A house doesn’t need to be huge to feel spacious. And you don’t need to be Martha Stewart to add some clever organisation to your home. With a couple of handy storage hacks – some small, some big – you can make the most of the space you have.
From the kitchen and bathroom to the bedroom and study, there are cheeky things you can do to introduce more storage options throughout your home. We’ve even got some hacks for the mess monsters kids – because the smallest members of the family often take up the most room.
If you really want to organise your kitchen, a stabbity stab stab knife block isn’t going to cut it. But don’t worry – you won’t need to volunteer your home for your hopeless nephew’s The Block audition video either. With some simple storage hacks, you can introduce order to your fridge, your pantry, and even that one section of the benchtop that is constantly piling up with mail and miscellaneous junk (you know the one). Jackson can ruin his own damn home in pursuit of his terrible ambitions.
1. Desk Organisers… in the Fridge?!
Image via Lifehack.org
Desk organisers can work wonders for a cluttered fridge. You’ll be surprised how much room you have for cold groceries when there are no loose strawberries or drink cans rolling around. Opt for a variety of shapes and sizes to suit different fridge items. With the right arrangement, you can keep all your healthy fruit and veg front and centre while your shameful collection of chocolate stays hidden from prying, judgemental eyes.
2. Spicy, Spicy Shelves
Image via Duhbe.com
Herbs and spices blocking your view of the Iced VoVos? Choose a spare bit of wall and install a spice shelf or 2. Your biscuits will have all the pantry space they deserve, and the coriander will be right there when you need it (which is never, because coriander is awful).
3. Welcome to Bookcase Island
Image via Goldenboysandme.com
A bookcase island is the weird kitchen storage solution you didn’t know you needed. Arrange 2 or 4 bookcases in the centre of the room, throw a solid plank of wood on top, and there you have it: bench space and shelf space all rolled into one.
4. Containing Those Evil Plastic Bags
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Plastic bags are literally the worst. Left uncontained, they can quickly spread and fill up the whole cupboard under your kitchen sink. Yeah, no thank you. Keep those flimsy bastards in check with an empty wet wipes container. Remember: plastic bags have phenomenal cosmic powers, but they only need an itty bitty living space.
5. The Ol’ Rod-Under-the-Sink Trick
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A rod under your sink is perfect for hanging washcloths and spray bottles. With your plastic bags imprisoned and your detergents all hung up, you’ll actually have storage space beneath your sink – perfect for cutting boards, rarely used mugs, or that set of expensive cutlery you’re planning to re-gift at some point (perhaps as a wedding gift for Jackson, if he ever gets his life together).
6. Ninja Baskets
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Secret baskets are brilliant. Use adhesive hooks to attach a skinny plastic basket to the inside of your cupboard door. Bam. Now you have a handy spot for your sponges and scrubbing brushes. Or perhaps a hiding place for all those bills you don’t want to pay (just kidding – you should probably pay those bills).
7. Here’s a Bonus Hack for Every Room of the House
This holey board is the holy grail of home storage hacks. With some hooks, a few shelves and a bit of styling inspo, you can quickly create a beautiful, organised space in any room of the house.
- Hang it in the kitchen to keep your cooking essentials close by.
- Let your kids decorate it and creatively store their toys.
- Put it up in your backyard shed and use it to organise your tools.
- Paint it a nice colour to go with your bedroom, then hang up hats and other accessories.
- Place it beside the front door as a place to drop off and pick up keys, backpacks, sunglasses and other items.
Your bedroom should be a tranquil sanctuary, not a dumping ground for stuff. If you’re rocking a floordrobe and lacking space for your things, boy, have we got a treat for you. These storage hacks will turn your room into an organised oasis in no time.
8. Hang Up Your Bed Slats
Image via Ichdesigner.com
What’s that? You don’t have some spare bed slats lying around? Well, your loss, buddy. Because they can be cleverly repurposed as a giant wall ornament. Hang them up. Add some ‘S’ hooks. Adorn with clothes and accessories, shoes, magazines, and anything else that usually hogs space in your closet. A couple of hanging pot plants and photo frames can turn those bed slats into a real statement piece for your bedroom.
9. Nobody Puts a Clothes Rack in the Corner, OhWaitTheyTotallyDo
Image via Delphinecosmeticdiary.com
A clothes rack in the corner is perfect for people who aren’t ashamed to admit their fashion has outgrown their wardrobe space. Just remember that coming out of the closet is a privilege – only your favourite outfits should get to hang in this VIP corner of your bedroom.
10. The Storage Monster That Lives Under Your Bed
Image via Core77.com
Drawers under the bed are one of the most obvious storage hacks. But they’re popular for a reason: they’ve slept around. That is, they’ve found themselves under countless beds all around the world. If you’ve got too many books for your bookcase or your bedside table is overflowing with undies, it’s definitely time to buy some under-bed sliding drawers.
11. These Boots Were Made for Hangin’ (And That’s Just What They’ll Do)
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Too many pairs of tall boots? Free up that floor space by placing them on pants hangers. That’s it. That’s the whole hack. You’re welcome, Imelda.
12. Scarves Can Hang Too
Image via Micasaorganizada.com
Speaking of hangers, you only need 1 coat hanger to handle all your scarves. Squeeze them all in to create a beautiful scarf rainbow that takes up barely any space. If you have heaps of ties or baseball caps or shoelaces for some reason, this hack will work for those as well.
13. Ice, Ice… Jewellery?
Image via Food-and-community.tesco.ie
Ice cube trays can be marvellous jewellery organisers. Keep your earrings separate, and prevent your necklaces from getting tangled up with those bracelets from the bad side of town.
14. Here’s Another Hack for Every Room
There is literally no room in your home that can’t be improved with shelves. A blank wall is like a roommate who doesn’t pay rent: useless. And probably named Jackson.
- The space above a door is the perfect spot for a sneaky shelf – especially in bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Consider installing a high shelf along the perimeter of your bedroom, then fill it with decorative pieces and items you rarely need (like your cardboard Christmas tree).
- A slim shelf above your bathroom vanity can hold all your toothbrushes and lotions, leaving more space on the actual countertop.
- A series of shelves in a young child’s room can be used to store and display picture books (just make sure the first shelf isn’t low enough for your little one to climb on to!).
- Add floating shelves wherever you want to create instant storage options throughout your home.
Unless you live in the White House, you probably don’t have a lot of bathroom space to spare. Not to worry – creating more storage space is easy with these creative ideas.
15. On the Straight and Narrow Shelf
Image via Yasamstil.com
Install a narrow shelf directly above your bathroom vanity. Now you have somewhere to keep your toothpaste, floss, hair brushes, soaps, gel and other daily essentials neat and organised. No more cluttered countertops or toothbrushes slipping into the sink.
16. The Humble Shower Caddy
Shampoos, shower caps and body sponges taking up floor space in your shower? A shower caddy is an obvious way to lift these items to new heights (to the top of your shower, to be more specific). If you’ve previously overlooked this popular bathroom storage option, it might be time to reconsider – particularly if you keep knocking over your conditioner while you’re singing Ariana Grande songs. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us. And you’ll definitely have one less problem when you’ve got a shower caddy.
17. Get Fruity in the Shower
Image via 8footsix.com
You know those tiered fruit baskets that are all the rage apparently? Take out those apples and throw in the apple-scented shampoo instead. Hang it over the shower curtain rod and fill it with soaps, bath toys and face washers. This hack is ideal for parents with young children – those rubber ducks aren’t going to store themselves.
18. Rack ’em Up
Image via listotic.com
What’s the best thing you can store on a wine rack? Wine. Obviously. But the second best thing is towels. No longer will opening your linen closet come with the risk of death by towel avalanche.
19. A Sneaky Shelf Above the Door
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A shelf above the bathroom door is just what you need if the cupboard under the vanity is bursting at the seams. It’s also just what you need if you have insatiably curious children and medications or hazardous cleaning liquids you’d like to keep out of their reach.
20. Sideways Wire Baskets
Imave via Abeautifulmess.com
Attach some sideways wire baskets to the wall in your bathroom. Now you have a great place for your hair dryer, straightener, razors and toilet paper. Too easy.
21. OMG, Yet ANOTHER Hack for Every Room
If you need a smart way to organise little metal things, we’re delighted to invite you to the magnetic strip club. From bobby pins to spice jars, there are items in every room that can be kept organised with a small piece of this magical fabric.
- A magnetic strip on a bathroom wall can become a home for clippers, nail scissors, tweezers, and whatever other little metal things you have floating around.
- If your bobby pins and hair accessories tend to disappear like a magic trick, keep them in place with a magnetic strip on top of your dressing table.
- Use one in the study to keep your paperclips, staples, scissors and other metal stationery items easy to reach.
- Glue magnets to your spice jars and attach to a magnetic strip on the inside of the pantry door.
- Keep one above your workbench in the garage to hold nuts, bolts, nails and other bits and bobs you regularly reach for.
If there’s one place in the home that’s prone to clutter, it’s the home office. With piles of paperwork and pens coming out of your ears (not literally, we hope – you should get that checked out), it doesn’t take long for the study to become a mess. With a few storage tricks, you can keep your home office organised and ready to get down to business.
22. Make Your Own Cable Holders
Image via Everydaydishes.com
Hands up who likes untangling cords and cables. Oh, right – nobody does. Say no to tangles and knots with a DIY cable holder. Guide your cords neatly with labelled bulldog clips, or have some fun with LEGO – the choice is yours.
23. Divvy Up Your Desk Drawers
Image via Hgtv.com
While throwing all your crap into one drawer may allow your stationery to mingle (the highlighters can cuddle with the post-its, and the paperclips can tell jokes to the glue stick), this also makes it hard when you need to find something. Drawer dividers give every item its own space, making it easy to grab what you need without going digging.
24. Hello Caddy, My Old Friend
Image via Lifehack.org
Is there anything the humble shower caddy can’t do? Probably, but we’re optimists, and we’re focusing on its strong points for now. This is an easy way to keep your stationery organised and easy to reach for. And hey, it makes a pretty wall feature too.
25. Don’t Throw Out Those Toilet Paper Rolls
Image via Onegoodthingbyjillee.com
Where’s the extension cord when you need it – am I right? Toilet paper rolls don’t need to be destined for the bin. Keep them handy for organising unused cords. Simply roll up your cords and slide a toilet paper roll over the top to keep them tidy. You’ll never spend an afternoon searching through cupboards for that HDMI cable again. You may also want to decorate the rolls to make them less… toilety.
26. Bread Tags Make Weirdly Perfect Cord Labels
Image via Redbookmag.com
Is there anything worse than unplugging what you think is the printer and accidentally losing power to the computer? Avoid this soul-shattering catastrophe by recycling bread tags as cord labels.
27. Shoe Boxes Aren’t Just for Preschool Dioramas
Image via Buzzfeed.com
We don’t like to discriminate, but honestly, power boards are ugly. There, we said it. Keep yours out of sight by hiding it in a fun coloured shoe box. Simply make some holes for cords to run out and voilà – you’ve got yourself a power board holder that keeps your study looking stylish and tidy.
28. And Another All-Around-the-House Hack for You
We love surprises, and can you imagine our surprise when we discovered the many uses of magazine holders? Seriously, these bad boys have a lot to offer when it comes to home storage and organisation.
- Chuck a couple in the freezer to create shelves. This makes it easy to separate the gross Zooper Dooper flavours from the yummy ones. #priorities.
- Attach them to the back of cupboard doors in the kitchen to hold Tupperware container lids. Because trying to locate these lids is one of life’s biggest challenges.
- Stack them in your closet to hold purses or clutches. This will make it easy to find the perfect style for your night out.
- Keep everyone’s water bottle in the one spot by placing them in magazine holders on the kitchen bench.
- Use one as a recipe holder in the pantry to keep all your favourite recipes safely filed away.
We’re just going to put it out there: kids are bloody messy. Without a little guidance, they could (literally) leave their mark on every room in the house. But not if these storage hacks have anything to say about it.
29. Lockers by the Door
Image via Polkadotchair.com
How do your children manage to mess up the house the minute they step through the door? Oh, that’s right – it’s because you don’t have one of these cool DIY entryway lockers. We can’t think of a better use for narrow bookcases than keeping the kids’ shoes, bags and coats tidy.
30. Here’s a Cool Way to Use Bungee Cords
Image via Akgriffiths.blogspot.com.au
So, how about those open cabinets? Pretty useless, right? Wrong. Adding bungee cords to open cabinets will make them more practical – and your kids can play “Teddy goes to prison”. It’s a win-win.
31. Velcro All Day, Every Day
Remotes are either all over the place or nowhere to be found – there is no in-between. Keep yours organised with Velcro. Just attach Velcro strips to the inside of the TV unit and the back of your gaming controls and TV remotes to create a designated home for them. Velcro is fun, which means your little ones will be more inclined to actually comply with this idea. Maybe.
32. It’s a Wall… It’s a Desk… It’s Wall Desk!
Image via Ana-white.com
If you don’t have space for a play or craft table, a fold-down wall desk is the perfect solution. Not only does it provide a place for your little one to play or colour, but it also doubles as storage for their toys and craft supplies.
33. Because You Haven’t Gone Rock Climbing for Months Anyway
Image via Themiddleflipper.blogspot.com
Do you find your child’s hair ties all over the house? An easy trick for keeping them in one spot (and not sprinkled throughout every room) is to slide them onto a carabiner.
34. Make Your Toy Boxes Even More Fun
Image via Familyeverafterblog.com
Toy boxes are already pretty great for keeping the kids’ junk off the floor, but adding picture labels can make clean-up time even faster and more fun. Plus, it gives your kids a chance to see the wide variety of toys they’re blessed with and why they should be nice to their parents.
35. Oh, and One Final Hack for Every Room of the House (You’re Welcome)
You know what they say: there’s nothing quite as versatile as a shoe hanger. OK, maybe they don’t say it, but we’re saying it right now. Seriously, shoe hangers provide awesome storage in every room.
- Hang one on the back of the kids’ cupboard to hold their Barbies or matchbox cars.
- Use one as a makeup organiser in the bathroom.
- Keep the kids’ colouring books and crayons organised by stashing them in a shoe hanger in the study.
- Hang one in the garden shed to keep your gardening tools easy to reach.
- Keep one in the sewing room to organise your bobbins of thread and other haberdashery materials. OK, you probably don’t have a sewing room. We just really wanted to use the word haberdashery.
Don’t let a lack of space stomp your dreams of an organised home. Channel your inner Martha Stewart and add extra storage to your home with these creative hacks. Better yet, get Jackson around to help you – he sure as hell has nothing better to do with his time.
Our greatest storage hack of all? A self-storage unit. Discover our affordable, flexible options and book today. Get a quote here, or search for where your closest centre is.
