Small Apartment Storage Solutions: How to Make Your Space Efficient

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One of the biggest challenges of living in a small apartment is creating enough space for you and your belongings. Whether you’re renting a loft in Chicago, IL, or renting a studio in San Diego, CA, there’s always a new storage solution to help make living in an apartment more efficient.

To help you get started organizing your space, we’ve consulted with professional organizers for their best small apartment storage solutions. Check out their best tips and tricks so you can begin living a more organized life today.

small apartment storage solutions for a room that doubles in purpose

You can easily maximize a small space

There are tons of things that can be done to maximize a small space but these are my two favorites. Declutter ruthlessly – A small space isn’t always the problem, it’s the overabundance of stuff we decide to keep. Go up – Any space in your house from a pantry to a bedroom can be expanded by using shelves on extra wall space. – Sidney Young, Owner and Professional Organizer of Need Organizing? | Professional Organizing Services

These three tips will help you with small apartment storage

The best way to organize your small apartment is to: 1) Keep a designated decorative basket for your donation items easily accessible so you can simply toss the items in. 2) Utilize all of your space by getting under the bed storage and wall shelving. 3) Get items that can do double duty for storage and organizing such as an ottoman for storing sheets or shoes. – Shanice Bannis, Organizing Expert | Blogger | Professional Organizer

Consider how you can use vertical space

When organizing a small space, making use of vertical space is key. When you can increase the function of a space without crowding it, it’s a win. Here’s a quick example: If you have a cabinet under the kitchen sink you’re likely already storing cleaning supplies there with some space above left unused. Consider adding a shelf riser to store a bin of rags underneath and another bin of cleaning supplies on top. The cleaning supply bin is up a little higher, making it easy to grab when you need it. – Missi McKown, Owner of Clear Spaces Organizing in Maple Grove, MN

Live within your space

We’ve all heard the sage advice to live within your means. Take that one step further and live within your space as well. Keep things of use and enhance your lifestyle as well as add value to the space which often comes at a higher premium in smaller living arrangements. Go vertical. With baskets and decorative containers, bookshelves can often be a solution to having a home for everything in your home. – Kathleen Green, Philly Home Organizer

Don’t buy items that don’t have a storage space

Keep clutter at bay by following a simple rule: Don’t bring anything into your space unless you know exactly where it will go. Clutter accumulates when you don’t know where to store items, so by predetermining where you will put new things, you evaluate if you truly have the space for the object, and whether it is worth the space it will take up. – Jesica Marican, Denver Home Organizing

image of a cleaned closet that is organized
Photo courtesy of Simplify Studio LLC

Keep what you need, love, and use

The most important aspect in keeping small spaces organized is to edit belongings down to only those that you need, love, and use. This allows for rooms to feel more spacious, organizational systems to be more easily maintained, and frees up time for what really matters. Having only the essentials in your home provides a sense of ease in life and feels good. – Lisa Greene Smith, SIMPLIFY STUDIO, LLC

Multi-use furniture are great small apartment storage solutions

One of the key essentials to organizing a small apartment is having enough places to store things. My advice is to have multi-use items that can be used for storage but can also function in several other ways. For example, a storage ottoman in a living room can be used for extra seating, as a coffee or end table, or as a place to store toys, blankets, or games when not in use. – Pamela Bass-Patterson, Organization to the Rescue

Anything can be turned into multi-use storage

Keeping items stored and tidy in a small space, even a tight one, can happen with two creative approaches. One, look up at open walls, corners, or above-window spaces and add shelves, cubbies, or cabinets to store go-to items in labeled bins in a decorative way. Second, look at existing furniture pieces and doors to add hooks to them to catch accessories, bags, toys, or anything hangable to free the floor space (besides doors, think under or on the side of ledges, tables, islands, desks, and counters.) – Amanda, Happy Sort

Look for spaces where you can create a storage spot

Organizing a small apartment can seem like an impossible task when you can’t see beyond the clutter. To start the process take a moment to glance through the apartment and look for underutilized space. Look over your cabinets, the top of your closet, and under your bed. When you find that extra space grab a measuring tape and make notes so that you can search for bins or products that will fit in those areas. You will be amazed at the extra space you can create by looking past the standard apartment storage. – Ruth Guerrier, Professional Organizer | Owner of Imagine Organizing

Combine functionality and aesthetics

As a professional organizer we come across people looking to have functionality, an easy system to follow, and aesthetics. When in a small space, like an apartment, this can be a challenge. Here are some ways to help. 1) When creating a “home” for your categories be sure to sort first and get rid of whatever you are not using. Stick to keeping what you actually use and what you love. 2) Take time to put things away. It takes more time and motivation to put things away after you have a pile then the 5-30 sec it took you to put it back in its “home.” 3) Get yourself a label maker and put a label on all the hidden areas that identify your items “homes.” This informs everyone where things are and holds them accountable to putting it back. – Joby Aranda, Professional Organizer at Living Lite Organized

Your space can guide your storage choices

In a small home, everything needs a place. Minimal and intentional living is really important. Let your space help guide you as to how much you can own. In other words, if you can store things without them overflowing and with some room to spare then that is the right amount of something to keep. Once it spills out from its designated home it becomes clutter. – Karen Buschini, In Its Place Organizing

living space that maximizes the space in your small apartment

Make storage solutions decorative

Buy furniture that doubles as storage, and make good use of vertical space by using shelving and hooks. Things like handbags, hats, instruments, or cooking pots can all be hung on a wall in a decorative way for easy access and to save storage space for other items. Be highly selective about what you bring into your space to avoid clutter building up over time. – Emily Neseth, Sorted Stones Home Organizing LLC, Robbinsdale, MN

Don’t keep things “just in case”

Before trying to find organizing solutions to your small space, declutter with brutal honesty. Use the space you have to gauge how much you can keep. Only keep what makes sense in your season of life. You do not have space for “just in case” or “I might fit into this one day.” Embrace who you are today and not some idealized version that takes away from the beauty right in front of you. Tip for finding a little extra space: never underestimate the space on the back of a door – a sturdy over-the-door organizer is gold for small spaces. – Anastasia Millwood, Tidy in Five

Use over-the-door space for your items

One of the best ways to maximize storage in a small apartment is to utilize the vertical space behind every door. An over-the-door system has adjustable baskets that can be easily repositioned to accommodate items of various sizes. They work great for adding extra storage in your pantry, bathroom, and closet. – Stacy Green, Professional Organizer The Home Organizing Co.

Think about what you bring into your small apartment 

If you live in a small apartment, you may want to think closely about new possessions entering into your space. Whether it is a new purchase, a gift, or something you got for free, it needs to be stored somewhere. I recommend letting go of one thing for every new item you bring into your home. – Jeanne Taylor, Tailorly Home LLC

Small apartment storage solutions should be easy to maintain

My tips for organizing a small apartment are to use all vertical space possible with the help of a step stool and stackable or under-the-bed bins, keep similar items together to take up less space, store extra items at the store, and avoid leaving a room empty-handed so items get returned to their home. – Julia Baum, Organize YourShelf Professional Organizing Services

Make sure everything has its place

To stay organized everything needs its place. Store things by categories in areas that make sense. If you live in a small space think vertical. Your wall space is your best friend. Get as tall cabinets and bookshelves as your ceilings allow. Put up shelves, get containers that fit the space that are both practical and decorative. Label them for easy identification. Wall hooks behind doors for lightly worn garments, robes, backpacks, and jewelry are also helpful. – Christina Ventor, Owner-LA Neat Freak-Stylish Organizing

organized kitchen space with lots of drawers and storage

Don’t forget to make space in your kitchen

Mount everything in the kitchen when counter and cabinet space is in short supply. A magnetic strip for knives (ditch the clunky block!), under-cabinet paper towel dispenser, a hanging basket inside the sink cabinet door for sponges and dish soap, or floating spice shelves. Yamazaki Home has fantastic magnetic organizers that stick to the side of the fridge for spices, cooking utensils, and more. – Lindsay Frey, owner, peace in place professional organizing 

Consider your space and use non-conventional storage

No matter the size, what do you want your space to look and feel like? Zoom out for a holistic vision of the square footage before working your way in with furnishings. If too much stuff is making your apartment too small, then take stock. Remove excess furniture impeding walkways, safe passage, and comfort. If storage is limited and piles abound on counters, desks, and floors, scrupulously assess what you have. Ensure that items already housed in drawers, cabinets, closets, and on surfaces have reason to be there. Gratification counts. Make room for necessary or wanted objects requiring storage by discarding via donation, sales, gifting, recycling, or as a last resort, trashing anything that doesn’t earn its keep. Ask someone else to handle objects that are likely to cause any emotional distress, even if you want to get rid of them.

Consider small-space, non-conventional storage: Ceiling or wall-mounted clothes racks. Room dividers with built-in bookshelves. Wall-mounted file organizers. Proceed cautiously before purchasing any accessories to avoid visual overload. – Sherri Curley, aka The Practical Sort is a home organizer, organizing motivator, speaker, and writer at The Practical Sort Eco-Organizing Solutions

Let go of items that no longer serve you

My advice to people who are downsizing or living in apartments would be to “Let it go!” We tend to hold on to things, thinking that someday, someone from our family or friends would want it, someday. But that day never comes. It’s better to take photos of stuff that you love and they don’t fit in your new space, share the photos in a group chat. Put a date to be picked up by and a date that’s in a range of say 2-7 days. And if it’s not taken by then, pass it for donation. Selling it could be an option if you have time and space to store, but with inflation, storage units are just as expensive as the apartment you are living in. 

As for the space you’re moving into, measuring the furniture is important. Your comfy 5 piece sectional is not going to fit in a 900-1500 sqft apartment. Time to let go of that sectional and opt for a 2 piece sofa with a chair suitable for small space. Most apartments (assuming it’s a rental) don’t have closets with drawers or shelves. Believe it or not, this is very very important. For this, I would recommend The Container Store Elfa wide drawer solution. – Nisha Karimi, Prof.Home Organizer, Swift Organizing

Alison is part of the content marketing team and enjoys writing about housing affordability and home interior design ideas. Her dream home is a cottage-style house with a chef's kitchen and a cozy room to store and play vinyl records.
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