Sometimes, moving means you trade that extra closet space for a zip code upgrade, but even then, you can still find lots of space for your stuff. Most people don’t take full advantage of their new place’s hidden spaces. With a few small space tricks, you can uncover hidden storage and find a place for everything you need in your apartment. Here’s how to find hidden storage in your tiny apartment.
Send Stuff to the Land Down Under
No, don’t ship your winter sweaters to Australia for the summer — just make sure you are maximizing your under-bed space. While a captain’s bed can be a handsome piece of furniture, you might not be in the market for that sort of upgrade. Fortunately, bed risers are a readily available and inexpensive way to increase your self storage. We like the adjustable sets that can accommodate your stuff, whether you’re adding to or thinning your stash at any given time. Just make sure you hunt down a bed skirt with the appropriate length or search for tutorials on how to create your own from a bed sheet or fabric — otherwise the hidden storage won’t be hidden at all. Once your bed is raised, you can stash your belongings in plastic containers, wheeled storage baskets, or for the very industrious, custom DIY-ed wood drawers.
Pay No Attention to the Shelves Behind that Curtain
Do you have a dead-end hallway or awkward nook? A non-closeted void under the stairs? Fill it with free-standing shelves. Grab an inexpensive tension window rod or shower curtain rod, and slip a curtain panel that matches your decor on the rod. Then stack the items you wish to store neatly in the area and hang the tension rod just in front of your items. Poof! Just like that the items are hidden and you now have more storage.
Level Up
Most closets waste a lot of vertical space, so add shelves or rearrange what’s already there when you move in to maximize your closet space. Your local home improvement store will also have inexpensive and easy to install options, but don’t forget to double check with your landlord before you get out your drill. Likewise, shelves on the wall or over the door in your bathroom, bedroom and living room is great for infrequently used items to keep clutter out of your way and out of your immediate line of sight. In addition to shelves, bookcases offer great storage options and make the most of tight floor space when you keep them flush again the wall.
Bottom line — don’t let moving or downsizing get you down. With a little creativity, big things can definitely fit in small packages. If you want to know how to paint your small apartment read our post on the Color Rules for Small Spaces for great tips on making your small apartment seem larger.
