How to Increase Storage Space in a Small Apartment

One of the most common issue people tend to experience when moving to an apartment is that, after a while, the place starts to look and feel crowded. And it usually happens for a reason, as most of us love gathering all sorts of stuff from everywhere we go. 

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to make sure that you are using every corner of your apartment as efficiently as possible. Here are some of the ways in which you can increase your apartment’s storage space:

Add as much vertical storage as possible

A well-known trick to creating more space, without taking up too much of the room, is to include as much vertical space as possible. Try to look for organizers that are tall, rather than wide. 

For example, if you need a shoe organizer, you can try to use a narrow and tall furniture unit. It will easily fit all of your shoes, and will not take up too much space of your apartment.

Alternatively, you can try a hanging shoe organizer. The one that can be hung up on walls or doors. This way you are barely wasting any space, while still having plenty of shoe storage room.

Another great vertical storage idea is adding as many shelves as possible. Shelves are great for storing books, small clutter and other stuff. Besides that, shelves will also level up your room decor game, as you can turn your rooms into very cosy and nicely designed interiors. 

Make a great use of each corner

Even in tiny apartments, you can easily get rid of the crowded feeling. You just need a plan as to how you can use each corner and spot of the apartment in the most efficient way possible. Look up for examples of tiny homes – they have everything you need in a house, in an extremely narrow surface. 

If your apartment has more than one floor, you can use the space underneath the stairs for storing pretty much anything. 

You can also incorporate various pieces of furniture that can double up and, besides storage, serve other purposes as well. For example, instead of a simple flower stand, you can get a piece of furniture (similar to a nightstand), place the flower on top and use the drawers for storage. Either that, or you can purchase (or make one yourself) a ladder-type of flower holder, so that you can use it for more flowers. 

Find the right furniture

This is related to the previous point, of using the space as clever as possible. But maybe one of the best ideas to create more storage space would be to take the usual elements of your apartment and make sure they can also be used for their storage space. 

Bed headboards

Instead of installing regular headboard, use one that also comes with a little bit of storage room. You will be able to keep your bed sheets there, for example, and you’ll also thank yourself later, when you’ll see how easy it is to change the bed!

Tables

Most of the affordable furniture providers have designed all sorts of solutions for smaller apartments – and those also include living room tables that you can actually open up and use for storage purposes. 

This is great for you to store magazines, books, or even all sorts of technology bits that would normally just lay around the house. 

Couches & Beds

Another great way to save some storage space is to only buy couches and beds that come with one or two shelves below them. 

Even if it doesn’t seem like too much of a big deal, it is extremely useful to have a place in which you can only store your beddings, as they do take up some space. It’s best to store it inside your bed or couch, rather than wasting your dressing or wardrobe space on bed linen. 

Keep your place tidy and decluttered

As strange as it sounds, one of the best solutions for more storage space is to always re-evaluate the stuff that you need and that you don’t. As humans, we tend to find meaning in all the small things we gather during our day to day lives, and we sometimes end up hoarding all sorts of items that we don’t even have any memory of. 

It is normal to do that, but that doesn’t mean we should. This is why, once every 1-2 months, it is advised that you take a few hours to re-organize your drawers and wardrobes, and throw away/donate everything you think you will not use anymore. 

You can use the “Have I used this thing in the past month?” rule for items you’re not sure about. If you find stuff that you have not used in the past months/year, it is very likely that you will not be using it at all, so you can immediately get rid of it. 

Having less meaningless and not of importance things will, of course, mean that you will have more storage space for the things that you do need. 

Hang your sport gear up on the walls

If you’re an active person, you might have noticed that all the different sport gear might take up a lot of room out of your apartment.

In order to avoid that, and to also make your apartment look more organized, you can purchase wall mounts for your bike, skateboard, and even fitness gear. You will get these big and heavy items out of your way, while also being able to have quick access to them.  

Purchase helpful add-ons

There are plenty of cleverly-designed products that will step up your storage game, like holders created for specific purposes, or hooks that can be hung up on your bathroom/bedroom doors. Using all sorts of cleverly-built gadgets will provide excellent solutions for keeping various household items well organized. 

Author Bio

Leon Collier is a blogger and academic writer from the UK who has vast experience working with professional paper writers. He loves to take on every challenge thrown at him and has the ability to deliver outstanding work regularly. When he’s not busy writing, he loves reading books and playing tabletop games with his friends. Follow him on Twitter @LeonCollier12.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash