17 Tips to Find Hidden Places in Your Home that Could be Used as Storage

Do you find yourself wasting a lot of time finding the items you need? Do you ever buy things and keep them in the bag too long? Mostly because you don’t know where to store them?

Secret Places to Store Things

We’re looking to solve all these problems by looking at home hidden places that could easily be turned into storage areas. Sometimes, you just need to think outside the box to find all the ample storage solutions already in your home. So, check out our 17 tips to find hidden places in your home that could be used as storage space!

Why You Need More Storage

Why You Need More Storage

Many people discover that they have amassed a significant number of superfluous items over the years. Frequently, one of the key areas of contention is additional home furnishings.

This can occur as a result of relocating to a smaller or larger home. Or as a result of inheriting or purchasing additional home furniture. When new furniture is acquired, the entire house is put at danger due to the lack of available space.

Additionally, many people will relocate certain items of furniture to locations such as the garage, attic, or basement. With this in mind, keep in mind that these locations may introduce additional dangers to your furniture. Such as bugs, dust, and weather and climatic difficulties.

Extra storage space may be necessary during house renovations or when your children return home for summer break. With all of these scenarios in mind, additional storage space might be ideal for ensuring that your home does not become cluttered with unnecessary items.

Benefits to Having Extra Storage

Benefits to Having Extra Storage

  • Quality storage gives space for objects that are being relocated while also making them simply and quickly accessible to you at all times.
  • According to statistics, hundreds of people are late paying their bills simply because they can’t find them! If you are one of those folks, consider how much money you can save simply by decluttering.
  • Self-storage adds another dimension to the storage strategy, making it a wise choice that will ensure the relocation goes as smoothly as possible.
  • It makes organizing your stuff a lot easier.
  • It is easier to redesign your home and put everything back in its place when you’re done.

What Happens When You Don’t Have Enough Storage in Your Home?

When their possessions become overwhelming, the majority of individuals do not instantly jump to get rid of them. Rather than that, they purchase additional storage. Be it boxes, bins, shelves, and other areas for storing items. While having appropriate storage is critical, it’s all too easy to allow storage to become your go-to answer for too much stuff.

What Happens When You Don’t Have Enough Storage in Your Home?

As long as you make deliberate choices about the things that should be kept and those we need to discard, you should have no problems. However, the majority of people mistakenly takes the route of caution and keeps an excessive amount. Resulting in future problems and a sense of space scarcity.

Clutter takes its toll

Clutter—the majority of us have a small amount of it here and there. Indeed, many of us own more than a little. According to a 2015 poll by the National Association for Professional Organizers, almost a third of readers are overwhelmed by their clutter – and have no idea where to begin cleaning. How is all of this apocalyptic mayhem affecting us?

For the majority of us, particularly parents with little children, it is impractical to keep our homes in immaculate order 24 hours a day. Thumbing through catalogs with beautifully furnished rooms or walking through a wonderfully uncluttered model house is motivating. But Committing oneself to such excessive standards of what a clean home should look like may not only be unreasonable, but it may also add to one’s stress.

For instance, if you find yourself taking it out on other family members for little mishaps to the point that family unity is jeopardized, you may need to lower your standards.

How to Add More Storage to Your Home

Above Kitchen Cabinets

Above Kitchen Cabinets

Use elegant woven storage baskets to utilize unused space above top kitchen cabinets. Due to the fact that this area is typically only accessible via ladder, it’s an excellent location for storing less commonly used things. Closed canisters, whether for dry goods or random detritus, give an unmistakably kitchen-like atmosphere.

Along with adding a touch of neutral texture to your kitchen, baskets are excellent at concealing items no one needs to see. Such as the juicer you recently registered for, or the stash of recipes cut from magazines you pull down for the holidays. Your kitchen storage possibilities are everywhere, you just have to look.

In the Toe Kick Beneath Your Cabinets

Toe Kick Beneath Your Cabinets

Install toe-kick drawers beneath your base cabinets to increase storage space in the kitchen. Simply assemble these extra drawers that act as storage units in your garage, then slide them beneath the cabinets and secure them with screws.

We know that installing these drawers might seem like a difficult task that requires meticulous design, cabinetmaker abilities, and child-size hands to work in that confined location, but there are plenty of online tutorials that will guide you through the process and show you just how easy it is.

Backs of Doors

These solutions for behind-the-door storage can enable you to store more without taking up additional space. If you believe your closet is already full, reconsider. Utilizing the space behind the door can increase storage space and aid in the organization of small goods such as crafts tools.

Before you purchase organizers for your closet door, double-check that they will fit while the door is closed. Measure the clearance between the door’s closing, the top and bottom door jamb, as well as the clearance between the door and the floor. Sturdy hooks assist in securing baskets and offer flexibility in the event that storage requirements change.

Under Your Beds

Laundry room storage

Utilize the space beneath your bed by installing a storage container. This simple method converts an otherwise worthless space into a totally practical storage room for out-of-season apparel, additional bedding, or that pile of items you can’t bear to part with.

The best part about choosing under-the-bed storage is that you can get insanely creative with it. You can opt for storage bins, transparent plastic bags, or you can even install wooden drawers if you’re willing to make the effort to tackle such a DIY project.

Bottom Half of Your Closet

Have you ever looked at the bottom half of your closet and thought about all that wasted space? If you have, why not do something about it? If you’re short on room, conceal your hanging clothes with a compact dresser and shoe rack.

The bottom of the dresser can be used to store accessories such as hats and jewelry. While shoe organizers are convenient for storing sneakers, they may also be used to store bulky goods such as sweaters that you don’t want to stretch out on a hanger. Additionally, rolling them into baskets is an excellent solution.

If you have a lot of long-hanging clothing, the lower part of the closet can quickly become a wasteland. Arrange your shorter-hanging garments on one end of the closet and place those garments that hang lower on the other. This will create plenty of floor room for a small dresser or stacking shoe rack.

Ceiling Height

Laundry room storage

While we adore the simple appearance that a single bookshelf or shelf can impart on a room, there is something intoxicating about floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Not only is this an excellent method to display your book collection, but it may also make a significant design statement.

The primary advantage of floor-to-ceiling cabinets returns us to kitchen design fundamentals: the quantity of storage space they provide. However, you need to make sure that the objects you’re extending are light enough that you can use both hands to hold onto the ladder.

Without cabinets or shelves that extend to the entire height of the ceiling, there is a “dead area” that can be ugly and collect dust. If the space is large enough, it can be used for storage or to showcase decor. For lesser gaps, crown molding can always be used to provide a clean, finished effect.

Storage Ottomans

Laundry room storage

Ottomans are multipurpose furniture pieces that can be used as sitting, storage, coffee tables, or even in place of a sofa. Ottomans, also known as footstools, pouffes, tuffets, and hassocks, have become an integral element of our home furnishings.

Their aesthetic has varied throughout time, but the principle has remained constant. Storage ottomans come in a variety of sizes, making them great for complementing any room in the house.

Ottomans can be used to store remote controls, periodicals, small toys, and game controllers, among other items. Some models feature a hinged top to maximize storage capacity. They are beneficial for decluttering a room. Others feature side pockets for storage that make it easier to retrieve everyday necessities.

Storage Coffee Tables

Storage Coffee Tables

Under the table’s surface are shelves, drawers, or pockets for storage. Often composed of wood, these tables are more utilitarian, with the capacity to swiftly and easily clear a tabletop.

When paired with an entertainment system, a storage coffee table’s drawers can be a practical method to conceal remote controls while avoiding their loss. Additionally, they provide excellent storage for periodicals, coffee table books, and even board games.

Couches with Hidden Storage

Couches with Hidden Storage

The primary advantage of sofas with storage is that they enable you to establish a clutter-free zone. Our living areas must be adaptable, serving as a venue for entertaining visitors, playing games, watching television, or simply relaxing. Regrettably, all of these activities appear to attract clutter, which might detract from the room’s charm.

A storage sofa enables you to conceal much of this clutter while keeping it close at hand. Whether you wish to keep blankets close for those somewhat cool afternoons or have a plethora of game console controllers, this useful storage allows you to retain a clutter-free appearance.

Another advantage of a storage sofa is that you have a place to store all your seasonal things. Whether you’re looking for a place to store winter blankets, out-of-season apparel, or even Christmas decorations, the vast storage area within the sofa will accommodate any extraneous things.

This can be a huge benefit for those who live in smaller homes and do not have access to a garage, enormous wardrobes, or other storage facilities seen in larger homes. This eliminates the need to have an out-of-season wardrobe throughout the year.

Over the Toilet

Laundry room storage

Creating additional storage in your bathroom is critical since you will need to store various products in there on a daily basis. This category includes shampoos, brushes, cosmetics, make-up items, among other goods.

Additionally, bathroom storage space is critical for storing towels and undergarments. The storage space enables you to organize your bathroom nicely. Utilizing every square inch of your bathroom can be really beneficial.

Over toilet storage units come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, and are often constructed of shelves. Shelves are advantageous for storing various objects that are frequently used. Additionally, arranging objects on shelves makes them more accessible.

In Hallways

Laundry room storage

Hallways are known for being vast expanses of empty space that can wreak havoc on the arrangement of your home. As a result, we’d want to demonstrate a new perspective on things. There are plenty of storage solutions you can turn to when it comes to making efficient use of your hallways space:

  • If your hallway has at least 50 inches of vacant space, this is the ideal way to utilize it. If you have adequate space, you can install closets on both sides. Select a closet that extends all the way to the ceiling to maximize storage space.
  • Choose a narrow shoe rack which can eventually be replaced with other shoe storage solutions.
  • Console tables are ideals when you want a furniture piece that combines storage and a beautiful design.
  • Consider installing a large clothing dresser for your coats and jackets. You can use the bottom space of these closets to place storage boxes to create additional storage space.

Between Studs

What if we told you that a less thought-of storage area is right under your nose (or, should we say, in your walls)? From one room to another, creating shelves for storing items is possible, viable, and not complicated to do.

Recessed kitchen shelves can be left open to showcase plates, candles, and seasonal décor. However, for a more practical solution, utilize it for storage. Whether or not you have a specific pantry space, adding recessed shelves and increasing storage space can’t harm. Close it off with a door and look at how you’ve created additional space for food and spices.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, recessed shelving can be used for a multitude of functions, whether decorative or functional. With that in mind, your recessed living room shelves should combine function and form.

Under the Stairs

Under the Stairs

Historically, closets beneath stairs were mostly used for bathrooms and hanging clothing. This spot is frequently underutilized or simply boarded up, but there are numerous imaginative ways to utilize this deceptively vast space.

When left open or underused, an under-the-stairs cupboard accumulates layers of dust, but when used properly, it can function as a useful pantry, a place to store cleaning supplies, or even serve as a good place to store your books if you opt for an open-shelf design.

If you have a pet or are considering acquiring one but are concerned about space, this area under the stairs provides an excellent method to add space. It makes sense to create a special area for your four-legged friends and an under-the-stairs small room is the type of modest, comfortable room they crave.

Of course, this is dependent on the area and the dog’s size, but for a medium-sized dog, this room should comfortably accommodate a large enough bed.

Above the Stairs

If you have stairs that are wide enough to support this idea, you can always use part of them to create some extra storage shelves. Imagine cubbies that are designed to sit on top of the stairs and can be used for storage purposes, but also for your plants or items that you want to showcase for purely decorative purposes.

Attic

In most houses, attic storage is available for storing a few boxes here and there. Prior to utilizing this storage space, you need to reflect and examine the potential space that your attic can provide.

If you intend to use your attic frequently or to store heavy objects, you may need to extend the access aperture and build an access ladder. In case you want to turn your attic into a habitable space, consult a professional about installing a permanent stairwell.

Above Washer and Dryer

Above Washer and Dryer

When it comes to upgrading storage above the washer and dryer, cupboards above the machines installed on the wall are nothing to sneeze at. Because builders often include only one row of inexpensive wire shelves, adding cabinets is an upgrade. They conserve space by incorporating laundry room storage onto the platform. However, not every laundry room has a cramped space.

With cabinets positioned above the washer and dryer, all you have to do is open the door to find what you’re looking for. Detergents and other similar cleaning items are all at your disposal. You’re already in front of the washing machine, so all you have to do is reach for the stuff you need.

On Your Porch

It would be a shame to let all that porch storage go to waste and not take advantage of it using a few tricks that are right underneath your nose. There are plenty of ways for you to take advantage of this space as long as you remember the limitations and potential dangers of storing stuff outdoors.

For instance, not everything that you store underneath the bed can resist harsh winter temperatures, so the insulation provided by your outdoor storage solutions needs to be factored in.

When you’ve considered all the elements that your items will be exposed to, you can start thinking about actual storage solutions. Your options range from large synthetic wicker baskets to regular cabinets designed for outdoor storage.

FAQ

How can I add space to my house?

There are plenty of different ways for you to add space to your house, including repurposing the attic and basement, properly organizing the garage, enclosing a patio or closing a balcony, adding another story to the house, turning the shed into a room, etc.

Is it worth adding on to your home?

If you want to raise the value of your home and are willing to commit to a time-consuming but lucrative investment, a home addition is a must. Not only does it bring convenience and value to your house, but it also allows you to express your own creativity.

Is it cheaper to add on or build up?

When creating new construction, it is more cost effective to build up with a two-story residence than to expand out. When remodeling, a one-story addition is less expensive than adding another story to an existing structure.

How do you add space to a small house?

Some of the tricks for adding space to a small house include building strategic storage slots, mounting the TV on the wall, opting for furniture with exposed legs, adding mirrors throughout the house to create the illusion of space, etc.

The Wrap Up

How many times have you looked at a new item and thought “where am I even going to store this”? We’ve all had this lack of storage problem at least once throughout the years, but there are also a lot of places that could be used as storage that we didn’t even think of.

If you want more ideas on how to efficiently organize your home space, check out some of our other helpful guides like  the best over the door bathroom storage solutions!