Creative storage ideas for small apartments

7 Creative Storage Ideas for Small Apartments

Living in a small apartment is great because it usually means easier maintenance and lower rent. However, no matter how cozy it is, every home requires optimization to make the most of its potential. Finding a suitable layout for each room and decluttering are the two main steps when maximizing the space in your home. Still, when downsizing after a move, it’s easy to forget that you’ll have much less space at your disposal. In such cases, you can make your relocation less stressful by choosing one of two options: either rent a storage unit or get resourceful with utilizing every inch of your home. To help you with it, we’ve come up with 7 creative storage ideas for small apartments.

Double-duty furniture

The key to successful optimization is to minimize the amount of furniture in your home to essentials only. But that doesn’t mean you’ll have to sacrifice the comfort you’re used to – quite the opposite. Nowadays, many pieces of furniture have more than one function, giving you the space you need while satisfying functional demands. Some of them, like a pull-out sofa, drop-leaf table, or a folding workspace, will create more room in your apartment. In addition, there are other examples like ottomans and coffee tables with storage space, a bed with built-in drawers, and a resting chair with shelves that will get things out of your way. They come in different tasteful designs, adaptable to every interior style. Even though these pieces don’t have a big storage capacity, they can hide small items that create clutter.

Introduce helpful add-ons to your storage space

There are a lot of innovative accessories that could help you in more ways than you can imagine. Usually, their purpose is to better organize the inside of the cabinets. Cabinets come in specific sizes, but often only half of the space is utilized. Investing in upright plate holders, cabinet basket racks, door knife racks, under cabinet wine racks, and many others will prove to be a game-changer in small homes.

Using vertical surfaces and room corners

There are plenty of creative storage ideas for small apartments that will make your life easier. One of the best ones is utilizing the vertical surfaces of your home. Mainly, you can achieve this by adding shelves to different parts of the house. Still, it’s essential to maintain some kind of balance between functionality and aesthetics. Investing in such practical elements can also add value to the place, which will be a good return investment if you decide to sell. When choosing the right vertical solutions, pay attention to the way you install them and the weight they can support.

 

Vertical sliding organizers are also a great way of utilizing unusable surfaces. They can be bought or custom-made for your needs, and they perfectly fit in the kitchen and bathroom, in between appliances. Most homeowners use them for storing cleaning and laundry supplies, freeing cabinets for other items.

Pegboards

Another way of utilizing vertical space is by installing pegboards in some areas of the apartment. For example, they could store your pots, pans, cups, etc., in the kitchen. If installed properly, they can hold significant weight, allowing you to free a lot of space in your home. Pegboards can be used practically anywhere; you just need to get creative with the ways of “presenting” your stored items.

Try open shelves instead of cabinets

Cabinets and wardrobes fit into most home designs. However, we can never use the full available space inside them. To make them optimal, you’d need a lot of improvement, custom-made shelves, and creative ideas. Still, if you opt for open shelves instead of cabinets, you can control the space and thus use more of it. The only downside of these elements is the visibility of stored items. In such cases, you can either minimize the number of your possessions or use baskets or boxes to hide them. Naturally, you will need a good organizing system since the items are not in plain sight.

Floating furniture

The main goal of decluttering and optimizing your home space is easier maintenance and access to things. Small apartments have a lot of things by default, and even though, in theory, limited surfaces are maintained faster, that’s often not the case. Having to lift everything from the floor and get to hard-to-reach surfaces can be daunting. Thus, when deciding on the furniture and storage space, opt for floating pieces. They will make wiping the floors much easier.

Floor cabinets

Downsizing can be pretty stressful if you’re renting the place. Still, there are many practical tips to make things easier when moving into a smaller home. If you own your home and are free to make home improvements, you won’t ever have to worry about storage space again. You can create additional room by making raised storage floors. This hidden storage can be achieved in many ways, from using the space under the bed to re-purposing the space under and inside the stairs.

Conclusion

A lack of storage space is one of the main difficulties homeowners face when downsizing. Thus, it’s essential to figure out how to best organize and apply creative storage ideas for small apartments. Some of these tips require more investment than others. However, the comfort and commodity they’ll provide have no price. And even though custom-made built-in elements are a lifesaver, you can solve many issues by simply rearranging your home.

 

house-elf - mythical creature

Ever Wondered if you had a House Elf? Illustrated Mythical Creatures That Live In Your Home

Our homes mean a lot to us, and we’re happiest when they’re filled with joy and positivity. But it’s not always easy to keep the balance, so sometimes we seek help from elsewhere to keep home life happy and ordered. We think this is why there are so many creatures in folklore that are thought to live in and around the home. It’s also useful to have someone, or something, to blame when things don’t quite go to plan! Some of these creatures are good and helpful, others are less so. Climadoor have created some lovely illustrations of the mythical creatures you might find around your home

 

Different cultures have talked of house spirits for centuries, with stories and traditions carried down through generations. In the UK, you might have heard of a Brownie or Boggart (perhaps you’d recognise the alternative name, Bogeyman better!). The Brownie is a helpful creature who helps with chores whilst people are sleeping, but may leave the home or become malicious if upset. A Brownie shares a lot of characteristics with Dobby the House Elf, so may be where J.K Rowling got her inspiration for the magical creature from! 

 

Russian homes may welcome a Domovoy and do their best to keep him happy. Home owners in China sought the presence of a Baku to keep other evil spirits away. Many cultures embrace these age-old tales that have been passed down through generations. They affect the way people run their household as they’re so deeply rooted in people’s minds.

 

In France, luck can be brought to the home by a Matagot, only if it’s kept happy and content. In Scandinavia, a Nisse will watch over farmland if looked after with a bowl of porridge with butter on Christmas Eve. The Irish might be wary of a visit from a Banshee, as they indicate that someone is about to die. But in Japan a Zashiki Warashi house spirit is fun, mischievous and believed to bring great fortune. 

 

So if you ever wondered if you had a house elf, look closely and you might find that you do!

 

mythical creatures - house elf

Timber Furniture

Choose Timber Furniture as A Part of Home Renovation Project

It is astonishing that there is no single household that does not prefer using wooden furniture. The reason is simple and that is the warmth, elegance, rich appeal, grace and finesse that is found in wooden furniture. It is not possible to find a similar experience in any other material out there. Timber furniture hence provides homeowners a unique combination of aesthetic appeal and structural integrity at reasonable cost. Wood is a material that can transform the mood of any space in just few seconds. Choosing timber hence is popular in many home renovation projects.

Why is Timber the Best Choice for Furniture?

Traditionally people used to choose wood as the material for the creation of furniture. However, with time and technological advancements other materials like glass, aluminum, and steel are also being experimented. An industrial revolution in the furniture industry is witnessed by the introduction of new age alternatives. Wood however, till date has no match and offers the following advantages.

#1. Great Strength combined with durability

The best thing about timber furniture is that it is long lasting and is a robust material which can serve you for years to come. If you are looking for longevity in furniture, then timber is the only choice offering you an innate stability and reliability. It’s also an ideal value for money which means that you can sell it at a good price if the furniture are well maintained.

#2. Look and feel is unmatchable

Timber furniture adds integrity to the space and hence is used by many home designers and owners to create charm in your room. When renovating or improving the appeal of a home, charm is an element which is always added so that the new home gives a completely different feeling than the older one. Timber with its varied colors and designs is indeed a perfect way to achieve a charming and elegant living space.

#3. Sustainable material

Timber furniture is an excellent option for ensuring that you have an eco friendly home. An environment friendly home is made from objects which are non renewable in nature and hence helps conserve the natural resources. Wood for example can be considered as the only renewable building material. Trees are harvested continuously for wood and they can be replenished by a completely new growth. You can also hire specialized artisans and ask them to design eco friendly home interiors.

#5. Variety of designs

Wood comes in a wide range of colors, patterns, rings and shades. There are endless choices and hence you can easily choose a theme-based furniture for your entire home.  Having a well balanced and aligned look in every part of the house will no doubt improve it aesthetically.

#6. Versatility of timber

Any furniture which is made of wood looks good and pretty in any environmental setting. Timber along with its versatile shades, tones, patterns and hues hence can sync with all kinds of design schemes used in home improvement plans. So, whether you are creating a modern, classy, vintage or rustic theme there is a wood available for all themes.

Timber furniture is a historic and matured choice made by people all over the world. It A simple piece of wooden furniture will be enough to change the overall aesthetics of a space. Tiber furniture must be well maintained. If you are able to take care of the furniture with regular maintenance and cleaning, then its value will always be at a higher side. Check out timber furniture’s and research more about it before making an investment decision.