Magical tricks for saving space at home

Lily Cichanowicz Lily Cichanowicz
Einbauschränke Wohnzimmer, Held Schreinerei Held Schreinerei Wohnzimmer
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With space becoming an increasingly expensive commodity to come by, it makes sense that many of us are choosing to downsize. Space is a precious thing, and it’s important to use it efficiently. A home with a place for all your necessary items is one where you will experience a better flow of energy, more spatial harmony, and increased functionality. 

However, with a number of solutions available on the market today that promise to help reduce clutter and free up more space in the home, it can be a bit overwhelming to sift out what works best. There are entire industries and even television series built around saving space and increasing storage at home. Luckily, we’ve already prepared a list of simple and easy ideas that just about anyone can use to save space at home.

Use spaces you generally overlook

If you’re having a hard time quelling your storage woes, we have some good news for you. Even those who have employed many conventional measures in the hope of solving their storage problems likely still have plenty of underutilised and overlooked space in the home. There are a few common places where we bet you could fit a bit more storage, and some that are generally not considered as viable options at all. 

One of our personal favourites is beneath the stairs. As we can see in this example by Held Schreinerei, you can add some bespoke shelves underneath you steps to maximise this unused space. You can even create a small bathroom or study beneath the stairs! Another place that tends to get overlooked in the home is the hallway. Transitional spaces often make for great spots to stick a bookcase or cabinet.

Make storage wherever you can

Now that we’ve gotten the wheels turning about unused spaces in your home that can be converted into storage hubs, it’s time to think about how to get the storage in these places to work for you. Admittedly, doing so typically requires you to think a bit outside the box and to get creative. Making use of vertical space is a good place to start. 

Consider adding a small shelf or cubby above the door for stowing items you don’t use as often, like linens or cookbooks. Another trick is to add baskets above the cabinets in the kitchen, as we can see in this example. You could also store bulky items like pots and pans in this vacant space up high. A more intensive way to harness that empty vertical space is by adding a loft or mezzanine in a room with high ceilings.

Think about a mezzanine

Industrial design - Doimo sofas -Metropolis, IMAGO DESIGN IMAGO DESIGN Industriale Wohnzimmer Sofas und Sessel

There are many, many uses for lofts and mezzanines. They can be converted into bedrooms, offices, libraries, TV rooms, and more. While it can feel like you’re obligated to use this amazing and stylish space as a living area, it will also serve well as a storage room. You could even convert the loft or mezzanine into a hybrid of the two. 

We love the look of this mezzanine, which effectively stores bikes and adds an industrial quality to the area beneath. As for construction, most mezzanines will require the help of a professional to put into place. There are, however, lofts and some mezzanines that you can put together yourself. There are many styles and variations to the mezzanine, and they can be a great aesthetic enhancement to any home whilst also serving practical storage purposes.

Reorganize your garage

Catalogo Furlan Mobili: Una piccola selezione di armadi, de-cube de-cube Moderne Garagen & Schuppen Garage/Schuppen

Much like an attic or basement, the garage can serve as an excellent storage space for a variety of different items that don’t require a regulated temperature. If your family has a lot of athletic gear, tools, or even musical instruments, the garage might be a beacon of available space in your home. 

Oftentimes, the garage has space to spare even when a car is parked inside. Setting up a storage cabinet like this one will help to utilise those empty corners effectively. Notice how the cabinet also makes use of the vertical space here. Sports equipment, paints, and some documents fit with ease on the shelves. Plus, you could also install hooks for holding ski jackets, bikes, jump ropes, shoes, croquet paddles, or hockey sticks.

Reorganize your kitchen

Bespoke oak larder homify Landhaus Küchen

The kitchen is usually one of the busiest, most high traffic areas in the home. It’s common to struggle with the plight of adequate storage here for multiple reasons. One, our repertoires of gadgets, gizmos, dishware, cutlery, and spices tends to grow indefinitely. Just when you thought you had the perfect amount of space to house these items, a new recipe calls for a few more spices or someone gifts you a new set of plates. 

We suggest planning your kitchen with this in mind, thus always leaving a bit of space for the kitchen supplies to grow. Lots of kitchen items like pots and pans are bulky and awkward to store. Hanging pots and pants or keeping them in a corner cupboard will help add some order to the chaos. Kitchen functionality is important, and counter spaces serve you better when left free. Installing drawer inserts or extra shelves like we can see in this cabinet will help to make the space you do have more useful.

Try an open plan

In many traditional floor plans, the layout is comprised of multiple compartmentalised spaces, each reserved for a specific purpose. The presence of so many walls, however, can really do a lot to make the home feel more constrained. If you live in a smaller space or would like to encourage more communal interaction within the home, we recommend omitting some of the walls to allow for a freer, more cohesive living space. 

For example, this home was renovated from a 1920s style interior that was comprised of multiple cramped and cluttered rooms. Now the home is modernised and while each area is still dedicated to its own purpose, the overall look is far more spacious and interconnected. As we can see here, the open plan also allows for more natural light to penetrate further into the home.

Show your items with display cabinets

Bespoke Freestanding Display Cabinet, GO GO Moderne Esszimmer Buffets und Sideboards

Inevitably, no matter how much you cut the clutter, it’s likely you’ll still be left with books, mementos and crockery that are in need of a proper place within your home. Of course, this is perfectly okay! For those indispensable items, we recommend using them not only for their intended purposes but also to help enhance the aesthetic in your home by putting them on display. 

In fact, one of the best parts about eliminating the excess is that you’re far more able to showcase those things that really matter to you. Instead of stowing things in cabinets and closets where they are hidden from view, putting items on display can add dynamism, colour, and intrigue to your interiors. Plus, from bathrooms to bedrooms to dining rooms and living rooms, you can add a display cabinet to just about any space in the home.

For more tips for clearing out the excess in your home, check out this guide to banishing the clutter in your home in only 6 easy steps

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