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Have you been wondering how to free up space in your home? Do you live in a dorm or an efficiency where every inch of space counts?

Maybe you're tired of trying to come up with ideas on how to reduce the clutter? Or don't know where to start?

If you don't know where to start and feel like you're backed into a corner then maybe this is your solution to the problem.

Let me introduce you to the top-to-bottom-strategy.

It is a procedure that can be of great service to you if you are starting out and you are about to move into your own home.

Or if you already own a house full of furniture and are willing to sell or donate what you no longer want in order to purchase a better version.

It will work in many situations from great to small.

The greater your willingness to get rid of the old and bring in the new, the bigger space difference there will be in your home.

You may not want to exchange out many items in your home but decide on a few select items that will make a big difference once you've gotten rid of them.

The most beneficial part of the top-to-bottom-strategy is that it can be customized to your preference.

That's what makes it very opportunistic--it can be adjusted according to your desires.

The top-to-bottom-strategy is a simple three step procedure that will help you reevaluate your thought process.

This strategy deals with three levels. And each level can be used to help you better furnish your home by weighing any item you want or own against the top-to-bottom-strategy.

The 3 Levels

You'll notice with each level you move from top to bottom. Also notice that each level moves from ONLY taking up air space to taking up walking space.

Items that DO NOT affect your walking zone are considered to be items that take up air space.

The further up your item is positioned the freer your walking zone. And the more space you have in your home. The highest level that you can go is Level 3.

In which an item you purchase is mounted from your ceiling.

You may have, in the past, considered furnishing your home using these three levels, but only under certain conditions. For example, you may have first wanted a floor lamp but instead decided to get a sconce installed on your wall or a chandelier mounted from the ceiling rather than your first initial idea.

That is a situation in which all three levels are used accidentally.

But normally, you are likely to find that you have constantly left out Level 2 and Level 3 when you consider furnishing your home with a new item.

The reason for this is easy to understand--you normally see what you want and then you buy it.

And when you've done this there has been very little organization in furnishing your home.

Except with the thought of whether you have enough floor space for the item in consideration.

Before today, when you've considered purchasing an item you haven't really considered the three levels in combination with the item that you want.

You were never taught, and never thought, much about the three levels because history never offered such circumstances until recently.

Manufacturers today are creating products with the less-is-more idea in mind.

Home furnishings are far lighter and far more space conserving now than they ever have been.

So this strategy was never needed in the past since our predecessors had an entirely different way of life.

Less busy. Less complicated in specific areas, and so on.

But that is clearly not the case today.

When you recognize that you want something from this day forward you can easily offer your home the best space possible by considering whether you can furnish your home with an item on Level 3 first.

And if it is not possible on that level, drop down a level until it is possible to furnish your home on that specific level.

Take for example, a television.

Level 1: Floor

You know your home can easily be furnished with a television using Level 1.

And your most space conservative item to mount a television on is a pedestal tv stand, or a tv pole that extends from the floor to the ceiling.

When you use Level 1 you want to be certain to brainstorm for the most space conserving way to use your floor space.

You'll want to find the smallest, yet most reliable item that you can find that will do the job.

And when you are able to find this type of item, it is so good at space conserving that Level 1 almost gives you the same advantages that Level 2 does.

For example, if you were to use a tv pole to put your tv on. The pole itself takes up so little floor space and mounts the tv in midair that it's similar to furnishing your home with a tv using Level 2.

Level 1 will always take up floor space and interfere with your walking zone.

The best you can do with Level 1 is get an item that uses as little floor space as possible and interferes with your walking zone as little as possible.

Level 2: Wall

These days with lcds and plasma tvs, you even know that your home can be furnished with the television using Level 2.

And your most space conservative item to mount your television on is a tv wall mount. But not only can lcds and plasmas be mounted on the wall, your average television can be too.

There are dozens of wall mounts out there that mount regular tvs. But tv wall mounts may be something that has never surfaced to your mind.

And this is a good example of when Level 2 is often left out of the picture.

Level 2 will not take up floor space but it will interfere with your walking zone the majority of the time.

The higher an item is positioned on your wall the less it will interfere with your walking zone.

If it is positioned very high on your wall it will have the same exact advantages as Level 3. It will only take up air space and offer no space interference.

Level 3: Ceiling

Same goes with tvs and Level 3. There are dozens of ceiling mounts out there that your tvs can be mounted on.

But ceiling wall mounts don't arise to the surface of many minds. And this also makes a good example of how Level 3 is often left out of the picture when furnishing your home.

Level 3 will not take up floor space or interfere with your walking zone (assuming you are not so tall that you actually reach your ceiling). Level three only takes up air space.

It offers the most advantages.

There are dozens and dozens of items out there that you may not even know exists that you can furnish your home with.

That are considered much lighter and more suitable alternatives than what you have in your home right now.

Consider an aquarium and the three levels. Did you know that wall aquariums existed?

Not the type that you put inside of a wall, but the type of aquarium in which you can hang on your wall like a picture?

They are often referred to as Living Pictures.

Living Pictures could be saving you space in your home right now if you knew about them.

If you own an aquarium that's taking up a large amount of floor space you could easily incorporate Level 2 in your home to give yourself more room.

Not to mention you have more of an advantage by being able to place your Living Picture just about anywhere in your home.

Knowing about the top-to-bottom-strategy is offering yourself more freedom. And more knowledge. And knowledge is power.

One of the best ways that you can find out about these items is by using the top-to-bottom-strategy in combination with surfing the net and researching each item that you're interested in.

Always remember to research what you want (using the top-to- bottom-strategy) before you go out and buy what you see.

(c) 2003 by Tameka Norris

About The Author

Tameka Norris helps others simplify life's little complications by revealing the small things that are often overlooked: http://www.furniture-for-small-spaces.com; furniture@furniture-for-small-spaces.com

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