Genius Space-Saving Projects For Small Spots & Tight Corners

published Mar 7, 2018

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(Image credit: Melissa Nichols and Jake Durrett)

Renter woes and vintage layouts make odd, small spaces a reality everyone will face at some point. Short of pulling a Chip Gaines and demoing walls, you have to work with what you’ve got.

(Image credit: VT Wonen)

Talk about packing a lot in a tight corner. A shelf never has to be just a shelf. Add notches for keys or under hooks for bags, like in this home on VT Wonen. Just be sure to use wall anchors for heavy loads.

(Image credit: Skona Hem)

Fold-down tables are a classic space saver. I enjoy how the wall edge for this eat-in kitchen from Skona Hem extends out enough to be a shelf as well. Another great space for it is near your washer and dryer for a folding table!

(Image credit: Yellow Brick Home)

I absolutely love Kim and Scott’s entryway IKEA hack on Yellow Brick Home. The EKBY shelf is perfectly slim for narrow walkways but still gives you drawer storage. Kim and Scott floated their shelf for an entryway landing spot, but you could also use this as a vanity (just hang a mirror above!) or desk (add two front support legs).

(Image credit: A Beautiful Mess)

This wraparound corner standing height desk from A Beautiful Mess is perfect for carving out a dedicated workspace without a huge desk overtaking a room. Plus, just move the bar stools out of the way and you have a bar!

(Image credit: IKEA)

Floating on over to the next DIY, hanging nightstands visually take up less space and give you more floor room to stash decorative baskets. IKEA turned their APTITLIG cutting board into a cost effective nightstand, but I also love The Merry Thought’s live edge piece.

(Image credit: Amber Interiors)

Take the hanging shelf idea to the bathroom for some much needed storage. These open, vertical shelves made by Amber Interiors keep the small space from feeling cluttered and helps move the eye up to the ceiling.

(Image credit: The Merry Thought)

There might be a lot of shelf nightstands out there, but do they have a built-in phone stand? Manda of the Merry Thought’s thoughtful touch makes charging your phone at night and using it as an alarm clock just a little easier and hardly takes up any room.

(Image credit: ctrl + curate)

When you can’t find a shelf narrow enough to buy, DIY! I had a tiny sliver of wall I wanted to use for organization and cranked out this narrow shelf in under an hour. The best part? It’s renter friendly with extra strength Command strips holding it up.

(Image credit: First Sense Interiors)

For the odd nook, fill with custom storage. Meera of First Sense Interiors added legs to a kitchen cabinet for extra storage and made her space look more intentional.

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