Creative Solutions for Getting Additional Storage Spaces at Home
Sometimes, a home just doesn’t seem to fulfill our incessant need for more space. As families grow and homeowners acquire more furniture and appliances through the years, there is always a constant desire to have more storage space in which to keep belongings.
With imagination and creativity, you can come up with fresh ideas on how to maximize existing spaces and surfaces in your home.

Walls and Surfaces
Mounting cabinets and shelves on walls is a great way to add storage without taking up additional floor space in the room. Whether it’s shallow or deep, a wall shelf can house anything that may otherwise be left lying around your living area.
Look around and see what surfaces you haven’t tapped yet. Maybe you can build a medicine cabinet on the dividing wall in your bathroom. When installing a built-in cabinet, opt for glass sliding doors that not only let you see what’s inside right away, but also keep you from using up more space. In kitchens, you can hang a utensil rack instead of keeping all your cooking utensils in a cupboard, which can then be used to store other items. Another plus side of a utensil rack is that it offers easy access to ladles, tongs, and the like when cooking.

Staircases
The staircase has always been a likely spot for a storage place. Even Aunt Petunia had a cupboard under the stairs where her nephew Harry Potter once lived. But there is much more you can do with the space underneath your banister. You can build a bookcase underneath the stairs to store common reference materials like phonebooks and recipe books. The stairway wall can also be turned into a storage space for magazines or picture frames while the steps can be hinged to store slippers and shoes.

Cabinets
If you have a deep-bottom cabinet, set up pull-out storage shelves. This kind of storage makes removing and replacing items more convenient, since you’ll never need to dig around in the cabinet to find something. The shelves also keep the drawer uncluttered and organized.
For more storage, extend the topmost part of your shelf or cabinet up to the ceiling. This extra space lets you keep things that are seldom used. Needless to say, a step stool should be placed nearby for easy access.

Attics
The attic is usually identified as an area where you can store boxes and chests filled with childhood toys, embarrassing pictures, old clothes, and other memorabilia that you simply can’t throw out or put up at a garage sale. If you want to keep it organized, set up small shelves where you can arrange photo albums or a DVD archive of videos and digital photos. With an attic library of memories, you can find relief in the thought that your family’s growing history is safely kept.

Recesses
Even the narrow recesses of your kitchen walls can be useful for storing your condiments and spices. The recessed shelves of your bar or kitchen island can store small items as well.

Mounted Storage Solutions
Garden shops are full of clever ideas for storage around the home. For example, a plant basket can be mounted on the wall to keep your children’s books and toys in one place. Not only are they practical, they also give the walls a homey touch.

Bay Windows
Bay windows are promising storage spaces for pillowcases and blankets. To get the most out of the space, add a hinged seat. Turning part of the bay window into a small bookshelf or cabinet is also an ingenious way to add more storage space to your home.

Furniture
When buying furniture, look for pieces that have compartments to help you keep a room organized. Some beds feature underbed drawers which you can use to store extra pillows and blankets or your children’s toys and stuffed animals. A coffee table can also double as a magazine shelf while an ottoman may be used to store photo albums. Be a wise shopper and look for furniture that serves dual purposes.

Washer-Dryer
Spaces under the washer-dryer should not be left untapped. Take advantage of these small spaces by installing drawers where you can store detergent, bleach, fabric softeners, and other laundry supplies.

With these creative storage ideas, you can make the most of your living spaces for a more efficient household.

Jessica Phan is a designer for Balsamhill.com, a
purveyor of high-end artificial Christmas Trees. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is perfect for her because she has a wide range of interests, including Art & Design, Fashion, Photography, Painting and Thrift Store Shopping.