Autumn is officially here and with it comes a whole lot of new kit! Chunky jumpers, bulky coats, all-weather boots, hats, scarves and gloves – not to mention umbrellas and waterproofs. The list is endless! Which can mean only one thing – more storage space required, which is all very well if your pad is palatial, but what to do if you live in a small space? Lucky for us there’s a brilliant blog on hand to offer some handy hacks and hints!
Written by blogger Danielle Blundell, 14 ways to add more storage to small spaces is our dream blog! We’ve selected our favourite hacks below, but if you’ve got a bit of time, check out the full version here,
She says: Creativity is the answer to many of life’s problems, especially when it comes to the home. There are only so many places you can put things, so the more you can think outside the box within your walls, the better. If major decluttering were easy, we would all do it. But since stuff – at least some of it – is important, most of us have to find solutions for storage.
Small space dwellers are the best people to steal ideas from, since the struggle is particularly real for them. So, we looked to a few of our favourite tiny house and apartment tours to bring you some ideas and products you can use to be stealthy about storage in your space.
· Rethink your bedside table: Traditional nightstands usually have a shelf and maybe a drawer or two in them… If you’re trying to sneak in storage here’s a bold move: why not use an actual shelving unit? You can even throw some baskets on there for closed storage to keep the piece looking extra organised.
· Camouflage with curtains: No proper closet? Curtains are the genius product hack here. You can install shelves, racks and bins galore right onto your wall and then just use curtains on a tension rod to hide the evidence of this makeshift wardrobe. Visual clutter – gone in a second!
· Hang hooks: Max out your vertical space by mounting hooks on walls or on the back of a door.
· Select seating that also serves another function: Chests and benches with hidden compartments are your best friends for stashing all sorts of stuff – and providing seats for friends and guests.
· Turn an accent wall into a storage wall: If you have a small, somewhat awkward uninterrupted stretch of drywall, try to find a storage unit you can squeeze in there as tightly as possible. Think pantry/ buffet/ record shelf all in one. And if you want to add an extra pop of colour, you could add coloured bins or shop for colourful pieces or books.
· Boost your bed’s storage potential: Utilise the space underneath your bed.
· Go vertical with shoe storage.
· Above the cabinets: Sure, a random assortment of items on top of your cabinets can look cool, but it can also very easily veer into cluttered territory. Instead, place baskets atop a pantry cupboard or wardrobe to make storing items appear neat, intentional and orderly.
Futon Company says: Some brand new hacks here that we haven’t heard before. We especially love the bedside table tip – why didn’t we think of that before?! And the idea of turning unloved corners into practical and much-used storage space is bang-tidy!