Home Storage Ideas

Try these organizational ideas now—before someone stages an intervention on you.

They're all under $20... and can be used all over the house!

This stroke of bad-luck-turned-unexpected-hack was my own real life "new use for an almost-new thing."

Lower kitchen cabinets are pretty prime real estate.

Seriously, these are genius!

And it's budget-friendly to boot.

The space needed function and organization, but now this well-organized linen closet is too pretty to be hidden behind closed doors.

And it works in virtually any space—big or small.

The lack of storage in my new bathroom became a problem. I needed a solution to all the clutter—something affordable, sturdy, and that looked good.

A good pegboard setup can do more than get you organized—it might help you free up some space at home, too.

Time to ditch those ugly plastic storage bins you've been hiding, once and for all.

Every fashion-addict dreams about it: a custom-designed closet, preferably walk-in, with all your clothing, footwear and accessories in sight and at arms’ reach. The kind of space which makes getting dressed in the morning feel like shopping on Madison Avenue. It can be yours with a custom closet, but it doesn’t come cheap. If your’e thinking of taking the plunge and going custom, here are some things you might want to keep in mind.Pros1. They’re designed for your stuff.

Anyone else have a garage, basement, or storage space that looks like this? There’s hope: Marji was fed up with the clutter in her tool shed, and she decided to first purge and then create a clever system that works for her.From Marji: As you can see, our tool shed was an unbelievable, disorganized mess.

Advances in technology are making excessive wires and cables slowly go the way of the buffalo but, the remote? It looks like we may be stuck with that one for a while. So if you can’t beat it, hide it! (Along with those goofy 3D glasses that seem to come along with every new TV.) We’ve rounded up a few options that you won’t mind leaving out based on the average size TV remote (7.5”) though you may want to check them against your own. 1.

away 1. DIY Rolling Storage Crates, Teal & Lime, approx. $120/set of 4 These are an even hipper option that would end up looking great in a teenagers room/college dorm. You could stencil them with simple numbers that would be universally useful. I really want a set. 2. DIY Chalkboard Drawers, IHeart Organizing Unwanted dresser drawers were given new life with the addition of casters and a coat of chalkboard paint. Such a smart way to label kids’ stuff! 3.

A friend you haven’t seen in a while calls to let you know she’s in the area and would love to stop by. You say: “Of course—come over!” You think: “Just give me three hours to clean up, please!” Ideally, we’d follow the “tidy up a little every day” routine, but despite our best efforts, there are certain spots in our homes where the chaos just tends to build.

Baskets are one of those things that absolutely fall into the category of “you can never have enough.” They’re hard working, provide plenty of storage solutions and can be downright pretty. We’ve rounded up 16 of our favorite storage baskets nice enough to incorporate into your decor (while stashing away things you don’t want out in the open). It’s woven. It has handles. It has a pretty accent color. What more could you want?

When you live in a small space with smaller storage options, a blank slate under the bed becomes valuable for storing, well, whatever will fit. We’ve rounded up smart projects, inspiring photos, and a useful shopping guide to help you make the most of your available bed-to-floor storage options. Above: This image from IKEA shows how a VEDDINGE kitchen cabinet door with a molding surround and wheels attached can double as a sliding shoe organizer. Talk about clever on wheels.

For someone who lives in the scorching-hot-nine-months-out-of-the-year South, I have a surprisingly large amount of blankets and over-sized sweatshirts. The blanket collection has been growing ever since I left home, with quilts my mother has gifted me, vintage afghan blankets I’ve found while thrifting, and a glut of cheap throws I always buy any time I spot one on sale at TJ Maxx or Target.

I have friends who renovated their home recently, and they put together this gorgeous, open-plan kitchen with The Works: white marble countertops on top of crisp black base cabinets with pull-out drawers, floating open shelves instead of upper cabinets, and an enormous farmhouse sink. Basically everything I’ve ever pinned. Not surprisingly, it looked amazing when it was finished!

Some facts just stick with you. I’ll never forget a comment one reader, ecuadoriana—a collector of pre-20th century medical journals—left on a post I wrote about paper clutter last year. Apparently hemorrhoids, some time around the late 1800’s, used to be called “piles,” and ecuadoriana had formed a lasting mental connection. “Every time I see piles of papers, magazines, wayward laundry, etc.

If the bathroom drawers are overflowing, the bedroom dresser is buried under a pile of bottles and jars, and your closet door unable to shut because its so stuffed, it may be time to rethink your current beauty supply storage setup. But don’t be under the impression that this kind of organization undertaking has to be expensive. The very easy and affordable storage ideas in this beauty blogger’s home could be be just the solution you need to tame your products and accessories!

There’s no doubt about it: As well as being cozy and adorable, stylish small spaces also hold a TON of smart storage ideas. The ones below are some of the best solutions we saw in small house tours this year. No matter your home’s size, you’ll find inspiration for how to store more stylishly in 2019. When a professional organizer lives in a tiny studio apartment, expect great ideas, like these floating wall-mounted IKEA cabinets that were hung close to the ceiling.

The first time I cooked with my now-husband, I was surprised to learn he had a collection of cast iron pans in an array of sizes. What impressed me most wasn’t that he had a larger (and more well-seasoned) set of cast iron than me, but the smart way he stored his cast iron pans. Instead of simply nesting cast iron pans one inside another, metal on metal, he used a single paper towel to separate each piece of cookware to prevent friction.

Organizing expert Kristen Ziegler is founder and owner of Minima—a company that helps others declutter and organize. Apartment Therapy has toured her ultra-organized and serene home, as well as shared tons of her advice on keeping areas of your home tidy, like your bathroom, fridge, and even junk drawers. She’s also provided great product recommendations, from home basics to her favorite organizing products of all time.

As a renter, building your own built-in bookshelves is out of the question (unless you butter up your landlord, I guess). But you can get kind of close. Here are a handful of storage solutions that, like liquids and cats, will fill any space. And the best part about modular, design-your-own pieces is that they can be reconfigured to work in your next apartment (and every apartment after that!). Boxy modules snap together with small clips, and can be placed on the floor or on top of a stand.

It's easy to think you need to spend a lot of money to get a well-organized pantry—but you'd be wrong.

Today’s One Minute Tip comes from Fay Wolf, with three simple ways to rethink vertical space. • The Star: Fay Wolf is a singer-songwriter, actor and professional organizer. She’s acted on shows like 2 Broke Girls and Bones, and her songs have been heard on shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Pretty Little Liars. Fay’s Los Angeles-based company New Order has been organizing lives since 2006, helping creative people deal with both inner and outer clutter.

Spend enough time looking at kitchen designs, and things start to look familiar. You start to see the same trends and products—KitchenAid stand mixers, pot rails from IKEA, and bright-pink rugs, for example—over and again. Sometimes things become popular because of a dedicated marketing team with a lot of ad dollars, but sometimes it happens on its own because a product is just that useful.

There’s a funny irony in the fact that you have to have space to create space. When square footage is tight, you need to find clever ways to store your things. But those “genius” storage solutions usually require their own sacrifice in the form of either floor space (wardrobes, bookcases) or wall space (wall-mounted shelves and racks). If you’re tight on both, you might feel like you’re out of luck.

Spring cleaning gets all the glory, but what they don’t tell you is that closet organization is just as important in the fall. Unpacking all your chunky sweaters, corduroy, and cashmere means a lot of textiles, well, everywhere. If you’re already dreading stacks of wool and towers of denim taking over your shelves, there’s hope. Meet the $17 shelf dividers that are going to change the way you deal with closet overflow this fall.

Staying organized at home on a budget can be tricky. That’s why we have to pause and celebrate each and every inexpensive home organizational find we discover! And amazingly, we actually found an under-$20 buy at Amazon that can help streamline your home in seconds. Believe it or not, this stylish wire magazine holder has the power to organize everything from your kitchen pantry to your closet—it just takes a little imagination.

In addition to adhesive hanging hooks, Command has several highly specific applications of their removable (a.k.a. renter-approved) technology.

It turns out Carrie Bradshaw’s not the only one who stores sweaters in her oven. MakeSpace, a storage solution that combines technology with trained moving professionals, conducted a survey on the State of Stuff in America and found that there are real people out there turning kitchens into closets. While you may have considered it an urban legend up there with “alligators in the sewers,” this method of dealing with abysmal apartment storage is very real.

Magnets are little gravity-defying miracles, and mighty in their myriad uses. One of the best places to put their small-yet-powerful selves to work is in the bathroom. Use one or two or 10 there, and keep everything in its proper place. No more hunting around for loose bobby pins, nail clippers, or your favorite eye shadow.

I’m prepared to say that 85% of U.S. citizens have one of these magnetic knife holders hanging somewhere in their kitchen (that’s a totally made up number btw), and the other 15% should get on board. And then 100% of us should look for other places to mount them in our homes, because these simple little strips are good for so much more than just knives. Here’s a whole bunch of ways they make organizing easy.

I don't have a fortune to customize the cabinets from top to bottom — just a few dollars here and there to maximize my kitchen's storage potential.

We’ve all been there. It’s almost springtime and after a long winter spent indoors, you’re ready to get your home nice and clutter-free for the warm weather season. Unfortunately, sometimes instead of successfully clearing out the clutter in our homes, we simply wind up organizing stuff we shouldn’t keep in the first place. While catchall storages bins and closet organizers might seem space-savvy, they often end up helping us hoard things we should be getting rid of.

At $46.99 and a mere 12 inches deep, the EKBY ALEX is one of IKEA’s best examples of sleek, minimal furniture that lends itself to an impressive array of uses and customization options. With two drawers and a surface that can be used as a shelf or table, the EKBY ALEX maximizes storage in small spaces like only our favorite Swedish pieces can.

If you’ve got a pantry—no matter the size, from a small cabinet to a complete closet to a dedicated room—chances are you have a door or two enclosing it. While you might have given attention to organizing the shelves within your pantry, have you thought about tackling all that wasted space behind your door? This DIY pantry door storage solution is functional and beautiful. And it’s such a good idea, we’re rerunning this post two years in a row!

A five-part plan for a better pantry by tomorrow.

If you’re itching to kick your standard closed cabinets to the curb to update the look of your kitchen, you may be considering the controversial open shelf. But before you add a bunch of bespoke floating wooden shelves to your kitchen, consider this in-between look that’s a little less expected. It just might be the thing you’re looking for to add some organized, yet visually interesting storage to your cooking space.

Your guide to custom-crafted drawers.

If your bedroom storage situation is such that you laugh-cry every time a person on “House Hunters” (or any given home show) sashays through a walk-in closet and then pouts, “This just isn’t enough closet space,” then grab a cup (okay, more like a big pot) of tea and settle in.

A living room closet is a godsend, a convenient place to cram all your belongings so your living room can be clutter-free for relaxing and entertaining. But if yours doesn’t have a closet, storing things in the living room can be tricky. You don’t want all your belongings strewn randomly across the most aesthetically important room in your home. Luckily, with a little creativity, you can make a lot of space in your living room without sacrificing any elegance or organization.

Here are five of our favorite no-hanger, no-fold options for casual clothes storage.

Whether your space is just too small or your storage options lacking, you might find yourself in the position of figuring out where to store pots in your kitchen. Don’t despair if there’s no cabinet to tuck them away in; there are ways to store your pots out in the open that won’t hurt your eyes. For your storage inspiration files: 14 examples of real homes storing pots stylishly.

I moved into a small, 500 square foot apartment with real wood floors, tall charming ceilings and a spunky little kitchen that can’t be more than a few feet wide. Yes, WIDE. We’re talking can’t-open-the-oven-unless-you’re-standing-on-the-side small. But I managed to fit everything I needed in my kitchen snugly, in a way that functions well enough that I can easily pull things out as I need.

For years I’ve coveted pantries, and now that I have one… it’s kind of a mess. Keeping a well-stocked pantry user-friendly is definitely a challenge, but the wisest minds online are here to help… From across the web, here are some of the best ideas for keeping your pantry organized. You’ll never spend 15 minutes digging around for the sugar ever again. Open + Industrial Perhaps the best way to keep your pantry looking its best? Make it public.

Ready to organize those stuffed animal collections for the new year? Some parents recommend purging until you don’t need a storage solution, but some kids love their stuffies so much that they’d love to keep them all. If you agree to house a bunch of these toys, you might want an aesthetically pleasing way to store and display them. We’ve rounded up some simple and clever ideas for keeping plush toys corralled and displayed so that, hopefully, everyone is happy. 1.

image:c2825991f525aeca346ee8e1057fee59531b764e w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" When you’re short on space, shoes and bags are some of the hardest items to give a proper home. It seems like they’re always hanging around in the wrong rooms, getting crushed together in a too-small bin, getting tangled together on a top shelf, or gathering dust at the back of a closet.

I may have a bit of a scarf addiction. With practically nonexistent closet space, they were taking over the hooks on my bedroom door. Not only was it an eyesore, it was impossible to grab a coat or scarf without creating an avalanche of accessories. This weekend, I found a solution that was quick, inexpensive, and visually interesting. Check out the after, after the jump!My bedroom is a square with this little nook large enough to accommodate the open door.