5 Hassle-Free Storage Solutions for Apartments of Any Size
Maximize space while not sacrificing convenience.
There is a lot to be said in support of apartment living. It’s often flexible, cheaper, and comes with a lot less maintenance and stress than homeowning. That said, space limitations mean residents need to get a bit creative when finding effective ways to store their belongings without sacrificing much-needed living space.
Here are some simple and affordable ways you can optimize your storage capabilities if you’re living in an apartment or cottage-style residence.
Look into Nesting or Collapsible Items
With floor space at a premium, apartment dwellers might want to look into nesting furniture that can be taken out or stored as needed. This could include nested tables for the living room area, clothing baskets for the bedroom, and stackable chairs for any outdoor or patio area.
When an item or piece of furniture is not in use, it can be placed out of sight and out from underfoot reasonably quickly and retrieved for use just as readily.
Similarly, apartment residents can keep clutter down by looking into collapsible items for the kitchen. Many Tupperware-type items and measuring cups can be flattened and stacked for simple storage. That’s less cupboard space being used. Wire baskets for fresh fruit and vegetables can likewise be either flattened or nested within each other.
Go Vertical
Don’t spread out. Spread up.
Look into all options for shelving. From racks to bookshelves, storing less-used items high and more common-used items at arm level or lower makes more efficient use of space. Kitchen shelves can store cookware, dry goods, recipe books, and other supplies. Bedroom shelving can be used for clothing and linens.
Free-standing shelves or racks can be moved and arranged to best suit the layout of an apartment. Wall-mounted shelves offer many options for storage space, but residents should make sure there aren’t any specific rules about installing wall-mounted shelves.
Look at under-utilized areas for shelves such as above doors and closets.
Always make sure to hang shelves safely by avoiding drywall-only mounting. Look for studs and other sturdy bases for shelving.
Getting Under the Bed
Many people forget the space underneath a bed is often the best place to store items that aren’t used all year-round. Most box and specialty container stores offer low-rising plastic tubs with lids that are the perfect height for sliding underneath a bed. This can keep things like off-season clothes free of dust and unnecessary wrinkling. Holiday decorations can also be kept safe this way until it’s time to haul them out again.
Those who are holding on to keepsakes such as family heirlooms and history find under-the-bed storage a perfect solution to keep items safe until such time as they want to bring them out to enjoy or share.
Apartment dwellers don’t even need plastic bins for their under-the-bed solutions. Many bed frames now come with built-in drawers and cabinets designed for maximizing storage space.
Over-the-Door Storage Options
Space unused is space wasted. Often overlooked is the area behind doors, be they doors to the bedroom, a closet, bathroom, or kitchen. A popular solution to this wasted space is the use of over-the-door solutions available in many stores. The most common forms use an arrangement of oversized pockets meant for shoe storage, but pretty much anything can be kept in these.
Over-the-door bars are popular for bathrooms to allow for additional towel space. Many include hooks for robes and wraparounds, as well as baskets for personal care products. Smaller hanger setups can be used in kitchens for hand towels, spices, and utensils.
Put It On a Hook
Any hardware store will sell you wall-mounted hooks and racks for hanging coats, hats, bags, and other items. Hanging them up means not letting them take up space on tables, chairs, or couches. Kitchen areas can benefit from hooks as a place to hang cookware. Bathrooms can always use more hooks for towels and robes.
Lighter items such as keys, face masks, pictures, and the like can be hung from hooks with adhesive mounting. These are often the easiest to install and remove without leaving any marks behind.
Give Your Apartment a Whole New Identity
Freeing up space can give an apartment a whole new look and feel. Cramped and cluttered is out. Open and free is in.
By opening up your living space, you can relieve stress, make it easier to clean, and allow for more opportunities for either exercise or socializing.
And it doesn’t mean having to throw away anything you don’t want to.
This guest post is sponsored by Glen Lennox, an apartment community located near UNC-Chapel Hill which offers short-term leases on their 1, 2, and 3-bedroom homes.
About the author
John Teehan lives in Rhode Island with his wife, son, and dog. He specializes in tech, health, business, parenting, pop culture, and gaming. Visit wordsbyjohn.net for more info and rates. Twitter: @WordsByJohn2
