Home Storage Solutions for Small Homes
Not all of us can live in a mansion or penthouse. Through necessity or choice, some of us live in smaller than average homes, and that can pose a problem for storage. Lower square footage, of course, means less space for the things you need to keep in your home.
Without large garages, attics, crawlspaces or walk-in closets, smaller homes need to adapt if they are to meet the needs of their occupants. Luckily, you don’t have to settle for less storage room even if you don’t live in a giant house in the hills. With clever organization, high-quality storage products and a little work, you can make your storage spaces work smarter for you. Here are some ways to help you solve the small home storage problem.
Uses for Those Awkward Spaces
Most homes have at least one awkward space that just doesn’t serve a purpose. Maybe it’s just a consequence of design or an inevitable part of home construction. Spaces under stairs, the thin area between refrigerators or counters and nooks between closets are all prime examples of unused areas with no ostensible purpose. However, it doesn’t have to be like this.
If that area under the stairs is recessed enough, you can install a built-in desk with some shelving to make a study or work nook. If you don’t need a study nook, then just stick with shelving. You might want to consider inexpensive, stackable shelving that often comes as boxes. That way, you can account for the strange shape the shelving will have to take.
For that little area between the fridge and your countertop, you can get a roll-out storage shelf. These shelves are standalone and made thin enough to fit in that little crevice. You can add a little extra home storage and prevent things from getting lost down there!
Blank walls or nooks between rooms or closets can be annoying, but they can also be useful, too. With some simple hinges and chains or struts, you can install a fold-out surface that can be used for almost anything. A desk, a vanity, a changing station for your baby, the possibilities are endless.
There are also little things you can do to add bits of extra storage space to your home. An often-overlooked area is just above the toilet in your bathroom. You can install an over-the-toilet cabinet to save space. These can be freestanding or attached to the wall above your “throne.”
Multipurpose Rooms
It’s a common problem: you need a lot of different rooms, but only a few are available to you. Just because you don’t have as many rooms as you’d like, it doesn’t mean you can’t meet all your needs. To get all of your needs met, some rooms are going to have to take on multiple roles.
It’s nice to have a guest room for visitors, but dedicating a room to having a bed full-time and not using it is a waste of potential. If you haven’t heard of a Murphy bed, you’re not alone. A Murphy bed is a hideaway bed that unfolds out of a wall and stores back in when not in use. It can turn a home office or workout room into a guest bedroom in no time.
Maybe you have a larger room, but you’d rather have two separate rooms with different functions. Try a ceiling-mounted curtain to divide the room in two. It doesn’t require much room modification and can be easily drawn aside to restore the full room.
Unique Home Storage for the Bedroom
The bedroom has always been an essential room for storage, but the trick is in the organization. Instead of finding more space to use, utilizing the space you have more efficiently will yield better results. Also, better organization can increase your storage capacity dramatically without the need for expensive modifications.
It’s not uncommon to stash things under the bed, but how you do it is important. Don’t be like a teenager and just throw things under there at random. Sort and store your items in containers that slide in and out. You can use wheeled baskets or plastic tubs with lids if you have carpet that they can slide on. As always, don’t forget to label your storage items.
The closet is a different matter. Hopefully, your bedroom closet isn’t one of those simple closets with the one shelf and single bar underneath, but if it is, there are still things that can be done. Buy a closet organization kit, and you can turn those piles of clothes into an open wall of options. The kit comes with easy-to-assemble shelving and multi-tiered hanging rods. Together, these create different levels of your closet and maximize the usage of all your vertical space.
Furniture That Pulls Double Duty
A lot of furniture in your home may be taking up space and serving only the function that they were built for. They can and should do more! There are a lot of furniture pieces that are stylish but still contain or can support extra storage.
The classic example of the furniture that could be doing more is the living room coffee table. It often just has the one surface to hold things. However, if you get a box-shaped coffee table that opens up to reveal internal storage space, you can declutter the living room essentials while still keeping them close. Keep magazines, books, remotes and more safely tucked away.
Seating items can also be storage helpers if you install the right kind. Built-in seating can accommodate drawers and cabinets, and can open from the top to reveal extra room for storing whatever you want. Built-in seating, as the name suggests, is often a bench built in the wall that you can decorate with cushions or pillows.
Doors might not be furniture in the strictest sense, but they can still work harder for you. Over-the-door towel racks and coat hangers should go on each of your interior doors to free up as much closet space as you can. Door-hanging shoe organizers are also excellent additions to the inside of your entrances.
Contact Harkraft for Additional Storage Solutions
Don’t hesitate to call or message us today if you’re interested in acquiring quality storage products for your home. You can also reach out to us if you need more advice on optimizing the storage space in smaller houses. Thank you for your time, and we look forward to hearing from you soon.