15 ways to squeeze more storage out of small spaces

Small spice containers use shelf space inefficiently and are difficult to find when surrounded by taller bottles and items. Use a small spring-tension curtain rod as a simple shelf. It’s easy to install and strong enough to support the spices.

Expandable or pull-out shelves are an easy way to add extra room to your kitchen without changing anything else. This is a relatively small project and you can typically find a very good pull-out shelf accessory for under $50.

Don’t waste all that space between joists in a basement or garage. Screw wire shelving to the underside of the joists. A 2.5m x 40mm length of wire shelving and a pack of plastic clips (sold separately) costs about 20 bucks. Don’t forget that wire shelving also shines on walls.

Find out how to create wall to wall garage storage.

Salvage the hidden space at the recessed ends of your closets by adding a set of wire shelves. Wire shelves are available in a variety of widths. Measure the width and depth of the space. Then choose the correct shelving and ask the salesperson to cut the shelves to length for you. Subtract 1cm from the actual width to determine the shelf length. Buy a pair of end mounting brackets and a pair of plastic clips for each shelf.

There’s a lot of space above the shelf in most closets. Even though it’s a little hard to reach, it’s a great place to store seldom-used items. Make use of this wasted space by adding a second shelf above the existing one. Buy enough closet shelving material to match the length of the existing shelf plus enough for two end supports and middle supports over each bracket. Thirty centimetre-wide shelving is available in various lengths and finishes at home centres and lumberyards.

We cut the supports 40mm long, but you can place the second shelf at whatever height you like. Screw the end supports to the walls at each end. Use drywall anchors if you can’t hit a stud. Then mark the position of the middle supports onto the top and bottom shelves with a square and drill 4mm clearance holes through the shelves. Drive 4mm screws through the shelf into the supports.

All you need to gain a lot of hanging space in your closet is two metal closet brackets and a length of closet rod. If your existing closet rod is at least 168cm from the floor, there’s enough space to add a second rod below it and still hang shirts and pants. We placed the top of the rod 89cm from the floor, which allowed just enough room to hang two levels of pants.

Locate studs on the back wall of the closet with a stud finder. Then attach metal brackets to the studs. Use a level to align the brackets along the top. Space the brackets no more than 81cm apart.

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Source: RD.com