Getting The Most From Your Space, Large Or Small
Even if you’re in a tiny space, there are ways of getting the storage you need. You may just have to think creatively. For example, how tall is the tallest member of your home? Is there anybody over six feet and six inches? That’s rare. The thing is, most ceilings are between seven and ten feet high, even in small homes. Most ceilings are eight or nine feet high.
That means you’ve got six inches to three and a half feet available to play with over your head. That’s a lot of space, and it generally goes unused. Why not fix that state of affairs by installing a little vertical storage? This is just one of many worthwhile ideas to help you get the most from the space at your fingertips. In this writing, we’ll consider a few more strategies.
Outbuildings Have Their Purpose
You can pick up an outbuilding from Home Depot for just a few thousand dollars, and they’ll install it for free. In that shed, you can put heirlooms, arts, crafts, lawn equipment, landscaping tools, vehicular parts, or whatever you need to store away. Especially if you’re living in a tiny home, or property with under 1,000 square feet, this is a great way to maximize storage.
Cabinets: Used, RTA, And Conventional
Quite a few cabinetry options are out there. There are traditional white shaker options, used cabinets, and Ready To Assemble (RTA) pieces. At the following website, you can take your pick on new cabinet options—including RTA solutions. With RTA, you can measure the space where you need a cabinet and get one built to order within reason.
Beyond new cabinets, going to a second-hand store can supply you with wardrobes, “hutch” options, and other storage furniture that can be installed in a way allowing you to maximize the space in a kitchen, laundry room, workspace, or other areas of your property.
Get Rid Of The Clutter: Have A Garage Sale
Something else that makes a lot of sense is eliminating unnecessary possessions from your house. For example, maybe you were a collector of “pogs” in the nineties—those plastic or cardboard chips that were played with by children and collected by collectors. Some “collector’s items” actually aren’t all that collectible. In fact, they just take up space.
So you can go about managing them a couple of ways. One, you can store them in the basement, attic, or an outbuilding. Two, you can just throw them away, or three, you could have a garage sale. Sometimes you’re not holding onto something that will be worthwhile in a few years, you’re holding onto total junk. But sometimes you do have an heirloom.
Be conscientious here, but don’t be afraid to throw away junk. Look over your possessions. What do you really need, and what is just unnecessary? Get rid of the clutter. Trash it, stash it, or “cash” it via sale; whatever makes the most sense considering your situation.
Going “Under”: Storage Beneath Tables, Desks, And Furniture
Just as vertical storage frees up space, there are options beneath the furniture. Do you have an open window with space from floor to ceiling? Here’s an interesting idea: build in a window seat with cabinet doors, and store things under the seat. Do you have a desk that stands waist-high? Store things beneath it, use a tablecloth to hide them.
You’ve likely got a lot more space under varying items than you realize. Beds, couches, desks, tables—these can be used to store things. Do you have full-length floor-to-ceiling mirrors? If they’re not attached to the walls, but configured in a partition, they can be used to partition an area of the room for storage. Think creatively.
Space Is There; It’s All About How To Make Use Of It
A room that’s ten feet wide, high, and long has 100 square feet and 1,000 cubic feet. To calculate volume, multiply the length by width by height. If you’ve got a thousand square foot home with ten rooms at a hundred square feet, and an average ceiling height of eight or nine feet, you’re looking at 8,000 to 9,000 cubic feet of storage space. How you use it is up to you.
Consider vertical storage, putting things beneath or behind furniture, getting rid of clutter through a garage sale, purchasing RTA cabinets, and investing in outbuildings if those measures aren’t sufficient to meet your needs. You can stylishly utilize space, even if it’s small; you just might have to get creative.
