Creative Storage Solutions for Small Spaces
As city living property prices have sky-rocketed, many find themselves living in small spaces that quickly become cluttered. While it’s a good idea to get rid of unused items, decluttering can only get you so far and then creative storage solutions need to be employed. Turn your small space into a storage dream with these ingenious storage hacks.
Make Use of Vertical Space
Many don’t consider up-and-down surfaces when it comes to storage, but it’s absolutely vital to make use of these surfaces in a small space. Attach a variety of slim wire baskets and shelves to the back of a door to store items that are prone to quick clutter.
Don’t Neglect Nooks
Shelves don’t have to be wide and expansive in order to be useful. Once your furniture and appliances are placed, you may find narrow spaces that cannot otherwise be used, and narrow shelves will be especially useful here – especially for cookbooks in the kitchen or your favourite novels in your living area.
Downsize Shelves
Not only does oversized furniture take up a lot of space, but it can quickly overwhelm a small room, creating a claustrophobic environment. Downsize these furniture pieces and opt for height as opposed to height, for example instead of an expansive chest of drawers, opt for a high set with more drawers.
Double Duty Furniture
Multi-use furniture pieces are essential items in a small space, such a set of shelves which also has a work space for playing online pokies in the home office, as having separates usually isn’t possible. Get colourful boxes to keep essential paperwork hidden and use the wider workspace for your computer or laptop.
Stagger Shelving
Uniform shelving can look especially bland in a highly stylised room – no matter how small – and in these instances staggered shelving may be just what you need. Purchase or create pieces that stair-step back the depth of the shelves – becoming narrower towards the top – to add a lighter feel.
Cabinet Combinations
A small bathroom can be a storage nightmare especially for essential items, but more space can be created by combining types of cabinets. Shelved cabinets and drawers each serve their own storage purpose and a combination of the two will decrease clutter and give your small space a clean feel.
Exposed Storage
Decorating a small space can often lead to plenty of ‘dead space’, such as the exposed sides of cabinets, which could be used for storage. Affix wire baskets to the sides of cabinets in your kitchen to store rolls of foil, cling-wrap, and kitchen papers or use this exposed space to store your hairdryer and brushes in the bedroom.
Get Back to Basics
Paring down to the essentials is crucial with small space living and it’s a good idea to get rid of unnecessary or unused items. Keep only what is essential to your family and replace items as they get worn or damaged. Subdividing open spaces is also useful for better organisation and will add a stylish touch.