I think you’ll agree with me that sometimes finding extra space to clear clutter and help with the task of home organization can be a massive challenge. I know it can be for us. We’ve written about this topic before but never completely exhausted all the possibilities as far as finding extra space in one’s home is concerned.
Since in this home organization guide we’re all about finding the extra space needed for a declutter organization project we promise to share more easy and quick ideas on where to discover that hidden space that is sure to be lurking in your home. More specifically we’ll take a journey through the kitchen, and on the way stop briefly in the bathroom before heading out to the garage as well as touring a few other choice areas along the way.
I believe that many times we think that we have run out of space and have little chance to organize our environment. While this may be true in a number of cases requiring a person to trash what they really would like to hang on to, I believe a better solution is to exercise our creative juices and find that yet undiscovered space lurking in our homes.
With these thoughts firmly entrenched in our minds, let’s move on to explore other possible ways to create space or simply just discover it where no space seems to exist but in reality, it has been there all along and we just needed to coax it out of hiding.
1. Space Hiding Under A Sink
Most kitchen cabinets have adjustable shelves which help to organize kitchen items if the shelves are placed at the correct height. This ability to adjust the shelves helps to optimize the interior space.
In addition…
- Kitchen cabinets can be creatively used with the installation of shelves that pull out making difficult and mostly inaccessible space fairly accessible. Shelves can be purchased at your local home building center or if you handy with tools and enjoy this type of work you can make the shelves yourself out of wood.
- Any cabinet that is installed in a corner is a huge waste of space, that is until you install a home organizational product such as a Lazy Susan. Again you could custom build your Lazy Susan or buy what you need from your home improvement center.
- Pegboards can be hung on the inside of the doors to permit hanging many small items that would otherwise take up space in a drawer. Pegboards are inexpensive, easy to hang and worth every penny you invest for one.
- Small baskets can be hung on the peg board to create even more space which is always important for organizing the kitchen. Simply hang a hook on your pegboard then hang the basket on the hook. How’s that for taking 1 idea and extending it to further increase its usefulness?
These added kitchen features are inexpensive and super easy to implement and offer a huge jump in available space. Don’t believe me? Just try 1 or more of these on for size and you’ll quickly become a believer.
2. Space Hiding On The Walls (2 Home Organization Ideas)
It easy to turn a slice of a baron wall into a household command center by way of the installation of the aforementioned peg board. A bulletin board is another wonderful idea that will prove useful for most families by helping the family to stay organized and up to date on important events.
Most folks hang pictures to break up the plain wall but your walls can set a new standard while being uniquely different by the use of a peg or bulletin board.
1. A peg board, for all practical purposes, takes up nothing in the way of space but offers the opportunity to hang many smaller items, items that normally take up valuable drawer space or in some cases wasting floor space.
It gets better:
The peg board not only saves valuable drawer space but offers the added bonuses of helping to keep you organized which result in you being more efficient and at the same time helping you to be tidy thereby enhancing your home’s appearance.What small items would you hang on your peg board?
2. A bulletin board will handle all kinds of post-its, important documents waiting to be filed, appointment reminders, grocery shopping lists, a host of keys that keep getting misplaced and clever motivational sayings to help the whole family live a better day.
I’ll bet you can arouse some creative juice and come up with other uses for your bulletin board. In the end, what’s not to like about a bulletin board?
3. Space Above The Toilet (2 Home Organization Thoughts)
HGTV shares one of their bathroom blogs on how to organize a medicine cabinet for maximum use. But we ask if you’ve ever noticed a cabinet hanging on a wall above the commode? This is a home organizational product that is a wonderful way to maximize the space in what often is a very tiny room.
And the best part…
1. An over the John” cabinet, as they are sometimes called, can be used in a variety of ways. We use our over the John as a medicine cabinet. My wife also has placed a few knick knacks on the open shelf that sits perched at the bottom of the cabinet.
This type of cabinet functions very well as a towel and linen closet, a cosmetics storage area, or as a storage area for a host of other miscellaneous items. But to make quick and easy use of this space you don’t have to install a cabinet over the commode.
2. Instead, consider installing a unit that consists of several shelves. This setup allows you a place for plants, a warm spot for a candle, or simply a storage place for towels and linens. The list is only limited by your imagination.
4. New Space Lurking Near The Entry Ways (Clever)
I remember as a child my parents had wooden pegs attached to the inside of our front door. We could hang our coats on these pegs. This is a simple way to save closet space and in turn use an area that is usually baron.
It gets even better:
You can enhance the space more and mimic a mud room by adding a small bench and a boot or shoe tray. A bench can incorporate storage space inside to hold hats, gloves, and scarves.
How convenient is that?
5. Secret Space In And Beside Your Furniture
The DYI Network shows a way to store paper towels in a drawer that is quite clever. But have you ever considered that furniture can not only be designed to accommodate storage space but the actual placement of furniture can aid or hinder finding space?
This is crazy:
We actually manage to store 20 rolls of paper towels in our dining room that lay neatly stacked beside a hutch that is just far enough away from a corner wall to store the rolls perfectly. We didn’t plan it that way but one day my wife discovered this supreme location. The paper towels are easy to reach and yet are hidden out of the way until needed.
While at home performing a cleaning service in a living room one day I noticed a coffee table designed with compartments and small drawers which made it perfect for newspapers, current or back issues of magazines, or the mail that comes in incessantly from the post office most every day. What a great way to hide all the paper that normally lays around the home distracting from its appearance.
Beds, especially waterbeds can be bought that come with a built-in drawer system known as a captain’s bed. This is a much better solution than just shoving stuff under the bed to have it collect dust.
6. Room Below And Above The Laundry Machines (Epic)
Now, manufacturers are brilliantly designing front-loading washers and dryers with drawers beneath them. Laundry detergent, dryer sheets, fabric softeners and a host of other supplies are quickly and easily stored in these ample sized drawers.
An added benefit of lower drawers is they raise the height of the machines making loading and unloading the clothes much easier, a definite double win for those having the front loading machines.
How I love the competition as these companies try to seduce you to buy their appliances for your laundry needs. These same manufacturers often sell elaborate wire or plastic racks that connect directly and perfectly above their machines which give the homeowner additional space in the laundry area. These racks are perfect to hang and air dry delicate fabrics or instead they can be used to store your laundry supplies.
7. Extra Space In Your Garage Is Everywhere
Garages are often under-utilized when it comes to space. Install wall cabinets or shelves up above the vehicles being parked in the garage. Garden tools, car tools, gas cans, oil and other supplies are easily stored in cabinets up off the floor and out of the way until needed.
I didn’t need to lift a finger…
Our garage came with two vertically installed two-by-fours and one two-by-four installed horizontally all three being mounted against the garage wall. Holes of various sizes were drilled into the horizontal two-by-four. This arrangement is absolutely perfect for storing rakes, shovels, hedge trimmers, grass trimmers, and other small but odd-shaped yard tools.
Let’s not forget about the peg board arrangement mentioned before. What does your imagination suggest you could store on a peg board cleverly hung on your garage wall?
That about sums it up for creative storage ideas and finding new space where we might not think there was any.
I’ve enjoyed writing this article but wonder if you have other areas or ways to develop previously unused space that can be used for organizing clutter or just make a room tidy that I haven’t covered here? If so drop me a line and share with us your ideas and thoughts. We love to learn from you. Please share the love and pass this article around if you’ve enjoyed it.
Please share the love and pass this article around if you’ve enjoyed it.
