15 ways to squeeze more storage out of small spaces

There’s often much more storage space in your home than you think – even in small spaces. It just takes a little out-of-the-box thinking. Check out these 15 ideas for creating more storage in your small spaces.

The space behind a door is a storage spot that’s often overlooked. Build a set of shallow shelves and mount it to the wall behind your laundry room door. The materials are inexpensive. Measure the distance between the door hinge and the wall and subtract 3cm. This is the maximum depth of the shelves. We used 19x89mms for the sides, top and shelves. Screw the sides to the top. Then screw three 19×45mm hanging strips to the sides: one top and bottom and one centred. Nail metal shelf standards to the sides. Complete the shelves by nailing a 19×45mm trim piece to the sides and top. The 19×45mm dresses up the shelf unit and keeps the shelves from falling off the shelf clips.

Locate the studs. Drill clearance holes and screw the shelves to the studs with 6cm wood screws. Put a rubber bumper on the frame to protect the door.

Head here for more clever storage solutions.

This laundry room hanging rod project will save you hours of ironing and organising. Now you can hang up your shirts and jackets as soon as they’re out of the dryer – no more wrinkled shirts at the bottom of the basket. You’ll also gain an out-of-the-way upper shelf to store all sorts of odds and ends.

Just go to a hardware store and get standard closet rod brackets, a closet rod and a precut 30cm deep melamine shelf. Also, pick up some drywall anchors, or if you have concrete, some plastic anchors and a corresponding masonry bit. Fasten shelves to the wall and add the closet rod for instant laundry room storage.

Wire pantry shelves aren’t just for pantries. They’re perfect for any wall where full-depth shelves won’t fit: garages, laundry rooms, utility rooms, etc. The perfect space-saving shelves solution.

In a small kitchen with little storage space, you can make even narrow filler spaces work harder by installing a vertical pegboard rollout. Kitchen designer Mary Jane Pappas typically recommends 45- to 80cm-wide rollout drawers for cabinets: ‘Any larger and they’re too clumsy. Any smaller and too much of the space is used by the rollouts themselves.’ But there is one type of rollout that makes good use of narrow spaces, even those only 8 to 15cm wide. Pappas says that pull-out pantries– single tall, narrow drawers with long, shelves, drawers, baskets or even pegboard – can be an efficient way to put skinny spaces to work.

Here are 4 more space-saving kitchen storage ideas.

When you can’t find a convenient nook for a set of narrow storage shelves, you can often create one by recessing the shelves into the wall itself. Choose the location before you build the project to make sure it will fit. Start by looking for a space with no obvious obstructions. Locate the studs with a stud finder. Some stud finders can also locate electrical wires and plumbing pipes inside walls. When you’ve found a promising spot, cut a 15cm-square inspection hole between the studs. Use a flashlight and a small mirror to inspect the stud cavity for obstructions. You often can modify the size of the cabinet to avoid obstructions.

When you find a good space, mark the perimeter of the opening and use a drywall keyhole saw to cut it out. Measure the opening and subtract 6mm from the height and width to determine the outer dimensions of your cabinet.

For standard 38x89mm stud walls with 12mm-thick drywall, build the cabinet frame from 19x89mms that measure 9mm wide (see illustration). If your walls are different, adjust the depth of the frame accordingly. Then add a 6mm back. We screwed 6mm pegboard to the back so we could hang stuff from pegboard hooks. Add casing that matches the trim in your house. Drill holes into the sides to accept shelf supports. Shelf supports fit in 3mm, 5mm or 6mm holes depending on the style. Install the cabinet by slipping it into the opening, levelling it and nailing through the trim into the studs on each side. Use 6d finish nails placed every 30mm along both sides.

DIY these handy storage bins.

If you already have a few unused suitcases around, they can be suitable for storing seasonal clothes (and won’t take up any extra room). Roll common clothes like shirts, sweaters and pants into loose bundles before storing them. They take up less room this way and can breathe easier.

Build a display shelf over the door to show off your knick-knacks, books or to add storage space to a small room. As a bonus, if you increase the height and depth of the “box” that forms the core of each shelf, these shelves can double as valances for window curtains or blinds.

Here are some cool storage solutions using PVC piping.

Turn wasted toe-kick cavities into clever flat storage space for serving trays, cutting boards and baking pans. This article by The Family Handyman shows you how to construct self-contained rollout shelving units.

Pull-down racks give you instant access to kitchen essentials without the clutter of spice racks or knife holders. When the cooking is done, the rack swings up against the underside of the cabinet. You can buy ready-made racks or buy a pair of hinges and make your own wooden rack to hold knives, spices or other small items that take up counter space.

Check out these kitchen organising ideas you can’t believe you lived without.