20 Best Storage Ideas for Small Spaces

small storage — DESIGN: EMILY HENDERSON, PHOTO: SARA LIGORRIA-TRAMP

No matter how much square footage you're dwelling in, it never seems to be enough. If you're working with a small space to begin with, it could feel close to impossible to tuck away all your belongings with limited storage options.

Lucky for you, we have solutions. Scroll through for 20 storage ideas to maximize even the smallest of spaces.

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Display the Goods

If you have a lot of plants and are working with a small space, consider storage solutions that keep your pots off your floors and keep your counter space but in a visually pleasing way. Mount pots on the walls, utilize hanging planters and tuck greenery away on shelves for storage that doubles as a display.

Level Up Your Greenery with These 11 Gorgeous Hanging Planters

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Utilize Over-The-Door Space

By far the most under-utilized space in a home is the area over your doors. Think about it: it's valuable real estate that often goes unnoticed, let alone properly used for storage. Install cabinetry or shelving above your door, and you'd be surprised how much space this often neglected area provides.

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Say "Yes" to Wall-to-Wall Storage

Have a spare wall? Install wall-to-wall shelving and you have yourself a space to store every book, plant, and tchotchke you own on a single wall. This keeps clutter organized and keeps the rest of your living space free and open, which also makes it look bigger.

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Create a Catch-All Space

If you have even the smallest space to place a bench in your entryway, do yourself a favor and maximize your storage with some cubbies and baskets. Use them to hide away and store shoes, bags, and everyday essentials. Your space will always look tidy, and you'll finally have a place for those items that always seem to be in the way.

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Hang Up a Peg Board

Whether you're a crafter or a remote employee, a clean and organized space is imperative to your productivity, and this goes for offices of all sizes. If you want smaller items like colorful pens, paper supplies, and crafting tools within reach but prefer not to clutter your desktop or hide them away in bins, a pegboard is just what you need.

A pegboard serves as a catchall for your supplies and inspo photos without taking up valuable surface real estate in your tiny closet-based office.

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Put Your Jewelry On Display

Invest in jewelry organizers that double as displays to free up drawer space and keep jewels in pristine condition. Hang necklaces to avoid tangling, store earrings in pairs to make accessorizing a breeze, and display bangles and bracelets to keep them from losing their shape.

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Get On the Hook

Hooks are the best quick fix for those everyday items that need a home when not being used. Install them near your front door as a quick storage solution for items like your keys, purse, scarf and coat.

Invest in aesthetically pleasing hooks to double as wall décor when they're not working to hold all your stuff.

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Think Outside the Box

If you're like us, the space under your sink, in your shower and in your medicine cabinet is still not enough to house all your beauty and grooming products. Take a page from this bathroom's book and turn your window into built-in storage to display and keep all your go-to items within arm's reach. Problem solved.

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Organize Vertically

Whether you're organizing your home office, your bathroom, or your walk-in closet, we find it effective to build storage vertically. Installing some shelves on your wall will give you tons of storage opportunities while taking up space that would've otherwise gone unused. And the best part is, you won't have the clutter floating around your desk while you're trying to work.

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Make It a Triple Threat

We love how this space uses wall hooks to store hats and bags, vertical shelving to store bins, and even boasts plenty of unused space under the built-in bench. Moral of the story: when in doubt, utilize all the storage solutions you can all at once.

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Make Every Nook and Cranny Count

You may not realize it, but your home could be packed with even the smallest nooks that are inconspicuously brimming with potential. A single shelf could transform that tiny space into a fully-stocked bar or a vanity to get ready at every morning. All it takes is a shelf and a vision.

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Carve Out Some Clever Built-Ins

When you're strapped for space, there's no smarter storage solution than recessed shelving. Built-in shelves offer a creative solution for not only storing your most-used items, but keep your prettiest items on display and within arm's reach.

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Swap Out Bulky Hangers for Slim Ones

Bulky plastic hangers can be eating up valuable storage space in your tiny closet, but swap those out for super slim ones and you'll instantly gain some much-needed extra inches. You can thank us later.

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Invest in Secret Storage

Don't underestimate the power of furniture pieces that boast some hidden storage within. Items like ottomans, tufted benches, couches, and beds that house secret storage work double duty to hide clutter, and serve as functional furniture. And the best part is, you'd never know that bench you're sitting on is packed with heels you haven't worn in over a year.

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Don't Sleep On Credenzas

Credenzas can be a bit bulky, but they're an excellent storage option for those looking to maximize small spaces. They come in tons of trendy designs and are capable of hiding anything you need to tuck away. Store your most stylish items on top, your unsightly clutter within, and if the design allows, some books, records, and slim bins underneath.

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Stock Up On Catch-All Baskets

Baskets are the perfect solution for tucking away everything from records to books, and pantry items to junk-drawer remnants. Slide them under beds, style them on shelves, file them away in cubbies, anywhere you can. And the best part is you can find just the style of basket to pair with any décor style you're working with, from beach-house-friendly rattan to modern ones made of leather.

The Best Storage Baskets That Will Make Your Home Look Professionally Organized

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Make a Case for Bin Storage

Catch-all baskets are a great way to hide everyday items in plain sight around your home, but when it comes to maximizing small closet spaces, bins are your secret weapon. Label everything to keep your items organized and make finding your items so much easier. Plus, it'll hold you accountable when putting things away, ensuring your closet stays organized.

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Breathe New Life Into Previously Unused Spaces

If you search your home well enough, you might find a tight basement space or an awkward attic area that can easily become your seasonal closet or home office. No matter how tight or oddly shaped, trust us, where there's a will, there's a way.

Don't let an arched ceiling, for instance, deter you from sliding in a work desk, a lamp, and some fresh flowers. You'd be surprised how cozy you can make this unused space feel.

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File Clutches Upright

No matter how large of a closet you may be working with, it seems there's never enough space. If you need more room for evening bags, try this trick to maximize space. Store clutches and wallets in a filing system to keep them on display and within easy reach—plus, storing them upright will also help them retain their shape.

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Throw Out Bulky Boxes

If you have a tiny pantry, put your snacks on display in clear and easy-to-reach baskets. Remove snacks from their bulky boxes and see how much space you free up instantly.

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