Ideally, around 10% of your home’s square footage should be storage space for household items. However, extra storage space is a luxury that most homeowners can’t afford, or so you thought.
Lack of adequate space for household items plagues most homeowners. But if you still can’t find a storage space regardless of the size of your home, the problem isn’t the house; it’s you.
If you’re having trouble finding storage space, we’re here to help. Today, we’ll be showing you how to get more storage in your home, so read on.
Reach for the Ceiling
Have a look at your bookcases, cabinets, and shelving units. There’s probably a good foot or two above them that you can put to good use. Don’t let all that precious space go to waste.
The area above your bookcase is excellent for collectibles like pottery, vases, and artificial plants. You can also put stuff like cutting boards and kitchen gloves on the space above your kitchen cabinets. Utilize the space above shelving units by grouping small items and placing them on top of these units.
Think Under the Box
The space under your bed is an area you could use for your storage needs. Neatly arrange old shoes under your bed to avoid cluttering up your closet. They’ll still be well within reach if you need to pop one on for old time’s sake.
Consider buying short wide baskets to take it up a notch. Fold and arrange your clothes neatly and place them in the baskets before sliding them under the bed. When it’s time to clean your room, place the baskets on your bed and carry on.
Some beds come with drawers beneath them for storing clothes and other items. These beds could serve you well.
Maximize Coffee Table Potential
Your living room can go from neat and tidy to messy and unsightly in a flash. Small items scattered all over the place can make for a disorganized living space. If you want to avoid such, maximize your coffee table space.
Consider getting a coffee table with extra storage space beneath it. You can use this space to store small items like kids’ toys, notebooks, and video games. Also, try placing an artificial plant on the tabletop for enhanced aesthetics.
Use the Stair Space
Most types of stairs have space beneath them that you can take advantage of. Try adding a built-in shelf on the stair wall for storage. This can be a great place to store garden equipment and sports gear.
You can also include drawers on your individual stairs for storing small items. In fact, consider having both of them for the greatest effect.
Look Behind the Door
The space behind the doors is a perfect space for storing stuff like cleaning products and tools. Build yourself shallow shelves that can fit snugly behind your door. A great place to try this out is the laundry room.
Here’s a quick guide on how to create these behind-the-door shelves:
- With a tape measure, measure the distance from the wall to the door hinges and subtract an inch
- The length you get will be the maximum width for the shelves
- Use 1×4 wood planks to the top, sides, and shelves
- Use a screwdriver to screw the side planks to the top plank
- You can add handing strips to the top, bottom, and center if you want
- Nail shelf standards to the sides
- Nail a 1×2 trim to keep the shelves from falling off their clips
- Screw the shelves to the wall
You can create these backdoor shelves on your own if you have all the requisite tools. Alternatively, you can hire a professional to build one for you in a matter of minutes.
Try Loft Boarding
Loft boarding is an excellent way to utilize the extra space beneath your roof. In fact, loft boarding will help you create around 50% extra space for your home storage needs. It’s a safe and practical place to stow away household extras.
Loft boarding is a complex and labor-intensive job. Doing it by yourself is almost impossible. For your loft boarding, you’ll have to hire a reputable company like InstaLoft for a perfect job.
Think Vertically
Look around you; what do you see? If you see empty or almost empty walls, you’re on the right track. Empty walls provide lots of vertical storage space for hanging or storing your items.
Inspect your walls for blank areas to use as storage space. Remember to be extra picky because not all walls can cater to your storage needs. Hanging unnecessary items on your living room wall, for instance, can hurt your interior décor efforts.
Your kitchen walls, however, are perfect areas to place a few hooks or hanging shelves. Also, check the sidewall beside your closet and put it to good use. Not only do vertical spaces provide extra storage, but they also help you stay organized.
Get a Side Storage Table or Stool
If you need an easily accessible place to store your remote and coasters, consider buying a side storage tool. All you have to do is take the top off and plop your remote and other items inside. It keeps you from losing your remote and keeps it out of sight when not in use.
Make the Most of Containers
During your next flea market or thrift store excursion, keep your eyes peeled for nifty containers. Old valises or ice chests are incredible containers where you can stow away extra items. Stack them on top of each other for even more storage space.
How to Get More Storage Explained
Now that you know how to get more storage space, it’s on you to take the right steps to bring out your home’s untapped storage potential. Remember, the size of your home doesn’t matter; maximizing storage space is about looking in the right places.
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