Smart Storage for Small Spaces

You don’t need a mansion with supersized closets to keep your home neat and tidy. After decades of collecting antiques and family heirlooms before downsizing to a smaller home, Wendy and Steve Singleton of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, know a thing or two about being organized and are happy to share a few of their favorite strategies.

Double the fun.

Trunks, chests and boxes easily transform into distinctive side tables. They’ll also discreetly contain a wealth of treasures or just junk. Take inspiration from Wendy, who turned a tool chest made by her grandfather into a charming coffee table in her living room.

Shelf contained.

When you have few drawers, line up matching containers on open shelving to corral like items. In her mudroom, for example, Wendy incorporated a small standing shelf unit and selected fabric bins to hold winter mittens and scarves.

Constantly curate.

Tastes change over time. To avoid being overwhelmed by your possessions, keep an eye out for the ones that no longer bring you pleasure.

Sell or give them away. As Steve often reminds Wendy, “If you want something [new], we have to get rid of something.”

Right size.

Seek out versatile furnishings that can squeeze neatly into nooks. Wendy placed a tall, narrow cupboard in an alcove between her staircase and an exterior wall. Today it’s a pantry. In her previous house, it kept bathroom towels out of view.

Hang it up.

When there’s no more room to spread out, take full advantage of your walls. Intersperse pictures and paintings with display shelves. You can even make your own from reclaimed barnwood, like Wendy did. Or, recruit vintage finds with small compartments, such as spice racks and printer’s trays to hold tiny treasures.

Stack smart.

Instead of spreading decor outward, build it up. Nest bowls, one inside the other. Pile up baskets and platters into towers tall or short. Contain smaller goods inside stacked items, such as suitcases, boxes and firkins.