Tag: multifamily living

How to Make Room for a Hobby Without Actually Having More Room

The best small-space hobby ideas do not require an empty room, a permanent worktable or a cabinet full of supplies you may never use again. With the right setup, you can make space for painting, puzzles, knitting, journaling or nearly any other interest – without allowing the hobby to take over your apartment.

Start with the smallest version of the hobby
Before buying a complete set of supplies, choose one beginner project.

Borrow equipment when possible, purchase a small starter kit or look for a local class that provides the materials. This helps you figure out whether you enjoy the actual hobby or simply enjoyed watching someone else do it online.

If you stick with it, you can add supplies based on what you genuinely use.

Give the hobby one container
Choose a bin, basket, cart or case that fits everything needed for your current project.

The container creates a natural limit. When it is full, finish something, use what you already have or remove an item before adding another.

Look for a container that can slide beneath a bed, fit inside a closet or sit neatly on a shelf. The hobby should be easy to reach – otherwise, setting it up will feel like its own separate activity.

Store projects in progress differently
Half-finished projects are often harder to store than supplies.

Use a shallow lidded container, document box or portable tray to keep everything in its current position between sessions. For puzzles, felt puzzle mats or puzzle boards can help clear the dining table without starting over.

Before choosing a new hobby, consider what happens when you stop in the middle. If a project needs to remain untouched for three days, make sure you actually have a safe place for it.

Protect the surface underneath
A washable mat, cutting board or inexpensive tray can turn a dining table, coffee table or kitchen counter into a temporary hobby space.

Choose protection based on the materials involved – especially when working with paint, glue, sharp tools or anything that produces heat. Follow product instructions and check your lease or community guidelines before using materials that create strong odors, fumes or excessive noise.

A hobby should improve your week – not create an awkward maintenance request.

Keep frequently used tools together
Store the tools you reach for every time in a small pouch or cup inside the main container. When you sit down, you can begin without searching through every supply you own.

Keep replacement materials and rarely used extras farther back. Easy-to-reach storage should be reserved for the items that help you start.

Let the hobby leave the apartment sometimes
Some hobbies are easier to enjoy when they are not limited to your floor plan.

Bring your book, sketch pad, knitting or journal to a community lounge, outdoor area, local park or coffee shop. If your hobby requires larger tools or special equipment, look for workshops, studios, maker spaces or classes nearby.

You do not need more square footage to try something new – you simply need a setup that makes starting and stopping easy. If flexible spaces and community amenities would give your interests more room to grow, browse RPM Living communities and find a home that fits more of what you love.

How to Make Working From Home Feel Less Like Living at Work

When you are working from home in an apartment, the distance between your desk and your evening plans may be approximately six feet. Without a clear separation, it can feel like you never fully leave work – you simply close the laptop and continue looking at it from the couch.

Keep work within a physical boundary
Even if you do not have a separate office, decide exactly where work is allowed to spread.

It might be one side of the dining table, a desk or a rolling cart that holds your supplies. At the end of the day, everything should fit back inside that boundary.

This keeps one unfinished project from slowly claiming the dining table, kitchen counter and the chair where you planned to relax.

Change the room when work ends
You do not necessarily need to put your entire workspace away. One visible change can tell your brain the workday is over.

Turn your desk chair away from the computer, close the laptop and place it inside a drawer or cover the monitor with a piece of artwork or fabric designed for that purpose. If you use the dining table as a desk, remove the work items and replace them with something unrelated – even if it is simply a bowl or vase.

The goal is to stop your workstation from being the first thing you notice all evening.

Leave yourself a clear starting point
Before signing off, write down the first task you need to complete tomorrow.

A short note such as “finish paragraph three” or “respond to Jordan’s email” is much more helpful than reopening your laptop to a vague list of unfinished work.

This also gives your brain permission to stop mentally rehearsing tomorrow’s schedule while you are trying to watch television.

Separate your work technology
If possible, use different browser profiles for work and personal use. A separate profile can keep bookmarks, logins, email and open tabs from blending together.

You can also remove work apps from your phone’s home screen or silence their notifications after your workday ends, depending on your role and availability expectations.

Nothing ruins a relaxing scroll quite like accidentally discovering an email you were not supposed to think about until morning.

Change what you hear
Sound can help create separation when your surroundings stay the same.

Use one playlist, background sound or pair of headphones only while working. When the day ends, switch it off and play something completely different.

This works particularly well in a studio or one-bedroom apartment where physically moving to another room may not be an option.

Use another space when you need a reset
If your community has a business center, coworking area, outdoor space or clubroom available for resident use, occasionally changing locations can make the week feel less repetitive.

Review amenity hours and policies before setting up. Even working somewhere else for an hour can make returning to your apartment feel more like coming home.

Your home should still feel like yours after the workday ends. If a dedicated workspace or helpful community amenities are part of what you want next, explore RPM Living communities and find a home that works for work – and everything after it.

The End-of-Summer Closet Swap That Does Not Require More Storage

Good end-of-summer closet organization does not require packing away every tank top the moment September appears on the calendar. Late summer weather has a habit of sticking around, which means you need a closet that can handle warm afternoons, cooler mornings and at least one week when the forecast makes absolutely no sense.

Start with what you are still wearing
Before moving anything, look at what you have actually worn over the past two weeks.

Keep those pieces easy to reach, regardless of which season they technically belong to. The weather – not the retail calendar – should decide when your summer clothing moves out of the main rotation.

Anything you have not touched all summer can move into storage first. There is little reason to give prime closet space to a sundress that has already been ignored since May.

Create a small transition section
Choose a narrow section of your closet for pieces that work across seasons.

Lightweight sweaters, denim jackets, button-down shirts and neutral pants can stay together so you can build outfits without searching through two separate wardrobes.

Limit this section to items that can be worn at least three different ways. If something works with only one very specific outfit, it probably does not need a spot in the transition lineup.

Store by fabric instead of season
Not every summer item needs to disappear.

Lightweight cotton shirts and breathable dresses can still work with jackets, boots or other fall layers. Meanwhile, heavy fabrics that will not be comfortable for several more weeks can remain in storage.

Sorting by fabric weight makes more sense than treating September 1 like a mandatory wardrobe deadline.

Use your luggage as temporary storage
If your suitcases sit empty most of the year, use them to hold clothing you will not need for the next few months.

Place clean, completely dry items inside breathable storage bags before putting them into the suitcase. Keep a note on your phone listing what is stored there so you do not buy another black swimsuit next summer because you forgot where the first one went.

Avoid storing anything damp, stained or in need of repair. Future you does not want to reopen that problem six months from now.

Make a separate place for clothing decisions
Keep a bag or basket nearby for items that need to be donated, sold, repaired or cleaned.

Do not mix these pieces back into the closet while you are deciding. Once something returns to a hanger, it has a way of earning another six months without actually being worn.

Give yourself a deadline for dealing with the basket so it does not become a permanent piece of bedroom furniture.

Photograph outfits before putting pieces away
If you found a summer outfit combination you loved, take a quick photo before storing any part of it.

Create an album on your phone for outfits you would wear again. When the season returns, you will already have ideas instead of staring into a full closet and deciding you somehow have nothing to wear.

A thoughtful closet swap is less about finding extra storage and more about using your easiest-to-reach space for the clothing you need now. If more closet space is part of your next-home vision, browse RPM Living communities and find a floor plan that fits your lifestyle.

Your Apartment Laundry Routine Is Missing One Important Step

Most apartment laundry tips focus on sorting colors, checking pockets and remembering to move your clothes before someone else needs the machine. Helpful, yes – but if your clean laundry still feels stiff, smells slightly off or loses its shape too quickly, the problem may be happening somewhere less obvious.

Use less detergent than you think you need
More detergent does not necessarily mean cleaner clothes.

Using too much can leave residue behind, especially when washing smaller loads. That buildup can make towels feel stiff, trap odors and leave dark clothing looking dull.

Check the detergent instructions for your load size and machine type rather than filling the cap automatically. If your clothes feel slippery or overly scented after washing, that may be a sign you are using too much.

Stop crowding the machine
A washing machine needs enough open space for clothing to move through the water.

As a general rule, you should still be able to fit your hand comfortably between the top of the clothes and the inside of the drum. If you have to push everything down to close the door, split the load.

This is especially important for towels, jeans and bedding – all of which become heavier once wet.

Wash items based on texture – not only color
Rougher fabrics can create friction against softer ones.

Try washing jeans, towels and clothing with zippers separately from lightweight shirts, activewear and delicate fabrics. Close zippers before washing and place anything with hooks, straps or Velcro inside a mesh bag.

Your white shirt may survive being washed with a white towel, but that does not mean it enjoyed the experience.

Give damp towels somewhere to go
A towel tossed directly into a hamper may stay damp for hours, creating the perfect conditions for a musty smell.

Hang used towels until they are completely dry before placing them in a hamper. If your hamper has a fabric liner, wash that occasionally, too. Clean clothes will not stay fresh for long in a basket that has been collecting damp fabric for months.

Take laundry out of the machine promptly
Clothing can begin developing an unpleasant smell when it sits wet inside a closed washer.

Set a timer on your phone as soon as you start the load. If your community laundry room is shared, the timer also helps keep machines available for your neighbors.

Before leaving, quickly check the drum and door seal for socks, washcloths or other small items. The missing sock may not be gone forever – it may simply be pressed against the back of the machine.

Let everything dry completely
Clothing that feels even slightly damp should not go into a drawer or closet.

Thicker waistbands, pockets and sweatshirt hoods often take longer to dry than the rest of the item. Give those areas a quick check before folding. If something needs more time, hang it in an open area rather than placing it in a packed closet.

A few small changes can help your clothes feel cleaner, last longer and avoid the dreaded second wash. If an in-home washer and dryer or convenient laundry space is high on your next-home wish list, browse RPM Living communities to explore your options.