Living in a small home can be a great thing. There are so many benefits, including a lower cost of living, less cleaning and maintenance required, and less places for clutter to accumulate. Small homes can also feel cozy, and let’s be honest, it makes life much easier when trying to find something that you’ve lost.
However, one of the challenges of small space living is that you also have limited storage space. This means that you either need to declutter and keep your possessions under control, or alternatively you need to find some smart and effective storage solutions.
In this article, we bring you 10 smart and practical storage solutions for small spaces.
Storage Solutions For Small Spaces
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Below is a list of 10 great storage ideas that will make your small house look bigger, tidier, and brighter:
1. Make Use Of Ottoman Storage
A basic, classic, and practical method of creating extra storage space is by using ottoman storage. When it comes to storage ottomans, there are a ton of great options for almost any room in your house.
Your ottoman storage could be a multi-function one, meaning it could work as a storage place and a chair too. Or maybe you could use it as a seat or a side table, or even a toy chest for your kids.
Here are some of our favorite options:
Modern Rolled Arm Storage Ottoman Bench
Otto & Ben 30″ Storage Ottoman
HomePop by Kinfine Fabric Upholstered Round Storage Ottoman
2. Create A Bookshelf Underneath Your Bed
If you’re a fan of books and haven’t switched to a Kindle or other ebook reader yet, you probably have a bunch of books lying around the house making it look like a mess.
Installing a bookshelf underneath your bed is a great solution for you. Your books will look cool, organized, and out of the way.
The bookshelf will also work as a great way to prevent dust from building up under the bed and is a great storage solution for small spaces, even if you don’t use it for books.
3. Use Empty Corners To Hang A Clothes Rack
If you’re a shopping addict and struggle to find enough space inside your closet to fit all of your clothes, look for any empty corners around the house (doesn’t have to be inside your bedroom). You can use this space to hang an extra clothes rack for your clothes.
If you’re not a fan of hanging things up on the wall, you can purchase a free standing clothes rack. This is another great option that doesn’t necessarily have to be placed in the bedroom. This way you could both hang your clothes and make use of the built-in shelves too.
Wall-Mounted Clothes Rack
Simple Houseware Freestanding Clothes Organizer
4. Install A Hidden Sliding Shelf Or Pull-Out Cupboard
Hidden sliding shelves or pull-out cupboards are the perfect solution in many rooms around the house, but are most commonly used in kitchens and bathrooms.
You can either buy one ready-made or have one customized specifically for your space. It will create extra storage space for you and carry all the essentials that you’ve been trying to find a place for since forever.
Narrow Home Organizer Rack
5.Create Your Own Shoe Rack
This trick is for anyone obsessed with shoes, especially high heels. If you have a huge collection of shoes that’s taking up every possible space around your room, create your own shoe rack using crown molding.
Yep, you read it right. Simply install the crown molding on an empty wall that you have (arrange them in shelf style) and use the heel of your shoes to support it when you hang it up on the wall.
The cool thing about crown molding is that it won’t destroy how your wall looks as it will blend in well with most decor styles.
6. Get A Coffee Table With Hidden Storage Space
A small home usually means a small living room, which begs the question: how do we make the most of this space without it appearing tiny and cluttered?
A great storage solution for your small living room is a coffee table with built-in storage space. With a coffee table with storage, you’ll have all your miscellaneous items all hidden in one place. This will make your living room feel less cluttered, make those items much easier to find, and create another fantastic and usable storage space.
Again, this could be built custom for your space or purchased pre-made.
Wood Coffee Table with Adjustable Lift Top Table
Rolanstar Lift Top Coffee Table
7. Install Open Shelving And Closets
Closet and cabinet doors limit the storage capacity and generally tighten space. Customizing your own open shelves or closet according to the space you have will enable you to get the most out of the space you have.
The way you organize your stuff on the shelves also plays a major role in how they’ll look. You could organize them by color, type, or size to add a little style to your space.
8. Getting A Loft Bed
Loft beds are super practical for small spaces. Regular beds usually consume a lot of space inside a room, so loft beds are a good option because you can use the space underneath them to the maximum.
Some ideas for using this extra space include building a closet, a dressing room, installing shelves or drawers, or even setting up a mini-office or study area underneath your loft bed.
Modern Metal Pipe Loft Bed
9. Storing Bed Sheets Under Your Mattress
This one may sound crazy, but it’s a completely free and one of the most useful storage solutions for small spaces.
Extra bed sheets can consume a lot of storage space, which could be used for storing something else.
A smart trick is to fold them nice and tidy and place them underneath your mattress when they’re not in use, at the foot of your bed. You won’t feel or see them and it will save lots of space in your linen closet.
10. Hanging Wall Hooks
Generally, wall hooks are affordable and space-saving. Some appliances like hair dryers and men’s shaving machines are difficult to store in the bathroom and take up a lot of space when left on a sink or a cabinet top.
Putting up wall hooks inside the cabinet or closet door of your bathroom will solve this issue for you and leave your bathroom nice and tidy.
The Effect of Clutter On Your Mood
Believe it or not, studies by UCLA have proven that clutter affects your mood and stresses you out immensely.
Messy homes and spaces make us feel overwhelmed, anxious, and helpless. However, it’s not something that we usually recognize as a reason for these negative feelings.
In fact, a messy home or room has many negative outcomes like wasting a lot of time during the day and even money.
With this in mind, it makes a lot of sense that keeping your home clean and clutter free will be great for your health and well-being. Keeping your home clean and decluttered is even more important if you live in a small space.
De-cluttering your living space can be done in 3 easy steps:
- Dividing your belongings into boxes of things to get rid of, things to keep, and so on.
- Organize the stuff you decided to keep in a place that you’ll remember.
- Complete one room at a time before moving to the next.
Next time you’re decuttering your living space, why not consider organizing your garage too? Check out our post on How To Organize Your Garage On A Budget: Tips And Tricks.
Final Thoughts
Living in a small space is one thing, and leaving it messy is another. As we mentioned above, living in a messy home or even having a messy room can lead to an unhealthy and stressful life.
Therefore, it all comes down to organizing the space you have and making the best use of it.
In this article, we’ve shared our favorite smart and practical storage solutions for small spaces. These ideas can be customized to suit your space, help you declutter, and give you more comfort and an overall feeling of well-being.