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So, you live in a small space but you need more storage space. We get it – we can't all be minimalists and we’ve got you covered! There is so much information out there these days on how to maximize your storage space in a small space because so many people live in small condos, apartments and tiny homes. Here are our best tips for how to maximize storage in a small apartment.

Move on up

Before you clutter and overwhelm your confined floor space with storage, think about how you can store up. Bookshelves, floating shelves, hooks, racks, storage walls! The sky’s the limit here. You can even apply this principle in your bathroom or kitchen with things like floating shelves and over-the-toilet storage units.

Let it all hang out

There’s been a lot of innovation over the years when it comes to hanging storage. Things like hanging closet organizers, hanging fruit baskets, hanging shoe racks -- even hanging bike racks -- are now readily available for purchase online and in stores. The store up principle outlined above applies here, giving you enhanced vertical storage to make the most of traditionally unused space in your small space.

Off the wall

You don’t need a wall shelf to store things on your walls. You can get awkward items up and out of the way with a little ingenuity. People in small apartments store all kinds of things on their walls! Try adding the odd sturdy hook to the wall to suspend items you don't always need like bikes and yoga mats. The possibilities are endless.

Fold and stow away

When thinking about how to maximize storage in a small apartment, you need to think creatively to get the most use out of it. Look for storage and pieces of furniture that fold up or down to stow away so you can create more space when necessary. This includes classics like folding and extendable kitchen and dining room tables, fold-down desks for your home office, folding exercise equipment you can store under your bed or other furniture, murphy beds that fold up flat against your wall, nesting coffee tables and the like. 

Keep it moving

Choose storage containers, coffee tables, clothing racks, dressers and shelves on wheels so you can relocate the storage piece when you need to get it out of the way in order to access more space in the room where it normally lives. For example, a rolling clothes rack, that can be relocated temporarily out of your bedroom or living room, can make way for your yoga mat when you’re ready to unwind. If you don’t want to invest in rolling pieces, you can upcycle your existing furniture pieces to add wheels to their base to make them movable. 

Choose furniture with storage

The furniture you choose can help you store your belongings out of sight and out of mind. Look for multifunctional pieces like coffee tables with built-in storage like drawers or shelves, beds with hidden drawers in the base and/or headboard, use a trunk as a coffee table, use a storage basket with a lid as a side table etc. Get creative!

Try a cork wall for jewelry storage

Jewelry is one of those things that can take up a surprising amount of space and be difficult to know where to store. If most of your jewelry is affordable and attractive (rather than priceless or expensive and worth concealing behind lock and key), you can display/store it proudly on a cork board that hangs on or leans against your bedroom wall!

Make your own pegboard organizer 

Your kitchen storage may be smaller than your kitchen utensils and equipment collection. This is where a pegboard organizer can shine! Technically, you can use one of these boards in any room you like (bedroom, bathroom, living room etc), but a lot of small space dwellers like to use them in the kitchen. To make your own, pick up a pegboard at your local hardware store, paint it any colour you like to match your decor, add as many screws as you need and mount it to your wall! It will be a great storage addition that can be used for storing pots and pans and hangable kitchen utensils like slotted spoons, can openers or spatulas with holes or hooks on their handles. 

Invest in drawer organizers

You may find it hard to store and access your cutlery, or odds and ends, when your drawers are full to the brim. That’s where drawer organizers come in handy! You can find them wherever kitchen supplies or hardware is sold, and in major shops like IKEA. They come in various shapes and sizes and can fit right into your existing drawers to be used to organize and compartmentalize their contents.

We hope these tips for how to maximize storage in a small apartment help you make the most out of your small space.

Looking for a high-quality apartment in Ontario or Nova Scotia? Panoramic Properties would love to welcome you home. Please visit our website to browse our available apartments.