Using the Right Moving Boxes and Packing Supplies

When people try to cut corners on their moves, they often do so with the moving boxes: they collect them from behind grocery stores, ask liquor stores for unused boxes, or take them from the company supply room.
While they might seem like good boxes, they might not be appropriate for your move.
Many consumers incorrectly assume that any type of box and supplies will work for their move. In fact, moving boxes are specifically manufactured for household moving and the packing supplies used by professional moving companies provide the best protection for your items.
Also, professional movers use standard-sized boxes designed specifically for loading and transporting items onto a moving truck with effective use of truck space. Experienced movers can determine the type and number of boxes that will be needed to complete your move. They can also figure out how to best pack these boxes in the truck. If you use nonstandard box sizes, the movers will have to do their best to try to make things fit properly, but it won't be as efficient if you use boxes that have industry standard sizes .
Moving boxes are manufactured using single- or double-wall corrugated cardboard. The thicker the wall of the box, the higher the Edge Crush Test (ECT) rating the moving box will have. The higher the ECT rating (shown on the flap of the box), the stronger the construction and the more items the box will be able to safely hold. The higher the ECT rating, the more expensive the box will be due to the greater density of materials used to produce the box.
Professional movers normally use moving boxes that have a minimum rating of 32 ECT (or capable of passing a 200 pound test). These ratings are industry standards and give you the assurance that boxes holding your household items are strong enough to survive the move. Boxes that have an ECT of less than 32 are not designed for moving and should be avoided.
One other quick packing tip -- if you pack your own boxes, you might not be covered by your insurance in case the contents of the box are damaged. Be sure to ask your moving company.

24 Ideas to Steal for Your Apartment : Floor Coverings

Often in a rental situation, you are stuck with whatever finishes are in place when you sign the lease. If your apartment's carpet is not so stylish, camouflage the problem with an extra-large area rug that coordinates with your other decor. If the room is on the small side, you won't need an oversize rug, which can start to get pricey.

24 Ideas to Steal for Your Apartment : Embrace Open Storage

 

Employ an industrial metal shelving unit as extra kitchen storage if your apartment's kitchen storage options are less than generous. The cool finish of this unit recalls metal touches that are standard in pro kitchens. Use baskets to corral kitchen staples, and incorporate a few decorative touches to keep it fun.

24 Ideas to Steal for Your Apartment : Video: How to Paint Furniture

Painting furniture is easy with these simple steps.

24 Ideas to Steal for Your Apartment : Paint Options

If you can't paint the walls in your apartment, paint your furniture. A new paint job on a bed frame or nightstand can be just as impactful as new color on the walls. Go to the next slide to learn how to paint furniture.

24 Ideas to Steal for Your Apartment : Gallery Display

Use floating shelves to show off a collection of decorative objects and mementos. Stagger the shelves for a unique look. Basic shelves serve as a strong basis for rotating displays. They will go with almost anything, which means you can change the look of the vignette, leaving the shelves in place and avoid making any more holes in your apartment walls.

33 Best Small Space Design Tip

A few months ago, we asked you to share your fave small space design tips and there were some great ideas! We loved your suggestions and enthusiasm and definitely picked up some fab tips for our own small space. After the jump, check out the compiled list and pick up a tip or two.

4 Tips For Making a Small Office Feel Big

1) If you have a small space use small pieces that fit the scale of the apartment. Your space will feel bigger. 2) Keep it clean!
3) Get rid of the clutter. Have a place for everything and then everything can go back in its place.
4) In small spaces, there never seems be enough space for clothing, books, electronic media, work areas but rather than lots of traditional freestanding dressers, cabinets, desks, etc. consider built-ins and modular furniture systems that can be configured to fit your space wall-to-wall and floor-to ceiling and accommodate all your storage needs in one compact area.
5) Dual purpose! Look for multiple uses in everything you buy. An ottoman is cozy, but an ottoman with hidden storage is even better.
6) Furniture with legs feels less heavy in a space than pieces that sit directly on the floor.

Small Space Solution: Going Vertical

7) Go vertical and use the space up to the the ceiling whenever possible - shelves and storage that have a small footprint but are tall can really help in a small space. 8) As for organization, really think about how you use your house. Where do you like to read your mail? Flip through magazines? Pay bills? Then place storage and trash bins in the places where you will be handling paper and other cluttering items.
9) Enjoy the cozy feeling of a small space.
10) Spend more money on getting one or two taller piece (like bookcases). Try to confine your cluttery possessions (mail, books, ipod, etc) to a few concentrated zones instead of thinly spread out all over the place!
11) Glass-front bookcases (or barrister bookcases). For some reason things *feel* less cluttered if they are behind glass.
12) My tip would be to draw yourself a floorplan and organize yourself and the stuff you already own with the help of it.
13) Walk into your apartment and create your space from that viewpoint. You don't want to see the back of your tv from that perspective, and a few other not quite neat sides of things.

Southwest #1: Benjamin and Elizabeth's "Citrus Harmony"

14) Don't be afraid of color. Yes, white makes a room look bigger, but so does dark brown glossy paint (etc) when paired with the right color furnishings. 15) Don't try to furnish it all at once. Start with the most important piece (clearly a place to sleep---couch, Murphy bed, actual bed) and live with it a while before you start adding.
16) Arrange the space so it meets your needs for the way you truly use it, and put money into the areas where you spend the most time. If you always eat in the living room, maybe that means investing in a coffee or side table that's really comfortable to eat from and forgoing a separate dining area altogether.
17) Don't go hog-wild at any store until you're sure that you need it. I made a list of all the things I "thought" I would need when I moved in, but after unpacking, half those things were no longer needed (due to space constraints). What a hassle.

How To...Make a Couch, Bed, and Guest Room Fit In a Small Space

18) Think of your furniture as being mobile and multipurpose. Choose things that are easy to pick up and move, and then plan to move things around to suit different purposes. 19) Edit, edit, edit. Look at everything with a critical eye. If you have a chair that you just don't love, get rid of it. If you notice you miss having a chair, find one that you love, is a better scale and a better investment of your space. Don't store anything that you don't need.
20) Get a storage bed, so you don't have to have a dresser.
21) Consider furniture that blends in visually with your floor or walls, whether it is transparent or similar in color.

Look! Oversized Canvas Painting

22) Don't be afraid of big art/wall hangings, especially in a color that recedes (like blue) to make the space look bigger. Keep things visually interesting in the space you do have. Mirrors can help magnify the space. 23) Unless you're really starting with a blank slate, for everything new you bring in, take out something old. Don't hang onto things for forever just because they might come in handy.
24) Don't design for 'in case when guests come over'. the seats you have for yourself - TV couch, reading lounger, desk chair, dining chair, stool - will be enough seating for 7-8 visitors.
25) Clear furniture can do wonders.
26) Expandable dining table.
27) Large mirror to give the illusion of more space.

Light Inspirations: Making a Statement with the Light Combinations

28) Lots of lamps. 29) A dark floor against light colored walls and furniture can really make a place feel more spacious.
30) Really invest in a closet organization system. You'd be surprised how on track that can keep you and you could always just shut the door.
31) Try to avoid pieces taking up floorspace. Instead of a bookcase, use bookshelves.
32) Combine loves and needs
33) There are no rules.