Storage Ideas for Small Spaces

Finding enough space to store all your stuff can be tough in a tiny apartment. Sometimes it feels like our belongings are secretly spawning in the night, hell-bent on not only making our apartment look cluttered, but also ensuring that it’s nearly impossible to find anything quickly. Luckily, there are some ways to get back in control and have an apartment that neatly contains all your most prized possessions in easily accessible places.

Here are a few smart storage ideas for your small space:

Storage for a Home Office

As working from home becomes increasingly common, more companies are offering hybrid options to create a better work-life balance. If you have a standard desk and computer set-up, the space can quickly become an eyesore covered in books, bills, and paperwork. If you can afford it, you may want to consider investing in an armoire. Taking out a couple of shelves leaves room for your computer. Large items such as the printer can go in the cupboard underneath, and files can be kept on a shelf above. The best part, though, is the doors. Just shut them when you’re done for the day for an instantaneously tidy workspace.

Storage for Above and Below

Up, up, up! Where appropriate, consider installing floor-to-ceiling shelves to maximize your storage space. Small closets are great for these kinds of shelves, since they can hold sweaters, jeans, and baskets full of socks and underwear. In the kitchen, you can stack dishes, display cups, and even leave some space to hang pots and pans. This leaves your cupboard space free for food and items that don’t display as nicely, like tupperware. If floor space is at a premium, just put shelves on the upper half of the wall — above the kitchen table, above the bed, etc.

Next look under. There’s a lot of wasted floor space under the bed. Either install drawers here or invest in some long low bins to keep not-often-needed items stowed. How high are your kitchen cabinets? Some have enough space to slide another bin under. Take some measurements of these areas, consider what you could store there, and shop around for plastic bins.

Coat racks are another useful storage item. Stick one in a corner for purses, hats, belts, blankets, towels in the bathroom — just about anything can hang on these handy things. Be careful not to overload them, though. If it’s in a high-traffic area, too much stuff slung over a coat rack can look messy and bulky.

Furniture with Storage

Always think “what else can it do” when considering a piece of furniture. Trunks and benches are great at doing double-duty as both sitting and storage pieces. Put a trunk at the end of the bed to store extra blankets or winter clothes, and another one in the living room as a coffee table filled with blankets. Put a bench in the living room as a side seating space, and put some rattan baskets underneath for books. A bench also works well in entryways, serving as a place to store shoes and a seat where you can put them on.

If you’re looking to buy new furniture, you may want to consider what storage options are available. Many beds come with built in drawers, but some couches are multipurpose, too. If you have guests that visit frequently, consider buying a couch that has a pull-out bed option. You may be able to add storage on to a new couch as well. Just remember to prepare a budget ahead of time. After all, you don’t want to overspend on furniture just because it has awesome storage features.

Kids’ Rooms

Having kids and living in an apartment isn’t always ideal, but you can still up your storage game in way that benefits every member of the family. The plan is to have a bin, bucket, and shelf for everything in your kid’s room. Walls are even handier here — kids’ stuff is smaller, so it’s great to hang pegs for clothing and colorful buckets filled with stuffed animals.

Store Wisely

A final thought when it comes to being creative with apartment storage and small spaces is to plan ahead. While it can be exciting to go out and buy storage essentials, you also need to be realistic. Can your apartment fit storage bins and new furniture? Take some pictures of the unit, write down dimensions, and make sure you’re allowed to hang things on the walls with nails. Command strips have made it easier to hang items on apartment walls, but sometimes you actually need a hammer and nails to hold up heavier things.

As long as you do some prep work, small space storage with come a lot more naturally to you. Best of all, you’ll be so much more comfortable in your clean, organized apartment.