How to Make the Most of Your Space
Are your closets busting at the seams? Does stuff avalanche on you whenever you open your cabinets?
Creating more room in your home can be challenging, but it is possible. As a busy mom with young children, you know how important it is to make the most of every moment – and your space! With a little creativity (and some help from me), you’ll discover that there are tons of simple yet effective ways to free up valuable square footage so the entire family can start making the most out of their living area. Let’s dive into how to maximize space for all members of the house!
Whether it’s in the pantry, cabinets, or closets, it can be frustrating to have cluttered and disorganized spaces. However, there is a solution to this problem that you might not have thought of yet – utilizing vertical space! By incorporating stackable drawers, shelf risers, under-shelf organizers, and other similar items, you can optimize the empty space in your home and create more storage areas without sacrificing your living space. Imagine opening your pantry or cabinet doors to find everything neatly organized and easily accessible. Not to mention, having more space means you have an excuse to go on a shopping spree to fill it up! So, next time you’re feeling cramped for space, think outside the box and stack it up!
One of my favorite ways to maximize space is to utilize the inside of the doors, whether that’s cabinet doors, pantry doors, or closet doors. Especially in your kitchen, you can use the inside of the pantry door to hold spices and canned goods or use it as a place for snacks so they are easily accessible. Amazon has plenty of over-the-door storage that is renter friendly and there are also ones that can screw into the door (if you’re not renting) to make them more sturdy to hold heavier items. I have two, one on the back of my pantry door and one on the back of my utility closet door to hold back up cleaning supplies. You can also purchase smaller organizers to hang on the back of cabinet doors to store items such as foil, parchment paper, cling wrap, cleaning supplies, drying mats, etc. You can also use command hooks on the inside of doors to hang all kinds of items, including small baskets for extra storage. Just make sure the door can still close on the closet or cabinet before you fully stick them down.
Going off of the last point, if your closet is one of the areas where you need to maximize storage space, not only can you utilize door storage but you can also purchase hangers that can hold multiple clothes. They make them for shirts as well as pants/skirts. I’ve seen several at places like Target, Walmart, Home Goods, and Amazon. I have also seen hangers that can hook into each other to save on space. I used these items a lot when I was doing my internship in New York City, as without them my closet probably would have held at max 20 items total. I’m grateful that my parents let me keep the rest of my clothes at their house while I was doing my internship, as there was no way all my clothes would fit no matter how many space-saving techniques I used. Another space saver I’ve seen for closets is to have an adjustable side-mounted pull-down closet rod with a handle, so you can store summer tanks or winter sweaters up higher during the seasons that you won’t be using them. I will forewarn you that these are a little on the pricey side but are very useful in maximizing space.
One tip, which is more so if you’re just starting out or you need to update some stuff around your house, is to buy multi-purpose items. Items can be used to do more than one thing, so you don’t have to have multiple items taking up space. An example, and something that I have, is the Bissell Crosswave, which can vacuum and mop at the same time. You can also use it to clean your carpets and area rugs, although it doesn’t do as good of a job as a carpet cleaner. So I recommend still having a carpet cleaner around if you have a lot of carpets or area rugs. The one I have is cordless, but I actually recommend getting the one WITH a cord unless you have a really small house (to give you an idea, my house is 2800 square feet, including the upstairs, which is about half the size of the first floor). I’m not usually able to finish cleaning the first floor without it dying on me. I have linked the Bissell Crosswave with a cord in the link below. There are also several kitchen items that can be used to do multiple different things. For instance, I’ve seen wine and can openers that also have bottle openers and rice cookers that also have a steam rack for vegetables.
Whether you live in a small apartment or just want to keep your space tidy, incorporating hidden storage can be a game-changer.
Not only does it save valuable square footage, but it also adds an element of surprise to your decor. Imagine a cozy living room with a beautiful bench that doubles as storage, or a vanity mirror with secret compartments to store all of your skincare products. And don’t forget about the fun storage bean bag chairs perfect for a kid’s room or casual lounge space. These functional pieces not only serve a purpose, but they also add character and charm to any room. With hidden storage, you can have a clutter-free home while still displaying your unique style!
Even simple things like getting your paper towel holder off of the countertop can help make your home look and feel more spacious. If you have your knives stored in a knife block and want more space on your counters, you can store them in an in-drawer knife organizer or get a magnetic knife strip to put on your wall under a cabinet to hold your knives. It can also work in the reverse, such as, if you need more drawer space and store your knives in the drawer consider putting them in a knife block or on a magnetic strip. My fiancee really wants a magnetic strip for the knives in our kitchen, unfortunately, it just wouldn’t work in our kitchen.
Utilizing wall space is key to making the most out of your space. Not only does it make your home look more tidy and organized, but it also provides a creative and visually appealing element to any room. By mounting your TV on the wall, you not only free up valuable surface space but also create a sleek and modern look. Shelves and wall-mounted organizers can also help keep your items off the counters and tabletops and provide a stylish touch to your decor. You can also use hanging shelves or hooks to store other items like decorative pieces or kitchen utensils. With these simple changes, you’ll be amazed at how much more spacious and organized your home will feel. It’s time to get creative with your wall space and say hello to a more functional and stylish living space. You can find plenty of affordable wall storage items and ideas at IKEA. If you have the time, and an IKEA close by I recommend walking around the showroom section, as they show so many ways to store and organize items that I never would’ve thought of. If you don’t have an IKEA close by, Amazon also has some great options too.
You might not want to hear this, but the biggest and most impactful thing you can do to have more space is to just have LESS. Decluttering is something that we all need to do from time to time, as our tastes change and toys accumulate throughout the years, it’s a necessary part of life. We might not enjoy doing it at the moment, but in the long run, you’ll be grateful that you did. There may be some items that you eventually regret decluttering, I’m not going to lie and tell you that, that will never happen, but trust me you will get over it. I hate when people say that “You never regret decluttering your items and freeing up space.” As yet, it’s good to free up space from time to time, but there have definitely been times when I have regretted getting rid of some things. It happens, and it’s never been more than one moment that I wished I still had an item I decluttered, so it wouldn’t have been worth keeping it for that one moment anyway.
I hope you enjoyed reading about all the space-saving tips and tricks and that you are able to utilize some in your own home! Leave a comment down below if you have any other great space-saving ideas that I haven’t mentioned in this article.
