Small Space Living Ideas

Storage Tips to Make the Most of Small Spaces

The TV show Friends just celebrated its 25th anniversary. Every week, fans tuned in to see the six twenty-somethings hang out in their sprawling Greenwich Village apartment. And every week, anyone who’d ever lived in New York City wondered how on earth they could afford an apartment that spacious!

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Big city living is often a trade-off. What you get in celebrity sightings and fancy restaurants, you lose in living space. Cities like New York are notorious for pricey apartments the size of broom closets.

Whether you live in a small space out of necessity or by choice (van life, anyone?), mDesign has helpful tips to make a few hundred square feet feel like a thousand.

First, think S.P.A.C.E. We’re not talking about outer space; we mean the acronym professional organizers use to get their clients' homes in order:

Look at that— you just made S.P.A.C.E. for all your things!

Since we’ve already got some great posts on maximizing space in closets, kitchens, and home offices, let’s focus on the areas that get overwhelmed with clutter when you’re living in small spaces.

The Entryway

Everybody loves that comforting feeling of coming home, dropping your bags, and kicking off your shoes. It’s only a problem when each person in the household leaves their sneakers, bags, hats, coats, keys, and mail in the front hallway.

Keeping your entryway organized is important because clutter creep starts here. Turn this area into an efficient drop zone with these discreet storage solutions.

• mDesign’s Coat Rack and Bench Organizer makes the most of your front hall area. The generously-sized baskets and hooks control entryway clutter. The sturdy bench gives people a place to sit when they take off their shoes.
• This 2-Tier Metal Wall Mount Entryway Key Rack and Mail Sorter Basket helps organize mail. Plus, it has six hooks for hats, keys, lanyards, umbrellas, and more.
• These Quad 4 Hook Metal Over Door Storage Racks can help extend your entryway. Simply place them on doors around the corner or down the hall to create an alternative drop zone for jackets, scarves, dog leashes, and purses.

The Living Room

With small space living, the living room is often the area with the most square footage in the house. It usually becomes the focal point of the home. The more time you spend here, the messier it can get. Keep your living room livable with these stylish mDesign products:

• Nesting tables are a natural match for small spaces because you can tuck them under one another when you’re not using them.
• Bins are great for maintaining order. Remember the “C” in S.P.A.C.E.? It was about creating rituals and habits that keep clutter contained. Assign everyone in your home their own bin. When it’s cleaning time, everyone can contribute to cleaning up their clutter. mDesign has a variety of bins to choose from, like this Fabric Storage Bin.
• Shelves add storage without taking up floor space. Whether you choose wall mounted shelves, like this shelving organizer, or shelves designed to utilize corner space, your living room will be a place friends and family love to chill.

The Bedroom

You know that old adage, “a place for everything and everything in its place?” That’s the best storage strategy for small space bedrooms.

• This jewelry and accessory organizer and storage rack does double duty with storage for necklaces, bracelets, bangles and earrings plus a basket for perfume, glasses, and watches.
• mDesign’s Under Bed Storage Organizer keeps out-of-season clothing and holiday decorations dust-free and easily accessible.
• These innovative Free Standing Shoe Stackers from mDesign are a cool way to get twice the shoe storage space in your closet or on your bedroom floor.

With the right organization and storage solutions, cozy doesn’t have to mean cluttered.

Lisa Langford is a Senior Copywriter at mDesign

How do you stay organized? We’d love to hear your story!
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