One of the biggest problems when it comes to small homes is storage. When you have limited space, it becomes easy for a space to look a lot messier and disorganized than it actually is. You no longer have the luxury of installing multiple cupboards in your kitchen to store your pots and pans or bathroom vanities to store all of your toiletries. You also don’t have the luxury of having hundreds of your clothes hanging in your bedroom cabinets or walk-in closet.
However, there are plenty of creative ways that are available to you to avoid compromising on storage to fit everything you have and want to have in your home. Due to the recent uprise of downsizing, tiny homes have become more and more popular. There are a number of advantages to downsizing and people are starting to recognize that. The main reason is obviously the cost. A small house is a lot cheaper than a large house which equates to a smaller mortgage. The second leading factor is maintenance. When you have a smaller space, you have fewer things, therefore it is easier to clean and maintain your home. Lastly, the lower utility bills. Since you have a smaller home, there are fewer lights and appliances that will consume electricity. This rise in popularity of tiny homes has opened the market for more storage solutions that cater specifically to small spaces.
Bathroom
Your bathroom is one of the spaces in your home that regardless of size, should always be well-maintained and tidy. Not only is this the room where you clean up, but it also should be a space where you can relax, unwind, and be able to organize your thoughts. For you to be able to do that, your bathroom should also be organized and fully functional as well. Here are a few storage tips for your bathroom:
- High Spaces
You may not have a huge bathroom but you can utilize high spaces for extra storage. You can start by installing hooks where you can. Most homeowners limit their storage by only installing hooks at eye level but you can double your storage space by installing hooks high and low. The same goes for baskets and trays. If you don’t have extra shelves to store your towels, look for hanging shelves that can fit above your bathroom door.
- Cabinet Doors
Another trick you can use to maximize your storage space in your bathroom is to use the back of your cabinet doors. Whether you’re going to install hooks or shelves, the back of your cabinet door can offer you extra storage. The same goes for your medicine cabinet. The back of your medicine cabinet door can also be prime real estate for more storage. You can attach magnets to your cosmetics or toiletries and it’ll instantly stick to the back of your medicine cabinet.
- Turntables
Another great hack for bathroom storage is to use turntables. You can use turntables to store your cleaning materials or even your toiletries. If you typically do your makeup in front of your bathroom vanity, you can opt to buy a makeup organizer that spins to save space. Furthermore, you should always check if you can fit tiered turntables or organizers to store your items to give you more storage.
- Trolleys and Karts
Another way to increase your bathroom storage space is to store your toiletries in karts or trolleys. Multi-tiered trolleys mean that you can store more items. From paper towels to your shampoos or conditioners, even your cleaning supplies can all fit into one trolley. The best part about using trolleys is that they are completely portable. You can easily move it from one side of your bathroom to the other making it easier for you to navigate through your bathroom.
Living Room
Regardless of the size of the home that you have, it is essential to have an organized living room. Aside from your kitchen and dining room, your living room is a space that is most exposed to your guests. It is where you entertain your guests. Therefore, your living room must be presentable. This can get tricky when you have limited space to store all of your belongings. Here are a few tips you can use to help make your living room equally as stylish as it is organized:
- Alcove Cabinets
Opting for a built-in alcove cabinet helps you save and maximize the space of your living room. By doing so, you are using every nook and corner that you have in your home. Take it a step further and build a floor-to-ceiling cabinet. This way, you can easily store your books or photo albums or even display some small trinkets such as photos, vases, or even art pieces.
- Dual-Purpose Furniture
Another smart strategy for small spaces is to opt for dual-purpose furniture. A great example of this is your living room sofa. There are a lot of sofas with storages underneath. This will hide most of your clutter and make your living room neat and tidy. Another example of this is tables with storage. If you are looking for a side table or coffee table, it would work best if you look for ones that have a catch-all or drawer underneath.
- Baskets
Baskets are a great way of hiding clutter. The best part about this is that there are endless cheap options online that you can choose from. There are also a lot of variations when it comes to design that you can easily choose a design that will match the rest of your interior decorations. Whether you’re going for something a bit modern, rustic, bold, or minimalistic, there are always options that you can choose from. Moreover, there are stackable baskets that can provide you more storage space.
- Floating Shelves
Floating shelves are another great way to add more storage without taking up too much space. If you’re looking to add more character to your living room, then installing floating shelves is the way to go. They’re easy to install and add a modern touch to your living room.
Kitchen
Your kitchen one of the rooms in your home that needs that a lot of storage space. From pots and pans to your pantry, every homeowner can use all the extra storage space that they can get. Unlike your bedroom, your kitchen not only has to be tidy, but it also has to be fully functional as well. It’s not ideal to have your pots and pans in the kitchen but to store your utensils in another room. All of the essentials must be kept within arm’s length for the kitchen to be fully functional for its owners.
- Open Island
An open island is a clever way of adding storage to your kitchen. The same way a dual-purpose sofa has storage underneath it, an open island provides you extra space where you can easily grab your utensils or pots whenever you need them.
- Pegboard Wall
A pegboard wall is a great way to maximize a bare wall in your kitchen. You can easily hang pots, pans, and other kitchen utensils on a pegboard. Moreover, it can accommodate different item sizes depending on your need. Instead of having your pots take up space in what little cabinet space you have, hanging them on a pegboard would work best for your tiny kitchen.
- Utilize Space Above Range
Another space that is often ignored in the kitchen is the space above your range. But in a tiny kitchen space, every space count. You can purchase floating shelves and use that space to store small pots and other metal items in your kitchen. There are also floating shelves that have hooks underneath them. You can use those hooks for your cooking utensils as well to save extra space.
- Utilize Space on the Side
Inserting hooks or narrow baskets on the side of your cabinets or kitchen island is a creative way of adding storage space for your kitchen. You can store your cooking books, cooking magazines, or even your cooking utensils there as well. You can also choose to hang narrow towel bars on the side of your cabinets or kitchen island. The trick is to choose the right hooks, towel bars, or baskets to ensure that it does not obstruct the mobility of the ones in the kitchen.
When working with a small space, it is important to think outside the box and be a lot more creative in generating ideas for more storage space. A lot of these tips and hacks are easy to do and are generally cheap. However, you don’t have to do all of these at the same time. It is important to start with a plan before you start investing in remodeling your home to create more storage space. This is especially true if you are downsizing. It can be overwhelming when you’re adjusting to a new lifestyle. This is why it is important that you think things through and stick to your plans.
