How to Identify Wasted Space in Your Home

"Wasted Spaces", a reality show on the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) network helps consumers to restructure areas in their homes so that they are maximizing any negative space in the room. The hardest thing about finding better uses of space in your home-is actually determining exactly where the wasted space is. It is much easier to see the space you are using rather than the space you are not using. But indeed it can be done.

Wasted space doesn't necessarily mean empty space. Is your dining room collecting dust? Do you have a living room that has never been "lived in?" If this is the case, then you probably have plenty of wasted space. There is no rule that says you must use a living room for its intended purpose. The biggest amount of wasted space may be in a room that you barely use. Determining how a room can better fit your needs is the first step in identifying wasted space.

Photograph the room.

The objective view will help you to see and identify pockets of space that could be better used. This objective opinion is sometimes difficult to get when you're actually standing in the midst of a mess.

Reconsider your existing furniture.

Do you have an armchair that no one ever sits in? Perhaps you have a desk that happens to have large unused surface areas. Sometimes the wasted space in your home is actually consumed by pieces of furniture that are too large for your needs. As computers shrink over time, consider shrinking your workspace. Computer desks have become much sleeker. Convertible (or portable) work units will drastically reduce the amount of wasted space in your home.

Think upwards.

One of the easiest things to do to identify wasted space is to look upwards instead of outwards. Furniture and other items very easily suck up floor space. But for some reason consumers only see fit to use their walls for artwork or other decoration. Use the backs of doors to store your shoes. Re-purpose your coat closet by investing in a standup coat rack that can be placed elsewhere in the room.

Identify your junk piles.

It is highly likely that junk and clutter tends to accumulate in certain pockets of your home. These are perhaps the biggest clues that you have wasted space. These areas where clothes, mail, or other items tend to accumulate are great places to install creative storage units.

Reject conformity.

The floor plans used in many homes (whether they be apartments or houses) often follow standard layouts. There are some variations of course. But the more you reject the idea that a TV or a bed needs to go in a specific place, the easier it will be for you to tailor the space to your personal needs.

SOURCES:

www.diynetwork.com
www.hgtv.com
www.about.com
www.ivillage.com