Our Landing Strip
One thing we had problems with early into life in our current apartment was the lack of space for “tiny” items. We don’t have room for a side table to place those things you need when going outside—keys, sunglasses, Iggy’s leash and so on— we didn’t want them cluttering up the kitchen countertop or the living room table.
Enter the landing strip: a tiny table that can fit in the corner near your front door which holds all those little items you don’t want littering the house.
We found ours at Furnish Green, a salvaged furniture store just south of Herald Square known for repurposing older, rustic items and giving them new life. The small table we bought is actually two old drawers put together. The drawer pull from one of the drawers becomes a handle for the new shelf.
We put an old trophy that we found at the Rose Bowl flea market earlier this year to hold sunglasses, headphones, keys and small change for when we first come back inside. A pen sits on top to sign for packages and deliveries.
On the first shelf we keep Iggy’s leash, scarves, and other semi-important things we might need, like a baseball. The bottom shelf is home to boots for inclement weather and small umbrellas. We don’t need this area as much, but it’s nice to have things right by the door when you’re trying to dash out.
Now we have a cleaner, less-cluttered living room and kitchen, and things that tend to get lost are easily found. My favorite thing about the landing strip is being halfway down the hallway, realizing I’ve forgotten my sunglasses and merely sticking my arm through to door to grab them. I wish we had gotten it on day one.
What’s your organizational strategy for those “little” items? Do you have a landing strip?
- Ryan
