I have just moved into an efficiency that is 530sq ft, I don't know yet the dimensions of each room, I can ask my apt or look on floor plans. My apts did give me the permission to do any built in shelves, add ceiling fan, and add a door where there is open space if i choose to do so among other things i'd like to do. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I wa also going to suggest IKEA. A lot of reat options to add on cabinets and such. Here is the website, sadly, it is very limited compared to the store.
Ikia in Flower Mound has some great "kits" you can buy and pay them to install, or you can install yourself, or I know my handyman would do it. He's great! Ken Webster at ###-###-####. I have a friend that is an interior decorator that is very economical, Jan Darnell with Lifestyles by Jan ###-###-####. But I'm not sure if that is what you are looking for. She hires Ken to do any furniture/shelving units for her clients.
Hi M.,
IKEA in Frisco has a lot of neat, inexpensive pieces of furniture, you should take a look if you haven't already. What's neat is that they set up "mock" apartments so you can get a really good idea about what pieces will fit into your space. Each "apartment" they set up shows you the square footage so you can get ideas on what will fit into your living space. Good luck!
For making the most of your space, for both storage and decoration, I would definitely look into turning as much wall space into shelving as possible. You could install shelving above with drawers below, and make a whole wall into storage while only losing about 18" of floor space. You will be amazed how much you can hide away in that much drawer space, and it offers decorating possibilities as well, with display on the shelves above.
A trundle bed would be ideal, providing a twin bed for you, and a rolling twin for your daughter to store underneath, turning the bed into a seating area in the daytime.
I would suggest you contact a professional organizer in your area (www.napo.net). While he/she may charge you a fee for their advice or help, they would provide you with some great ideas on how to organize your space most efficiently, which could save you much time and frustration in the long run.
Alternatively, e-mail me directly (____@____.com) if you have any storing or organizing questions, and I'll see what I can do for you from long distance!
