Clutter can happen to anyone — it doesn’t matter the size of your home. You can live in a mansion and still appear to have too much “stuff” if it’s not stored properly. While living in a smaller space does pose unique challenges when storing essentials, decluttering your RV is not an impossible task.
“So, how do you declutter a small space?” you ask. By paring down your items, carefully organizing the items you do have, and investing in innovative furniture designs like the ones crafted by our team at Brad and Hall, you can have a clutter free RV.
Paring Down to the Essentials
It can be difficult to release the things we’ve collected over the years — maybe there is sentimental value, or you may need this item again in the future.
There are many different theories and techniques for paring down the items in your home. Perhaps the most recently popular method is KonMari, introduced in Mari Kondos’ New York Times best-selling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” and made wildly popular by Kondos’ Netflix series. This message has resonated with many across the world who strive for less cluttered spaces.
According to their website, “The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.”
Kondo’s method has been wildly successful for two main reasons: the ability to look wholly at the item category instead of by the room, and the emphasis this technique places on mindfulness – allowing you to think through your experiences with the item before releasing it from your life.
Whether you use the KonMari method, or you tackle your clutter in another way, paring down the amount of items in your home is the first step to clutter free RV living. Once you’ve gotten down to the true essentials you need every day, then you can start to get organized.
Don’t forget to responsibly dispose of any items you decide to part with. If the items still work, feel free to drop them at your local second-hand or thrift store. If the item no longer serves its intended purchase due to damage, consider ways to re-purpose that item, or see if there is a way to recycle the item somewhere along your route.
Getting Organized
There are some professional organizers who sort items by color, maybe you like to sort and place your items based on their category, or maybe you put your items down wherever you were when you stopped using it. Whatever organization looks like for you, the most important step is being mindful of how and where you interact with that item.
Even after paring down, there are still many day-to-day items you need to keep accessible, and even more fair-weather items and gear that you need to keep for the next time you go on that skiing adventure — or whatever adventure looks like for you.
So where do you start? You know your items need to be in a safe, secure space when moving, so start with the storage solutions you currently have. Think about when, where, and how you access the every-day items, and put them in the designated places you already have created. If something doesn’t have a designated space, think of a creative way to make one, or look to see if there are any products that might make storage easier.
Then, move on to the items you use less. Consider storing those in seperate storage compartments underneath the living space of your RV, or invest in a separate storage unit if you have a home base.
When working in a small space, every inch counts. That’s why you need to ensure you are utilizing every bit of storage you have to its maximum potential. When possible, add in additional storage through space-saving furniture and innovative furniture designs.
Find Furniture that Works For You
If you’ve completed the steps above and you still find that you need more storage solutions, it’s time to consider investing in furniture that works for your space. Maybe you moved non-RV furniture into your space thinking it could work for the time being, or maybe your RV furniture isn’t flexible enough to meet your needs, and it’s time to consider upgrading.
Regardless of your situation, we’re Brad and Hall, a quality RV furniture supplier who creates innovative furniture designs that will literally transform your space, giving you a functional and clutter-free work/life balance. From captain chairs and recliners, to dinettes, tables, and multi-functional desks, our RV furniture line was carefully crafted with space-saving and decluttering in mind. We can even build custom furniture if you need a product specially created for your unique storage needs.
With 37 years of hand-crafting seating, interior products and interior renovations for RVs and boats, we’re happy to say that this is our only business. And in our business, the customer comes first. Contact us to discuss our furniture line, and find the storage solutions you need today.