Small homes are, in most cases, less expensive and easier to maintain, but they often lack sufficient storage space. So if you are planning to move to a small apartment closer to your workplace or just looking for ways to maximize storage space in your existing apartment, don’t forget to have a look at our top 5 storage ideas for small spaces.
Multi-utility furniture
Multi-utility furniture offers you a smart way of maximizing storage in a small home, without taking up extra space. For example, a kitchen island with built-in storage shelves not only functions as a convenient workspace, but also gives you a handy space to store your wine bottles, mixing bowls, extra dishesand so on.
So if you are planning to go furniture hunting, look for items that serve multiple purposes. A kid’s bed with pullout storage will give you plenty of space to store toys, books and other kid paraphernalia. Anantique trunk with a flip-up lid can be used as a coffee table and for storing blankets or board games.
Up and Down
From built-in crockery shelves to a cozy home office, the space under your stairs can be used for a dozen purposes. But did you know that the space over the stairs, or for that matter, the steps, themselves could be used for storage? The stuff.co.nz website has some smart ideas to turn the not-so-properly-utilized space surrounding the staircase into bookshelves and to use hidden drawers under the bottom steps for storing shoes, books and so on.
Hang them up
If you are falling short of storage space in your new home, make hooks your new best friend. Avoid clutter in the hallway by using hooks to hang coats, scarves and jackets. A pocket organizer hung on the door of the closet can be used for storing small items such as socks, scarves and belts. Save precious storage space in your kitchen cupboards by hanging pots and pans on hooks on a metal rod above the sink. No floor space in the garage for your bicycles? Hang them up on the ceiling or on the wall using a pulley system.
Add more shelves
Break up the vertical space in your existing closet by adding shelves, clothing rod extendersor dividers. The space above clothing rods in most wardrobes can be used to add an extra shelf for storing shoes. If you have a recessed window in your bedroom, add a hanging bar below it and use it as open storage for your clothes. In the kitchen, add wire organizers to the inside of cabinet doors to store plastic bags and other light items.
Under the bed
While beds with built-in storage are always a good idea, don’t fret if you don’t have them. You can still make use of the under-the-bed space by buying open bins on casters – they make excellent storage for out-of-season clothes and extra bed linen. Just make sure that you cover your stuff up properly to keep them safe from dust and pests.
Kurt Jacobson is a writer and vacation rental manager. Knowing what it takes to maintain pristine appearances for customers, he thrives on sharing what he’s learned from his experience. When he’s not managing a property, he writes about home cleaning in Plymouth for Professional Home Cleaning Inc.
