Smart Ways to Add Storage to a Tiny Apartment

January 25th, 2012 by Caitlin Morgan| Posted in Apartment Guide, Apartment Interiors, Apartment Life 2.0, Apartment Living, College Housing, Decorating, Etsy & DIY, Green Apartment Living, Resident Life, Saving Money, Tips & Tricks | 3 Comments »

So many of us dream of living in a castle, sliding down banisters and hiding all our worldly possessions in endless closets.  In reality, most of us live in slightly smaller situations, and if a person’s home is their castle, we live in rather cluttered ones.  To that end, we’ve put together some smart, simple strategies for adding storage to your oh-so-tiny apartment and living the clutter-free fairy tale life you deserve.

Mounted Organizers

Shelving is an excellent way to get the most out of your small square-footage, especially if you’re lacking in storage space.  Choose open organizers for items you need to access quickly; for messy heaps and eyesores, use closed cubbies for the illusion of order. Apartment Therapy lists its favorite wall-mounted organizers; they’re a good place to start.

Racks

Especially good in the kitchen, racks keep items out of unmanageable piles.  Try coat racks, pot racks, wine racks, even racks for plastic wraps and foils.  Belts? Ties? Bags? All can be hanging, perfectly organized, with the right rack. We especially like wire racks hidden away in cabinets, creating multiple tiers for dishes or even t-shirts.

Curtains

With enough shelving, you can transform an entire wall into an eight-foot storage space—but how unattractive!  Hide your belongings behind a curtain.  They’ll still be easy to access, but you won’t feel like your stuff is visually encroaching on day-to-day life.  Check out Better Homes & Gardens for a slideshow of inspiration.

Baskets, trunks, and under-the-bed boxes

While you don’t want to lose all your floor space to such strategies, decorative storage can keep your things on the fringe of a room, or hidden altogether. Large baskets can contribute to your décor and house anything from kids’ toys to extra blankets to dirty laundry. Trunks serve a similar purpose. Try a hinged bench in the mudroom for a place to keep your dirty boots and also to sit and put them on. And to the extent you can, stow infrequently-needed possessions under the bed and out of sight—just don’t forget to vacuum up the accumulated dust every once in a while.