18 Creative Storage Ideas for Small Spaces to Get Organized

Substitute Closet Space

Many homes lack sufficient closet space, which can make entryway storage, in particular, quite a challenge. To make up for the scarcity of storage ideas for small spaces around your front door, add a variety of hooks and open shelves to create a customized dropzone that works for your family. Use bins or baskets on the shelves to sort belongings by family member or type of item.

Hide Your Storage

Not all items are pretty enough to be stored in clear view. To maintain a cleaner look, utilize hidden storage ideas for small spaces that keep things out of sight but still accessible. Furniture tricks, like this flip-top upholstered storage bench, can stylishly disguise items you'd rather not display.

Add Incremental Storage

To gain more storage out of small spaces, consider simple add-ons to basic storage solutions. Take this narrow shelf addition, for example. This small, notched-back shelf offers just enough room for glass canisters that store items used frequently close at hand.

Don't Ignore Nooks

Shelves don't need to take up long expanses of horizontal space. A helpful storage idea for small spaces is short shelves for good use of minimal space. Here, a narrow stretch of wall with open shelves provides easy-access storage for dishes and cooking essentials used most often.

Clear off the Floor

Clutter can be a constant battle in small spaces, but clever storage solutions can help keep your rooms clean and calm. Try the storage idea for small spaces used here to gain valuable spots to stash essentials: Mount small cubes or rectangular shelf units on the wall for open storage. With no doors to open and close, you don't need to leave extra clearance space around the units. A wall-mounted light fixture frees the tabletop surface for books, glasses, and more.

Stagger Shelves

Uniform, boxy shelving units can overpower a small room and make it feel smaller than it is. Instead, look for ladder-style pieces with narrower shelves toward the top. This can help lighten a room's atmosphere and provide useful storage for items of various sizes.

Scale Down Shelves

Small spaces don't offer a lot of room for overly large furniture, especially tiny bathrooms. Look for smaller pieces, like this open three-shelf unit, that still provide plenty of storage potential. It has just enough space for extra towels, toiletries, and a bit of pretty display space.

Include Out-in-the-Open Storage

Closed doors and drawers aren't the only storage ideas for small spaces, which may necessitate using spots in plain view. Consider grouping same-size items—here, rolls of essential kitchen papers and wraps—in a decorative storage piece that blends with the style of the room. A mesh file keeps aluminum foil, parchment paper, and other cooking items at hand.

Rely on Double-Duty Furniture

Pieces that can work in various ways are ideal for small-space storage. Home offices, for example, can be challenging to create out of limited square footage, but strategically placed bookshelves can serve as storage and desk space. Here, a small stool tucks under the work surface, while small bins and baskets keep necessities stylishly contained.

Research Helpful Add-ons

Cleverly designed storage ideas for small spaces can solve a variety of storage woes, and many of them work wonders in small spaces to keep clutter at bay. Look for single-storage items that can help you find homes for things used daily but can easily live out of the way. Hairdryer holders that mount inside cabinet doors and specialized clothes bins are just a few helpful examples.

Combine Cabinet Types

Not all storage ideas work the same: Cabinets, drawers, and open shelves each stash different types of items. Mixing up your options, especially in heavy-traffic areas such as bathrooms, can help you store things more effectively. Varying your storage solutions in tiny spaces allows you to maximize every inch.

Use Vertical Spaces

Utilizing vertical space, like behind-the-door storage, is a smart storage idea for small spaces. Those precious square feet can be put to good use, especially for storing small items that would otherwise clutter up rooms. A variety of slim wire baskets—better to keep contents in view—lines the back of this door to corral gift-wrapping essentials.

Pare Down

Living in a small space can encourage you to get back to basics and edit your stuff down to the essentials. With fewer items to store, you can avoid overcrowding and use limited space much more effectively. Declutter your home by keeping only what's necessary for your family—a set or two of towels per person, for example—and replacing items as they get worn or damaged. For the items you decide to keep, maintain easy access by subdividing open spaces for better organization.

Open Up Storage

Cabinet doors take up square feet that you may not want to give up in small spaces. Instead, narrow open shelves add extra surfaces to store frequently used things, like plates and glasses. To keep the shelves looking tidy, be strategic about what goes there and leave plenty of open space between stacked items.

Smarter Jewelry Storage

Small items, like jewelry and makeup, can be challenging to store even in larger spaces. Because these items typically include a range of pieces in various sizes, an organizer with uniformly sized compartments may not be the best solution.

Look to walls for extra storage areas to save valuable drawer and shelf space. Outfit an empty frame with a piece of cork or a metal sheet with decorative holes, and use pins or hooks to hang necklaces and bracelets. For makeup, attach magnets to the back of each product and store them vertically on a framed magnetic board.

Find Potential Storage

Choose furniture pieces that provide hidden storage in unexpected ways to maximize small spaces. Here, a bathroom stool isn't just a spot to sit. It also features a bottom drawer that pulls out to reveal extra towels, washcloths, and bath products.

Hide Electronics

Countertop and work-surface space are at a premium in small rooms, so you must be strategic about what you store out in the open versus tucked away somewhere. When stored out on the desktop or counter, large tech pieces, like printers and scanners, can take up a lot of real estate that could be better used for items you use more frequently. Put these electronics away inside right-sized drawers to keep them out of the way until you need them.

Use Your Windows

Natural light helps brighten dark corners and make tight rooms feel bigger. But windows can also gobble up walls that could otherwise serve as potential storage spots. Consider hanging shelves or racks across windows to maximize light and storage capacity and keep pots, pans, and everyday dishes accessible.