Discovering Bonus Space Right in Your Home

by Lois Breneman - Copyright 2004 - Revised 2012 - Heart to Heart

All of us have probably thought how we need more storage space in our homes.  First of all, getting rid of all those things we really don't need will cut way down on the needed storage space.  I'm working on that, but it's easier said than done.  Then how about investigating every available space in your home and putting it to good use if you are still in need of more storage space?  Look around your home for items that serve as a decoration, but allow for hidden storage as well.  In many cases extra storage is available and just waiting to be found!  Here are some clues as to where you can discover extra bonus space right in your own home!  Think vertical! 

Hang a clear vinyl pocket organizer (shoe bag) inside the linen closet to hold Band-aids, bandages, tape, small tubes of medications, a thermometer, ball syringes, etc. Everything will be easy to see and locate quickly when needed.

A clear vinyl pocket organizer is effective when hung inside a broom closet to store Goo Gone, window cleaner, all purpose cleaner, rubbing alcohol, and other cleaning supplies.  Be sure to tuck in plenty of microfiber cloths or terry cloth squares, which I prefer.  An old bath towel (with no holes) can be cut into eighths to make the same number of wonderful cleaning cloths.  After rounding the corners, simply sew around each one using the zig-zag stitch on a sewing machine to prevent unraveling and lint.  These work great for numerous cleaning jobs and are virtually free!

Hang another clear vinyl pocket organizer inside the coat closet for sunglasses, gloves, scarves, fold up umbrellas, a lint brush, and other things you might need to grab before you go out the door.

Hang more clear vinyl pocket organizers inside your children's closet doors, unless the doors are louvered. I'm sure you will agree that small things stored in these pockets are so much better than scattered all around their rooms! And everything will be visible through the clear vinyl!

Store often-used information, taped inside kitchen cabinet doors.  A chart of family illnesses, giving each name, date, illness, and remedy, is a valuable chart to have at your fingertips.  Food substitutions are another handy piece of information, and I know we can all think of more information we'd like to keep handy.

If you are in the process of building or remodeling your home, you may want to consider adding one built-in locker for each family member - near the door, all in a row. I have seen this plan carried out in the home of a friend and the mother raved how they all loved the convenience of keeping each person's coat, boots, gloves, school books, backpack, etc. right by the door. The mother also loved how each person was responsible for his or her own personal locker!  A great idea!

If you have a deep closet or pantry where things seem to get lost, store items on trays that can be pulled out, so you have full access to everything and are able to find what you need.

Small round wooden tables, purchased for as little as $5 (on sale), can provide lovely hidden storage! With a round tablecloth draped down to the floor, no one will ever know what you have hidden there and it provides a nice decorative touch to a bedroom, living room, family room, great room, dining room or sun room. A round piece of glass can be purchased to set on top of the tablecloth for protection from spills. A large round lace doily or a smaller square piece of contrasting fabric placed over the tablecloth can change the whole appearance.

Use empty decorative ceramic containers for storage, as well as decoration. Examples: Pretty ginger jars, canisters, covered ceramic dishes, vases or teapots.  Large painted milk cans can hold umbrellas.

In the bathroom install shelves to set on top of or above the tank of the commode for additional space. Every bathroom can use more storage and this is an excellent vertical space to use.

Use a hanging shelf that slips over the shower head to hold shampoo, conditioner, and razors.  Racks are also available to hang on the side of a shower, when using an adhesive hook on the tile.

A shallow overhead shelf or two situated up high at the end of the bathtub is another possibility.

Slide under-the-bed boxes -- where else but under the beds!  I'm sure you can think of something to store in those (gifts, out-of-season shoes or clothing, etc.).  If a bed doesn't allow enough height for a box to fit under the mattress, the feet of the bed could be raised up a little on four blocks of wood (about 4" wide with a hollowed out area to hold the feet of the bed).  My husband rounded the corners as well, in order to prevent sore toes that might kick into the wood by accident.

Have you thought of storing things under sofas and chairs with skirts? Yes, even there!  Sofas with skirts are perfect for this, but not so easily found these days.

A shallow cabinet (about one or two inches deep) would be sufficient to hold necklaces and bracelets with cup hooks or even push pins to hold them. Hang it behind a bedroom door where it would be protected by a rubber door stop. A beautiful painting could even be attached to the front. Or use the space in the back of your bedroom closet to hang necklaces and bracelets.

Many closets have wooden strips around the wall for the shelves. Insert push pins into the wood to hang necklaces and bracelets. This works great and keeps them out of sight.

Hang bookshelves along the wall above a desk or computer to make good use of that unused space.

In many homes it would work to enclose the area under the stairs for storage, with a door. It's amazing how much can be stored there.

Inside a closet door, attach lightweight plastic-covered wire shelves designed to slip over the back of a door or fasten onto the inside of the door. This will hold so much and keep all the contents right at your fingertips.

If a closet has too much empty space between the shelves, add another shelf or two for more organized storage and better use of the space.

Look carefully at each closet and find a way to use all the available space. By using baskets, square plastic tubs or plastic shoe boxes (with lids) on closet shelves, they can be stacked to maximize the available space. Be sure to label all containers to make it easy to locate various items.

Under-the-shelf storage can be purchased in plastic-coated wire to be slipped on a shelf to make use of that unused space under the shelf.

Building shelves directly above your washer and dryer is a great idea, because that is normally wasted space. Use either open shelves or enclosed cabinets for laundry supplies and many other items.

Stacking makes use of extra space. At least three six drawer organizers (without the wheels attached, of course) can be stacked to provide organized storage for papers, CD's, DVD's, office supplies, scrapbooking supplies, rubber stamping supplies, sewing supplies, crafts, etc.

Add an extra make-shift shelf to the floor of a closet, simply by raising the shelf up with two bricks on each end. This will provide extra storage space for shoes. Use a board that you stained or painted to match the room.  You could even cover it with fabric or matching contact paper.

In a child's room, stuffed animals could be stored and displayed in mesh, hanging from the ceiling in a corner of the room. You can find fish netting in stores for this purpose.

Shelves built around one or more walls about 12 to 18 inches below the ceiling of a child or teen's room provide not only storage, but decoration as well. The personality and interests of your child can be displayed for your enjoyment and theirs.  This is a good place for trophies as well.

Continue looking for unused space in your home. Hopefully these ideas of finding extra bonus storage space in the home will help us all to be more organized.