My husband, kid, and I live in an 850 square-foot apartment in Brooklyn. Sure, feel free to take a moment to question my life choices, but I’m mostly happy with the situation. Except for one thing: It puts a ton of pressure on my living room.
I would love to be a person with clutter-free countertops and perfectly clear pathways—did I mention the elderly cat who is perpetually underfoot? But let’s be honest: I don’t have that kind of space. Furnished with a couch, a coffee table, a small dining table, and a TV, the living room is our go-to spot for family dinners, movie nights, hangouts with friends, and endless rounds of UNO. And that’s just on weekends.
On weekdays, after my husband heads off to work and my son goes to school, the room doubles as a home office–slash–private fitness studio. When my 8-year-old comes home from school, he usually does his homework and various art projects at the dining table (the desk in his bedroom is often covered in Lego pieces, library books, and goody-bag junk).
It’s a dizzying amount of activity for one 10-by-13-foot room to handle. Contrary to what you might think, my personal aesthetic isn’t “hoarder.”
That’s why I need my organizational secret weapon: five tidy baskets lined up under the couch.