Maximum Efficiency, Minimum Space: Space Saving Tips Everyone Can Use

High rent no longer implies lots of space. With urban sprawl on the increase, land in and near cities is at a premium and structures seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Whether you're dealing with an apartment, an office space, a restaurant, or medical clinic, trying to fit everything into a small environment without feeling "cramped" can be a challenge. Such a challenge, as a matter of fact, some people hire professional organizers to help them out! But you needn't waste your money doing that. Here are some tips to help you maximize your space in almost any environment:

First, assess your closets and storage spaces. Efficiently organized closets-in which all available space is utilized-can make a huge difference in making the rest of the room feel spacious, and you won't waste time trying to find things stacked behind a bunch of clutter. If you do have the money, we suggest having a company like California Closets create customized, built-in closets. If you don't have the cash to spend-or would like to do it yourself-you can purchase individual shelves and organizers from hardware stores like OSH, and then shop at The Container Store to pick up the rest.

Second, in almost any given room whether it be an office, a bedroom, or a classroom, computer desks tend to take up a significant amount of space. Cramming several desks into a small office does little to help people work efficiently. We suggest making use of the increasingly popular wall mount computer station. More affordable than many desks, wall mount computer stations allow for more computers in a room without taking up all the space of the desk around it. We found affordable, high quality wall mount computer stations at Versa Products, Inc.-an online company that ships its products for free (we love that too!).

Third, bathrooms and restrooms are another source of wasted space. Most have little storage for toiletries, but not enough room to build extra cabinets. Our solution... we suggest purchasing freestanding or built-in cubbies. They're less deep than cabinets and small items can be easily accessed and retrieved.

That brings us to kitchens and employee lounges. The key to organization in a kitchen is to make sure every low cupboard has a rollout. Often, cupboard and under counter space isn't used efficiently because stored items are difficult to reach. Adding rollouts allows you to use the entire space and access anything stored quickly and easily.

Another great organization tool is a label maker. Available at almost any office supply store, they're inexpensive and allow you to label everything from plastic bins to canisters to boxes to binders. Studies show that people are more likely to put away items if they can be easily found again-meaning clutter breeds more clutter and organized environments tend to stay organized. It's important, when organizing, to have a place for everything. Labeling storage boxes will make life easier from finding past tax forms to decorating for the holidays.