Scale Down On Literal Stuff
And don’t be afraid to throw it away. Yes, it’s fine to hold onto sentimental items but when everything in your moving boxes is considered “sentimental”, it’s possibly time to reanalyze yourself. One thing that we noticed we felt to be sentimental were band posters that sat in our space, not hung, but just laying around. Those can go. We also used the six month method where we think has the item been picked up and thought about in six months, if not, we recycle appropriately.
Invest In Good Storage (or just buy it.)
Especially in small spaces, creative storage is key. Say you lack closet space or space with which is put your “dirty laundry”, a pro-tip we can offer that helps elevate your storage is a higher bed frame and low bearing storage boxes. This is also ample for suitcases and other travel based luggage that takes up space. Another key variety is storing extra items inside the luggage. Storage in storage under storage. Meta. We’ve added this method to items we need but don’t want to display, so not sweeping it under the rug per say but under the bed.
Be Mindful of The New Space
In the mindset of Wabi Sabi, we didn’t set high expectations of the new space. We went in totally blind and designed the space that was completely opposite of our former space. For those who don’t know the concept of Wabi Sabi, In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete”. And with that being said, visual a new space that reflects opposite of the former life you had in a former space.
See Opportunity and Take It
The hassle of any move (when in the Bay Area) is apartment touring, meeting the roommates, seeing the space while you’re in line with about 16 other people. But when you see a space that you inherently have a vision for, seize it wholeheartedly. Express your interest in what the space can do and let the master tenant, landlord, whoever know. Though this step or item could be less fruitful if the landlord is not English-speaking to a degree—they won’t understand. This step is best used on millennial lease holders.
// Photography by Anthony Rogers. Have better steps or items? Let us know on our tipline.
