{"id":98031,"date":"2019-09-18T09:00:24","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T13:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/?p=98031"},"modified":"2019-09-18T15:43:33","modified_gmt":"2019-09-18T19:43:33","slug":"storage-ideas-for-small-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bhgre.com\/bhgrelife\/storage-ideas-for-small-spaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Creative Ways to Make the Most of Small Areas in Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As house prices and overall costs of living\nincrease, space is at a premium. This may be for a variety of reasons,\nincluding because our families are growing or we\u2019ve downsized. We all need to\nfind creative ways to make the most of small areas in our homes so we can stay organized.\nHere are some great storage ideas for keeping things neat and tidy in tight\nquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Install\nIncremental Shelving<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make use of odd spaces in various rooms to\ninstall floating shelves. This works particularly well in kitchens<\/a> and bathrooms, where there tend to\nbe many nooks and crannies. Small, floating shelves in a kitchen can hold\ncookbooks, decorative serving platters, cookware or baskets of linens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a bathroom, floating shelves can hold\ncotton balls and Q-tips so they\u2019re within easy reach but not cluttering up\npremium counter space. One shelf can hold guest towels. With all the racks and\nhelpful storage devices available, look for ways to create a place for\neverything<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use purpose-made hooks on the inside of\nbathroom cupboard doors to hang curling irons, hair dryers and ceramic\nstraighteners. Buy some decorative baskets and use them to store towels or\ntoilet paper under a pedestal sink, if you\u2019ve got one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glass shelving is always a good option if\nyou\u2019re concerned shelving will make a room appear smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take\nAdvantage of Wasted Space<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Space under stairwells is almost always wasted\nspace, and it\u2019s infinitely customizable. Installing either open shelving or\nclosing it off by adding cupboard doors means you can choose the size and shape\nof the shelves to hide the things you don\u2019t want to get rid of but don\u2019t need\nto access very often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your kitchen\u2019s small and there\u2019s no way to\ninstall a pantry, you could create one under the basement stairs, or even under\nthe stairs to the second floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area above the sink in most kitchens is\nalmost always wasted space. If you hang a pot rack above the sink, there\u2019ll be\nno time lag in getting clean pots put away. This way, they\u2019ll always be\naccessible, and you\u2019ll open up a lot more cupboard space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other small areas in your home that aren\u2019t\nbeing used, including hallways, are perfect spots to station a small storage\nottoman or a bench with storage under the seat. If you have a coat rack in your\nhallway, consider buying a second one and mount it a foot and a half above\nfloor level to use as a shoe rack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also usually lots of potential storage\nspace on the back of closet and cupboard doors. Shoe racks and spice holders\ncan be easily mounted there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Installing drawers under beds is another great\nway to keep your closets from exploding and use otherwise wasted space. You may\nnot be able to fit all your out-of-season clothes under the bed, but if you can\nstore even half of them, you\u2019re ahead of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to take your storage and space\nsolutions to the next level, a loft bed is the answer, especially in a child\u2019s\nroom. The area under the bed becomes a whole new play area. Just don\u2019t forget\nto buy toy boxes and install some shelving underneath so you can maximize the\nspace gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hide it in\nPlain Sight<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consider mounting storage devices in plain sight.\nA holder for aluminum foil, waxed paper and cling wrap can easily be installed\non the outside edge of your cupboards, and it will make them easier to find\nwhen you\u2019re storing leftovers or making lunches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small crates or shelving units don\u2019t have to take\nup floor space\u2014they can be mounted on walls. If you don\u2019t want to display the\nthings you need to store, invest in some baskets so task-related items stay\ntogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your entryway is big enough for a small\ntable, it\u2019s also big enough for a small dresser, which will provide all kinds\nof storage for messy but necessary items like hats, scarves, mittens and\ngloves, while still providing the flat surface you need for items you need to\ngrab as you go out the door, whether that\u2019s your keys,  library books that need to be returned, or\ndry cleaning that needs to be taken in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since coffee tables tend to be magnets for\nclutter, think about replacing yours with one that has a little built-in\nstorage for things you don\u2019t want on display when guests are over, but that you\nstill want to be able to find with ease (like the remote controls). A single\ndrawer in a coffee table can help with that. Or you can use a blanket box as a\ncoffee table and provide a home for all your family\u2019s board games.\n\nThe good news is that\nwhile your personal space may be shrinking, there are always great new storage\nideas for small spaces.  If you invest in\nsome of them, you\u2019ll be able to get to \u201ca place for everything and everything\nin its place\u201d in next to no time.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"