10 Storage Hacks to Open Up Your Small Space
Anyone with a small space knows just how important organized storage can be. Figuring out ways to store things out of the way will open up the area, making it feel bigger and easier to use. If you have a small space you're struggling to declutter, here are a few hacks that might help.
1. Dual Purpose Furniture
In small spaces, everything must have a purpose, and ideally more than one. The easiest way to add storage to your space is to have your furniture pull double duty.
Take your bedroom, for example. Plenty of furniture stores make beds with drawers underneath. Consider putting bulkier items here and your everyday items in your actual closet. You could also put seasonal items under the bed and switch out what's under your bed versus in your closet depending on the time of year. If you don't have that many clothes and accessories, extra towels and sheets are also great options for under the bed.
Another furniture item that can fill multiple functions is your coffee table. Rather than getting one that is empty underneath, get one with shelves, or even better, draws, or a chest. This can be a great place to store extra pillows and blankets, or anything else you may need.
Similarly, you could consider investing in a TV stand with storage. While many people use the TV stand strictly for DVDs and gaming systems, if you get one with some extra storage you can use it for any number of things.
You can also buy, or even build on your own, ottomans with extra storage space underneath.
2. Combining Items
Something everyone should do, regardless of how large or small their space is, is to combine like items to increase space. Instead of having two half-full containers of the same soap, combine them into one container to free up space.
3. Pots and Pans Hangars
Many people store pots and pans in kitchen cabinets, but no matter what size your kitchen is, you can install hanging racks for these items. This will get them out of the cabinets and open up extra storage space without cluttering the kitchen counters, taking away valuable surface area.
This has the added benefit of making the pots and pans easy to find and put away as well.
4. Floating Shelves
A big bookcase or shelving system can be bulky and hard to find room for. Floating shelves, however, take up no ground space. They are a great way to display items that you would otherwise have to find another space for. They can also be hung on top of other furniture where you would not be able to put anything else otherwise.
5. Over the Toilet
Another way to create more space in the bathroom is to add a storage unit or cabinet over your storage. There's nothing else you will really do with this space anyway, so it is a really practical way of adding extra storage to the bathroom.
6. Shower Curtain
If you're lacking space in the bathroom, one excellent solution is to use a shower curtain with built-in pouches. These pouches can store anything you need in the bathroom. If you are using it for items you will use when showering, have it face in toward the shower.
If you use it to store other items, have it face outward so they won't be in the shower. One note of caution, though, these items may get wet, so don't store anything that will be easily damaged by water here.
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7. Cutlery Organizers
Cutlery organizers can be used for a lot more than just forks. In the bathroom, it can actually be used to keep the products you use in order. It can also be used to keep remote controls or other items you use in the living room tidy.
8. Stick on Pods
Stick-on pods are a great way to store smaller items without having them take up valuable counter space. These are a great way of organizing things like nail polish which is relatively small but can take up space if you have a lot of it. This can also be used for lightweight species in the kitchen.
9. Extra Shelves
If the existing shelves in any of your cabinets are tall, you may want to add more. This will help you create more room to store your items. It also has the added benefit of making your items easier to find and get to since they will not be stacked on top of each other or pushed far back on the shelf.
10. Back of Door
The back of your door is also a great place to add extra storage. In a bathroom, you could add something that holds toiletries or even hooks to hold towels and robes. This is also a good place to store items like shoes, scarves, and belts.
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