing and unfolded clothes.

After hanging everything up last night I realized my room improved tenfold just by eliminating the mess. Sometimes it isn't just laundry that produces the clutter and a ruthless elimination must occur. If you haven't used something in the past year, throw it away, donate it or give it to a neighbor or friend.

You might consider starting with one of the more exposed rooms in your home. How about tackling the kid's play area or den?

There are hundreds of organizational cubby units on the market. They range from low styles that might fit under a window or staircase to a taller unit like the one featured here. Try to get one with baskets so that the toys or smaller stuffed animals and pieces of smaller play items are not exposed.

Being able to pull down the baskets makes it much easier for kids to help put away toys when they are finished and you can actually build a color scheme by introducing a few accent colors in the baskets themselves.

If you lack room for a wall unit, think about buying stacking plastic storage boxes that can slip under a bed for storage. Check at Target or Big Lots for the lowest prices on plastic boxes.

Don't be shy about visiting Goodwill stores or other known thrift outlets for used storage boxes.

You live in an apartment or high-rise condo and are genuinely squished? Investigate the possibility of buying a good-looking weatherproof storage locker that might sit outside on your balcony and meets with community guidelines. No one will see what you have stashed inside and it may just give you that much needed storage area.

Take a hard look at your closets. Is there a better way to coax more function out of the closet? There are organizational systems available made by Rubbermaid and sold at Target stores, Home Depot and other home improvement or hardware stores.

You can see the Elfa closet system at The Container Stores. Check at IKEA stores for their storage systems. If you are nervous about installing into studs, contact a local handyman. They charge between $25 and $50 per hour.

As affected by visual beauty that I am, I will be the first to admit that I would not choose to spend any three-hour period organizing. I love cleanliness, but the process of deciding what stays and what goes is admittedly hard.

There is a tinge of "I might be able to use that someday" in my own thinking and that is precisely what gets hoarders into trouble. While I am far from a hoarder, every time I think twice about getting rid of something I think of the TV shows that depict the extreme edges of this way of looking at "stuff."

When you live in a small home there is absolutely no way to accommodate vacillation. It is much like living on a boat: If it isn't practical or functional, there isn't anyway to keep it on board.

Utilitarian items need to be put out of sight; hide them behind sliding, retracting or folding doors.

Going floor to ceiling is like magic. You will be amazed at how affective this can be and how streamlined an area can appear with no gap between the top of the furniture and the ceiling. You can investigate kitchen cabinets because the size that is often used for pantry storage can be good for hallway storage if you keep the depth at about 14 to 18 inches. Again, check at your local Home Depot or Lowe's store about options.

• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of "Small Space Living." Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.

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