Great Storage Spaces in Little Places

When space is tight, every bit of storage helps.  And even if spaces is not tight, I am of the opinion that you can never have too many places to organize or simply hide things.  Other than the typical closets, cabinets, and drawers, there are many creative, advantageous places to hide and organize unsightly items.  Let’s start by looking at the typical kitchen.

Appliance Garage.

Bathroom storage

Everyone has small appliances, many of which only perform one function and are not in use a majority of the time.  No matter how much or how little space one has, storing the appliances when not in use can eat up a lot of valuable counter or cabinet space.  A great solution to this problem is an under-cabinet appliance garage.

Bathroom storage

Normally, the space between the counter and cabinet above is empty and unlike the colorful stand mixer, not every appliance is worthy of being left out on display.  By simply adding a cabinet that goes all the way to the counter, a great hide-away is created.  And as a bonus, if there is an electrical plug on the wall inside the appliance garage, the appliance only has to be move minimally to function.

Under Bar.

Bathroom storage

One location that often gets overlooked is the “other” side of a bar or island.  This is a opportune place to hide shallow cabinets, extra drawers, or even a mini-fridge.  By recessing these under the counter, there is still plenty of leg room for the bar top.

Spice Drawer.

Bathroom storage

Another great storage idea is the vertical spice drawer beside the kitchen stove.   This is a great way to take advantage of a narrow space that may be left-over between cabinets.  Conveniently locating the drawer beside the stove allows for easy access while in the middle of preparing a dish.

Peg Board.

Bathroom storage

Another great way to take advantage of a small, narrow space is by using peg board on one side of the drawer.  This allows for items to hang in easy reach of the stove, while also allowing those items to remain hidden when not needed.  Another space saving idea shown in the photo above is the use of drawers beneath the range, rather than one large cabinet.  This allows better utilization of the space below and would be a great place to store pots and pans.

Under Sink.

Bathroom storage

And let’s not forget the space where items are often forever lost – under the sink.  By using the drawer idea again in this location, items are kept organized and easily accessible without having to dig in the back of a deep cabinet.

Small drawer.

Bathroom storage

If you prefer the cabinet below the sink, there are still other options to allow for extra storage, such as this small tilt-out drawer.  This would also be a great place to store toothbrush and toothpaste at the bathroom vanity, not to mention that the drawers would also work well in small bathrooms.

Great for Bathrooms too

Beside Toilet.

Bathroom storage

Another handy place to take advantage of extra storage in a bathroom is inside a partial wall.  Many current bathroom designs feature a short wall separating the toilet from the rest of the room to create privacy, as shown here between the toilet and the bathtub.  This design creates a great space for a vertical drawer, much like in the kitchen, making the wall not only functional for privacy, but for storage.

Under and Behind Bed.

Bathroom storage
Bathroom storage

A last place that many people use for storage, though it may not be as well organized, is under the bed.   This is usually a last resort, a place to put things that have nowhere else to be hidden.  The bed takes up the majority of the room, and when space is tight, it makes sense to use the space underneath for storage.  A great way take advantage of this space rather than just stuff things into the abyss is a bed frame with drawers, such as the one shown here which includes another great storage idea – the bookcase headboard.

There are many great storage spaces that take advantage of small and forgotten spaces; it just take a little ingenuity to find them.