16 Overlooked Household Storage Spots You Could Be Taking Advantage Of

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Are you making the most of your home's storage space? We don't just mean the cabinets in your kitchen and the shelves in your closet. We're talking about the nooks between your appliances and your walls, the vertical spaces on the backs of your doors, and yes, that dusty, otherwise-unloved void beneath the frame of your bed. If you're not, then you could well be missing out on an excellent opportunity to organize your home and reclaim precious floor and counter space.

In fact, there are lots of areas in the home that are often overlooked when it comes to storage. For example, if you need ways to add more storage to your kitchen, we'd be willing to bet that you're not currently maximizing your pantry doors and cabinets. Similarly, in your living room, we'd say there's a good chance that your furniture could be working harder to help you keep the space decluttered. From bedroom and entryway storage to maximizing the space beneath your stairs, if you're running out of storage ideas, this guide will help you ensure you're getting the absolute most out of your home's available space.

The first place to look in your bid to find more storage space is the backs of your doors. Across all rooms in the house, your doors are probably the one place that is universally devoid of storage. There are various ways to make the most of them, and the best over-door storage solutions depend on the space you're trying to optimize.

For example, in a bedroom or an entryway, an over-the-door shoe organizer might be best. These are usually made from fabric and contain lots of pockets, which are ideal for shoes, slippers, and things like umbrellas, sunglasses, and other common items of living and entryway clutter. Alternatively, if you're trying to maximize kitchen storage, then you can add metal racks to your cupboard doors for things like herbs, spices, and oils. This 3-tier Door Mounted Spice Rack from Evelots is a good example. It fixes to the back of your cabinet or pantry cupboard door, and keeps your shelves and counters clear of clutter while utilizing space that would otherwise go to waste.

For the most part, all rooms have four walls, and when you think of your home's footprint in terms of cubic feet, they account for an enormous amount of your available space. And yet, those vertical surfaces so often go unused. Sure, it's nice to have the wall space "breathe" with white space — perhaps with a few of your favorite pictures, and perhaps an accent shelf. However, if you're stuck for space, then you'll want to consider using up more of it for storage.

By using vertical storage to declutter your home, you'll be amazed by how much extra space you'll have to keep things. More than that, since your new storage is on the walls, it'll soak up precisely zero floor space, meaning you'll be freer than ever to move around. You could achieve this with just a few simple floating shelves in rooms that are most prone to clutter. You could also hang wall-mounted cabinets for bulkier items or those that you'd prefer to hide away. You could even install a few hooks or mounted rails in your kitchen or living spaces. These can just as easily help to declutter your entryway as they can keep things like blankets clear of the living room floor.

Another way to get more storage space out of your existing kitchen and cabinets is to look beneath the floor cabinets themselves. Often, the gap between the main run of units and the floor is sealed off with kickboards and left, for some strange reason, unused. And yet it has the potential to provide an incredible amount of space — particularly for low-profile items like baking trays and serving platters.

These kinds of dining and entertainment accessories tend to soak up a lot of space when stored in a regular drawer or cabinet. They don't usually play nice with other items, either, which can often lead to cluttered storage and spaces that aren't used to their maximum potential. This is why you should at least consider toe-kick cabinets. Fitted beneath your cabinets, per the name, these units sit behind the toe-kick boards that feature with most cabinet runs. When you kick them (gently), they reveal slide-out drawers, which are excellent for storing those unwieldy, low-profile items whenever they're not required.

This idea depends, to an extent, on the nature of your space and the style of seating within it. However, one of the most effective ways to make the most of your existing home and furnishings is with under-seat storage. This could be a window seat with cabinets recessed into the wall underneath. But it doesn't have to be built in. In fact, there are lots of hidden storage solutions you can either buy or DIY to make the most of your space.

For example, this shoe storage bench from ABAMFUR contains a bench to sit on, a shelf beneath to store your shoes, plus a fold-up seat for extra storage. This could be used to declutter your entryway of things like keys, umbrellas, wallets, and other items that would otherwise clog up your countertops. Another good example is an ottoman for your living room. These useful pieces of furniture can be used as footstools or as extra seating when you have guests. But beneath those sumptuous cushions lies a void in which you can easily store things like blankets, books, TV remotes, and even knitting equipment.

If you have cabinets with exposed sides, then is there room to add a few shelves? If so, these could provide valuable extra storage for a variety of items. In the kitchen, that could be storage for your go-to oils and ingredients. In the bathroom, you could use them to keep your cosmetics from cluttering up the vanity counter. Even if you don't have room for shelves, you could add a few hooks, which could be used to help alleviate the burden on your counter for things like utensils and towels.

While you're at it, it could also be worth inspecting the tops of your cabinets. If there's nothing currently stored on them, then why not? These can provide lots of extra storage. The trick is to reserve these awkward-to-reach areas for items that you don't need every day, like serveware and Thanksgiving dinner essentials. This will mean a few less items cluttering up your cabinets, reserving space for the things you use on a daily basis. Just be sure to use baskets to keep things organized, and if necessary, some lids to keep them from gathering dust.

This tip is applicable to just about any room in the house, and it's one of the best ways of maximizing storage space in smaller homes. By recessing storage between your wall studs, you can afford yourself a surprising amount of extra storage. Depending on how big you go, you could recess a full, floor-to-ceiling cabinet between your studs, giving you all the benefits and storage space of a large cabinet, but without the need to soak up valuable floor space.

In the bathroom, a large between-the-studs cabinet can serve as a handy linen closet. Alternatively, you could recess a smaller nook — perhaps in the shower — to serve as a storage shelf for soaps and other toiletries. In the living room, a large between-studs unit could provide storage for things like board games and spare blankets. You could even go "doorless" and use that space as an in-built bookcase. This Sloane recessed wall niche cabinet from Fox Hollow Furnishings is a good example, and is available in various sizes, depending on the spacing between your studs.

If you currently have an under-the-stairs storage space that's accessed via a single, awkward door, then it might be time for an upgrade. Instead of having to reach awkwardly to the back and corner of that space, you could completely redesign it and have it work much harder for you. You just need to decide what kind of storage you need the most.

For example, you could DIY an under-stairs pantry cabinet to make up for a lack of storage in a smaller kitchen. Alternatively, you could repurpose your under-stairs space with custom, built-in drawers, which maximize the space with dedicated storage boxes for all of your out-of-season shoes, clothes, and other items. You could even do away with the door and wall entirely and fit your under-stairs space with exposed shelving. The key, if you have it, is to ensure that the space beneath your stairs isn't wasted.

If your goal is to maximize all of the available space in your home, then it's time to reevaluate the gaps between your walls and furniture. One that's commonly underused is the space beside the refrigerator. If you have such a void, then you could potentially slot some shelves inside. You could even draw inspiration from YouTuber, Casey Makes a Home, and DIY a slim rolling pantry to slot inside the space.

Whatever you decide to do with it, if you tap into that space, you'll be surprised by how much you can store there. You could use it for something as simple as a DIY wine rack. With a rolling pantry, you could keep oils, sauces, and spices stored out of the way. Alternatively, with regular shelves, you could store cleaning supplies, cereals, or even use them as a place to keep your favorite recipe books.

The first thing to say here is that it's not a good idea to store things directly on top of your fridge — as tempting as that may be. Refrigerators need around an inch of breathing space above. However, there's nothing stopping you from installing a shelf above it. In fact, if storage is at a premium around your existing kitchen and pantry, then it's strongly advised that you do so.

Like the tops of your cabinets, this easy storage space in your kitchen is probably being underused. And yet it's a fantastic place to keep occasional items that you don't need all the time. That said, depending on the height of your fridge and the resulting shelf, you could also use it to store things that you use more often. You could create a display shelf for your favorite cookbooks, for example. Or you could use it as a place to store those larger, more unwieldy pots and pans that refuse to play nice in your regular cabinets. The goal, as with the other spaces in this guide, is to ensure that it doesn't go to waste.

If you're not already making the most of the space above your toilet, then it might be time to start. Like in other rooms around the house, the walls of the bathroom offer a potentially large, untapped storage space. And while you may not want to keep things like fresh towels stored directly above the loo, that's not to say that you can't store plenty of other items there.

For example, you could install a couple of wall-mounted shelves to keep things like spare toilet rolls and toiletries. You could use them to keep cleaning supplies handy, and if you have diffusers or air fresheners in your bathroom, you can keep those on the shelves, too. Even if you live in a rental, you can buy freestanding solutions to avoid the need to drill into the walls. This over-the-toilet storage rack from Axdtvoz, for example, features a sturdy black metal frame, and brings four shelves of storage to a place that would otherwise go untapped.

If you're trying to declutter your home but are struggling to find space, then it could be worth reviewing your existing drawers and cabinets. The goal here is to check that they're fully optimized, and that you're making the most of every available cubic inch. For example, in a large kitchen cabinet with just a simple shelf in the middle, you may be able to get more out of the space with a set of retrofitted slide-out drawers. These make everything easier to access. You can even buy sets that are designed to slot neatly around the plumbing in under-sink cabinets, making it easier to store and access your cleaning supplies.

As for your existing drawers, you may also be able to optimize those. A customized drawer divider can go a very long way when making the most of your available storage. You can DIY a drawer divider out of a shoebox, or buy a set like the Bofoho modular drawer dividers from Amazon. Customizing your kitchen storage means that you'll be able to keep all your favorite and most-used utensils accessible at a glance.

Another area that's often overlooked for storage is the space beneath your bed. The problem that some people run into is that, since they prefer the look of a classic bed "frame" rather than an ottoman or divan-style bed, they think that it comes at the cost of storage. But that's the thing. It doesn't. At least, it doesn't have to.

You need only explore the various under-bed storage solutions available on Amazon to see just how easy it is to capitalize on the space beneath your mattress. You can buy wooden boxes, plastic bins, metal slide-out trays, and low-profile fabric organizers specifically made for under the bed. Each is great for keeping things like shoes, linen, and out-of-season clothes tucked away when not in use. You can also use them for easy toy-storage in your kids' bedrooms. Either way, they reduce your need for space-greedy cabinets, and keep your floors and closets suitably clear of unnecessary clutter.

This particular space is so often written off as unusable since it's usually dominated by the underbelly of the tub. However, there are actually various ways to turn the space beneath your bath into storage. Even with standard bathtubs, there's usually a space at either end. All you need is to buy and install dedicated bath panels, which are designed to reveal and provide access to these spaces. Or you could DIY these yourself, like Paul of Paul's Studio on YouTube. He fitted simple pop-out doors, providing a way to access the awkward space at either end of the bathtub.

Alternatively, you could pay for a contractor to build custom pull-out drawers. These are designed to mold around the shape of the bathtub, and if you can spring for them, they promise to maximize the available storage there. As for what you can store beneath your tub, the thing to remember is that there isn't usually that much room. Those spaces at either end are great for things like bleach bottles and awkward cleaning supplies. If you go for something more custom, you may be able to squeeze some spare toilet rolls or rolled-up towels inside, too.

The room-facing side of an island often goes to waste as far as storage is concerned. It's often "walled off" with wood to match the rest of the cabinet fronts, since stools are usually lined up along it. However, depending on your need to seat people along your island, you could, instead, utilize the back of your kitchen island as extra storage.

One way is to install a run of hooks along the underside of the overhanging counter. This can provide a handy place for kitchen pots, pans, and utensils. Alternatively, you could use them to hang kids' coats and school bags. The other way to make the most of that space is to recess some shelves into the unit. This may be trickier to add retrospectively to your kitchen island. But if you're renovating and springing for custom cabinets anyway, it's worth bearing in mind to ensure your investment yields the most amount of storage space possible.

We've already covered shelves and wall-mounted units; this idea sort of blends the two together. And it makes a lot of sense if you're already planning to install some floating shelves. Instead of a single piece of wooden board, the trick with hidden shelf storage is to create a shallow box, then hang that on the wall horizontally — like a regular shelf.

The "box" design provides extra storage, and you can use it in a variety of ways. In the entryway, you could use it as a cubby to keep things like keys and sunglasses. In the living room, you could use it to keep your collection of TV remotes safely stashed. If you incorporate a matching door to hide the void, you could even use it as a secret and handy hideaway for valuables — ideal if you don't have the room for a large, bulky safe.

If you're unlikely to lose sleep over the kind of headboard you have above your bed, then that could well be a great place to start adding more storage. In fact, there are some staggeringly useful storage solutions that can replace it. Some incorporate a few handy shelves on either side to help eliminate the usual bedside clutter, like books, lights, and masks. 

Alternatively, if you're really stuck for small bedroom storage ideas, then you could go all in with custom, fully-fitted headboard storage. These come in all shapes and sizes, and can include full racks of cabinets and drawers that occupy the same space as a traditional headboard. They're great in lieu of a wardrobe or drawer chests, providing ample storage in an area of your bedroom that would otherwise go to waste.