11 Storage Hacks For Tiny Spaces

Moving into a tiny apartment definitely requires you to bring less possessions with you. But this isn’t always a viable solution.

You’ll still need to pack and store away items that you use on a regular and not so regular basis.

What’s the best way to find storage space in your apartment?

It’s important to change how you see your space. Storage can be created out of creative, never-thought-of places.

Double-duty items that work as furniture as well as storage are also great ideas to maximize the space in your home.

There are many interesting storage hacks to try that will completely change the way you see your home and what it can do for you. Here are 11 storage hacks that every apartment dweller should know about.

1. Invest In Basket Storage

Storing items in baskets is one of the best small apartment storage ideas because it saves you money on furniture.

You can use these baskets in a variety of places, such as on kitchen counters and underneath desks and bathroom vanities.

In the living room, a large basket for storage can double up as a side table, which is a clever way to use baskets in the home.

You can even create shelves for them and store them against the wall. This is a great way to maximize your wall space that often goes to waste.

Best of all, you can buy storage baskets in various shapes, such as square or round, as well as colors and sizes, depending on the appearance of your living space.

This enables you to find the right baskets that will match the interior design style of your apartment.

2. Put Containers In Surprising Places

Not everything you own is going to be on display in your apartment – that just causes unwanted clutter, especially when it comes to things that you don’t use every day.

Storing them in attractive containers can help, but don’t worry if you don’t have lots of cupboard space for them.

You can put these boxes containing your stuff in other places, such as under desks or cabinets, on bookshelves between stacks of books, on either side of sofas – they can also double up as side tables in this way – and even on floating shelves, such as if you choose containers that look like ornamental boxes.

3. Keep Things On Display

On the other hand, you can turn storage into décor.

This is very convenient if you’re running low on storage space.

So, pots and pans don’t have to be hidden in a kitchen cupboard – they can be hung from the ceiling.

Pretty mugs don’t have to be stored in a cabinet – they can be on display above a door.

Luggage sets can double up as night stands or coffee tables.

A word of caution, though. You want to ensure that the items you’re putting out on display look good and that there aren’t too many in a room as this can create a cluttered effect.

4. Buy A Rolling Cart

Rolling carts are a clever way to store items you use regularly without creating specific storage for them in one room of the apartment.

A rolling cart can easily be moved depending on where it’s required.

In addition, once you’ve stored items in it, you can choose to keep it against the wall or in a corner where it looks like it’s part of the furniture.

By painting the rolling cart to match the color scheme of your kitchen or bathroom, it can be a creative item that you get a lot of use from over many years.

Here are other fun and creative ways to use a rolling cart:

Use it as a bedside table to store items like your spectacles, the latest novel you’re reading, and an alarm clock. Thanks to its in-built shelves, you don’t have to worry about purchasing a new side table.

Use it as storage in the office. If you have a really small desk in your apartment and you don’t have much space for extra storage, a rolling cart next to your desk can be transformed into drawers for stationary, paper, and more items.

Create an indoor garden. If you wish you could have an indoor garden but you just don’t have enough space and there’s not enough room on the balcony, your rolling cart can come to the rescue. You can use it to store potted plants and herbs, and it will double up as pretty décor for your home.

5. Make Your Furniture Work Double Duty

When you purchase furniture for your apartment, make sure you choose items that come with sneaky storage included.

For example, an ottoman can be a coffee table that stores all your magazines inside. Or, it can be a bedside table.

On the other hand, a dresser that you would think of using in your bedroom to store clothes can become really handy in the kitchen to store pots, pans, and plates.

Perhaps it could even be used in the bathroom to store all your hair and makeup products – yes, it can be transformed into a double-duty vanity stand!

6. Avoid Lampstands

Lighting is one of the most important things to have in your home as it’s both practical and creates ambiance.

But you’re probably wondering what that has to do with storage.

Well, it’s good to avoid having lampstands in your apartment as they can take up too much valuable floor space that can rather go to storage.

Opt for creative lighting solutions, such as sconces, instead. Some are really creative when it comes to saving space.

An example is a light that’s attached to a rope. This can be wound around other items and looks like a work of art.

In addition, the use of sconces can be very handy when you need extra light in the bathroom or kitchen because they can simply be attached to the wall without the need for a space-consuming stand.

This frees up floor space for other items, such as cabinets, cupboards, and nightstands.

7. Make Better Use Of Your Corners

The corners in an apartment often go to waste, and yet they can be used as various storage options.

Here are some creative ways to make better use of your corners and find extra space for your possessions:

Create a corner bookshelf

Bookshelves can take up a lot of space in your apartment, but you don’t have to stick to storing them against the wall.

You can make your own bookshelf by installing shelves along the walls in a corner. This provides you with enough space for your books and other items without getting in the way.

Install a corner clothing rack

If you’re low on space for your clothing, you don’t need to worry – just place a corner rack in a corner of your bedroom where you can hang your clothes.

A freestanding clothing rack means that any cupboard you have in the bedroom can be used to store other items. It frees up space. Best of all, the space underneath your clothes can be used for other storage too, such as your shoe boxes.

Install a quick workspace

Sometimes you have to think outside the box in order to make the most of the space in your apartment.

If you want to put a desk or table in the corner but it’s too big, why not cut it in half and install it against the wall?

In this way, you won’t need to worry about two of the desk’s, or table’s, legs, and you’ll have a quick and easy area when you need a flat surface for a bit of storage.

8. Hang Things On The Walls

As mentioned earlier, lots of wall space goes to waste, and this is often the case even in really small spaces. That’s why hanging things on the wall can really help you to carve out a bit more storage.

Here are some surprising things that can be stored out of reach on the wall: guitars, hats, pots and pans, surfboards, bicycles, hanging potted plants, and hanging baskets on the wall can be used in the kitchen to store fruits and vegetables.

Hanging things on the wall is great to keep them out of the way and avoid clumsy containers.

9. Make Use Of Hidden Spaces

There are spots in the home that you don’t even think about and yet they’re storage solutions just waiting to happen.

Here are two often overlooked areas: the space above doors and windowsills!

Putting a shelf above the door to your room can help to create more space for potted plants, books, jugs, mason jars, and items that you want to keep for sentimental purposes, such as old Lego or a typewriter.

Or, make this shelf the perfect spot for all your framed photographs so that they don’t require a mantelpiece or table.

Windowsills can also be used for lots of storage. You can turn your windowsill into a bookshelf, a place to store clean towels, or use it to store jewelry boxes so that they’re out of the way but still within reach when you need them.

10. Use The Space Under Furniture

You might not think of using the spot underneath your bed or work desk as storage, but it can definitely work.

If your bed’s on the floor, use bed risers to lift it a bit so that you can make use of the space underneath it. You can buy bed risers in a variety of colors and designs depending on what you’re looking for and what matches the rest of your bedroom.

You can do the same thing with your sofa. Raising it off the floor can help you to find extra sneaky storage space for many items.

As for the area underneath desks and tables, these are perfect for storage items such as containers. The spot underneath your coffee table can also come in handy, such as for baskets and trunks.

Finally, don’t forget about the spot underneath your kitchen counters! These are the perfect place for kitchen appliances and drawers to give you more space for utensils and crockery.

11. Install Shelves

You might have some shelves on the wall already and worry about not having space to add more, but think beyond your walls.

You can put small shelves and brackets everywhere in your apartment. A good idea is to take a stroll around your apartment and pay attention to any small space that could benefit from extra shelves. Here are some small apartment storage ideas.

The wall behind your office chair where you work could benefit from some shelves to store books and files that clutter your desk.

In the bedroom, extra shelves on the door of your closet can be the perfect spot for storing accessories like belts and even jewelry.

In the kitchen, some extra shelves underneath cabinets, counters, and even an island countertop can be just what you need if you’re running out of cupboard space.
In the bathroom, you can put shelves above mirrors and cabinets for extra storage space for items you don’t need regularly. A small shelf behind the toilet can also come in handy for toilet rolls.

Your Storage Motto Should Be “Look Up!”

While using the space underneath furniture can help you to find more storage opportunities, use the wall space you have in a big way.

This isn’t just about installing shelves, but installing box cabinets, hooks, and even racks that can be used for various purposes.

By having more storage on your walls in these small ways, you won’t need storage at your feet, which frees up floor space and prevents clutter.

Other ways to boost your walls’ storage capacity is to install rails, hang baskets sideways so that they can be used as shelves, and use pegboards.

These are highly versatile storage solutions that not only help you find a place for various items, but they also help you become more organized with your possessions. A place for everything and everything in its place!

Should You Keep Items In Boxes?

Small Apartment Organization Luxury apartment pantry organization boxes

When organizing your space and finding more storage for things you need, you might wonder if it’s best to keep things in boxes or not. This really depends on the type of items you have and how often you use them.

If you have items you rarely use but you don’t want to give them away, storing them in boxes is probably the best idea. These boxes can be tucked away out of sight so that they’re not always in the way.

Using pretty boxes for items that you use daily but can cause clutter in your home, such as makeup items that are sprayed across the vanity, is also a good idea as this will free up counter space and keep your apartment looking much more organized.

However, some things don’t need to be stored in boxes. In fact, keeping them visible in the house can be a clever way to store them as well as make them contribute to your apartment’s décor. Examples include books and pretty vases or jars.

Conclusion

If you live in a tiny apartment, one of the biggest issues you will face is not having enough storage for all your things.

While donating or selling some of your possessions might be a good option to avoid creating clutter in your home, this isn’t a solution for all your things. You’ll always need a decent amount of storage. That’s why finding creative ways to store your possessions is a must for any apartment dweller.

As can be seen in this article, there are many different ways to boost your apartment’s storage capability.

No matter how small your living space, there’s always a way to create more storage space in it.

Even if you rent instead of own your apartment, you can still work around some space issues without making huge changes to your home that would upset your landlord. It all comes down to being creative and thinking out of the box (or tiny apartment).