By Kathy Wilson
Special to Relocation.com
Moving into a small space can seem overwhelming -- where will I fit everything?! -- but there are things you can do to maximize that space.
Lack of storage space is the No. 1 problem people face when are downsizing into new homes. Thankfully there are many creative ways you can add storage to any space without adding to the high coast of relocating. Here are some great tips to make the most of your new home!
- Make your furniture do "double-duty." Trunks that double as coffee tables make excellent storage for linens. Add a few pillows to a bed in your guest room and it turns into a daytime couch for a reading room. Dining tables with folding leaves make great kitchen islands, and can offer additional dining space when having guests.
- Use shoe racks to store small items in almost every room -- on the back of the pantry door in the kitchen, in the coat closet so you can fit in your vacuum and cleaning supplies, and in the kid's rooms to keep those tiny toys picked up. (You can dream, can't you?)
- Hang shelving along the ceiling line to store books, without having to take up valuable floor space for built ins. This also adds an attractive design element to any room as well. Shelving can even be placed right below the ceiling line to add an architectural element.
- Cover your end tables with pretty floor length table cloths, then slide baskets for toys, magazines or other daily clutter under the cloth. This is great for families with small children for easy toy pick-up at the end of the day.
- Creating a pot rack to hang from your ceiling or wall can free up most of your kitchen cabinet space. Use a small section of iron garden fence and chain to hang from the ceiling studs, or attach an attractive metal curtain rod to the wall studs, and hang pots off the rack with s-hooks.
- Attach wire baskets directly to the wall for bathroom or kitchen storage of small items. These baskets can even be picked up at dollar shops to save money.
- Use shelving in your utility areas to double your storage space. Add one more shelf in any closet above the first. Run shelving floor-to-ceiling in laundry rooms or garages to make sure there is a storage space for every item you own! When all things have a storage spot, clutter is reduced in a small room or home, so it looks and feels like a larger space.
- Don't underestimate under-the-bed storage. If you don't want to invest in pricey rolling storage units, use old dresser drawers and place rollers on the bottom, then slide under the bed. Old suitcases work well for the same purpose.
- Use items you use and love as decor, and eliminate the need for storage for them altogether. Hang pretty plates and platters on the wall, or use pitchers as flower vases. Serving bowls and pretty glassware can be arranged as a dining table centerpiece. Books can be stacked and displayed on tabletops, or used as lifts for other decorative items.
Don't let a small space make you feel cramped. Find storage spots for all those things you love!
Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more home and garden ideas at http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com/ and http://www.thegardenglove.com/.