If you’re living in a rather compact apartment, it’s can be pretty important to make the most out of every small bit of space you can find. You’d be surprised how easy it is to use parts of the wall or the floor to save space and help organize your apartment.
Of course, you don’t want everything to look too packed as well – but there definitely are some great and practical ideas out there that’ll help you make the most out of every inch in your apartment.
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1) Purchase a drying rack that fits directly over your sink
Unfortunately, sometimes there just isn’t any room for a dishwasher in a smaller apartment. Doing it all by hand can take up some precious space on the counter, so buying a roll-up drying rack that you can fit over your sink is a great solution.
The concept of floating shelves is just amazing: they have a very minimalistic look and they save you a bunch of space. You most likely weren’t using the corner anyway and having some new place to put stuff on always comes in handy.
Cabinets can hold a lot of stuff – but it’s no secret that a significant amount of cabinet room doesn’t get used. The perfect way to solve that is by adding hooks for cups, and you can also use smaller racks to stack multiple smaller items on top of each other.
This great idea shines in its simplicity. Instead of having your shoes collect dust on the floor – where it’s likely that they’re going to get in the way – let your kicks just ‘float’ in the air by using shoe pegs.
If you thought that pegboards should only be housed in garages and working rooms, think again. Hanging a pegboard in the kitchen is just ideal if you’re running low on cabinet space. Plus, it gives the kitchen a unique and cool look. That sounds like a win-win, doesn’t it?
Admittedly, many of the earlier storage beds – which have a liftable compartment to hold a bunch of items – didn’t really look aesthetically pleasing. However, recent designs have definitely improved, and now they’re practically indistinguishable from ‘normal’ beds. In other words, aside from the slightly higher purchase price – there really isn’t a reason not to get a storage bed anymore.
These type of organizers are often seen in workspaces or kitchens, but they can be used for some additional storage at the bedside as well! A perfect solution to store your slippers, nighttime books or other items when you’re not using them.
8) Hang shoe organizers at the inside of door closets for household items
Hanging shoe organizers might look a little silly, but you can cleverly hide them by hanging them on the inside of a door closet. Aside from shoes, it turns out that these are also ideal to store all kinds of household products such as cleaning products, towels, and much more.
There are plenty of ways to increase the amount of space you can use in the bedroom, and a multifunctional headboard such as this one is a perfect example of that. They feature extra shelves and you can often slide them out and hide them back whenever you don’t need them.
There’ s a ton of empty space near the ceiling and above your doors, so why not make the most of it? Just by hanging a very simple shelf, you can store a plethora of books or decorations with no impact on the rest of your apartment whatsoever.
You could always just throw towels on the rack, but adding a simple S-hook can clean up the bathroom in a formidable way. It’s definitely one of the more simple things to do in this list – but it works and it’s as easy as 1-2-3. Just hang some S-hooks on your shower rod, and you’re done!
Because of the way they’re designed, refrigerators will almost always have some additional space near the wall that’s left unused. Using a slide-out storage rack – which you can build yourself if you want to – to place all kinds of items that are essential in the kitchen but don’t need to be cooled is absolutely genius.
Making your apartment feel and look more spacious is definitely an option to consider as well. This apartment in Brooklyn, for example, uses large and wide sliding doors (or sliding walls, depending on how you’d like to call them) which immediately gives the place a more open and larger impression.
Perhaps your fridge isn’t positioned between two walls. If that’s the case, you might want to consider hanging an extra shelf on the exposed side of the fridge. It looks great, gets rid of the dull refrigerator look and saves you some space.
Magnets are a wonderful thing, and there are plenty of ways you can use them to make your life easier and less cluttered. For example, you can simply install a metal piece that’ll hang under a shelf and purchase or create magnetized lids. Simply pop them up on the shelf when you want to store your jars away and you’ll free up much-needed space for other necessities.
Let’s face it – the space in bathroom closets often isn’t used efficiently. The fine designers at IKEA came up with a great idea: a cupboard with multiple locker-like compartments. It’s absolutely ideal for all sorts of different items and eliminates wasted space.
Ah, batteries. It’s usually when you need them the most that you can’t find any of them laying around, but you can purchase special organizer boxes with adjustable compartments that allow you to store and separate all of the loose batteries you’ve got laying around in the house.
If you’ve got room to spare underneath your bed, rolling bins are an absolute life- and space-saver. You can find them in a bunch of different sizes and designs, and they even look great when they’re stored away.
Chef’s carts don’t only look great and fit into every kitchen, but they’re flexible and can serve multiple purposes as well. Use them for extra storage, or perhaps you need some extra counter space from time to time? A chef’s cart is the ideal solution.
20) Create additional room underneath your bed with risers
In some cases, you just have a tad of room under the bed, but not enough to store some storage boxes. The solution is simple: grab two pairs of risers and they’ll give you plenty of extra height to store all of those boxes. Tip: buy a bed skirt as well to hide the storage boxes.
Sometimes, you just can’t hang things on a wall – but what if you could repurpose an old ladder that could do the trick? Aside from saving space, it’s also a very unique look and gives your apartment some more space and as well as a cozy feeling.
If you’re not too fond of the idea of having floating shelves in a corner, or if you just need some extra space for your clothes instead, you can always add a bar between two walls. Perfect for hanging and storing your clothes!
23) Add hidden command hooks in the back of a closet
Hanging closets often have just a little bit extra space at the back, and you might as well make the most of it. Grab a couple of command hooks to store all kinds of items such as heavier clothing, belts, purses or other accessories.
Floating furniture seems like it’s becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. You can free up a whole bunch of vertical space, which also immediately gives the impression and illusion of a larger room. A floating, wall-mounted desk is just absolutely perfect if all you need in a desk is a spot to put your laptop on.
Baskets are a great match to use with bookshelves. You can often find the perfect fit, and they’re ideal to store all of those smaller items that would otherwise be collecting dust and laying around in random places. Another pro is that they’re easily accessible!
It’s amazing how much room you can save just by folding your clothes in a different manner and storing them more efficiently. There’s a simple folding trick you can use that can save you half of the shelf space, check out the full guide at Darkroom and Dearly for this space-saving lifehack.
If you’re a fan of putting things together, this DIY tip is for you. With a ceiling hook, a bit of cord, wooden beads and some wooden hangers in hand, you can create your own hanging coat rack. Get rid of the metal hook on the hangers, and let the cord run right through the bead and the hanger. Simply tie the knot and hang it on the ceiling hook.
Aside from the kitchen, a pegboard also blends in perfectly in a bedroom! It’s best to choose a wooden pegboard with sticks instead of hooks, to give the whole thing a more creative and cozy feeling. The perfect method to use a free wall and use it to store a variety of items. It also looks great in children’s rooms!
29) Get a coffee table that doubles as storage space
Let’s face it – a coffee table is essential in every household, but what if you could combine the purpose of a coffee table with that of some additional storage space? For example, an old chest has an amazing look, can hold a ton of items and is a great substitute for a coffee table.
If you’ve got a small apartment and there’s no room in a closet or a separate room to put your ironing board, you might want to consider this tip instead. The concept is incredibly simple: attach two robe hooks towards a door, and you’ll be able to hang your ironing board without the clunky thing actually getting in the way. Sneaky? Perhaps. Brilliant? Definitely.
What better way to use some space below shelves by adding a large bar to store your most-worn clothes? It’s an elegant and efficient solution, but make sure not to put too much extra weight on the shelf, just in case.
32) Use a kitchen rack to store all of your purposes
Who knew that you could use a kitchen rack in more than one way? It turns out that they’re just ideal to store multiple purses and it doesn’t take a lot of space. Plus – you can easily check all of your purses upright and pick the right purse for the outfit or occasion right away.
The chances are pretty high that there just isn’t enough room in your shower for all of the shampoo and conditioner bottles. The solution? Simple. Use a couple of adhesive and preferably water-resistant hooks, that’ll allow you to hang additional caddies in the shower. This also works great if multiple people are sharing a shower, as they’ll quickly find their specific bottles on their caddy. A great way to make use of some vertical space!
34) Create your own bathroom holders with mason jars
With multiple people in the same house, it can be quite a task to find your toothbrush and your toothpaste, and having holders standing in the bathroom looks a bit cluttered. What if you could hang holders for every person instead? You could even use simple mason jars as bathroom holders.
35) Hide some extra storage room behind a painting
Extra space always comes in handy – but it would be great if those space-saving items are pleasing to the eye as well. A perfect solution is to put a picture of a painting on a hidden cabinet. Nobody will suspect a thing!
Dish racks can take up quite some space, but did you know that there are special corner disk racks to decrease the clutter in your kitchen? They can hold just as much as a regular one, and take up half the space.
If your apartment has a staircase, you could definitely consider maximizing the amount of useable room underneath. Staircase storage is simple, out of view and doesn’t add any additional clutter. In some cases, there’s even enough room underneath to fit a desk and a computer!
Instead of letting the laundry bags just sit on the floor, getting them hooked is the way to go because it saves you a ton of floor space. Ideal if you’d like to collect all the laundry in a cramped bathroom.
Plate cradles are just so blissful and make organizing your cupboards so much easier. No need to stack your heavy plates directly on top of each other anymore – just keep all of your plates upright, easy to spot and easy to take out.
40) Replace your single rod in the closet with two rods
It’s simple mathematics really, two is better than one. Relocate your rod in the closet and place it considerably higher, and just grab another one to hang lower. It might take some time until you’ve repositioned the rods, but the obvious space-saving boost is absolutely worth it.
41) Get a TV stand that fits more than just the TV
TV stands may look nice and most of them will give you a little bit of room for set-top boxes and game consoles as well – but you could also just perfectly use a dresser instead. It’ll likely be large enough for your television and it’s one less piece of furniture you have to worry about. And if you’re handy with cable management, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use a dresser as a handy TV stand at all.
42) Use retractable drawers for smaller kitchen appliances
Let’s face it – you don’t need every kitchen appliance every single day. With a bit of handiwork, small ovens, toasters, or even small furnaces will fit into retractable drawers. If your kitchen is lacking in footprint, it can’t hurt to use a little bit of ingenuity.
If you don’t want to use a piece of furniture such as a bedside table for example, and you aren’t keen on attaching shelves to the wall, there’s another option just for you. Suspended shelves look cool, classy, modern and you can’t deny that they’re not space-saving. Just figure out where you should position them best so that they don’t get in the way, and you’ve got yourself a perfect spot for all kinds of items.
Free room in kitchen cabinets is limited, and while you might have some success by stacking pans on top of each other – the end result is often an even bigger mess. Luckily, you can buy pan organizers that will let you stack your pans in an efficient and stressfree manner.
Running out of space in the closet to store your high heels? If you’ve got yourself a bit of a collection, you can always install an angled wall mount of base molding. Heels and angles – they definitely work well together and the end result is even pretty nice.
46) Use pipes to store cables, combs and curling irons
There are plenty of bathroom items that can make a bit of a mess in closets. Curling irons are just a perfect example of that, especially when they’re accompanied by a pretty long electrical cable that is just doomed to end up tangled. Attach some PVC pipes to the inside of a bathroom closet, and you’ve just built yourself a perfecty and nifty spot for these annoying items. And best of all, you can even use it for cable management purposes as well!
Stacking pots inside of kitchen cupboards seems like a good idea – until you realize that you’ll have to throw the lid somewhere and it might take you minutes before you find a matching pot and lid couple. Instead, just install a metal tower bar with a gap that’s just wide enough to hold your most-used lids. Out of sight and always in reach, what more can you ask for?
It’s absolutely incredible how much a difference some simple cable management can make. If you’re afraid of a spaghetti of wires, or just can’t stand to see all those power cables and adapters resting on the floor, this basket tip is going to be a lifesaver. Simply hang a basket directly under your desk and you’ll never have to look at those ugly cables again.
By simply adding a chain to an S-hook in your closet, you can maximize the number of hangers with clothing you can add. Grab a chain and give an appealing color with some spray paint if you’d like, and you’ve got yourself a perfect DIY and super simple method to start hanging clothes vertically as well.
For many of us, CDs sound like something from the past. With the popularity of digital music and streaming services, items to display compact discs have definitely become less common – but they’re actually also really great at holding your tupperware lids!
For many of us, CDs sound like something from the past. With the popularity of digital music and streaming services, items to display compact discs have definitely become less common – but they’re actually also really great at holding your tupperware lids!
The inside of cabinets is the perfect place to hide unsightly objects when you live in a small studio or apartment. Try hanging your wastebasket on the inside of a cabinet using a hook. Now, you don’t have to have the bin sitting out in plain sight.
Add some rods to the inside of your closet or doors for a place to store your scarves, belts, or anything else that can be draped over them. Need a tutorial? View Along The Way has the full tutorial for you.
As we mentioned before, hanging tall shelves is a great way to take advantage of vertical space in a small room. Why not install shelves along the entire perimeter of the room? Not only does it look really great, it provides so much extra storage space.
Place some binder clips at the edge of your desk or table to keep cords and wires easy-to-reach and organized. When you’re living in a small space, you don’t have the room to have wires or cords strewn about the floor.
Usually, our radiator heaters end up sitting there unused for 9 months out of the year. Why not use that space for extra storage? You can build or buy a storage piece to fit right over it–just be sure to create some vents for the heat to escape if you do need to use it.
Yoga mats don’t take much space, but still, if you live in a small studio or apartment, the last thing you want is for it to take up valuable floor space. Hang it on the wall using a giant chip clip or this awesome Kickstarter idea. Plus, it keeps your yoga mat from getting dirty!
Incorporating drawers into your bed frame is another wonderful way to create extra storage space in a small home or apartment. Get crafty and make one yourself, or there are plenty of ready-made frames out there for you to purchase.
“If you’re handy and want to build tall shelving you can walk up, consider a shelf unit like the one below. It’s simpler than a full bedroom project, and still gifts you with shelving up to the ceiling,” says Make Space. Plus, the staircase folds into itself and also doubles as storage.
Old pieces of vintage luggage doesn’t just look cool, but you could also use it to store memorbilia or things that you don’t use or need to access very often. Stack them on the side of a bed to create a makeshift nightstand.
As you can see, there are plenty of things you can do to make the most out of smaller homes!
60 Clever Ways To Organize A Small Apartment
Ashley Fike
02.27.19
If you’re living in a rather compact apartment, it’s can be pretty important to make the most out of every small bit of space you can find. You’d be surprised how easy it is to use parts of the wall or the floor to save space and help organize your apartment.
Of course, you don’t want everything to look too packed as well – but there definitely are some great and practical ideas out there that’ll help you make the most out of every inch in your apartment.
