Simple storage solutions when you have limited space
I’ve owned three homes: my grandparents’ foursquare built in the early 1900s, an 1853 Victorian row house in Albany, NY, and now our mid-century home in the San Francisco Bay area.
I’ve loved each home for different reasons, but it seems they all have one thing in common: not enough storage space. It’s no wonder, we have more stuff than generations before. A TV in every bedroom? Computers? A ‘chef’s’ kitchen? All were unheard of. And now that many of us are at home full-time due to the pandemic, it feels even more cramped.
Yet owning three homes with a lack of storage has allowed me to get creative while still being functional, comfortable, and attractive spaces. The key is maximizing what you have got!
Get It Off the Floor
One of the easiest ways to make the most of a room that is short on square footage is to go up. Use the walls to create storage, height, and visual appeal.
For example, in my girls’ remodeled bathroom in the Victorian home, there was no room to have a traditional space for towel storage. I used a wine rack on the wall to hold towels. It looked amazing and certainly got the job done! I also used antique crystal door knobs to hang wet towels and hand towels. It was so pretty, yet functional.
In our current mid-century home, there were (to our disgust) no bookshelves. Yet, there really wasn’t a place to put some freestanding ones without losing valuable floor space. So we created one. By hanging a mid-century modern style bookcase over the desk, we’ve got the needed place to share our love of books and plants. And – a bonus – it helps anchor the space in a way we didn’t expect.
Create Stations
Identify how you want to use the room and then create stations that represent your habits and needs.
For example, if you generally sit in one corner of the room to read, you might organize the room to house books in that corner. If you use the room to study as well, you might create a small office space in one corner of the room.
Once COVID-19 hit and all of us were at home all day, my space I used to work from getting too much foot traffic. It was too noisy for meetings and I was interrupted a lot. I moved my ‘office’ to our very tiny guest room (which at the time could only fit a queen bed and a small side table). By switching out the bed to a lovely modern futon, I was able to add enough space for a desk. One area is meant for guests to relax and sleep, the other area focuses on a place for me to think and work. And it works perfectly together, thanks to great pieces of furniture and a unified theme in the room.
Think Inside the Box
You read that right! Sometimes places for organization are right in front of you if you are creative.
If there are items that don’t need to be at the ready, you can hide them in plain sight. For example, my grandmother’s hope chest, which I would never part with, now serves double duty in our foyer. It stores a ton of heavier winter items that we don’t often need in California except on some very cold days. But I also added a cushion and pillow for a very clever seating area to get shoes on and off by the door.
I also snagged some old mid-century pieces of matching luggage for a steal. They now sit next to a desk in the piano room, chock full of digital gadgets, including chargers, webcams and headphones. No one sees those items as they admire the vintage set as simple home decor.
I’m currently planning a rehab of our fireplace, which will include some cabinetry to store board games, throw blankets, and other occasionally needed supplies. The goal is to have a place to access these items without adding more clutter.
There are many options to find extra space. Look for end tables, coffee tables, and couches with hidden storage options.
Another way is to simply revamp a storage space you already have for more room. Our master closet was big enough, but the garage-style wire shelves everywhere made it difficult to hang things, let alone use the shelves for clothes. We also needed more space in our bedroom, since it was now also being used as a workspace for Matt during the pandemic. The choice we made was to rehab the closet to get rid of the dressers in the room. Today, we have a lovely closet space that fits everything, and still has space for more. We also utilized the space under the bed for things we needed to access for the room, including sheets and blankets.
Put It on Wheels
Carts with wheels can make storage in a small space much easier. For example, a small entertainment center on wheels can be rolled into a different space if you need or want to entertain. In small bathrooms and kitchens, carts can be used to store basic items and be wheeled out when you need them.
Sophia’s room has storage cubes on wheels, which double as a table to draw or play games on.
Functional Pieces
In addition to purchasing furniture that doubles as storage, you can find functional pieces that serve a multitude of purposes.
For example, in a small space, a shelving unit can function as an entertainment center and a room divider. A kitchen table can also be a kitchen prep center or island.
Remember my grandmother’s hope chest? At one point, I used it as seating to my dining room table, where I had all my table linens stored as well.
My office’s TV does double duty as a TV for guests and as my second monitor. (A simple HDMI cable between the laptop and the TV does the trick!)
Finding pieces that serve dual purposes helps you make the most of your space, no matter what the size.
