Making the most of a small space can prove incredibly difficult. And if you are a family with young children or living in a confined space like a city apartment, organizing can seem impossible.
It’s our nature to collect things, but not everyone has places to put all that stuff. If you struggle to figure out how to organize a small area to maximize your available space, keep reading. We will discuss 15 great tips for keeping your small space organized.
1. Pegboard Organizers
Pegboards are one great way to utilize wall space if you don’t have a lot of floor space to put organizers or shelves. Pegboards can hold shelves, plants, picture frames, clocks, or other items. Plus, they can look quite chic if you get creative with them. Pegboards can be painted and rearranged in many ways, so you’ll never get bored!
2. Corner Shelves
If you have very little space in your home or office, utilizing the corners is something you may not have thought about. Corner shelves fit snugly into the corners of a room, so they take up no extra space at all. In addition, corner shelves can hold things like books, plants, art, and even lamps comfortably, opening up many different possibilities in your space.
3. Lofted Bed With Desk
If your bed takes up a lot of space on your small floor, consider lofting it and putting a desk or couch underneath! That way, you can have space for a desk and a bed with the same footprint on your floor, maximizing the small space you have. Lofted beds are also great if you tend to get chilly at night. That’s because heat rises to the top of the room. And if you work from home, you can easily create a cozy office space under a lofted bed.
Related: Working From Home: How to Setup a Home Office
4. Use Big Mirrors
Using big mirrors won’t necessarily make your space any larger, but it will sure feel like it! Putting a large mirror on the wall or on the floor will help reflect light and make your space appear much bigger than it actually is. Additionally, it’s always good to have mirrors in bedrooms or bathrooms to double-check your outfit before heading out the door!
5. Utilize Under-Bed Storage
If you can’t loft your bed or don’t want to be high up, consider how much storage you can fit underneath your bed. For example, you can put plastic storage bins underneath the bed to hold shoes or clothes or get a bed frame with built-in drawers. Under-bed storage is virtually invisible and is excellent for storing things you might not need access to very often.
6. Top of Fridge Storage
Utilizing storage on top of your fridge is one way to implement the tried-and-true storage suggestion of “going high” wherever you can. Using the space between the top of your fridge and the ceiling to store things like cereal, snacks, and more is a great way to free up space in your pantry or cabinets. To keep it neat and organized, use colorful bins and baskets. That way, this method also serves as cute kitchen decor.
7. Hide Small Kitchen Appliances
Small kitchen appliances like toasters, microwaves, and blenders take up a lot of space on the counter! Instead of leaving small kitchen appliances out, try placing them in cabinets or drawers instead. This will make it feel like you have more counter space, and your kitchen will appear larger and more open.
8. Over Toilet Organizer
This tip is a great one for the bathroom. Using the space above your toilet on the wall can be a great place to store toothbrushes, skincare products, towels, etc. There are many organizers and shelves designed solely for this purpose. If you have a tiny bathroom, this tip is a godsend.
9. Create a Home Binder
Creating a home binder is a clever idea for saving space for things like recipe books or password books. A home binder holds all of your essential kitchen/office documents, such as recipes, reminders, warranties, or phone numbers. By consolidating these things into one shared binder, you will save space and cut down on clutter. As a bonus, it will also save time since you’ll never need to search again for those handly appliance instructions.
See also: Do-It-Yourself Skills to Save Money Now
10. Under Stairs Storage
If you have stairs in your house, you may have noticed they take up a lot of space. Putting shelves, bins, or other storage organizers underneath your stairs can free up a lot of space. Plus, this type of storage is basically invisible.
11. Go High Wherever You Can
As we mentioned earlier, it’s crucial to go high whenever you can when it comes to storage and organization. Putting things on the floor can quickly make your home feel cluttered, but putting organizers or shelves on the wall or above other fixtures can make your space feel much more open.
12. Take Advantage of Wall Space
Like the last rule, taking advantage of your wall space with shelving, art, or light fixtures will make your area feel much more open. Additionally, it will make your home feel cozy, decorated, and personalized!
13. When Putting Things Low, Keep it Small
If you must put things on the floor, be sure to keep the “footprint” (the amount of floor space your item takes up) small. As mentioned earlier, crowding the floor can make the area feel cluttered, making it difficult to move around easily.
14. Dual-Purpose Furniture
Dual-purpose furniture is functional everywhere, but it is instrumental in small spaces. For example, if you need a bathroom mirror, find one you can mount on the wall that doubles as a medicine cabinet. This can save you space by not requiring a shelf or counter organizer. Similarly, if you need a footrest, purchase one with storage inside.
You might also enjoy: 10 Ways To Create a Healthy WFH Routine
15. Utility Carts
Utility carts are great for small-space storage because they are on wheels! So if you don’t want something to be seen, you can move it quickly out of the way. Additionally, you can use utility carts in many different parts of your home without taking them apart to move them.
Closing Thoughts
To save the most money when organizing your home, try to utilize items you already have. But you may have noticed there are some suggestions on this list that might require a purchase or two. If organizing your small space seems out of reach because of cost, consider a simple, temporary side gig for extra cash. That way, you won’t cut into the family budget.
