A small home can be overwhelming. But that doesn’t mean it has to be either minimalist or a complete wreck. Here are a few ways you can use unused spaces to capitalize on all of the organization your home is capable of.
I don’t have a tiny home, but I also don’t have a lot of extra space for storage. My bathrooms don’t have linen closets. I don’t have an attic or basement suitable for long-term storage.
But I do have creativity, easy access to every area of my home, and enough space to store items we use seasonally. I have found that if you have those things as well, you have all the additional space you need to store items in your home!
If you’re looking for more small bedroom storage ideas and other little storage space ideas, you have come to the right place!
Let’s dive into these budget-friendly storage ideas for small spaces.
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The First Step to Storage in a Small Space
If you are going to store something, it needs to be something you actually use! Think of things like winter clothes, holiday decorations, and furniture. Other things to store are keepsakes and valuable items, like paperwork, baby clothes and equipment, and family heirlooms.
If you find yourself constantly moving and shuffling items that don’t fall into those categories, it might be time for a yard sale!
Purging your belongings goes beyond simply moving things out of your home. It starts with questioning why the item is in your home, to begin with, and what its true purpose is. If it served a purpose in a different season of life, but not this one, it’s time to let it go!
The second step in storage in a small space is working with what you have. Don’t disregard things like vertical space, behind doors, and even under beds!
How to Utilize Vertical Space
Storing things vertically sounds chaotic. But it doesn’t have to look chaotic.
With cute, wicker baskets, and storage containers of various sizes, you can quickly turn your clutter into controlled decor. Consider a cube display, a tall shelf, or floating shelves to maximize the vertical space in your home.
If you are looking for something less permanent and more cost-effective, consider command hooks. They’re great for utilizing wall space with easy installation and little to no damage. Be sure to follow installation instructions for the best results.
Shoe racks are also a great way to utilize vertical space. Remember – when you’re living in a small footprint, every space counts! Don’t let your shoes be a part of the problem.
Specific things to store vertically can be too numerous to count. Books, keepsakes, various decor, sports equipment, lawn equipment, clothing, kitchen items, and more.
Don’t forget other spaces, like your bathroom and kitchen. Food storage containers can be stackable, making your pantry even sleeker and smaller than before.
Stackable containers could easily work as an easy storage solution in any area of your home.
How to Utilize Space Behind Doors
The obvious solution to utilizing space behind doors is over-the-door shoe organizers. But they can hold so much more than shoes!
In a kitchen pantry, over-the-door shoe organizers can house soft packaged foods, like muffin mixes and spices. In a bathroom, over the door shoe organizers can hold beauty products galore, like nail polish remover, hair spray, and hair brushes.
Over-the-door hooks are also an over-the-door organizing solution. Most commonly used for things like robes, don’t discount this organization tool! I have used over-the-door hooks for backpacks, jackets, and purses.
How to Utilize Space Under Beds
If you put stuff under your bed and have a tendency to forget about it, you are the perfect person to store things under your bed. But how?
Store things you use seasonally under your bed! You can store things like gift wraps, winter gear, and seasonal decor underneath your bed.
A platform bed lends itself particularly well to this kind of storage solution. Usually, platform beds don’t require the use of a box spring. They are also almost always off the ground. This space is where you will store your belongings.
If you don’t have a platform bed, you can use furniture risers to lift your bed off the ground and give you the storage space you need. Please note – installation here is key! Be sure to follow all instructions for best use.
In our home, I store my children’s toys in short, but long, plastic containers with wheels under beds. I also store gift wraps, table leaves, and oblong items such as sleeping bags and inflatable mattresses under beds.
If you have a bed with free space under it, don’t let that empty space go to waste!
Helpful Links
These links are affiliate links.
Command Hooks
Over the Door Shoe Organizer
Furniture Risers
Other Ways to Organize Your Home
How to Organize Children’s Toys
(Not Your Usual) Home Management System
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Creative Storage Solutions
There is always an element to interior design that stretches your capabilities. Here are a few more small space storage ideas that may seem unconventional.
Bedside Tables
Drawers and a small cubby are the name of the game for bedside table storage! So be selective in your furniture choices.
This is another great place to use wicker baskets to elevate the overall look of your storage solutions. No one will know that you’re utilizing a bedside table for storage!
Bedside tables are the perfect place to store beauty products if your bathroom space is small or limited. If you have a cubby in your bedside table, you could also consider storing towels and bathroom appliances.
If you have a drawer, you can organize your products with plastic drawer organizers. You can also stow away chargers, notebooks, and more in drawers.
The top of your bedside table can house a lamp, mirror, decor, and photos. Plants, both real and fake, can also live on your bedside table!
If you use a small shelf or riser, you can have even more space to decorate the top of your bedside table.
How to Store Things in Plain Sight
I’ve talked a lot about things that provide utility with little emphasis on making things beautiful. Here are a few ways to achieve both function and beauty.
Decorative Boxes
Use Furniture
Coffee tables and storage ottomans are great ways to store things like your electronic devices, books, blankets, board games, and more!
If your coffee table has a well for storage or a top that lifts as a hidden compartment, you don’t have to worry about prioritizing looks – just organize your belongings in clear, removable bins.
Cabinets and benches also double as extra storage space.
The priority, though, is the exterior of this furniture! So be sure to consider the stain of the wood, the type of wood, paint colors, and details.
Purchase Decor with False Bottoms
If your living space footprint is limited, there are simply some things that you won’t be able to store out of view. Decor with a false bottom may be an option for you!
Not-so-obvious storage space includes things like pantry items, soap dispensers, picture frames, books, and pillows.
Tension Rods and Curtains
You can disguise storage items cleverly using tension rods and curtains.
This works well if you have a small, but open, area you want to disguise or draw attention away from. This won’t work for something like open shelves.
Over the Windows
Have you researched extending a shelf over a window? If you’re pressed for space, this can be a great solution to a space problem!
Cork Boards and Magnetic Boards
You can store spices and coffee in magnetic containers that live on the side of your fridge. So why not convert other space of your home to that type of vertical storage?
Jewelry, mail, and keys can all be stored on hooks or push pins in a corkboard. Makeup can be stored on a magnetic board, like spices in a kitchen fridge.
Even more everyday kitchen items can be stored magnetically! Kitchen knives, paper towels, plastic wrap, parchment paper, and kitchen towels can all be stored on magnetic devices and hooks in your kitchen.
It’s Not Always a Lack of Space…
There are times when having fewer items in your possession will be easier to manage. But there are also times when lack of organization is the true reason behind your clutter!
I hope this blog post has inspired you to think of better ways to manage what you already have. What clever storage ideas have you come up with? Comment on this blog post and let me know!
For more homemaking inspiration for a small house, be sure to find me on Instagram and Pinterest!
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