15 easy and affordable storage ideas for small spaces
If you feel like your home is bursting at the seams, don’t despair. We’ve got the latest clever storage solutions for even the smallest living spaces. Maximise your storage potential to help you streamline your habits and make your home a more spacious and clutter-free place to live. It's all a matter of knowing where to look, so follow our expert guide and get organised.
1. Make it multipurpose
Always choose ‘double duty’ furniture if you're working with a compact space. 'Picking furniture with integrated storage is crucial for a small space,' says Jane Rice, Association of Professional Declutters and Organisers (APDO) member and founder of Serenity Organising & Decluttering. 'You can consider, for example, a tatami storage bed, a raised bed with desk underneath and integrated wardrobe, a bed with integrated storage underneath or behind the headboard, an ottoman storage stool, or a coffee table with integrated storage.'
Jane also recommends adding wheels to furniture or opting for foldable styles, so furniture can be easily rolled away when not in use, creating valuable flexible space.
2. Group your bits and pieces
Small space living means being ruthlessly organised. Charlotte Eastaff, storage buyer at Homebase, says: 'Remember not all smaller items are siblings, but can be cousins. Instead of finding a unique space for everything, group them first and store together. This saves space, but it also turns searching for that elusive sock into a breeze.'
She recommends storage towers, which can be a great way to group smaller items in one accessible and organised location.
3. Choose open shelving (and keep it streamlined)
You’ll want to make the most of storage space on any open shelving or shelving units you have, but resist the temptation to overload, or things will get messy. 'You want shelving to remain manageable and neat,' says Lena Gierasinska, head of product and displays at furniture store Barker and Stonehouse. 'By all means go for a stack of books, but cut the clutter by styling with just one or two key pieces per shelf.'
Adding shelves above doors is a good tip too, especially in children’s rooms where items such as sports trophies and keepsakes need to be on display but are not in daily use.
Keep a step stool to hand, ideally a folding one for maximum space-saving, so you have safe access. Also look to the ceiling and cumbersome items such as rolls of wrapping paper can be hung between two brackets inside a cupboard or wardrobe.
Sheena Taylor, APDO member and founder of Your Professional Organiser, likes to utilise the space above the television: 'It often gets overlooked as a potential area for storing items. By adding a floating shelf near the ceiling, a functional and visually appealing solution for extra storage can be solved. This shelf also creates a focal point and can be used for books, DVDs, photo albums or ornaments.'
4. Don’t forget the doors
In a small room, hanging storage holders on the backs of doors is a great way to utilise this dead space. 'There are many designs of storage holders that can be placed hanging behind doors,' says Victoria Fearnley, APDO member and founder of Surrey Decluttering. 'Some designs just have hooks for extra hanging space, while others have pockets that could be used to store shoes and clothing in bedrooms and perhaps soft toys in play rooms.'
Charlotte adds that the beauty of behind-the-door storage is that you can 'effortlessly conceal clutter by simply closing or opening the door, keeping your space tidy and organised'.
5. Maximise every inch in a compact kitchen
Look around your compact kitchen. Is there unused storage space down the side of the refrigerator or above the washing machine? Sheena Taylor recommends utilising vertical space with wall-mounted shelves, overhead cabinets, or a fold-down drying rack.
Laura Haddy, APDO member and founder of Clear The Chaos Ltd, says as well as storing vertically, think 'down the side', such as next to the fridge: 'There are often gap fillers that could be turned into a narrow nook for spices or wine. Or if it is floor to ceiling, the ironing board or broom. Just a few inches of space down the side can store some of those niggle items perfectly.'
6. Boost bathroom space
The key to eeking out storage in the smallest room is thinking out of the box, from budget solutions such as baskets (opt for recycled plastic as it fares better in damp conditions) to adding wraparound vanity units. 'Utilise all the space in your bathroom with strategic storage solutions, use wasted space under sinks and around the toilet to keep your bathroom organised and clutter-free,' says Brenna Ryan, spokesperson for Victorian Plumbing.
Even wasted space under your bath could be used to store cleaning essentials and money-saving bulk buy items such as toilet rolls and shampoo. It's a simple job to remove your bath panel and fix hinges and a catch, so it can operate as a super useful cupboard.
7. Opt for drawer dividers – not just for the kitchen
Brenna also recommends using drawer dividers in bathroom – and bedroom – units to ensure no space is wasted. 'If you have drawers in your bathroom, add organisers and dividers to make sure the space is best used and all items are easily accessible,' she says. 'Split products into categories such as skincare, bodycare and cleaning products to avoid having to dig through drawers and creating an avalanche of products around the room.'
8. Buy a storage pocket
'Another little hack I love is my felt storage pocket for all the TV controllers,' says Victoria Fearnley. 'Instead of clogging up the coffee table, I have them tucked away between the base and the seat. These are also invaluable in bedrooms too small to fit a side table for nighttime essentials such as books, reading glasses, medication, tissues, perhaps a torch. Just tuck one in between the base of the bed and the mattress.' Find felt storage pockets on Etsy.
9. Unleash your bedroom’s potential
You sleep in it every night, but have you thought of using your bed for storage? The ultimate solution is an ottoman bed which allows the space underneath to be maximised. Use vacuum bags for curtains, bedding and towels to fit in as much as possible.
A clever (and money-saving) alternative is to opt for individual drawers fitted with castors for easy access; we've even seen a bookcase turned on its back and the shelves used as handy compartments. Don't forget the space between the headboard and wall. It's the ideal spot for shelving, or depending on the headboard style, even a narrow cupboard.
10. Go vertical in nurseries and playrooms
Floor space comes at a premium in a child's bedroom, so tall shelving and cabinetry mounted securely on the wall provides plenty of display and storage options, says interior designer Zara O’Hare, who’s working with JoJo Maman Bébé.
Floating shelves and over-the-door hanging organisers also help declutter horizontal surfaces, she adds, ensuring the nursery doesn’t get too crowded: 'Having thoughtfully-designed storage is key for keeping a small nursery organised.'
11. Choose smart wardrobe solutions
The right hangers are key to maximising wardrobe space. 'Besides swapping bulky wooden ones for thin, space-making non-slip velvet hangers, look for specialist types for specific clothes,' says Jane Lee, APDO member and founder of Jane Lee Interiors. 'For example, storing vest tops and camis on a tiered hanger, instead of in drawers, means you can hang eight together, freeing up drawer space and enabling you to see them all in one glance.'
12. Utilise the less obvious areas
A great idea for creating yet more space in the kitchen is to utilise the gap behind the kickboards beneath fitted units. If you have the DIY skills, you can even fit drawers which pull out, but the simplest approach is to use this hidden area to store large platters, baking tins and placemats. Look at the risers on your staircase; you can easily turn these into pull-out compartments for newspapers, magazines and books. Some stairs might allow storage to be incorporated underneath, perhaps with access via a trap-door on the landing.
13. Grow garden space
The trick is to think multi-purpose. Invest in a large, heavy duty pop-up storage chest which doubles as a bench to pack away tools, compost and plant pots. Hide garish plastic toys under the deck or trampoline, while flexible rattan fence panels are ideal for creating a screen. Finally, fix wire racks and hooks to shed walls and ceilings to hang rakes and spades to free up floor space.
14. Go digital
A quick hit to improve storage in small spaces is to think digital, says Sheena Taylor: 'It’s a really good idea to consider digital storage. Can paperwork and photographs, for example, be turned into digital versions of themselves, saving you the need to store altogether?' To future-proof your filing system for small space living, invest a little time in switching to paperless billing for bank statements and important documents from utility providers and insurance companies.
15. And if all else fails…
Invest in off-site storage. It's ideal for those things you want to keep – heirlooms, special children's toys, paperwork and furniture – but don't need to hand. Storing your surplus possessions at one of the many self-storage facilities such as nationwide chain Big Yellow Self Storage may seem like an indulgence, but if you compare the expense of upgrading a loft, building a garage/outbuilding or even moving house, the cost can be very reasonable. Find local estimates at Compare the Storage or Explorage, but if you live in a big city such as London or Manchester, consider self storage in an outlying town or suburb as it could cost less.
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