To make the most of our homes, we need to make sure they’re clutter-free and as spacious as possible. This is especially so in smaller spaces, where every square inch counts. With the help of the right storage solution, this is more than achievable – you’ll be able to tidy away all of those loose items, so that you’ll have the most convincing possible impression of space.

Let’s take a look at ten clever ways to free up storage space for your small room.

1. Backs of doors

If you cram items into a cupboard until it’s ready to burst, then you’ll have to pull a few of them out to reach the ones at the back. A better idea is often to attach a little bit of storage space to the rear of the door, so that you can access those small hangable items when you open it. Do this the right way, and you’re effectively doubling the amount of stuff you can access while standing in front of the cupboard.

2. Pocket Organisers

Another useful device for behind-door storage is the pocket organiser. This is a sheet of cloth or plastic with several pockets sewn into it. It can be used to store stationary, glue, and other bits and bobs. For best results, you’ll want to get every pocket individually labelled. That way you won’t have to spend any time rooting through it in search of the item you’re looking for.

3. Under the Bed

We’re all liable to throw things under the bed as a temporary storage solution – so why not try formalising things slightly with a frame a few castor wheels. It’ll take seconds to put together, and function a lot like a drawer. To do this right, you’ll need some minor DIY skills, the necessary materials, and a few hours on an afternoon at the weekend. Make sure that the castors you use are soft enough that they won’t mark the floor as you pull your storage trolley in and out from under the bed.

4. Wall-mounted shelves

A freestanding bookshelf isn’t a particularly efficient way to use space. If it goes all the way down to the floor, then you may end up losing space. Moreover, you won’t have room to place extra pieces of furniture underneath them. You can get around this by replacing those freestanding shelves with something affixed to the wall. 

5. Ottoman Bed

Another under-bed option comes in the form of the ottoman bed. Simply lift up the mattress and you can access all of the empty space beneath, without any visible drawers or joins around the edges. Ottoman beds are a great match for very small rooms, as you don’t need much space on either side of the bed to access what’s beneath.

6. Wall-mounted Monitors

If you’re dealing with an office, then your computer screens may occupy a significant amount of real-estate on your desk. You can fix this with the help of a wall-mount. Since modern computer monitors are so lightweight, this is quite straightforward – you can usually do it yourself. Just make sure that you use the appropriate rawl plugs, and that you’re using a sturdy, external wall to support the weight. Once you’ve got this taken care of, you can start to think about cable management – get some trunking running just beneath your desk.

7. Under-shelf storage

A hanging bookshelf makes a great place to store ornaments, pictures and even books. But if you attach a suitable rail to the underside, it can also make a great place to hang clothes, ties, scarves, towels, and other items. If you want to take things further, you might even build a miniature enclosure around your rail.

8. Behind the bed

Immediately above your bed is a great deal of empty space. If you install a clothes rack there, you can free up space elsewhere in the room. Pull the bed out slightly to avoid hitting your head on those hanging clothes in the morning.

9. Fitted Wardrobes

If you’re willing to spend a little more, then you might swap out your old wardrobe for something that’s precisely tailored to the available space. You’ll make much better use of what you already have available, and the space will look better, too. Fitted wardrobes tend to make the most sense when they’re built around existing obstacles, like chimney breasts, staircases and sloping roofs. 

10. Magnetic Strip

Wall-mounted magnetised strips are often used in the kitchen, where they offer a great place to hang knives. But you can achieve a similar effect elsewhere in the home, using other metal objects, like coat-hangers, to hang up just about everything. Magnetic strips have the advantage of being easy to use, and if you’ve already got a spare one in your kitchen, you won’t need to spend any money. 

11. Reusing Kitchen Cabinets

If you’re tossing out old kitchen cabinets, you might want to think again – these things can often be repurposed elsewhere in the home, as they’re small enough to be inserted just about everywhere. A classic example is in the space just beneath a raised bed, which can provide a practical means of stowing away all of those extra items cluttering your bedroom, without intruding on your wardrobe space.

In Conclusion

As we’ve seen, there are plenty of ways to fit extra storage space, even into a smaller room. You might pick just one of these techniques, or go for a combination of them, to get results that are right for your room. Just remember that if your aim is to reduce visual clutter, you may want to conceal those stacks of boxes and other loose ends.