Tiny space organization

So I was looking around, and I couldn't find much on this. imho.

We have lived in a 19ft yurt before, and we plan to again. The worst part of living in a small space is organization . Where do you put your things, what to use to keep it at bay from mice, compact ways to keep your living space livable.

When we were in the yurt, it was me, my partner and 2 dogs. It was chaos, but we loved it. This time around, it'll be us and baby.

Getting out of a duplex into a yurt will obviously require us to do some trimming, but even with the bare bones, it's hard to figure out where things go when you don't have a clue. I'd like to set up the yurt, have our organization kit, and move in without having to go through the very awkward "put everything in a pile and we'll figure it out as we go along" phase. It just ends up taking a lot of mental space, lots of frustration, and sub-par organization results in the end anyways.

Any tips for tiny space living?

Rachel Dee : I just noticed this post, you did not give a location so local climate issues may have closed marinas and boats may be out of the water and shrink-wrapped

in plastic. I Mention this because ordinarily you could go to most marinas and ask the manager (or harbor master) if there are boats there that are for sale,or have

not paid dockage fees. These larger boats have many many clever ways to build-in cupboards and cabinets and beds ! A little confidence in assuming you belong there

goes a long way !

You can also check-out Van sized RVs which are small enough to need to have efficient storage !

You mentioned finding ways to keep mice and other critters out of your home ! As much as possible you should be cooking out of doors! I have a back log of a score or

more of plastic food grade 5 gallon pails with lids, some in use and some doing other jobs, mostly they will all serve out the end of there days as container gardens !

These buckets can be re-cycled from Donut shops, also a good place are Sub/hoagy/grinder/sandwich shops which also have large mouthed ~1 gallon ~ food grade

Plastic Mayo jars easy to clean out and re-cycle !

Also if there is a Habitat for Humanity group in your area check out their restores lots of recycled kitchen cabinets these make good foot lockers and are nearly air tight/

vermin proof !

I am sorry we all missed this post, I hope this is still helpful, For the Good of the crafts ! Big AL

I would try and find furniture that serves double duty or folds up small.

Boy Scout camp kitchens can be used as a storage and food prep area.
https://www.google.com/search?q=boy+scout+camp+kitchen+box+plans&espv=2&biw=1064&bih=551&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjowb21vcjJAhXCqB4KHVbZBE0QsAQIIQ

I love old hoosier cabinets. https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=hoosier+cabinet

Wardrobes, linen presses, hutches and other cabinets can be used as room dividers and storage. Check thrift stores and RE Stores for deals on solid wood ones.

Drop leaf tables and folding chairs can be tucked away when not in use.

Glass jars with metal lids can be used to store lots of stuff. Pickle jars may be a free resource for something larger than canning jars

Beds can have drawers or bins under them.

Many thrift stores and RE Stores have old tv cabinets. Many of them are solid wood. They often have a large hole cut in the back but you can easily replace the back panel and make a free standing closet.

Ikea has lots of stuff for small spaces. It could be a good place to visit to get ideas. They always have a display of a tiny apartment with everything in it.
http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/rooms_ideas/small_spaces/

The key is to not have things....

I use clamp top barrels, five gallon buckets, ammo boxes, and pickle hard for rodent control; but my favorite are the square buckets that stack tighter.

But getting rid of stuff is a constant battle.

6.5 gallon tinned lard cans are spendy, but last forever if they are in a dry spot and not used with salty foods.  Rodent proof and pretty insect proof too, and they stack well.  Agrisupply has them (http://www.agrisupply.com/tin-lard-can/p/57213/).  The handles are flimsy, but that's not a critical thing.  Since they are not plastic, they will eventually decompose, too!  

Check out tiny houses on youtube to get some ideas of double and triple uses for spaces. This lady has several unique and innovative ideas;

https://littlethings.com/tiny-house-ana-white/?utm_source=has&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=tiny

We spend 4 months a year on a boat so space is extremely limited.
Three things to add for organization:
01. Make a comprehensive list of every area/storage bin and its contents. Save to your computer, smart phone, or in my case I keep a paper copy with other necessary files for quick reference.
02. Boats are clever, but RV's even more so. We tour RV dealerships looking for space saving ideas.
03. If you have an IKEA they have absolutely sublime storage solutions..........maybe some ideas would be had from a few laps around the store?

Question: Has anyone ever tried a "Boat Garden"? We're attempting to grow as much food as possible on board. Same challenges with limited space. Plus a few more.
01. Water/reusing it.
02. Plants that can survive some knocking around.
03. Composting.

Suggestions are most welcome, or is this a new thread?
Thank you from The Great White North aka Vancouver Island/Haida Gwaii

Heather Kolankowski wrote:
Question: Has anyone ever tried a "Boat Garden"?

I live in the Netherlands, and on the canals in Amsterdam you see a lot of floating gardens. See google image result for ideas.

There is also some places that are experimenting with growing food on/near water --  see de Ceuvel, not floating food per se, but interesting experiment in metabolisms and closing nutrient loops, doing onsite composting etc..

Heather Kolankowski wrote:
Suggestions are most welcome, or is this a new thread?

Definitely a new thread

We have an IKEA bed that lifts up for storage underneath.  Amazing how much it holds, and everything is always easily accessible.  Consider hanging frequently used items from the ceiling.  I hang baskets wilth food like garlic and onlions as well as bags of drying herbs.

Heather K., I just saw the expression "boat garden", and immediately had this image in my mind of an old beat-up boat used as a raised bed... totally off topic!
In the Water World movie, the guy living on the boat had a small raft tugged behind, with plants on it.  Possible solution?

Very good ideas. The canal boat gardens will work on the roof of our boat. Have to be careful we don't make her top heavy so weight is a concern.  Are the canals salt water?
Pulling a "Garden Skiff" behind the mother ship is a fun idea, but my fearless Captain says that the first nasty wave would kill everything lol. Maybe if we were on a lake or calmer area. Thank you 🍅

Heather Kolankowski wrote:....  Are the canals salt water?...

first answer that question: no, they aren't. The canal water is like the water of a lake or a river (but dirty, because it's in the city).

Now about living in a small space, like a yurt or a boat or a 'tiny home'. Most important is to have only the stuff you really need. A bed turns into a couch with some more pillows (which in fact can be bags with clothes and towels hidden in them). Better than a folding table is a table with drawers underneath, because a table is often used to put things on it, so it can't be folded ... I like using all kind of nice bags, hanging at walls and cabinets, to put small items in. When you have a yurt, you can hang the bags with S-hooks at the frame. For a boat or RV this is not a good idea, because then they move all the time. Plastic buckets with lids (available for free) keep your food away from mice, but they don't look nice ... I'd hide them, put a rug or cloth over them.