Living in a small apartment can be tough for storing things, especially if you are used to living in a house with a garage, basement, attic or work shed. If you live in a small apartment or condo, here are some storage options that could make your life easier, more organized and clutter-free.
Image: Editor B (Flickr)
Use Vertical Space
In limited square footage, the only way to go is up. Make use of every inch of your walls with shelving. Your apartment doesn’t have to look like a warehouse if you choose your shelving carefully. Tall bookcases from Ikea are a great place to start. With attractive boxes and magazine holders, you can stash away things that you don’t want visible while arranging other things on display. Installing wall shelves are another good way to use vertical space. You can stagger them on the wall next to pictures or paintings.
Use Hanging Lights
Not only are they modern-looking and stylish, but hanging lamps can free up some valuable space on night tables or dressers. Simply attach a hook to your ceiling (from a stud) and drape the cord through for a suspending lit pendulum. Lights are not the only items you can hang from the ceiling; you can either find or create hanging clothes racks, hanging shelves and custom beds designed to drop from above.
Use Space Under Furniture
Beds take up a lot of space in the bedroom, so using the space underneath makes perfect sense for small apartments. If you don’t already have a high bed, you can buy stackers for your bed frame, allowing you more space for storage. Retail stores such as Walmart, Target and Home Depot sell under-bed storage boxes that are perfect for stowing away seasonal clothing and shoes, holiday decorations or a surplus of fashion accessories such as hats, scarves and purses.
Choose the Right Furniture
When shopping for furniture for your small apartment, look for furniture that can be used for more than one purpose. A futon, for example can be a seating for the home office and also an extra bed when you need to convert the home office into a guest room. If you have a small bedroom, a king-size sleigh bed is not the best choice. Consider beds that do not have headboards or footboards. For the living room, forego that clunky coffee table and purchase stackable nesting tables that can be easily rearranged to fit the occasion. For living rooms, padded storage ottomans are great for small spaces as they can be used as a sitting stool, foot rest and a place to stash blankets and other items.
Rent Storage Space
Some things just can’t be stored in an apartment. If push comes to shove and you really need extra storage, ask your landlord what storage options are available in your apartment community. Just by asking, you may be surprised to find out that there are inexpensive (or free) storage closets located in your own apartment complex. If the apartment manager cannot help you, you may need to bite the bullet and rent a storage unit.
April Lentini writes for Apartment Guide in Philadelphia.
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