DIY Storage for Tiny Homes

There are many benefits to living in a tiny home. Not only are these small dwellings affordable and good for the environment, but they enable people to move wherever and whenever they desire. While tiny houses have great appeal, finding enough storage space is a major challenge for tiny home owners. If you are in need of some extra room, here is quick guide on adding some much-needed storage space to your tiny home.

1. Secret Floor Storage

As tiny home owners know, taking advantage of every nook and cranny is a must if you want to maximize space. One of the best ways to add affordable storage is by opening up the floor. You can easily create DIY storage compartments in the floor of your tiny home by simply cutting out sections of the floor. After the compartments are made, you hide them with pieces of furniture or throw rugs.

2. Storage in the Great Outdoors

One clever way to add storage to your house is by turning to the outdoors. If you have steps leading to the front door or back deck, you can turn each step into a small storage compartment. You could use these cubbies to store a slew of personal items, like shoes or garden tools, without ever stepping foot inside your house.

3. Building Storage into Your Tiny Home

Incorporating as much built-in features inside your tiny home is an effective way to open things up. Murphy beds are a great example of this, as are ingenious things like hide-a-way staircases, which retract into walls whenever they are not in use. These types of features open up additional floor space, which can then be utilized as storage options.

4. Optimizing Furniture

Pieces of furniture already take up precious space in your tiny home, so why not double down and use them for storage as well? With a little ingenuity, you can turn the backs of chairs into storage compartments and even utilize the space under chairs for holding items. You can also build storage space under couch cushions or other pieces of furniture that are bulky by design. Modular furniture is ideal for this purpose if you are looking to purchase something new.

5. Building Your Tiny Home Up

If you are running out of space on the ground level of your tiny home, consider building up. Vertical space is a great way to add additional storage without having to expand horizontally. You can choose a variety of ways to build vertical storage, including traditional shelving units, just make sure you have a way to reach the items after they have been put away.

6. Getting Rid Of Walls

Walls are another one of those features in a home that are rarely used for storage. To help keep things organized and aesthetically pleasing, consider turning some of the walls in your home into storage cabinets. You can even add door pulls on the cabinets if you like, or conceal them with pieces of art. This process can be repeated throughout your home, depending on what type of materials were used to construct the interior structure.

7. Bathroom Storage

The space around the toilet can be turned into a small closet for additional storage. Simply frame the toilet using pieces of wood, making sure to give yourself enough head space for when you are using the bathroom. You can customize the storage as much as you like, especially if you have some additional height with which to work.

8. Sink Toilet

Speaking of toilets, a sink-toilet combination is a good method to save water and space in one shot—as long as your tiny home features a composting toilet. The sink is installed above the toilet and the excess water drains down and fills the toilet's reservoir. Not only does this save you considerable water every time you wash your hands, but it also gets rid of the need to have a vanity.

9. Kitchen Storage Solutions

Hanging pots and pans is a popular way to save on cabinet space in the kitchen. By hanging items vertically, you no longer need to find a space for them in your cabinets. But why stop with pots and pans? Hanging small appliances under cabinets can also clear up a surprising amount of space in the kitchen. If you have shelving units in your kitchen, consider hanging mason jars under the shelves by securing the lids in place with screws. You can then detach the jars as needed and store all kinds of items inside, including herbs and spices.