How to Create Storage out of the Smallest Space

The big thing I must do as part of this year's spring cleaning is de-clutter.

Last year I thought I had it under control but with a small child in the house it's an ongoing battle.

There's a constant stream of new stuff and an ever growing mountain of things grown out of or no longer needed.

I need to be more brutal at getting rid of stuff, but it's hard when each thing that goes is a bitter reminder that there probably won't be another baby in the house.

Until I can summon up the courage to be ruthless, I am trying to create more storage space.

And as our impossibly thin London terrace house is short on it, I've had to get inventive. But I have found I can squeeze storage out of even some of the smallest spaces.

1. Under the Beds

Some people say you shouldn't store things under the bed but if needs must, you can create practical and pretty storage with sets of baskets for toys plus in my case fabric waiting to be sewn, spare bed linen and my mending box, (which never seems to be any emptier!).

These white baskets came from Amazon in the UK, but you can get a very
 similar set of baskets from Target.

I cadged these baskets from my mum, but Target has a great range
 of lined and unlined deep baskets that you can get a lot in.

2. Under Sofas & Chairs

Our sitting room seems to be overflowing with toys.  We have a couple of very big baskets that are very good for shoving stuff in but the danger is that the things that go in rarely come back out.

So these very shallow pantry baskets that fit under both a day bed and an arm chair in the sitting room and are the perfect size for jigsaws and other wooden puzzles were a big win.

I got mine in the sale at A Place for Everything but Amazon has these shallow baskets
that are only 5' high and these hand woven baskets which are really lovely and only
4.5' high, if a tad expensive.

3. Under Wardrobes & Chest of Drawers

My shallow pantry baskets have also come good in the bedroom squeezing under both a chest of drawers for storing shoes and under a wardrobe as part of a vain attempt to keep the magazines & newspapers in our news obsessed household off the floor, the bed, wherever they were last dropped!

4. On Top of Kitchen Cabinets

In our old flat we had a tiny but very tall kitchen so could store stuff that was rarely used, (picnic and party things, Christmas stuff, bibs and sippy cups that really ought to go), in baskets on top of the units.

We've now got very shallow units and a low ceiling so I am on a mission to find some baskets that look lovely - I love the country cottage feel it gives the kitchen - but fit the space.

A word of warning though if you are storing stuff on top of the cupboards do get baskets with lids or covers as without them everything gets a bit grimey.

If you liked these ideas do follow my organisation board on Pinterest ...



And I would love to see your ideas for decluttering and organisation, do link up them up below ...

Decluttering and Organisation

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