So you’re moving apartments and you found the perfect new place — plenty of natural light, an open floor plan, and easy access to your favorite city resources. There’s just one problem: the apartment lacks storage space. But you don’t need to look for another place or part with your treasured belongings if you know all the best hidden storage spots. Here are five storage hacks you can use even in the smallest of apartments.
Get Creative with Furniture
Coffee tables, couches, and beds may be necessary furniture, but they also take up a lot of space. Make the most of your large furniture by making it double as storage. Use vintage luggage to create stylish coffee tables, nightstands, and side tables that offer hidden storage space. Store seasonal clothing or pillows and blankets in shallow bins and baskets under your bed. Depending on the amount of space under your couch, you can store folding tables and chairs, board games, and other similarly sized items.
Go Vertical
Many people forget to make the most of the most obvious open space in a small apartment: their walls. To avoid cluttering a room, add floating shelves high on the wall above couches, beds, doors, tables, bathroom sinks, and desks to store books, candles, decor, and even small kitchenware. For extra security, use shelves with lips, which will help prevent items from falling off. Store a short folding ladder underneath a couch or bed to use when you need to access items stored on higher shelves.
Stack Storage on Top of Storage
Don’t neglect the small nooks and crannies above spaces you’re already using for storage, such as kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, and bookcases. Place vases or other infrequently used items on top of these storage areas, or use baskets and bins to store small miscellaneous items without making the area look messy or overcrowded. To save floor and rod space, stack storage drawers or baskets on top of dressers to store belts, accessories, shoes, or other clothing items. If you have room above your toilet, install a space saver with cabinets or shelving.
Maximize Hooks
Hooks are an apartment resident’s best friend. Add wall hooks on the backs of doors, to the sides of bookcases, and in closets to hang jackets, belts, towels, bathrobes, hair dryers, and other items that would otherwise take up too much drawer or shelf space. In the kitchen, use wall hooks to hang pots and pans, and use adhesive hooks on the insides of kitchen cabinets for small items, such as measuring spoons. In the bathroom, use hooks on the side of a vanity to hang hair dryers or other bulky items.
Strategically Organize Your Closet
Small closet? Not a problem if you use it to its full potential. You can easily triple your storage space with a few organizers. If your closet has shelves, use dividers to store clothing more efficiently, and install under-shelf baskets to double your shelf space. For closets without shelving, add additional hanging rods perpendicular to one another to double or triple your hanging space. Don’t forget to stack shoes on a shoe rack so you have more open floor space for other items, such as storage bins, an ironing board, or a vacuum.
By being smart about how you store your belongings, you can move into the apartment of your dreams without worrying about where everything will fit. The better you get at storing items, the more hidden spots you’ll discover!
Jonathan Deesing is an organization specialist with Movearoo, where he spends way too much time finding new uses for Ikea furniture. You can check out more of his tips on the Movearoo blog
