Well hung: 14 wall-mounted organizers for any room

Before we get into today's post, there's someone I'd like you to meet first.

His name is Mark. Well, Accu-Mark. (I guess it's a family name?) Anyway, he's totally level-headed, and really useful around the house. Whenever you don't know which way is up, he's always there to guide you. If nothing else, I can guarantee that he's well hung, and sure to leave you satisfied.

Seriously, though. Before you attempt to purchase and install any of the awesome organizers I've found for you, please please please get a level and use it. I know I can be anal-retentive, but I once lived with someone who installed a towel rack on the inside of our bathroom door crooked and it was all I could stare at when I was sitting on the toilet.

To save yourself (and your houseguests) the pain of cocking your head to the side and going, "You know, it is a little off," a level, a pencil, and a second opinion work wonders. And in the end, you'll have a perfectly level, perfectly useful wall organizer that is so amazing that people on your toilet (or couch or whatever) will be forced to either gape at it in awe, or avert their eyes lest their retinas be burned by its perfection.

Floorspace, countertop space, tabletop space -- all surface space is precious when you live in a small apartment. It only makes sense that you get your little odds and ends off the desk, table, or what-have-you and store them someplace else -- the wall, perhaps? Here, we see the (very expensive) grandaddy of the wall organizers: the Vitra Uten Silo. Its 1969 mod design and vast array of differently-shaped cubbies make it incredibly appealing, but at over $400, it's not likely going to fit a tiny-ass budget. Via Nova68.

Much more reasonable are organizers such as this felt one as seen on Apartment Therapy. I myself have a small version of this that hangs by magnets to my fridge door. Here, you can see that it can also be mounted to the wall of any room, like a storage closet, entryway, or crafting space. Via Aesthetic Ourburst.

This is an organizer to die for. Now, I find myself saying weird things like that all the time ("I want to make love to this wall organizer," "This desktop inbox/outbox system and I were meant to be," "Have you ever seen such a beautiful remote control caddy?"), but this time I really mean it. Sadly, this vintage piece sold on Etsy some time ago, but it can still inspire the search for similar products, or perhaps a DIY project.

There are two things I love about this particular mini-cabinet: the simplicity and the name. A small shelf, just perfect for bedside accoutrements like an alarm clock, notebook, and glass of water, is perfect for someone who can't squeeze in a nightstand to mount next to their bed. The "roof" also not only accomodates a book, but cleverly keeps your place as well. But to cap it all off is the name Ferm Living gave it: the "One Bedroom Cabinet." Well, one bedroom or studio, it's still designed for someone with smaller living quarters! Via Outblush.

While perhaps not the most aesthetically pleasing, this organizer from Great Useful Stuff (they really get to the point with their name, don't they?) is ideal for an entryway or office space. With some well-placed cables it could even double as a charging station.

Read on for nine more wall organizers to get your neat freak on...

Narrow it down: 20 inspiring narrow home offices

I'm pretty confident of my grasp on the English language. I "know the words for words," as my friend Elena said once. But sometimes, even though you know the definition of a word, you still pause a little before using it. Now, if I told you that I had a hard time narrowing down a roundup of my favorite narrow offices, would that be "ironic?" Hrm. I certainly don't want to end up like poor Alanis Morissette (even if she did date Ryan Reynolds for a while). Hang on while I look it up…

irony: noun. The use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.

Well, that certainly isn't it.

coincidence: noun. The occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection

Much better.

Now that that little language lesson is out of the way (if you're studying for the SATs right now, I expect a cut of that sweet, sweet Princeton Review money), let's get on with the roundup! While we've covered closet offices before, sometimes the closet isn't ideal for conversion for one reason or another. But there are still many overlooked nooks and crannies where a workspace can fit quite nicely. Here are my favorite 20 narrow offices; they're the perfect places to stretch your creativity and productivity, even if you can't stretch your arms at the same time.

From Lovely Undergrad.

From Desire to Inspire.

From Design*Sponge.

From Apartment Therapy.

From Apartment Therapy.

15 more fab offices after the jump!

Facebook finds

One of the drawbacks to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter is that you post something, it goes out to all your friends/followers, and then… it's gone. Now, I've been finding too many awesome links to have full posts for 'em all, but I can't just let the links I post to Facebook disappear into the online ether like so many funny cat pictures. And so, here's a roundup of what I've been finding and posting on the Tiny-Ass Apartment Facebook Fan Page.

To get these links hot off the presses, be sure to like Tiny-Ass Apartment on Facebook!

Apartment Therapy: Out of sight - five space-saving desks

Gawker: These are five of the smallest rental apartments in America

Lifehacker: Make the most of your tiny kitchen

Offbeat Home: 9 ideas to bring fun and comfort back to the dorms

Sunset: Inspiring small homes

TAA on Pinterest: Sunday pins

I have to make this week's Sunday pins post quck, because the finale of Downton Abbey is tonight and I need to steel myself emotionally for it. Anna and Mr. Bates! Mary and Matthew! And what awesomeness will the Dowager Countess bring this week?

My own past week was pretty awesome, I have to say. Good Valentine's Day, good Galentine's Day...

… although my mom's dog Dexter doesn't care much for the holiday…

Here's the image, featured on Tiny-Ass Apartment, that has been most popular on Pinterest this week (click the picture to go to the pin page)…

These two were neck and neck for Most Repinned this week. Both come from the ol' "Heh." board. Our first features some muthaeffin' cats…

And the second features Juanita Weasel, courtesy of The Bloggess...

I'm only a kinda-crafty gal, but I love the final look of these felted elbow patches, and the tutorial is easy enough. It sounds kind of stress-relieving too -- who doesn't want to just stab their clothes over and over sometimes?

Keys are Key

It's amazing to me how I manage to lose things in my purse. Right before I leave to go anywhere, I'll do a check to make sure I have my keys, my phone, and my wallet. You'd think this would take, what, thirty seconds? But because I can never find anything in my bag, it's a whole process where I have to take everything out, find the thing I was looking for, and put everything back again. It's like my bags have curses on them.

Likewise, you'd be amazed at how easy it is to lose something in a small apartment. Sure, you don't have as much ground to cover in your search, but somehow, some way, the thing you're looking for has gotten up and walked away. There's a little song I like to sing to myself when I'm searching for my goddamn car keys AGAIN.

I swear to you, it helps.

But if the magic powers of Billy Corgan (as channeled through Stephen Lynch) can't help you find your keys, howsabout you just train yourself to put them down in the same place the moment you walk in the door? Organization and a little bit of discipline are essential when living in a tiny home. Plus there's the added bonus of establishing an entryway to your home. Even the smallest apartments need to have a space by the door where you can put on your game face before walking out into the world.

Let's take a look at some fun but ultimately useful key racks...

This beaut from Anthropologie has elegant charm while being very, very obvious what it's meant to be!

Urban Outfitters has this whimsical keyholder. Like the one above, its key shape broadcasts its purpose, while the heart shape sweetens its look.

Now we're gettin' geeky! I thought this ethernet jack rack was hilarious. You attach the connector of an ethernet cord to your keychain, and when you get home, you click your keys into place, just like you would hook your computer up to the internet at home. (If you don't use wireless, obviously.) From Instructables via Lifehacker.

Hang it up: New uses for clothes hangers

Wire clothes hangers are pretty useful for just about everything but hanging your clothes. Who hasn't pulled a garment off a wire hanger only to see that it's stretched those weird fabric nipples into the shoulders? Ugh. But still, you can untwist it and use it as a makeshift TV antenna, use it to jimmy open a car lock (whether you're locked out of your own car or are "acquiring" a new one), or use it to beat your poor adopted daughter while screaming that she should never, ever use them.

Wire hangers are a useful tool for a small-space dweller. Not only are they super cheap and easy to find, but they can make great organizational space-savers with a few twists or clips with some wire cutters. Let's take a look at some of the most imaginative...

This one is as elegant as an Alexander Calder mobile, with an added dose of "Why didn't I think of that?" Claudia at SuperZiper (via Craftzine) twisted a clothes hanger to serve as a rack for books; she mounted it by her front door to collect the books she needs to return to the library, ensuring she won't forget them on her way out the door.

While I think it's true that you can never have too many shoes, it's a sad reality that you can certainly run out of space for them. Instead of having them litter your closet floor in a heap, why not hang them up? Jen at Epbot has a tutorial on how to clip, twist, and be-ribbon your hangers into really cute shoe hangers that can be used either on regular shoes or flip-flops.

Joy over at Oh Joy is probably one of the cutest people on earth (although her new daughter is giving her a run for her money!). Here, she shows off her cuteness in film form, clipping a mini-gallery of photo booth pictures into a trouser hanger. The hanger makes it easy to hang on the wall, and just as easy to take down when you swap out your photos for new ones.

If you're a crafty type, or just really, really like wrapping presents (I know you're out there. I'm looking at you, Megan.), you might want to corral your collection of ribbon and thread onto one great big hanging spool. (Via RealSimple.)

It's kind of a bummer that you can only wear one pair of glasses at a time, especially if you have an enviable collection of sunglasses. But at least if you hang them up, you can admire your own good taste, while keeping your lenses from getting scratched. (Via Tumblr.)

Remember the really cool scarf hanger I showed you a few months back? I actually went and bought myself one, and yes, it's everything I dreamed of. My scarves aren't shoved into a basket on a shelf anymore, but neatly hanging up in my closet. However, you don't need to spend the money on a pre-made one. Instead, follow the lead of Sarah of From The Desk and make your own! All it takes is a sturdy hanger and a few shower curtain rings, and you're in business. (Via Be Different, Act Normal.)

All right, I know these aren't really clothes hangers. They're paper clips that LOOK like clothes hangers. But they're so widdle and so cute, not to mention so cwevver -- uh, clever. Similar to Joy's photo hanger above, these clips are designed to hold a photo, note, or other small memento without punching a hole in it like a thumbtack would. From Arango Design, via Like Cool.

… There's also the added bonus that those tiny hangers probably won't hurt as much if Mommie gets mad at you again.

TAA on Pinterest: Sunday pins

Happy Sunday! Today I'm going to be living out a dream: I have a legit excuse to wear a fancy hat out in public. My friends and I are going to watch the horse races at Golden Gate Fields, and I'm breaking out my adorable black fur pillbox hat with birdcage veil that I got for Christmas. I love hats from the 1940s and 50s, but it's really hard to wear them out and about without looking twee and slightly demented. But to watch the ponies run? That calls for doin' it up in style.

Speaking of style… onto the pins!

Here's the image, featured on Tiny-Ass Apartment, that has been most popular on Pinterest this week (click the picture to go to the pin page)…

There's nothing more adorably midcentury than these Pyrex casserole dishes! The colors and the patterns are so cute I'd love to cook something up in each and every one of them. Of course, I don't actually like casserole…

Once again, I couldn't decide between the bling and the bubbles. This new sunburst pendant from Coach would certainly add some shine to an outfit, while these champagne coupes would do the same for your table.