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Creative Storage Solutions for your Small Space

Consider these storage solutions for your small space.

By Stephen Davis
Special to Relocation.com

When your space is limited in your new apartment or dorm room, you may end up wondering just where to put stuff so that you don’t end up with tons of clutter. Luckily, there are some pretty and creative ways to store things. It just takes some time and imagination.

The first thing you can do is to evaluate your belongings. If there are items that you really don’t need, get rid of them. You only want to store the things you really need and want and all the rest is just useless clutter.

Think vertically. Once you have cleaned out the useless stuff, it is time to take a look around at just where you can be creative. One thing you can do is to think vertically. Try a bookcase that reaches the ceiling, for instance. You can display a lot on a floor to ceiling bookcase; everything from books to photo albums, magazines and knick-knacks can be put on those shelves. Consider a tall bookcase as a headboard for your bed.

Use the inside of closet and cabinet doors. You can buy plastic hanging shoe-holders, for instance, and put a ton of stuff into them. In the kitchen you can even store small containers, utensils or spices in them. In the bathroom you can roll up towels and put into those pockets, or spare toiletries. For the bathroom, a small wine rack can hold a lot of towels and washcloths as well.

Use storage underneath. Another space you can utilize is under the coffee table or end tables. Get nice looking containers that will fit under these, or try using steamer trunks. You can even use trunks as your coffee table! Look under things for available space. Under the bed is a perfect place to store things, too. You can buy some boxes especially made for under a bed. In a child’s room, consider getting a captain’s bed that has drawers built into it.

Use hooks. In the kitchen, consider the use of hooks on the wall to hang pots and pans, strainers, utensils or whatever. Creatively arranged hooks can really look nice, and it will give you tons of storage. A pot holder that hangs from the ceiling is also a great space saver. Store food items like rice, cereal and the like in stacking plastic containers that take up a lot less room than the boxes the food comes in.

Consider items that double as storage. For instance, a foot stool or ottoman that has storage inside of it will be a great place to store things in. Using a small chest of drawers in the entryway can hold all your items like keys, umbrellas and things like that. You can even use a short chest of drawers as a coffee table! Install shelves high up on the walls of rooms to hold things.

Even the smallest of spaces can be maximized for storage. All you really need to think outside of the box and use some handy storage solutions (and your space) effectively.

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