Small homes are not too uncommon in a city like Mumbai which is known for being space-crunched. teach us a lot about having a minimalistic approach and stowing away your stuff in tight spaces. Here are some clever storage hacks for perennially short spaces in small homes.
Less Mess More Space
From transforming doors or stairs to carving hidden storage for your daily essentials, there are umpteen ways to make space for all your belongings and live large in tiny spaces. Here’s how you can do it:
Creative Storage Hacks to Steal from Never before Spaces
#1. Substitute Entryway Closet Needs with Vertical Shelving
Many small homes lack an entryway closet space, and this poses a challenge for entryway storage. To compensate for this, one can use the available vertical space by hanging various hooks, open shelves, hanging shelves, etc. This will help you create a compact drop zone for all your keys, hats, raincoats, masks, stoles, pet leashes, and other such stuff.
One can use various coloured baskets on the open shelves for each family member to sort items family member-wise. Also, one can have small benches with storage space beneath them for keeping shoes. This way, you not only get to organise your shoes neatly but also have space to sit and tie your laces. Make sure the storage cabinet is well ventilated to prevent odour from shoes.
#2. Create Hidden Storage in the Living Room
Just because you are tight on space, it does not mean that all items that you use need to be displayed to guests. Try seating that has hidden storage under them, like, built-in drawers beneath sofas. This helps to tidy up your space and enables you to keep your belongings close by so that you can easily pick them up as often as needed. If you are tight on budget, you can also opt for small storage ottomans or benches with storage options.
#3. Create Incremental Storage Options in Kitchen
You can cleverly utilise the top of storage shelves in the kitchen. One can hang hooks beneath the shelves to hang items like tea bags, coffee mugs, etc. Jars with magnetic lids can also be attached beneath the shelves.
One can also place a curtain rod above the sink in the kitchen and beneath the cabinet and attach a few 'S' shaped hooks to it to hang kitchen towels, scrub brushes, etc.
Another option would be to consider a few simple add-ons to existing storage spaces. For instance, one can add small notched-back shelves above the existing kitchen or pantry countertops. This will help place few mason jars that can hold often-used items like clips, sugar cubes, tissues, and the like.
An often-overlooked space is that of the refrigerator. Various caddies can be magnetically affixed to the refrigerator sides. These have various storage options like tissue holder, spice holder, etc. Try to make use of them.
A revolving storage shelf is another great option to store all your spices in a tiny space.
If you have a cabinet below the sink, one can install a pull-out rod (that can be pulled out once you open the cabinet door) with various hooks attached. This will be a great option to store all your pans. There are also different pan holder stands available in the market to store pans vertically inside cupboards.
#4. Get Creative with Pegboards and Support Beam Shelving
Pegboards are an excellent and stylish home storage solution. You can hang mugs, store utensils, or have a small herb garden on them. You can even use them in the living room to showcase your décor. Another creative option is to utilise the space in the support beams. Just add some wood panelling to one side of the wall and leave the other side open to store things.
Another creative option would be the ladder-style shelf, wherein the shelves get narrower on the top. This will free up the space in the room, plus they are also a creative way to showcase your books or other artwork.
#5. Pave the way for Floor Shelving
Mount small cubes on the wall for open storage. As these do not have any doors, there is no need to provide extra clearance space. Further, the wall-mounted storage cubes will help keep your tabletop free from clutter.
#6. Make Full Use of Nooks
Do not ignore the nooks. Make full use of corners by installing vertical curved shelving that can offer easy access to essential things.
#7. Hang From the Ceiling
If you are still short of space in the kitchen, then look up for more storage. Yes, the ceiling. You can hang large pans from the ceiling, too, to make the most use of vertical space. No space is more unutilised than the 12 inches of space below the ceiling. You can install shelves along the perimeter of the wall for added space and install hooks beneath these shelves or just on the roof to hang things.
#8. Make the Most of Bathroom Space
Tiny homes mean tiny bathrooms. Stocking all your bath essentials in these tiny bathrooms can be quite challenging. One way is to create more open vertical shelving spaces to store all your bath essentials like towels, tissues etc. You can subdivide these open spaces further in a criss-cross pattern for better organisation and easy access to towels. Floating shelves can be installed, and baskets placed on these shelves can be used to store large towels etc. Shower caddies help in quick access to essential items during the shower. Choose furniture pieces that offer extra storage. For instance, a bathroom stool with storage beneath offers a double duty of sitting as well as storage.
#9. Make use of the Stair Space
You can make the most of your stairs by creating drawers below each stair. These can be useful to store toys, mats, or any items that cannot be placed in a particular storage area.
#10. Take a Look at the Space Above Cabinets and Behind Doors
The space on top of cabinets and behind doors is often overlooked. Creating storage spaces in these areas is smart solutions for tight homes. Use big baskets above cabinets to store essentials that are not used often. You can install hanging shelves behind the doors to store all sundries and small items like scissors, tapes, gift wraps, sticky notes, etc., that would otherwise clutter the space.
#11. Amplify your Bed Storage
You can use your bed as a storage spot starting from the top. Choose a bed with a good headboard that allows you to store your night reading essentials like magazines, spectacles, books, mementoes, etc. You can also choose beds that offer under-bed storage to stack extra pillows, blankets etc.
Hope you have enjoyed these creative storage hacks. If you are interested to know more about interior design tips and/or need to hire professionals for end-to-end design services and more, click here.