Usually ‘no’ unless there’s space in the home that’s not needed. I recently worked with Adam who wanted a grown-up looking space that felt comfortable for inviting people over. He didn’t have a system in place when he moved into his apartment post college. The pain points for him were the entryway table, entry wall storage (no coat closet in this apartment), kitchen island, and coffee table in the living room. There were extra suitcases in the living room, party favors in the front entry along with out of season items. So many items that can be placed elsewhere until needed were covering all available surfaces.
When Adam gave me a tour, I noticed he kept empty kitchen appliance and computer boxes in the spare closet. Those took up valuable space.
We talked about the empty boxes in the spare closet. Yes, they’re useful to repack kitchen appliances when time comes to move. When I asked about storage units in his building, he explained it would have cost an extra monthly fee. He decided to forgo getting a storage unit and to let go of the boxes. When the time comes to move, whether it is within a year, two, or longer, it will be cheaper to use the movers’ boxes. It will cost less than paying the monthly storage unit fee. Once Adam agreed the boxes were recycled, he found he had space to store active off-season items. He also store light bulbs, tools, a travel kit, and even suitcases. Adam kept one box for his piano keyboard, which only took up a tiny bit of the closet’s space. Suitcases no longer live in the living room.
We sorted through the entry way to keep what’s active now: winter gear in bins, sunglasses in another bin. Adam has a lovely thin buffet table which is also a catch all death trap. Sorting through his belongings by categories helped Adam look at what to keep and what not. He has a small bowl on the table to collect loose change and keys.
The coffee table in the living room has a wonder pocket to store items. It made sense to keep electronics there. These include extra earpods, a phone charger, cords, and extra remotes that are not being used. Adam is keeping only what he needs out and the extras are stored in the coffee table.
Now Adam is ready to invite friends over with confidence.