Small rooms present a number of challenges, and storage is one of them. No one wants to sit in a cramped room filled with clutter, so I’ve compiled a few ways to help add storage to a small room.

Make full use of the walls

When floor space is limited, it's time to look at the vertical space in a room. You don’t want to overcrowd the walls and make the room feel even smaller, but there are a few ways to make use of the height.

For example, trims which can double up as storage - like adding panelling with a row of pegs for hanging storage.

Even higher up - making use of the full height of the room and adding a shelf around the perimeter helps to add some much needed space whilst keeping it up and out of the way.

*Shelving around the perimeter of the room, from* *A Beautiful Mess*

The doors are another space on the wall you can utilise - hanging storage on the back of the door or even lining doorways with custom cabinetry.

*Storage around the door, from* *Decorpad*

Get creative with furniture layout

If you experiment with your layout, you might find that there’s more room for additional furniture than you thought.

Rather than pushing all your furniture up against the wall, use the backs of furniture as an additional furniture against which to put something else up against. For example - the back of the sofa could be a good space for a shelf or console, or the head of the bed might work for a bookcase.

*Skinny console behind the sofa, by* *Yellow Brick Home*

*Bookcase headboard, from* *@hashtag_this_girl*_can

Multi-functional furniture

If you need to store a lot in a small space, multi-functional furniture is an essential.

Look for furniture with added storage; beds, foot-stools, side tables and even headboards. Ikea is excellent for this kind of thing.

*Bench seating with drawers - an Ikea hack from* *Hydrangea Treehouse*

Floating furniture

Wall mounted furniture has 2 benefits in a small space - 1) It helps to make a room feel visually larger when the floor area isn’t obstructed by furniture bases, and 2) it gives you opportunity to store items underneath.

Clever carpentry

Enlisting the help of a good carpenter is the best way to make the most out of a small space.

Particularly in alcoves, or other awkwardly shaped parts of a room, building something custom and painting it in the same colour as the wall will add extra storage without visually cluttering the room.

*Hidden desk and shelves, by* *De Rosee Sa*

*Built in vanity, featured on* *LivingETC*

If you’d like my help with your next project, check out my services to see how we can work together. If you’ve enjoyed this blog, don’t forget to subscribe below to receive my new post in your inbox every Sunday.