20 Apartment Storage Ideas

If you live in an apartment where space is at a premium, you’ll know that sometimes you have to get creative when it comes to storage ideas. Luckily, we’re here to help! Here are ideas that will help you to free up space in your apartment… 

1. As soon as you enter your home, one of the first things you probably do is take off your coat or jacket. Since very few modern apartments come with a hallway closet specifically for hanging these items, many people end up throwing them over the back of a chair or putting them in their bedroom closet, where they take up valuable space. This can be untidy or inconvenient, especially when you have guests round to visit! A simple solution is to attach one or more clothes hooks to the wall in your apartment’s entryway. It’s very convenient and the ideal place to store your outerwear and bags as soon as you get home. ‘J’-hooks or ‘U’-hooks tend to look the most stylish.

2. If you’re the type of person who loses their keys or misplaces their mail often, it’s worthwhile installing some shelves near the front door too! You’re less likely to have space for a cabinet or chest of drawers near the door to an apartment, so having a shelf where you can keep a bowl for your keys or a tray for your mail is a great storage tip. It could save you hours of frantic searching when you’re in a rush!

3. Even if you have plenty of counter space or shelving, things can look cluttered when just left lying around side randomly. Keep things neat by buying stylish boxes. You can even make your own if you prefer! Get a variety of sizes to keep all of your paperwork and any possessions you don’t necessarily want out on display nice and secure.

4. For valuable items, such as money, expensive jewelry or paperwork that is particularly important, invest in a fire-proof safe that can be stored away in your bedroom or attached to a wall. You can get a sturdy, secure safe for under US dollars these days, and it’s well worth it for the peace of mind alone!

5. If you don’t have a built-in closet that’s big enough to contain all of your clothes and other stuff like bed linens, utilize storage bins which can fit under your bed or be stored on top of wardrobes or high shelves. Make sure you get the type with handles, though, especially if you’re going to be stacking them on top of each other. There’s no need to have to awkwardly grab at the corners of a heavy storage bin to pull it out when there are ones with convenient grab handles built into them! You also might want to apply labels to the bins so you don’t forget what’s in each one.

6. Making space in the kitchen of an apartment can also be tricky, especially if you’re stuck with a small fridge and a limited number of cabinets. Once they’re full, you’ll probably end up stacking items on top of one another, which can lead to a mish-mash of random items all over the place, some of which are likely to leak or leave stains over time. Keep things more organized and cleaner by using stackable kitchen baskets. You can keep similar items together, like condiments for example, and give them a quick wipe-down every so often to avoid a sticky mess that would otherwise attract ants and other pests.

7. An alternative to using baskets is using clear caddies. They stick to the wall or the inside of cabinets with no need for any drilling or complex installation. Use one as a makeshift spice rack, for example. You can even have them in the bathroom to hold toiletries or in your bedroom for storing make-up, like nail varnishes. With clear caddies, the possibilities are endless!

8. In terms of kitchen storage and cleanliness, the best place to keep a trash can for all of your kitchen waste is out of the way under the sink, or if this isn’t possible, then in a cubby hole or floor cabinet. Of course, you might have to opt for a smaller bin in an apartment, but either way, keeping the bin tucked away not only frees up floor spaces. It also makes your kitchen look and smell much more pleasant.

9. An excellent way of displaying items and making them easily accessible is using acrylic risers. They’re essentially just stackable shelves that come in handy in places like the bedroom or bathroom. They can also fit inside of most cabinets and are perfect for separating things that you don’t want to get mixed up!

10. If your bathroom doesn’t have a decent-sized medicine cabinet, that’s a problem you should look to address as soon as possible. Take advantage of that wall space and install one as soon as you can! Of course, medicine isn’t the only thing you can keep in it. You can store anything, including your spare toiletries, your toothbrush and even small towels. In fact, it’s probably much more hygienic to do so than to leave them out in the open!

11. Whether you have a cabinet in your bathroom or not, you should try not to leave your shower gels and toothpastes lying around exposed, creating a mess everywhere. Despite most people only using them when they travel, toiletry bags are incredibly useful for keeping things tidy and all in one place. You could use multiple bags if you want – one for makeup and another for soaps, for instance. Regardless, there’s no reason why you should only use them on holiday when they can be a great ally at home too!

12. Easily turn the area under your bed into an efficient storage space by using rolling drawers! You could use them as a pull-out shoe rack or to store items which you tend not to use on a daily basis but still want to be able to access quickly when the time comes. For maximum efficiency, why not combine these drawers with vacuum storage bags and keep plenty of extra bedsheets and pillowcases under your bed?

13. Alternatively, you could choose to invest in a bed that comes equipped with its own storage space already. More designs like these are becoming available thanks to the need created by small apartments in major cities like Dubai, New York and London. Typically, a bed takes up a lot of floor space, so being able to combine it with storage overcomes a problem that many new apartments owners face. What’s great about these beds is that any possessions you store in the bed are protected from dust and dirt by the mattress.

14. The idea of combining furniture with storage isn’t limited to beds, either. There are a range of chairs and sofas that include storage spaces for holding books, additional cushions and even extra chairs inside of them! It’s always nice to be able to have the things you need close at hand or to be able to offer guests a seat when you need to.

15. A brilliant way of creating storage space while also adding to the decor in your apartment is to install a slim, non-intrusive bookcase. Obviously, it’s great for storing books if you like to read, but it can also hold flowers, ornaments and a variety of other things. You can even combine it with storage boxes to keep household items in one place.

16. Free up some valuable space in your bedroom by combining your nightstand with an area for storage. Using vintage suitcases, for example, not only creates a fashionable look, it also allows you to keep things in them and rest items on top of them. You could also opt for a more traditional chest of drawers or a floating nightstand with more space for bags or storage bins underneath.

17. It goes without saying that you should hang your clothes up whenever possible, rather than just leaving them crumpled on the floor. However, you might be surprised by just how much space you can free up in your closet by getting the right kind of clothes hanger. Throw out any bulky plastic ones you might have and replace them with thinner, sturdier ones made out of metal. Velvet suit hangers are also quite durable and highly recommended as a space-saving option.

18. If you need a place to work but don’t have room for a permanent desk, install one that can be folded down from the wall. When you’re done using it, simply fold it up again and it will be out of sight, out of mind until you need it again later. This is particularly helpful for the many people who work from home. You can even install one near the foot of your bed if you don’t have a desk chair to sit on! . For people who like to cycle but live in an apartment without a bike rack or storage facilities, why not use the space above your head to hang your bike and keep it safe and secure within your actual apartment? There are plenty of bike storage solutions that will allow you to do this. It will also allow your bike to act as a sort of art installation inside your home!

19. Hanging fruit baskets are fantastic because they make great use of vertical space without infringing on floor space at all. In addition to using them to actually store fruit and other food in the kitchen, you can use them in every other room of the house for instant additional storage. They are excellent for putting things on display and for practical use.

Which of these ideas was your favorite? Let us know in the comments! Remember to leave a thumbs up if you enjoyed the article and subscribe for more tips and tricks in future.