7 Unconventional Storage Solutions for Your Rental Apartment

Your apartment is your oasis; your escape after a long day at work, and the place you spend most of your spare time. Although a small apartment may emit an illusion of having no storage space, there are multiple ways to hide your things and maintain the zen within your surroundings. Here are 7 unconventional storage solutions for your apartment.

1. Create Unique Storage Boxes

When you first occupy your apartment, the temptation may be to throw away all of your moving boxes, and carelessly throw all of your odds and ends in a drawer. Instead of getting rid of them, put them to good use, and create your own unique storage bins like the one Our House Now a Home creates using a cardboard box and some rope. Your new creation will brighten up your apartment, and provide a chic way to hide your possessions that don’t display nicely on a shelf.

2. Upcycle an Antique Ladder

The introduction of the more durable, long lasting steel ladders led to a trend of wooden ladders being neglected on construction sites and eventually thrown away. In interior design trends, however, the wooden ladder has made a comeback as an unconventional yet tasteful way to store items within the home. Whether you stand it upright as a shelf in your bathroom or hang it horizontally on the wall for book storage, the wooden ladder is the perfect unconventional approach to storing or displaying your personal belongings.

3. Use Unconventional Space

The illusion of no storage space in a small apartment is easy to believe, but if you open your mind and think outside the box, there is a multitude of potential storage options awaiting discovery, that only require a small amount of organization and planning. Here are some ideas for spaces you can convert into non-traditional storage spaces:

1. Under the bed: In a tidy, organized world, the space under the bed is often forgotten as a potential storage area, but taking simple steps like purchasing under the bed storage totes, or building a DIY pallet bed can open up a whole new area for storing your personal belongings.
2. In the closet: Traditional closets can often be small and lead to disorganization. Instead of using your closet as a hideaway for your belongings, convert the space into a mini office for yourself, and store your clothing in a dresser or armoire.
3. The walls: Many people neglect using their walls as storage space, but in a small apartment, the walls are a perfect solution to creating more floor space and making your apartment organized. Hang shelving units above the door in the bathroom for towel storage, and use floating shelves in the living room to display sentimental items.

4. Create a Coffee Bar

Kitchen space in a small apartment is in high demand, and items like mugs and coffee makers can take up precious storage space. To alleviate clutter and overflowing cupboards in your kitchen, create a separate storage space for your coffee, mugs, and related items with a coffee bar. Taking this step will free up more cupboard space for your groceries, and other kitchen accessories, making it easier to keep them organized.

5. Create Extra Pantry Space

Every apartment kitchen has at least one tiny space that is not being used, whether it is beside the fridge, or between the stove and the counter. Give a purpose to it, and build your own roll out pantry with this tutorial from Instructables. The roll away pantry will create more storage space for your groceries, and free up valuable cupboards for other kitchen accessories.

6. Bring it Out in the Open

Traditionally, storage is associated with hiding your personal items, whether it is behind a door, or in a box. Challenge these traditional ideals, and bring your storage out in the open. Use mason jars in the bathroom to store items like makeup removers, and Q-tips, and in the kitchen, repurpose an old wall hanging magazine rack to store your food wraps and ziplock bags. Regardless of how you do it, challenging the idea of hiding your storage will open up new opportunities within your apartment for storing and organizing each room.

7. Use Multi Purpose Furniture

A small apartment is often considered unsuitable for having guests over because the extra chairs are just another item that needs to be stored. Don’t let storing extra chairs keep you from having friends and family over for dinner. Instead, hang the chairs on the wall, and create an unconventional spot for hanging laundry or clothing when they are not in use. The advantage of folding chairs, is they can either be used as a shelf and a clothing rack, or they can be closed, taking up less space. Other examples of multipurpose furniture include a convertible coffee table, that is both a coffee table and a guest bed, and storage ottomans that serve as a footrest and a storage option. Regardless of what multifunctional furniture you choose, using any one of these options not only creates more storage space, but it also allows you to live comfortably in your apartment and feel more organized.

Although an apartment seems to be small, with limited storage options upon the first glance, if you look closer, the possibilities for creative storage are endless. For more ideas on unconventional storage for your apartment, visit the Medallion Blog.