Above the fold: 10 wall-mounted folding desks

You can always tell a Milford man -- or woman, as the case may be. You see, I believe that paperwork should neither be seen nor heard, just like the attendees of the Milford Academy (such as illustrious alum Buster Bluth). Now, you may be asking, "Why would you hear your paperwork?" And I would say, "Maybe it was a Howler sent by owl, duh. Now go away and stop forcing me to make two dorky in-jokes right after each other."

The point is, paper clutter is one of those things that can quickly make you look as crazy as someone who cuts things out of the newspaper and constantly works on their "manifesto." In a small apartment, it can pile up faster than you can file it. However, you can get your mess under control -- or at least fake it -- with the help of a classic piece of furniture: the secretary desk. Or in our case, a stripped-down version.

Traditional secretary desks are freestanding pieces of furniture that often have drawers on the bottom, a cabinet with a fold-out writing surface, and a bookshelf on top of that. However, if you take away everything but the cabinet, you've got a piece that's ideal for a small space. In removing the legs and mounting it on the wall, you free up floor space, and having a cabinet with a fold-down door allows you to create workspace when you need it, to put it away when you don't, and to hide all of your things away neatly.

Below, take a look at ten of the coolest wall-mounted folding desks I've spotted.

A red IKEA PS laptop workstation, as seen on Bright Bazaar.

This gorgeous antique was designed and built by Bruno and Karl Mathsson in 1938. Via Design Addict.

I've had this wall-mounted desk and mail sorting cabinet on my Pinterest for ages; unfortunately it looks like it's no longer for sale on Etsy, where it was originally found.

Keep reading for seven more desks ready to keep your clutter out of sight...

TAA on Pinterest: Sunday pins

What time is it? It's Pinterest time!

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)…

Such a gorgeous, goddess-like dress; if spring in San Francisco stays as beautiful as it has been, I might actually be able to wear it outdoors.

I'm only a little obessessed with the BBC series Sherlock and its star Benedict Cumberbatch. Only a little. Yeah.

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, I'm loving this tasteful clover pin. It's a little more classy than your usual button that says, "Kiss me I'm drunk Irish."

Tiny-Ass Apartment on The Welch Edition

Happy Friday, everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I did a guest blog over at Sara Welch's adorable site, The Welch Edition. I'll be talking spring cleaning tips (kinda), so go over there and read the full post! Here's just a little preview...

Ah, spring. When a young woman's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of… Swiffers. Spring cleaning might not be as romantic as a Tennyson poem, but at least you'll have that light, happy feeling when it's all done.

Hi! My name is Simone Chavoor, and I run a small-space interior design blog called Tiny-Ass Apartment. Sara's asked me to share some spring cleaning tips with you, and I'm most happy to oblige!

First thing's first: you should not be spring cleaning.

End of post? Nope! The truth is, you should be doing every-day cleaning. I know, I know, that sounds like it sucks, but let me finish. I didn't say you had to clean the whole apartment every day, did I? You see, people think that small homes are easier to clean, and in a way they are. But clutter piles up FAST in a small space, and there's less room in which to hide it. You're not going to be able to get away with waiting for the seasons to change before you break out the ol' broom and dustpan. And so, a little bit every day goes a long way.

Click here to read the full article!

Tiny-Ass Apartment on "Can Do Divas" - the podcast is up!

Just in case you missed it the first time 'round, my interview with the lovely Gianna and Chasta of the Can Do Divas is up! In it, I discuss how Tiny-Ass Apartment popped out of my mind-grapes, how small-space solutions work for any sized space, a bit more about myself and what I'm up to outside of TAA, and finally I battle the dropped-call demons.

You can either click the link to go to their PodBean page, or find "Gianna and Chasta" on iTune's podcast section. Take a listen!

Sophie's World shout-out: Vote for our video in Staples' Small Business Push contest!

I don't know if it's contest season or something, but I'm back to beg for your vote in another one. This time it's not for me; it's for my boss, Sophie Maletsky, and her new venture, Sophie's World. We've put together a video for Staples' Small Business Push video contest. It's really cute, and only 15 seconds long, and it would mean a lot if you were to watch it and vote for us! We need help getting the Sophie's World name out there, and the $50,000 prize ain't nothin' to sneeze at. Here's what you do:

1. Be a member of Facebook, or join Facebook.
2. Go to this link to go straight to our video: https://apps.facebook.com/smallbusinesspush/profile/300/
3. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to enter your Facebook username and password.
4. You will be taken to Facebook's Staples Small Business Push app page. Click "Go to app."
5. When you see our video, click "Vote for me!"
6. That's it!

Thank you so much! Sophie's World is an awesome project, and I'd really appreciate your support.

Tiny-Ass Apartment on "Can Do Divas!"

A long time ago, I interned for a radio morning show here in San Francisco. Although I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. (leading to me falling asleep in class from time to time -- sorry, Dr. Camacho!), it was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had. I mean, I got to read love haiku to then-mayor Gavin Newsom on Valentine's Day -- and yes, I still love that man to this day.

And now I'll be back on the airwaves -- or podcast waves, at least! My old producer, the amazing Charlene (aka "The Boot") is working on a new show with some awesome ladies. I'll be appearing on "The Gianna & Chasta" show on Radio Slot tomorrow afternoon to talk about Tiny-Ass Apartment and small-space living. The show starts at noon, and you can listen by going to Radio Slot and tuning in to their "Best Mix" channel (Channel 1) which will take you straight to the player. (The podcast will be available on iTunes soon after.)

Gianna and Chasta are two best friends who are on a mission to find the "Can Do Divas" of the world -- women who are committed to leading a fun, fulfilled, and fearless life. Well, I certainly think I've got the first two down… I just hope they don't ask me about spiders.

Facebook finds

Monday means it's time to recap the links I've posted to the Tiny-Ass Apartment Facebook page over the past week! This time we're debunking some small-space myths, checking out some space-saving kitchen tools, and exploring a tiny home on an English narrowboat.

Style at Home: 5 small space myths

Remodelista: 5 quick fixes - cooking utensils for small space living

Desire to Inspire: Narrowboat home

TAA on Pinterest: Sunday pins

Super-lazy Sunday, just the way it should be. Time to crawl back into bed and listen to NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and browse the "Everything" tab on Pinterest…

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)…

It was another close one this week, with this adorable springtime dress from Dorothy Perkins (which appears to be sold out) narrowly losing to this cutie-pie owl…

My two favorite pins this week are both of the ink variety. The first one, a steampunk scene by Italian artist Matteo Pasqualin is so hyper-realistic I still can't believe it's a tattoo. The other, a Mucha tattoo by Kapten Hanna, has at long last helped me find the artist I want to do my next tattoo. She's working out of a shop called Idle Hands in the Haight in San Francisco, and once I've got the scratch I'll definitely be giving her a call…

Beauty secrets: Quick tips for organizing your glam station

Here's a quick one for your Friday, my lovelies! As you might have guessed, being such a big computer nerd means I'm a Redditor too. A while ago, a fella posted this image with the title, "The worst thing about moving in with your girlfriend…"

Hah! Even just living with myself I know this is true. I use bobby pins all the time to tame my sometimes-unruly hair, and I know how they disappear like socks in a dryer, but turn up like weeds in a garden. (How do ya like mixin' them metaphors, eh?) If my bangs just WILL NOT stay out of my eyes, I can usually brush my hands under the seat cushions and come up with a bobby pin or two.

But as we all know, keeping neat and organized is the key to living in a happy tiny-ass apartment. Even if they're small little things like bobby pins, if they're enough of a nuisance that your boyfriend has to complain to Reddit about them, it's time to get them under control. And so, here are a few quick tips.

Brittany at Superwoman has earned the title Woman of… well, not steel… Woman of Whatever Metal Bobby Pins Are Made Of. A magnetic strip attached to the back of her medicine cabinet keeps her pins neatly tucked away.

Lifehacker, home of "Why didn't I think of thats?", has this clever solution for a mess of ponytail holders. A carabiner keeps them looped together, while still allowing you to pull out only the one you want.

Finally, Real Simple shows you how one of those magnetic paperclip holders can corral your bobby pins as easily as your office supplies.

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I also wanted to give a quick reminder that today is the last day for voting for Apartment Therapy's Homie Awards! Tiny-Ass Apartment is up for Best Home Design Blog, and though we can't touch the big dogs running at the front of the pack, every vote we get leads to more exposure, more readers, and more opportunities for this lil' site. Click here to go to the voting page. Scroll down past the list of nominees to the bottom of the ballot, and click the link to either sign in or sign up. Once you're logged in, you can vote for Tiny-Ass Apartment -- I know the list of sites is long, but if you Control+F the word "tiny," it'll get you there fast.

Thank you so much for voting, and thank you to everyone who already voted. I am so incredibly grateful for amazing readers and friends who're helping TAA out.

Split decisions: 10 pieces that gained new life after being cut in two

I've often felt like I have a kind of split personality. On the one hand, there's the side of me that loves science fiction and action movies, who boxed and dreamed of an amateur career in the ring, who listens to dark, way-too-loud music, and who recently shaved off the left side of her hair. On the other hand is the side that loves to bake, coos over kittens, lusts after the clothes on Mad Men, and spends hours experimenting with makeup and manicures.

That's the side of me that loves the cheesy 90s romcom "French Kiss" with Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline, and Timothy Hutton. If you haven't seen it -- and I wouldn't blame you for overlooking it -- although you really should Netflix it -- Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton are engaged. But he goes on a business trip to Paris and falls in love with a local vixen. Meg overcomes her intense fear of flying to fly over to win him back, but through your usual series of romcom mishaps ends up robbed and lost. But the French thief played by Kevin Kline, who tried to use her to smuggle in his stolen goods, attempts to help her. At first it's just out of self-interest to get his stolen jewels back, but of course he ends up falling for her, and she, him. She realizes that Timothy Hutton is a schmuck and then she and Kevin Kline live happily ever after on a beautiful vineyard. The reason this movie is at all relevant is because of the scene where Meg, faking self-confidence after some coaching from Kevin, has dinner with her now-ex Timothy and discusses dissolving their relationship. At issue is a loveseat the two owned together. "Tell me if you think this is crazy," she says. "We get a chain saw and BUZZZZZZ! Right down the middle, and make two chairs."

She might have been deliberately trying to provoke her ex, but I actually think it's a pretty good idea.

In a small apartment, a piece of furniture can be twice as useful when it's been cut into two. Tables, desks, and even chairs can be bisected and mounted to the wall (to make up for the now-missing legs). Now, not only do you have two matching pieces, but those pieces are slimmer and better able to squeeze into tight spots. It's also a really easy DIY, and fits a small budget; after all, you won't feel bad taking a saw to a cheap piece of Craigslist furniture. And it also seems so cathartic to just BUZZZZZ! that old dining table right down the center, just like Meg proposed.

April and May Studio brings us this image from Dutch magazine VTwonen. A wooden stool is bisected and mounted on the wall, creating a unique pair of side tables.

After moving a queen bed into a room that had previously housed a full, Mike and Katrina of At Home Alterations found that a traditional nightstand wouldn't fit. So, without knowing that it would work, they cut their thrifted nightstand in half and mounted it to the wall. Ta da! It looks awesome. Via Better After.

This one-of-a-kind piece from Factory 20 has sadly already sold, but it's a beautiful bit of inspiration for a vintage-y round table's transformation.

Britt of Gus and Lula claims that she has a problem: "I have a habit of looking at a perfectly good, intact piece of furniture and envisioning myself dismantling, deconstructing, and all but destroying it," she says. But after seeing what she did with her $20 Craigslist dining table, I'd say her "destroying" it was all for the better!

HGTV has an extensive how-to on how to create this awesome half-nightstand. I'm also loving the pop of bright pink here -- bright, neon-ish colors are really big right now!

Also from HGTV is a creation by one of the contestants on Season Six of Design Star. (Why don't I watch that show? I really need to. I gotta break up my routine of Downton Abbey, the Daily Show, and Rachel Maddow somehow.) In their "Bed and Breakfast" challenge in the fourth episode, Karl takes an end table and turns it into two polished consoles.

Beckie from Infarrantly Creative was given an old end table by her grandparents, but didn't really have a need for it. Instead, she turned it into a stacked shelf for her guest room that's really cute as well as practical. Her site also has a complete step-by-step how-to.

¿Dónde está la biblioteca? La biblioteca ya está aquí! Aaand that's all the Spanish I got, even with the help of Google Translate. But this Biblioteca Bookshelf from Umbra requires no translation. It's fun and really good-looking, and you don't have to lift a finger to make it. Designer Matt Carr was inspired by the idea of cutting two tables in half and then stacking them, but this piece is no-sawing required. Via The Glam Lamb.

More an art piece than a piece of furniture, this Isabel Quiroga "Storyteller Bookcase" shows you the possibilities that can be had when slicing and stacking furniture. A mix of tables, desks, and dressers, all painted the same color for unity, create an extensive bookshelf with tons of storage. I also can't get over how awesome that bright purple is! Via Whipped Style.

I need to break out Google Translate again for this last example. Zowieso is in German, but this bright orange console table is loud and clear. Another perfect instance of bringing in color to a small space with a fun DIY.

Wet works: 10 storage solutions for sinks, showers, and tubs

I read some article a long time ago that interviewed professional maids and asked them for housecleaning tips. One maid mentioned splitting up duties between "wet rooms" and "dry rooms." Wet rooms were obviously where there was a sink or tub, like the kitchen or the bathroom, and dry rooms were everything else. Because I've seen too many spy movies, my mind immediately made the leap from "wet rooms" to "wet works." I can see it now. You come into your target's house, disguised as an unassuming maid. But in your mop bucket is a pistol with a silencer, and you take out the bad guy, use your Swiffer to remove any fingerprints, use the vacuum hose to rappel out the window, and make your escape.

… But since we're more likely to have to wipe up in the kitchen than wipe someone out, I guess it makes more sense to offer some organizational advice for wet rooms on TAA than it does spying tips. Not that I even have any; the closest I've gotten to being in a Bond movie is daydreaming about Daniel Craig.

Most renters have to make the best of the tub that they've got, but if you're in the enviable position to choose a new one, consider this nifty "Stowaway Bathtub" from GW International. All your bathing or cleaning supplies can be tucked out of sight into these clever racks. From Apartment Therapy.

These curtains remind me a bit of the NeatSheets TAA featured a few months back. With pockets sewn right into your shower curtain, everything you need in the shower is at your fingertips without taking up space on the rim of the tub… or the shower floor… or on the shelf… From Freshome.

We've also covered using a hanging metal fruit basket in the bathroom before, but not necessarily in the shower, as Real Simple does here. The wire baskets allow for plenty of drainage, and being able to hang the rack from the ceiling is ideal if you're unable to install things on a tiled wall.

Our last shower solution is for people like me who are shampoo bottle hoarders. What can I say? I see a new product, or something that's on sale, I buy it, and I want to try it out right away! Now I've got three kinds of shampoo, three kinds of conditioner, two face washes, a face scrub, a body scrub, shaving supplies, body wash -- and yes, I do use them all! (Not at the same time, of course.) Thankfully, this hanging rack from Urban Outfitters can handle a bottle collection like mine.

As with the tub, people in apartments don't often get a say in their sink. Still, it's fun to drool over this creation by the Bouroullec Brothers, as seen on Design*Sponge. The multiple tiers and appealing curves elevate this storage sink from bleh to beautiful.

Pedestal sinks may look wonderfully old-school, but they offer nothing by way of storage. Add a hidden area for storage while giving your bathroom a glam look with this sink skirt from Dollar Store Crafts.

Or, if all your sewing projects end up with stitches reminiscent of Frankenstein's monster's face, you can purchase a cabinet that fits right around the pedestal, adding under-sink storage and some additional surface space. From Ltd. Commodities.

This bamboo over-the-sink-shelf (from Organization Makes Sense) can be used in either the bathroom or the kitchen, and is especially useful to keep things up off a wet countertop.

I really like this rustic shelf seen on The Polo House. It stretches from edge to edge of the sink, maximizing the space, and offers little cubbies to keep your things upright and within easy reach.

Finally, a pretty tiered server can be used to hold more than just petit fours or scones at afternoon tea. (Although I would not object to a server filled with baked goods anytime, anywhere!) In the bathroom it can hold soap, toiletries, and cosmetics, and in the kitchen it can be a spice rack or fruit platter. No matter what you put on it, it'll look simply delicious. From Amazon.

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Just another quick reminder that Tiny-Ass Apartment is in the running for Apartment Therapy's Homie Awards for Best Home Design Blog! Do me a solid and give us a vote, wouldja? Click here to go to the nomination page. You'll need to scroll to the bottom past the nominees (the list of blogs) and then either sign in or sign up. Once you do and you're on the voting page, a lil' trick is to hit Control+F, search "tiny", and vote for Tiny-Ass Apartment! I'll love ya if you do!