Unless you literally don't have any "stuff" or perhaps you learned how to shrink things on command then finding enough storage in a small home is typically a challenge.

Gonna take a wild guess here but I'd bet most of y'all are probably like us and don't fall into either of those categories.

For those of you that have figured out how to shrink things please message us.

For the rest of us, below are 18 tips to maximize your small home!

Fortunately, creativity is the answer to most of life’s problems. However, making the most of your small living space can become a headache if you don’t know where to start.

From recreating hidden shelving for your items to transforming the space under your staircase into a closet, there is always a solution to give your belongings a storage space without making your house feel cluttered and chaotic.

Whether you live in a tiny house or a small apartment, the below storage tips will help you get the extra storage space you need for your things.

1. Fully Utilize Your Shelves

One of the best organization hacks is to utilize the shelves you already have fully. Keep in mind that the shelve tops aren’t the only place to store items. You can use jar lids and hooks fastened to the shelves’ underside to store more items.

If the shelves are in your kitchen, you can store foodstuffs on the shelf top and place mugs, spices, tea bags, and cookware below the shelves on the hooks. But if it’s at the entryway, you can use this solution as an easy drop zone for keys, scarves, hats, pet leashes, and your mail.

Fully utilizing your storage space also means storing as many items on the shelves as possible. However, be keen not to overcrowd your shelves as it could leave your place looking cluttered. Store the necessary items on the shelves and organize them properly.

2. Consider Using the Space Under Your Stairs

Have you ever heard of under-stairs storage? If you have a staircase in your house, you could turn the space under into a custom storage space. This means your stairs will be serving two purposes; connecting you with the upper part of your house and as a storage space.

Most people use the under-stairs space to store kids’ toys, outdoor gear, or other items you don’t use every day. If the space is big enough, you can turn it into a mini wardrobe for storing clothes, pillows, or even extra blankets and sheets.

Another great idea is to build a cabinet under the stairs with cubicles or shelves and turn it into a pantry if you don’t have one in the house. It can also be a drop zone for coats, extra shoes, clothes, or other items. Turning the space under your stairs into storage drawers is an easy and effective way of creating more storage space in your home.

3. Purchase Seats With Under-Seating Storage

Have you seen those virtual Pinterest videos of people creating sofas with under-seating storage?

Well, it’s time to turn that virtual video into a reality. If you need additional hidden storage space in your home, you should try the in-built cubbies or drawers under your sofa.

Not only is this a great way to keep all your items organized, but it’s also an excellent way to keep the items you need close to you. In-built seat drawers keep your sitting area tidy. You can use the drawers for storing extra blankets, pillows, winter clothes, or even electronics.

Unfortunately, this can cost a fortune. Hence, most people often opt for more budget-friendly options such as ottomans and benches with storage.

Creating a storage ottoman or a DIY bench with extra storage is cheap and easy to do at home. You can also check your local furniture store for these benches, which are a great addition to your living space.

4. Utilize the Empty Space Above the Cabinets

Most people often ignore the space above the bathroom and kitchen cabinets. But, living in a small space dictates that you utilize every inch of your home to keep yourself comfortable. Purchase DIY wicker baskets or decorative plastic storage cubes and place them in the space above the cabinets.

You can use these baskets to store items that you regularly use, but you need to keep them out of the way. For example, in the bathroom, you can store extra toiletries, shower products, and towels in these baskets. This leaves your bathroom looking tidy and organized instead of placing your extra toiletries on the bathroom counter.

On the other hand, you can use the baskets to store utensils you rarely use in your kitchen. These include items such as additional cooking pots or pans.

5. Hang Some Kitchen Utensils

Is your kitchen overstuffed with utensils and other items? Do you think you could use some extra storage space? Then you should consider hanging some of your utensils.

You should place a rod between your cabinets, underneath the cabinets, or over your sink and use it for hanging some of your utensils. To effectively hang your pots, put some S-shaped hooks on your rod.

You can use the rod to hang items such as a small bucket with silverware, dish towels, scrub brushes, or even coffee mugs.

6. Use Your Corners and Install Shelves

Have you seen people online installing floating shelves in the corners of their houses? This is a great way to create extra storage for your bathroom. You can store your toothbrush holder, medicines, perfumes, and other toiletries.

It’s also a great way to create extra storage if you have a small bathroom. However, be keen not to install the shelves in a corner near your shower to avoid getting your items wet.

7. Utilize the Space Under Your Bed

Buying a bed with built-in storage or a loft bed will instantly give you more storage space. You can use the lift bed to store pants, sweaters, blankets, and extra pillows. On the other hand, you can use the extra space provided by the built-in storage bed for storing books and shoes, giving them designated storage.

8. Declutter Your Home before Organizing

Is your home messy and disorganized? Unfortunately, most people’s solution to this problem is to try and organize all the things they have. This is the wrong approach.

The first thing you should do is declutter your space to reduce the number of things. Then, start organizing the leftover items. This is a perfect way to get additional space in your home.

In most cases, organizing your items makes your space tidy. However, this isn’t a solution to handling the underlying problem. If you have too much stuff that you’re not using, you should start by decluttering, then organizing.

9. Try Hidden Storage Spaces

The perfect small home storage is the type that’s hidden. The best way to do this is by installing a pull-out spice rack between the cabinets. Not only is this a great way to store your spices, but it also gives you easy access when you’re cooking.

You can also create a rack on wheels and tuck it next to your fridge. You can use the rack for dry foods and groceries such as cereals, pasta, and rice.

10. Make the Most Out of Your Small Closet

Do you have limited closet space in your tiny apartment? Consider exposed wardrobes. Create a functional closet in your bedroom or living room using a hanging rack and several storage cubbies.

And if the space is limited, utilize tiered hangers. The hangers allow you to hang multiple items on the same hanger, creating more space for your clothes and other accessories.

11. Get Cabinet Organizers

Maximize your cabinet spaces in your small bathroom or kitchen by installing several cabinet organizers. For example, you can install a pull-out rack with S-shaped hooks and use them to hang cooking pans and pots.

Instead of stacking the pots and pans, you can hang them to utilize less space. You can also add stackable storage shelves in your bathroom cabinets to neatly organize your cleaning supplies.

12. Make Your Supportive Beams Useful

Instead of installing new shelves, consider making your support beams useful and create more storage space. You need to add wood or drywall paneling to one side of the wall; then, you can attach it to the exposed and unfinished beam on the other side.

This is an effective way to create extra storage space for your items. Another pro tip is to paint the beams the same color as your wood or drywall to match the entire shelves and complete your look.

13. Create a Storage Wall

The last thing you want to do is give up your things because your house is too small. If you're going to keep your prized possessions, you should look for multi-functional storage space.

Create an ultimate wall with designated storage, complete with drawers, cabinets, cubicles, and shelves. You can use this additional storage for board games, craft supplies, or camping gear.

14. Hang Some Items From Your Ceiling

You can keep your countertops clean and free up some space on your shelves by hanging some items from the ceiling. This is a feasible solution for tiny kitchens where larger items such as pans and pots take up too much storage space.  

Consider fastening strong hooks from your ceiling’s support beam. You can use these hooks to hang any items you’d like to store up there.

15. Be Creative With Your Bedside Table

Contemporary nightstands come with at least one or two drawers plus a shelf in them. While this is a great way to create more storage space, you should rethink traditional nightstands if you live in a tiny house. Avoid the bedside tables and use a wall-mounted shelf.

While the built-in shelf will take up more space, it will also provide you with a lot more storage space than your tiny nightstands. Choose an airy shelving style that doesn’t look visibly heavy or cluttered. Use the new shelves to store extra blankets, books, and any décor items you’d like to display.

16 Cover-up With Curtains

If your tiny home doesn’t have a proper closet and you need the extra storage, utilizing curtains is a genius hack. Install racks, shelves, or bins galore on your wall, then use beautiful curtains to hide this make-shift wardrobe.

Not only is this a great way to provide you with the extra storage you need, but it also hides away the visual clutter. Some homeowners also tuck away items such as shopping bags and other clutter on their windowsills behind the long drapes. This is a perfect way to get extra space without looking like a hoarder.

When working in a tight space, you have to be smart and do what is needed.

17. Repurpose Your Dresser Into a Media Console

Did you know that no rule forces you to use an entertainment center or media console for your TV? This means you can always use anything as a media console. These pieces are designed to hold electronics, but they are low slug.

You can use your IKEA dresser and turn it into your media console. The argument behind it is that both the dresser and the media console take up the same amount of floor space. However, the dresser has more storage space because it’s much taller.

You can use the storage space to store some off-season clothing, extra blankets, or even some kitchen items.

18. Get a Vertical Shoe Storage

When you don’t have enough storage space, you don’t have the freedom to be cute with the limited space. Vertical over-the-door shoe storage spaces are not chic or cute. But, the space will get the job done.

It’s a creative and constructive way to store your shoes. You don’t need to do this with all the doors in your home. However, you can also create a towel rack on your bathroom door for additional storage space.

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BONUS:

Try out Space Bags. Seriously, you gotta try em. They're also known as Vacuum Storage Bags which are relatively new bags that can be compressed using a hand pump or vacuum. Simply toss clothes or blankets or winter coats in, compress with vacuum or hand pump and voila! You've just reduced the size of the original items by up to 80% of their original size!

Maybe we can shrink things on command after all!

Are You Ready to Implement the Above Storage Secrets?

If you live in a small home or apartment, you know that storage is key. These storage secrets will help you make the most of your limited space.

Try implementing some of these ideas and see how much more functional your home can be. Storage is not just about having a place to put your things; it’s also about keeping your place neat and organized.

For more ideas on how to optimize the space in your home, check out the rest of our blog.

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