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When living in a small house, the biggest trick you probably need to know is how to make the most of vertical spaces.
In most tiny home setups, the horizontal space you have is pretty much limited. But if you take a good look at the space from the floor up to your ceiling, you will find that there is so much you can do with it. You have a whole blank canvas waiting for you!
To help you get started, we have gathered the best tips that can help you make the most of vertical spaces in your home.
Let’s do this!
1. Frame the doorway with shelves.
Do you have wide door frames? Why not create shelves around it? Use both sides, plus the top. Yup, like a real frame!
In this example, the shelves were used as a mini library. Make this for the vertical spaces in the living room, study room, or even the bedroom if you do lots of reading there.
Apart from books, you may use the shelves as an added storage, or as a display area for art and decorative items.
2. Use the back of the doors for additional storage.
There are lots of over-the-door racks and hanging organizers that you can use for this. In this example, an over-the-door rack was used to organize bathroom essentials.
Look at the doors at your home. See how you can make use of those vertical spaces behind.
Indeed, you can make this in every door in your home! Just imagine how much extra storage space that can give you!
3. Maximize the gap between the door and the wall.
When a door is open, you will notice that there is a gap between the door and the wall. That space can still be used!
Invest in a thin and narrow shelf like this one. This will give you additional storage space for a wide variety of items.
4. Invest in stackable pull-out drawers.
If you have tall cabinets or shelves, make use of every space by getting stackable pull-out drawers.
These come in any size, and you can easily buy a bunch and stack them together in any way you want! They are very convenient and versatile – you can even use them to maximize vertical space in the fridge!
5. Add shelves in an empty corner.
Empty corners are often wasted space in any home – no matter what the size. But you can use corners for added storage, or if they are too small, for decorative purposes. Simply install floating shelves!
This is a great way to make the most of empty corner spaces. Plus, floating shelves do not take up much time to install. You can set them up in an hour!
6. Get stackable organizers, such as storage cubes for shoes.
Investing in stackable organizers is a pretty easy way to make the most of vertical spaces.
One great example is a set of stackable storage cubes. You can arrange them any way you want with any number of cubes. If you need more, all you have to do is order again and stack them up. Easy peasy!
This also works great for awkward spaces, like under the stairs.
One great example is these stackable storage cubes for organizing shoes.
This works really great for organizing shoes, but I guess you may also use these to organize other stuff.
7. Create a pegboard wall.
Pegboards are very versatile, hence a great tool to help you make the most of empty vertical spaces at home. Use them to hang up anything whether it be floating shelves, cubes, plants, tools, or simply hooks!
8. Raise the bed.
Storing things under the bed can give you a lot more space and hides clutter. But if you find that your bed can’t accommodate much underneath, consider investing in bed risers.
As the name implies, these products raise your beds so you can store more things underneath them.
Here’s one of our favorite bed risers.
9. Keep suitcases under the bed.
Suitcases tend to be very bulky. You can keep them away by storing them under the bed.
And while you do that? Why not put some seasonal items in there as well to keep them out of the way too?
10. Invest in a lift-up bed.
If you’re planning to buy a new bed, you might as well invest in lift-up beds. These have built-in storage underneath which is a big help to organize a small bedroom.
The trick is to use the space to store seasonal items, or those that you do not use every day since the act of having to lift your bed all the time can be quite tiring. That can even be annoying if you have to do that all the time.
Here’s one of our favorite lift up storage beds.
11. Loft beds are great too!
If you’re living in bachelor pads or studio-type dwellings with no walls or rooms, we recommend space saving furniture such as loft beds.
Underneath the bed, you have space for a closet. Or, depending on the loft bed model, you can set up a mini living room or office. You can just imagine how much space is saved with this!
Try this IMUsee Loft Bed Frame from Amazon.
12. Use bunk beds for kids’ room.
When your kids need to share a room, bunk beds are the best solution to maximize the vertical spaces in the room.
For example, when you arrange bunk beds in the corner like this, it allows for more floor space in the room. You can use that to organize your kids’ stuff even further. Make sure to leave enough space for them to move around and play!
Sharing a room can be chaotic, but it does bring your kids closer. So, it’s a win when we’re talking long term!
13. Put a hanging organizer inside the closet.
If you’re closet doesn’t have shelves, make yourself some with the help of hanging organizers. Even over the door shoe organizers will do the trick!
This way, you can organize the closet more efficiently without having to install permanent shelves.
14. Arrange kitchen items vertically on the wall.
Small kitchens usually have limited counter space. This can often lead to a cluttered kitchen, and a cluttered kitchen can’t be a functional one.
If you are struggling for kitchen counter space, look no further than the walls! Hang up your utensils or install shelves on the kitchen wall.
Use the shelves to organize everyday kitchen items, especially the tools that you usually need while cooking. This makes them easily accessible.
If you still have extra space after that, you may use it to display your best kitchenware.
15. Invest in a slim roll-out shelf.
Slim roll-out shelves are perfect for those awkward and narrow vertical spaces.
One good example is that gap between the fridge and the wall. If you have that space, create a roll-out shelf such as this one. It perfectly fits in the awkward gap! Use it as a pantry extension to keep canned goods and spices.
16. Get an over-the-toilet rack or cabinet.
For tiny bathrooms, make sure you do not overlook the space above the toilet bowl. Add storage space to help you organize the bathroom simply by investing in an over-the-toilet rack or cabinet.
This will give you space to arrange your toiletries, hygiene products, toilet paper, and even cleaning products!
Try this UDEAR Over the Toilet Rack from Amazon.
17. Use the walls around the bathtub.
The walls around your bathtub are wasted space. Install some shelves in there and you will find yourself with more storage space for your toiletry needs!
Here’s one tip: Make sure you put items that you do not mind would get wet – especially when you have kids who love to splash around the tub.
18. Hang makeup and other cosmetics.
Instead of a vanity table, use the wall around the mirror to organize makeup and other cosmetics. A table can take up a lot of floor space. And if you are not careful, you can create a lot of clutter on the tabletop.
With this idea, everything stays organized and out of the way. Simple use shelves or containers that can handle the weight of your products.
19. Stack laundry baskets.
Laundry baskets do take up much space. One way to save space and have an organized laundry room is to stack up your laundry baskets. This vertical storage solution easily clears up floor space for you!
20. Create a vertical garden.
Maximizing vertical spaces is not only for indoors. You can use the same principle outdoors too!
If you have a green thumb and you feel more relaxed and at home being surrounded by plants, but you do not have enough space for a garden, simply create a vertical container garden!
Yes, it is possible to grow plants even if you do not have a full yard. Sometimes, all you need is a wall and a set of empty plastic bottles to serve as planters!
Go upwards!
Making the most of the vertical spaces in your home is indeed a practical step to make it feel less cramped.
These solutions can also open up more storage space which means you do not have to limit most of the things you own. Remember, if you can’t go outwards… go upwards!
Looking for more solutions to help you create more space in a small home? Try these!
- 20 Tips & Tricks for Living in a Small Space
- 20 Best Space Saving Furniture to Help You Live Big in a Tiny Home
- 17 Ways to Make the Most of Empty Corner Spaces for a Small Room
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