20 Clever Home Storage Hacks
Storage is a perennial problem in the modern home with more and more accessories and items to help us with daily life – but limited space with which to manage it all can prove a problem. As such, there are a few clever buys and nifty storage hacks that can help give you a few organisation ideas.
1. Shoe Storage
It may sound like a simple concept, but shoe storage really goes a long way to keeping the house clear of clutter. A simple low level shoe rack or shoe cabinet can solve this as you don’t use a lot of space lower down but you have to bend down anyway to put your footwear on.
2. Wall Mount Your Coat Rack
Without somewhere specific for coats, scarves, and other outerwear, they end up draped over the arms of chairs or bannisters, creating a messy look. Coat stands are one option but with these you use up valuable floor space – a wall mounted coat rack gives you somewhere to hang your hat without losing that area and also potentially offers a level space to store other items on.
3. Organise the Hallway
It may sound simple, but hallways are so often neglected spaces as they aren’t seen as proper rooms (which they’re not, technically, but you still get a lot of use out of them) and so they can become all too easily cluttered. Some clever usage of hallway furniture for storage can work wonders.
4. Hang a Mirror with a Hinge
Normally you don’t want your mirror moving but with some clever DIY you can attach a hinge to your mirror. Screw that hinge to the wall so that it hangs in place when you need it, but you can also open it up to the back wall where you can hang screws or pegs to keep all your jewellery, such as necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
5. Hook Up a Wimbledon Wardrobe
A space saving wardrobe is already a fantastic storage solution but their space can be utilised even more so with some clever hooks attached to the backs of doors to hang shoes and other items from. If you want to keep the shape of the shoe, you can also attach half tennis balls to the backs of the doors to hang them from and keep the nice, rounded heel shape. Who knew tennis balls could become wardrobe space savers?
6. Bed Slats Can Become Stylish Wall Storage
Disused bed slats can become a space saving design feature as you can hang them from a wall and then use them to hang hooks from which you can then hold a number of items from houseplants to hosiery. Customise them to your own taste with a lick of paint or leave them as is for that natural wood look.
7. Store Bedding Under the Mattress
It may sound counter-intuitive but it’s one of the savvier bedroom storage ideas you’ll find. If you have nowhere to put sheets, covers, and pillowcases, you can fold them – so they are as flat as possible – and layer them underneath your mattress, so they are even. You won’t notice the difference, especially if you have a memory foam mattress.
8. Make a Bookcase from Your Headboard
If you have your bed pressed up against a wall, you can pull it out a little and attach shelving units to it to create a bookcase between the headboard and wall. It’s one of the many storage ideas for small bedrooms you can try, and one that keeps your night-time read right next to you.
9. Slide Your Desk Under the Stairs
This one won’t be for everybody but if you have an open staircase, there’s a decent amount of space underneath it that often isn’t put to its best use. A great way of making the most of this is by putting a desk underneath it so that you can work from here without the desk taking up a more prime location in the house.
10. Raise Your Bed for Extra Storage
Another one of our simple storage solutions for small spaces is to put your bed on caster wheels or blocks to raise it up so that it can fit boxes or bedroom storage units underneath it for easily accessible, unobtrusive storage.
11. Attach Pan Lids to the Inside of Cupboard Doors
If you find fitting all of your pans into a sideboard or cupboard a little cumbersome, it could be because of the lids. Stack the pans inside one another and affix hooks to the inside of cupboard doors to hold the lids independently of the pans.
12. Keep Bottles Organised
It may sound like something so obvious it doesn’t need stating but you’d be surprised how much space in a cupboard or on a surface a bottle of your favourite tipple can take up. Invest in a decent wine rack and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much of a difference it makes.
13. Sit on Your Storage
Benches with baskets or drawers are a great way of using your seating as a storage solution too. That way you can double up on what the space is used for in an efficient manner.
14. Keep Toys and Towels in Boxes
We all know toys can end up all over the place if not given a proper place to put them, and towels and blankets don’t have enough usage to go with the rest of the linen so getting a blanket box is both somewhere to put these items and one of our tiny bedroom ideas for keeping the clutter contained in a small space.
15. Coffee Tables with Shelves
Coffee tables are so often a central feature of a living room, but they can become more with the simple addition of a shelving unit underneath them. You can buy one with an included shelf or attach one yourself.
16. Wicker Baskets Solve a Lot of Problems
Wicker baskets are a great storage solution as they can be stacked, moved about, and often come as part of furniture pieces acting as drawers. Stylish and a great place to start with finding a little extra space.
17. Larders Go a Long Way
You’ll need the space for a larder in the first place but if you do find yourself overfilling the fridge or not having enough cupboard space then a larder could solve those issues for you. Great as a kitchen space saver or even as utility room storage ideas.
18. Keep Knick-Knacks in Display Cabinets
Any collector will tell you that a rapid way to use up space is to display your keepsakes. Keeping items and ornaments on display is nice but often spreads out all over the house. Keep it all in one spot in an easily organised display cabinet and it won’t get out of hand.
19. Bedside Tables Solve More Issues Than You’d Think
You wouldn’t think a bedside table would make a world of difference to household organisation but having somewhere to keep the bedroom items stops them from wandering about the house, getting lost and cluttering up other areas.
20. Get a Bookcase that Fits the Space
Many people think they don’t have the space for a bookcase, but you just need to find the right one for you. You can get plenty of tall narrow ones or shorter ones to fit the space you have.