Bikes & Skis & Surfboards, Oh My: Ingenious Ways to Store Gear in a Small Space
Fitting big hobbies—the type that require a board, a helmet, and maybe even a wetsuit—into a teeny-tiny home can be a tall order. Your best bets for storing this space-hogging gear are to work them into your decor plan or place them in often-overlooked spots (aka hide them in plain sight). Here are nine ways to stash sports gear, without cramping your style.
This bike rack from CB2 doubles as a shelf, with a small platform to place your water bottle or helmet on. If you have a custom design in mind, use our bike shelf tutorial as a guide.
Wood Bike Storage, $50, from CB2.
Imagine how impressed your friends will be when you lower your cruiser down from the ceiling. A surprisingly inexpensive pulley system that will only set you back $23 is an ingenious solution for lofts and other places with high ceilings. Bike Hoist, by RAD Cycle, $23.
We spotted a vertical rack with space for not one, but two bicycles during a tour of Dana & Steve’s Sunny Southern Craftsman. A similar steel rack from Home Depot weighs less than a pound (yet can hold up to 80!), so it’s easy to move around your home. Michelangelo 2-Bike Gravity Stand, $59, from Home Depot.
Why hide away a collection of well-designed longboards or skateboards when you can put them to work as wall art? In Tracey & Rob’s Beach Oasis, a set of longboards lines the walls and surfboards suspend from the ceiling, giving the boys’ room a beachy vibe. Get the look with a store-bought wall mount, or try making your own with a pair of hooks from the hardware store. Skateboard Wall Mount, $13, from Etcetera.
Can you spot the surfboard hiding in plain sight at Kirsty & Simon’s Coastal Cottage? Consider keeping your board in an inconspicuous, yet easy-to-reach area, like propped behind a door.
Once a grimy, unfinished garage, Apartment Therapy reader Brooke transformed this space into a “glamping” retreat, where surfboards are stored on the rafter ties overhead. Check out the “before” to see this home’s humble beginnings.
Braided rope lends a nautical vibe to this storage system in a Brooklyn loft featured on the Urban Outfitters Blog. Get the look by cutting a piece of rope long enough to wrap around your board, tying a loop at one end, and fastening a monkey’s fist knot on the other. Secure the knotted end to the wall, and let your gear hang out in the open.
A collection of colorful, patterned skis serves as a conversation piece in James and Sarah’s Notting Hill Home, prompting guests to ask the couple about their trips. Put your favorite hobby front and center by hanging a row of skis from large wall hooks.