Five creative ways to maximize small spaces
Do you have more stuff than you’ve got places to put it? Not to worry.
Making the most of your storage space just takes some creativity — and a little elbow grease or professional help. Here are five ways to get started — whether you decide to DIY or hire a pro.
1. Cut the clutter with cubbies.
Cubbies are the perfect systematizing solution for entryways and mud rooms. You can create them inexpensively with free-standing modular units, or you can invest in custom built-ins. Finish them off with handy hooks for jackets and bags.
2. Put pullouts to work in the kitchen.
Lower kitchen cabinets: the place where Tupperware goes silently packing and pots and pans — amid chaos — clamour for their rightful rank. The solution? Simple pullout drawers (also known as rolling drawers, sliding drawers and pullout shelves). You can find these ready-made for standard cabinet dimensions or have them custom made and installed. Pullout drawers are also a fantastic organization solution for pantries, laundry rooms and bathrooms.
3. Make room with a Murphy bed.
Murphy beds are great even in big spaces with plenty of storage. Who doesn’t love the idea of magically pulling their bed out of the wall? But in small spaces with little room for everyday living, Murphy beds are more than novel: they’re also perfectly practical. Your guest bedroom can do double duty as a home office or playroom — and it’s a whole lot cheaper than adding another room.
4. Stow stuff in your staircase.
When it comes to efficiency, staircases offer the ultimate opportunity to get creative. In fact, you can often cut into the untapped area under a staircase — or better, utilize one that’s already exposed — and put it to use as a cocktail bar, a seating nook, a mini-library, or handy shelving and storage. Some homeowners even turn stair treads into working drawers for maximum efficiency.
5. Bury belongings under the bed.
We’ve all been stashing things under the bed since the days of cubbies. But there are so many functional tools for doing this well these days that it warrants a mention. Today’s bedroom built-ins are the stuff dreams are made of. But if built-ins aren’t a practical fit for your budget or your home, you can find lots of under-bed storage organizers that will do the job just as well.