If you’re living in a flat nowadays, no doubt you’ve walked into a wall and wondered how you can get more space in here. Stuff swamps the rooms, and you don’t know how to deal with it. Sound familiar? Well, you’re in luck. If that feels like home, we’ve got a guide to help you out. Read on for our tips on alternative storage solutions to try.
Under the bed
No, we’re not suggesting you simply throw everything under the bed and say you’ve tidied your room… but we’re also not *not* saying that. You can get a lot of beds today that have storage underneath, whether they lift the entire mattress to reveal a treasure trove of clothes and towels, or they have a set of drawers underneath.
But why settle for drawers when you can have an entire set of cabinets under your bed? Bunk beds have evolved to be suitable for adults, coming in double and queen sizes, simply placed on top of an assortment of cabinets. So, tell your mum it is in fact grown up to have a bunk bed, so there.
Up the walls
Vertical space is woefully underused in our culture. We’ve got a love of art that takes it all up, and that’s beautiful, but what is also beautiful is space. If you’ve got a bookcase taking up your floorspace, either swap that out for a floor-to-ceiling option or embrace wall shelves. With all your books above you, you’ll have room for your sofa or desk, making more space in your home.
This is a useful tip for the kitchen in your rented space, where people are hanging pots and pans, mugs and spices, and utensils ready for pulling out.
Storage units
Some things are simply too bulky to exist in the home realistically. They’ll take up an entire room, which will inevitably turn into a junk room, rather than a guest bedroom. We all have one.
The bikes, the music equipment, the paddleboards, the Christmas decorations, and anything else you don’t use day-to-day can go into a storage unit. Safestore have stores across London with units that will keep the weather and the greedy fingers away from your things. Keep your key and access your self storage unit whenever you need to and simply pop everything back when you’re done.
Ottoman
The stylish ottoman is one of those rare furniture items that you buy for the look and are pleasantly surprised to see that it’s useful too. A lot of these end of the bed seats come with storage. Enough to store all your towels and bedding and give you somewhere to sit while you’re trying to put on your socks.
But that’s only in the bedroom. Ottomans are stylish enough to fit nicely in the living room or dining room too. In the living room you’ve got an extra seat around the coffee table, nicely storing anything you feel like, and in the dining room you’ve got somewhere to put the good china.
If all else fails…
Get shot of it. Do you need it? Do you really want it? Does it “spark joy”? No? Then get rid of it. We’ve all got too much stuff anyway. Learn to separate from what you buy. Not everything is an amazing sentimental piece worth millions. Sometimes the towel that feels like sandpaper with frays needs to go.
It doesn’t have to feel too bad. Rehome your stuff to charities or put them in stocking stuffers at Christmas. Give toys to dog shelters or nurseries. Give clothes and decorative items to charity shops and ask what else they’d take. They’re likely to accept that dog crate, old guitar or even furniture you have taking up space.
Salman is a prolific environmental writer, and has authored more than 500 articles in reputed journals, magazines and websites. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management, sustainability and conservation all over the world.
Salman can be reached on salman@cleantechloops.com
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