Condo Comfort Secrets

Decorating a small area? Frustrated by a lack of storage? Not enough light? Because you share your side walls in a condo, unless you are on the end of a row and have no one beside you on one side, you'll have windows on the front and back sides only. Be sure that you have adequate artificial lighting in your rooms as you may not have a lot of natural light coming in. You can always add extra ceiling lights along with lamps. If you are living in an older condo, consider redoing the lighting in the ceiling. Older places may have one fixture in the center of the room and this will not be enough light. The new pot lights give a very focused light, so make sure you have enough of them, if that is the lighting you prefer.

Storage is important in a small place. Add storage on the inside of your cupboard doors for foil, wax paper and baggies. Under the shelf wire racks can be hung under the existing shelving to keep things organized in large cupboards. These are great for napkins and small plates. Add tip outs in the front of all the sinks, kitchen and bathrooms. These are little compartments that are installed inside the false front of your sinks. The fronts are then put on a hinge which is concealed inside. This is a great place for sponges, sink plugs and other necessities. Long wire rack systems can be hung inside kitchen closets for flashlights etc., or used in bedroom closets to keep accessories.

If you lack floor space in the bedrooms hang cloth organizers in your closets. They are great for everything from socks to t-shirts and take up very little room. Add extra shelving in the closets too. The top shelf is good for storing those files that you have to keep, but seldom get into. Make sure all of your night stands, side tables and coffee tables have drawers and cupboards in them. They cost a little more then just a plain table, but you can never get too much storage. Never install wire shelf systems. Most anything that is on them, falls through. Replace them with white melamine laminate shelving. This will keep things organized and the shelf can be easily wiped.

A wall unit is the perfect answer to storage. No matter how long your wall is there are many storage units available that you can add bookshelves, cupboards and sliding doors to. This is also a great place to put your television. They are sold in separate units that you screw together for whatever look you want, some things stand vertical and some horizontal. Small cubicles with little spot lights to add interest and show off your favorite collection. Put doors on most of the unit to hide files and reference books. A ceiling fan can be a great feature. They can create a breeze or gently move the air around. With fewer windows you are going to find they are a great asset to your comfort.

Choose a dining table that has a self storing leaf for extra room when company arrives. Make sure you have comfortable folding chairs. A hide-a-bed is another good thing to have if you frequently have guests that stay overnight. Keep the bed made up to store the sheets and blankets out of site. If your Condo is multi level, consider putting in a reverse osmosis system for your drinking water. Packing cases of water up stairs will get old in a hurry.

Painting is always a good idea and like furnishing the deck, can set your place apart from the other homes, especially when you go to sell it. Condos in a given community are going to be pretty much the same floor plan so you want people who look at yours to recall specific things about the interior. There are neutrals in every color, so you can have the color you want, without worrying about it being pleasing to a prospective buyer when you go to sell your home.