When living in a small apartment or studio, it’s crucial to use every single inch of space. Each bit of wall, counter, and cabinet space is prime real estate. Keeping things organized, neat, and pleasing to the eye is super important when you only have a small amount of square footage.
Here are 20 awesome, adorable, and practical ways to organize your tiny apartment.
Who said cleaning and organizing had to be boring?
1. Use adhesive hooks to hang multiple shower caddies
The Crazy Craft Lady came up with this genius idea that is perfect for roommates or couples that are sharing one shower. The edge of the tub can become cluttered with shampoo and body wash bottles, and this is an easy way to solve that problem while taking advantage of vertical space.
2. Install floating shelves in an unused corner
If you have a corner or a nook that is too small for a piece of furniture, this awesome idea could be the perfect option for some extra storage. The 4 Men 1 Lady blog has a full tutorial on how to create some floating shelves for your studio or apartment. This is a great project to store books, knick-knacks, or a houseplant or two.
3. Hang a pegboard to save cabinet space
Take advantage of empty wall space in your kitchen by attaching a pegboard and hanging pots, pans, or other utensils. This frees up tons of room in your cabinets, or provides storage if you don’t have cabinets at all! Head to your local hardware store to find the perfect pegboard and hardware for your space.
4. Get a roll-up drying rack that sits over your sink
Lots of small apartments don’t come with dishwashers, so handwashing it is! Save precious counter space by purchasing a roll-up drying rack that sits over your sink. The water drains right into the sink, and when you’re done, it can be stored away.
5. Use hooks and wire racks to maximize cabinet space
I Heart Organizing came up with this awesomely efficient way to maximize space in a coffee cabinet. By hanging tiny hooks and placing a small metal or wire rack inside a cabinet automatically increases the storage space. One shelf can instantly become three!
6. Learn how to fold and store your shirts vertically
One way to save space in a small apartment is keeping your clothing neat and organized. Darkroom and Dearly has this absolutely genius way of folding t-shirts that allows you to store almost triple the amount that you would with a traditional fold. Head over to their blog for the full tutorial.
7. A ladder, S-hooks, and baskets are a beautiful way to organize
If you can’t hang things on your wall, a slim ladder with hanging baskets is a good way to use the vertical space in your apartment. You can build your own ladder using Clean and Scentsibles tutorial, or find one at a home decor store.
8. Save floor space with shoe pegs
Sawdust Girl came up with this clever way to help save space in your entryway or mudroom. By hanging pegs on the wall, you slip your shoes over them, and now they’re off the floor! No more tripping over shoes or scrambling around looking for a matching pair.
9. Use a chest as a coffee table
Find an old chest at an antique or thrift store and use it as a decorative coffee table. Not only does it look amazing, but it also doubles as storage for blankets, pillows, or anything else that needs stowing away. A smaller chest could be used a bench with storage.
10. Opt for a bed with storage
A storage bed might seem more practical than beautiful, but as more and more people are moving into smaller spaces, the designs of these types of beds have become quite impressive. Apartment Therapy has a great list of some of the cutest, most stylish storage beds on the market.
11. Use hanging shoe organizers to keep household products organized
The 36th Avenue blog organized their utility closet by using hanging organizers normally meant for shoes. In this case, they used one to store cleaning products, towels, and sandwich bags, and in another, they’ve used it to store toilet paper and paper towels. Genius!
12. Use S-hooks as a makeshift towel rack
If you don’t have a towel rack or need an extra one, large S-hooks are the perfect way to solve this problem. Pick some up at your local hardware store and slip them over your existing shower curtain rod. Easy as that!
13. Install a shelf in the wasted space above your door
The empty space above your doors and the ceiling is often overlooked and unused. Why not take advantage of that bit of wall space and hang a simple shelf? This is a great way to store and display books or pieces of decor while maximizing space.
14. Hide a slide-out pantry near your fridge
For most people, the gap between your refrigerator and the wall is just a place where dust gathers and food crumbs vanish. However, Instructables came up with this fun idea to create a rolling mini-pantry that slides in and out depending on when it’s needed. The full tutorial on how to build your own can be found here.
15. If your fridge isn’t up against a wall, hang a shelf instead
If you don’t have a small gap between the fridge and a wall, use the exposed side of the fridge to hang a shelf instead. Amazon sells beautiful wood racks that attach to the side of your fridge in just a couple of easy steps.
16. Use a chef’s cart to create more counter space and storage
A Night Owl blog suggests using a rolling chef’s cart to create more countertop space and storage in a small kitchen. Baskets below are great for produce or other pantry items, and the top could be used for cutting board space or simply an extra counter.
17. Free up bathroom or kitchen space with magnetic jars
With just five pieces of material and a half hour of your time, you can create these awesome magnetic jars for your kitchen or bathroom. The lids are magnetized and attach to a metal piece hanging under a cabinet or shelf. Check out the full tutorial on how to make your own at Buzzfeed.
18. Hang lightweight lockers
Leave it to IKEA to design a fun, lightweight, and affordable piece of functional decor. In this case, they created different sizes of easy to hang, plastic storage cabinets that look like small lockers. Take a look at this and other bathroom organization products on their website.
19. Use a chain to triple your closet space
Using an S-hook, a chain, and some spray paint, you can instantly triple your closet space. Hang a chain, spray painted the color of your choice, in the closet, and use the links of the chain to hang multiple hangers. Brit + Co has step-by-step instructions.
20. Hide rolling bins under your sofa or bed
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Pottery Barn sells gorgeous handwoven, rattan rolling baskets that easily hide underneath a bed or a sofa. They’re perfect for storing linens or magazines, and look absolutely stunning when stored away. They also offer them in multiple shapes and sizes.
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