Maximizing Your Storage Space In Your Tiny Apartment
Storage space is often elusive, and finding ways to keep everything in your home organized and in its place can be immensely difficult at even the best times. But these problems compound when considering the smaller end of the spectrum in the apartment marketplace. If you call one-bedroom apartments, or studio spaces home, finding enough space to keep all of your belongings in a clutter-free environment can be a significant challenge, per Bungalow Living. And this isn't even considering the aptly named micro apartments found in New York, Tokyo, London, and many other densely populated urban centers worldwide.
Fortunately, several key strategies can defeat this issue and make storage woes a thing of the past. From shirking larger furniture to utilizing vertical storage and the inherent height of wall space to your advantage, there are several ways to maximize both your living and movement space and your ability to efficiently and effectively store all of your belongings without adding a sense of anxiety or crampedness to your home. Continue reading to discover effective ways to maximize your storage capabilities in a small property.
Declutter your home – and keep it that way!
Maximizing storage space isn't always easy. It seems that the average household often includes an ever-increasing volume of things. Some of these are essential items like furniture, lighting additions, or even clothing and shoes for various occasions. However, many unnecessary objects also find a fixed place in the home.
Decluttering is the first step in maximizing any storage space available in your house. It involves getting rid of things you don't need or items that never served a particular purpose. In a small apartment or even a tiny house, engaging in decluttering practices on a routine basis is an essential part of efficient living space management and even mental health maintenance. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners notes that a cluttered home environment can lead to stress, so decluttering your home regularly can be a crucial step in the right direction when trying to improve your overall quality of life at home.
Dedicate spaces for essentials
In a small property, keeping everything in its place is more important than ever. This can start with simple changes in your furniture layout and the associated storage spaces they provide. For instance, a set of drawers for a small table in the entryway space in your apartment can be an excellent addition that helps you keep track of your keys, wallet, phone, and other essentials. Creating dedicated space for these essentials and other commonly used items can help make your home more efficient and reduce the amount of clutter, via Organizers Direct Industries. Dedicated spaces fall into the storage solutions category, but this tactic goes far beyond simple storage measures.
It's also a good idea to use internal division elements. If you have a chest of drawers or a small shelving unit next to your front door, it's not enough to stack up all your belongings in this space. Instead, adding a few dividers or baskets to the location can help make for an even more efficient and useful storage addition. Building and maintaining a routine in any home is essential when seeking to streamline and declutter your life. In a small apartment, it becomes more essential to consider these sorts of measures in various spaces and applications.
Lean on vertical storage solutions
Vertical storage is another core element in the lifestyle of a small apartment dweller. The walls in your home are often underutilized when storing things and decluttering your life. It's easy to place bookshelves, drawers, and tables around the house, but the space above these furniture additions often remains untapped for anything beyond decorative flourishes. Yet, adding a few key storage integrations that raise the walls can make for a more vibrant living space and one that doesn't suffer from the same natural cluttering effect that can quickly impose itself on a home that hasn't embraced efficient storage installations. Randex notes that this is a crucial feature in businesses chasing after organizational efficiency, and it should also become a central storage tool in your home.
For example, if you live in an urban environment and ride your bike to work every day, you may be lucky enough to have a bike rack or some other way to lock this transportation tool outside. But not everyone who lives in an apartment can consistently or securely leave their bike out. This means that the large item will need to be brought into your apartment from time to time or even regularly. Adding hooks to the wall will remove your bike from the living space and leave you enough room to get comfortable at the end of the day.
Purchase multipurpose furniture
Another essential consideration is multi-purpose furniture. Furniture serving more than one function is a godsend for small apartment owners and renters. For instance, a murphy bed, divan bed, ottoman bed, or another lifting frame is a fantastic addition to any bedroom starved of space. Mattress Online also notes that an array of drawers are another option for this under-mattress area. These beds easily lift, revealing ample storage area beneath the frame that you'll ultimately sleep on every night. This can be a critical addition to your storage calculation and help keep suitcases, necessary boxes, or seasonal clothing.
Another good addition to a small apartment is the coffee table that incorporates drawer space or comprises stackable sections that can be expanded and easily condensed again. Multi-purpose furniture does precisely what it sounds like. Instead of providing just one functionality, these furniture items allow you to make the most of your living space without finding room for the added features they come packed with.
Don't be afraid to use external help
Lastly, those living in a small apartment may need to branch out when securing enough storage for all of their belongings. A storage unit is an excellent place to start in this regard. Storage units can be found throughout the United States, regardless of the state or city you call home. Renting a storage unit gives you a secure, off-site space to place any belongings you don't need daily. This can be great for those who have recently moved into a smaller living space and want to hold on to their furniture that doesn't currently have a home in the new property. Similarly, a storage unit that is climate controlled and located inside a warehouse facility (rather than an outdoor structure) can be beneficial for securing important documents, books, pictures, and other valuable and fragile items.
Move notes that security, accessibility, unit size availability, and the facility's location should all be essential in selecting one company and storage unit over another. What's more, pricing can fluctuate wildly among competitors. Therefore, it's important to price a few options to ensure you get the best deal when signing a lease on a new storage unit. Alternatively, family members, including your parents, might have additional storage capacity in their attic, basement, or elsewhere in their homes. Friends and family members can be vital when finding inexpensive and efficient storage solutions for some of your bulkier or more critical and sensitive items.