30 Potential Storage Spaces You're Overlooking

Finding storage in a small room is no easy feat, especially if you’re short on closets and cabinets. Try one of these ideas for squeezing extra storage out of overlooked spaces.

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By: Mina Hochberg

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Photo By: Hammacher Schlemmer

Photo By: Rett Peek

Photo By: Anita Diaz, Far Above Rubies

Photo By: Whitmor

Photo By: Sweeten

Photo By: The Container Store

Photo By: Mandi Tremayne, Tidbits From the Tremaynes

Photo By: Yamazaki Home

Photo By: Normandy Remodeling

Photo By: Steve Keating Photography

Photo By: Stadler Studio Photography

Photo By: Cassie Freeman, Hi Sugarplum

Photo By: Katie Cleveland, Addicted 2 DIY

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Photo By: Angie Seckinger

Photo By: My-Van Dang, Planq Studio

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Photo By: Normandy Remodeling

Photo By: Jordan Hurd, The 2 Seasons

Photo By: ShelfGenie

Photo By: Ikea

Photo By: Kikkerland

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Photo By: Modular Closets

Photo By: Dana Hoff

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Photo By: SafeRacks

Between Fridge and Cabinets

The Tight Space Kitchen Pantry from Hammacher Schlemmer is ideal for fitting a bit of extra storage in that dead space between a refrigerator and cabinets — or in any narrow slot around the kitchen. The portable pantry is 4 inches wide and can hold anything from spices to snacks.

Buy It: Hammacher Schlemmer, $129.95

Backsplash

Show off your kitchenware — and make it easily accessible — by displaying items on a backsplash. Interior designer Kathryn J. LeMaster mounted rods and caddies onto the tile backsplash of this Arkansas home to create beautiful and functional storage space for pots and utensils.

End of Kitchen Counter

You can never have enough storage space for pots and pans in the kitchen. Anita Diaz of Far Above Rubies squeezed more storage out of her farmhouse kitchen by adding hooks to the end of her kitchen island.

Over the Sink

Eke out a little extra counter space with an over-the-sink shelving unit. The additional shelf offers a handy spot for soap and sponges, not to mention cups and plates for air drying.

Buy It: Amazon, $49.99

Under Kitchen Cabinets

Instead of installing baseboards underneath your kitchen cabinets, opt for toe-kick drawers. The toe-kick drawers in this Sweeten kitchen remodel create extra storage space for flat items such as cutting boards and serving plates.

Underside of Shelves

Too many wine glasses and not enough cabinet space? Try mounting your glasses and flutes upside-down on the underside of a cabinet or wall shelf.

Buy It: The Container Store, $6.99-$13.99

Behind Cabinet Doors

The back of your kitchen cabinet door is a perfect blank canvas for hanging storage options. Mandi Tremayne of Tidbits From the Tremaynes fashioned a storage space for measuring cups and spoons, plus a handy chalkboard guide to measuring equivalents. See her tutorial here.

On the Fridge

Turn the surface of your fridge into a mini spice rack with this Plate Magnetic Spice Rack from Yamazaki Home. The rack is a perfect place to store frequently used items like spices or multivitamins.

Inside the Wall

Recessed alcoves are an ideal storage solution for walls where shelves would be too obtrusive. Normandy Remodeling created these alcoves to store daily use items such as cooking oils and spices. Deep alcoves can also house frequently used but space-hogging appliances like toasters and coffee makers.

All Around the Kitchen Island

Take full advantage of a kitchen island by creating extra cabinets and drawers on every side. Designer LeeAnn Baker packed this kitchen island with storage capacity, including a flip-top door for a microwave that recesses into the cabinetry when the microwave is not in use.

Under the Banquette

Designer LeeAnn Baker maximized storage space in this transitional kitchen by creating storage inside the banquette bench. Banquette benches are a perfect place to stow items like infrequently used kitchen appliances and table linens.

Behind Doors

For every door in your house, there's a space behind that door just begging to be used. Cassie Freeman of Hi Sugarplum covered the wall behind her laundry room door with a functional shelving system to organize her cleaning supplies.

Under Your Washer and Dryer

If you need a place to store laundry products and dirty laundry, invest in a storage pedestal that fits underneath your washer and dryer. Alternately, save some money and build your own pedestal. Check out a DIY tutorial at Katie Cleveland’s Addicted 2 DIY.

Above Cabinets

When scouting your home for storage solutions, don’t forget about the open space on top of cabinetry. Designer Alison Giese designed a media cabinet in this open-concept family room to hide the TV when not in use. Over the cabinet is ample space for storing practical and decorative items.

Inside Furniture

When it comes to furniture, you can often find storage options in unlikely pieces, such as sofas or ottomans. Furniture that doubles as storage is great for stashing throw blankets, remote controls and toy overflow.

Buy It: Pottery Barn, $499

Under Accent Tables

“We love adding an oversized statement basket or two under an entry console to wrangle stray shoes and backpacks without the commitment to drawers or cabinets,” says designer Kate Lester. “These handwoven baskets also add texture and dimension to the room, so you get the bonus of storage without compromising the design.”

Buy It: Pottery Barn, $94-$284

Corners

Maximize space in a tiny room by installing floating shelves in the corner. The Franklin Shelf from 2 Ladies & A Chair nestles into corners and also wraps around them.

Awkward Wall Space

Awkward wall spaces make great candidates for creative shelving solutions. Designer Tracy Morris took this wall space adjacent to the fireplace and lined it with floor-to-ceiling shelves, boosting storage capacity and adding character to the room.

Behind Framed Art

Need a place to house your keys without cluttering up your console table? Consider stowing them behind framed art. Planq Studio’s My-Van Dang, a photo stylist and brand photographer, devised this sneaky way to organize and store keys behind hanging art. See the tutorial at Planq Studio.

Under the Stairs

If your home is maxed out on storage space, consider using the space underneath your staircase. Designer Marnie Oursler converted the area under these stairs into a delightful reading nook with adjacent built-in shelves.

Around the Bathtub

If you’re seeking more storage options in the bathroom, consider the space around the tub for a little bit of extra shelving. Normandy Remodeling built a shelving unit at the foot of this tub, allowing for easy access to towels and other bath accessories.

Above Doors

The dead space between a door and ceiling is a perfect place to add a shelf for extra storage. Jordan Hurd of The 2 Seasons installed this simple shelf above her bathroom door to hold extra towels in a space-challenged bathroom.

Under the Bathroom Sink

Products stored under bathroom sinks rarely fill the height of the cabinet, leading to under-utilized space. Optimize every inch of space by installing shelving units that fill the cabinet from top to bottom, such as these pull-out drawers from ShelfGenie.

Head of the Bed

Stow small items or nighttime necessities in a headboard with built-in shelves. Ikea’s affordable Brimnes headboard is ideal for keeping books and magazines from piling up on the floor by your bed.

Side of the Bed

If you don’t have enough space for a bedside table, get a bedside caddy to store your phone, books and other nighttime essentials. Kikkerland’s Felt Bedside Caddies slip right into your bed frame or between your mattress and box spring.

Buy It: Bed, Bath & Beyond, $19.99

Under the Bed

Store extra blankets and off-season clothes in pretty and functional under-bed rattan boxes, like these from Ikea. The cotton lining and cover prevent contents from gathering dust.

Kid’s Closet

Kid clothing takes up a lot less space than grown-up clothing in a closet. Optimize that extra space by installing more rods and shelves or placing a set of drawers in the closet. Design by Modular Closets.

Bunk Beds

Designer Marnie Oursler packed this bunk bed with storage options, including in the stairs. Bunk bed storage is perfect for holding blankets and clothes, freeing up space in clothing and linen closets around the house.

Inside Shelves

Maximize your storage space with some floating shelves that double as drawers, such as Ikea’s Ekby Alex shelves. The design allows you to store items inside the shelves as well as on top of them.

Ceiling

Mount sturdy racks to your garage ceiling for storage of bulky bins, pet carriers and all those other rarely used items that take up space in the main house. SafeRacks offers racks that can hold up to 600 pounds.

Room Lab

30 Potential Storage Spaces You're Overlooking

Related To:

Shop This Look

Between Fridge and Cabinets

Backsplash

End of Kitchen Counter

Over the Sink

Under Kitchen Cabinets

Underside of Shelves

Behind Cabinet Doors

On the Fridge

Inside the Wall

All Around the Kitchen Island

Under the Banquette

Behind Doors

Under Your Washer and Dryer

Above Cabinets

Inside Furniture

Under Accent Tables

Corners

Awkward Wall Space

Behind Framed Art

Under the Stairs

Around the Bathtub

Above Doors

Under the Bathroom Sink

Head of the Bed

Side of the Bed

Under the Bed

Kid’s Closet

Bunk Beds

Inside Shelves

Ceiling

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