The college apartments that I stayed in were not very big, and on top of that, I had a roommate. This didnāt leave very much storage space to work with. If youāre in a similar situation, here are some organization tips to fit your things in the apartment.
To organize an apartment with no storage space, you need to roll your clothes instead of hanging them, make use of the empty space under your sink, add more closet storage opportunities, store your dishes in the dishwasher, insert a storage rack in your counter cupboard and hang stuff on the wall.
The trick to creating more space to keep your belongings is buying storage items that let you take advantage of typically unused spaces.
Amazon links: click on the āBuy on Amazonā links, not the picture above it.
Notice: Make Your Place Livable LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
1. Roll Your Clothes Instead Of Hanging Them
When we fold clothes in a regular way or hang them in a closet, they end up using far more room than needed. This:
Could be turned into this:
Which can cut the amount of space they take up in your drawers in half. You might be worried about wrinkles forming in your nicer clothes. You can choose to hang those up to prevent that, or you could steam/iron them when they need to look wrinkle free. I suggest the latter if your apartment doesnāt give you many other storage options.
2. Make Use Of The Empty Space Under Your Sink
If you have a cupboard under the sink in your kitchen and bathroom(s), then you could buy a couple of plastic drawers and stack them next to and on top of one another. Here is an examples of that:
This is both a storage hack and an aesthetic upgrade! You could also hang some shelves on the outside of the cupboard door:
If you want some more storage ideas for under your sink, check out my 27 tips for how to maximize space in your small apartment kitchen.
3. Add More Closet Storage Opportunities
Do you have a closet that doesnāt come with enough shelves or, worse, no shelves at all? Change that by adding some portable storage. For example, portable stackable drawers will give you more places to keep your outfits:
On top of that, you could use a multi clothes hanger to put more than one shirt or pair of pants on one hanger:
If you plan on keeping some shoes in the closet, stack them on a vertical rack to save floor space.
4. Take Advantage Of Your Desktop
If you have a desk, then that in itself is a lot of storage space. One way that you can take advantage of your desktop is by putting stationery storage shelves on it:
You donāt have to use them for pens and pencils as the name suggests. Itās just some extra compartments to store anything thatāll fit on it. If this shelf isnāt for you, or you need even more storage space, sit a magazine file:
on your desk too. This is great for paper or any other kind of flat items that need a home. You could also put little mini drawers on the desktop to hold even more stuff.
There are plenty of other desktop storage ideas to try too, so pick whatever works for you!
5. Stack Your Spice Bottles
In my first apartment during my sophomore year of college, I had a small cabinet completely dedicated to different spices. I had so many, yet I stored them so poorly by sitting them all next to each other without stacking them. What I should have used was one of these:
It would have given me the option to utilize the vertical space in the cabinet rather than just the horizontal space. Not only that, but I would have had easier access to all the bottles because this allows you to slide the rack out like a drawer. If you have a spice collection, or any other assortment of small bottles, get one of these to make the most of what little storage space that you have.
6. Store Your Dishes In The Dishwasher
This is a simple, classic, yet, effective storage method. If youāre a fan of hand washing your dishes rather than using the dishwasher, then you can treat it like an extra cabinet for all of your kitchen supplies. Even if you like to use the dishwasher, you can store the dirty dishes in there over the course of the week. This prevents them from taking up extra space in the cabinets, on the counter, or in the sink. This will also prevent them from stinking up the place by being left out in the open. At the end of the week, run the dishwasher.
Want more dish storage ideas? Here are 20 more ways to fit them in your apartment.
7. Insert A Storage Rack In Your Counter Cupboard
Not only is it easy to waste the extra space in the kitchen cabinets, but itās even easier to waste space in the cupboards too. Take advantage of all that room by putting a storage rack in there:
You can double, triple or quadruple the amount of stuff youād initially be able to fit inside. If youāre a fan of keeping your food supplies in the cabinets rather than the cupboards, donāt worry. You can still make the most of the space, no matter what you choose to store in it. This is because there are racks in all different sizes to hold dishes, kitchenware, barbecue tools, etc.
8. Use All The Storage Space Your Cabinets Have To Offer
Letās go back to talking about your cabinets. This time, Iām not just talking about your kitchen ones either. All of the cabinets in your apartment have the potential to provide even more storage space for you. All you need to do is put storage racks in every single one thatāll fit it.
9. Hang Stuff On The Wall
Speaking of wasted vertical space, donāt let your walls get away with being unused. Every inch of this apartment is going to earn its keep by becoming a storage space! Okay, maybe Iām being dramatic, but you get my point. You remember those command hooks that we used to decorate our dorm room? Yup! Itās time to bring āem back!
Slap a few of these on your wall to hang hats, bags, clothes, etc. Make sure each item that you hang isnāt too heavy for the hook to handle. We donāt want to end up ripping the paint. If you want an upgraded version of wall storage, hang a pegboard to store a bunch of smaller items on.
10. Buy Some Storage
This is one of the more simple solutions, but if your apartment doesnāt come with any storage space, buy some! By this I donāt mean renting out a public garage, although you could do that too. I mean hanging a storage basket over your door:
Stacking them in your closet:
Getting some bins, filling them up, and putting them on top of each other:
And finding other ways to hold your stuff without suffocating the apartment. You donāt have to stick to the cards that your landlord dealt you. Spend a few bucks so that you can effectively fill your home with the things that are important to you.
11. Hang Under Shelf Drawers
This is a storage hack that I donāt see in a lot of apartments, but I think is super clever. If you have leftover room in a cabinet, cupboard, closet or any place that has a shelf, hang one of these on them:
You can also use these on your fridge shelves if food storage is whatās bugging you.