Furniture with Storage: Smart Solutions for Small Apartments

Whether you’re renting a studio or a one-bedroom apartment, smaller spaces come with a few extra challenges in terms of storage. You don’t necessarily have to be a hoarder (like yours truly) to run out of space. Given the last couple of years that pushed us to spend more time indoors and even adjust our living areas to include space for an office, it can be tricky to find room to store all of our belongings and necessities without creating clutter. Enter the solution: furniture with storage.

Fortunately, there are so many amazing options for multifunctional furniture designed specifically for maximizing the available space in apartments. If you’re looking for a few new pieces of furniture that will not only look great but also double as extra storage solutions, we’ve got you covered. Check out these smart pieces that you can use to hide a few items, whenever you need to declutter your space.

Nightstand

 

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These are small additions to any bedroom that can potentially add storage value, if chosen right. Sure, bedside tables are beautiful and can add a bit of fancy, but they also lack storage space. A nightstand, on the other hand, usually has drawers where you can store a few essential items — from a couple of books that you read at night to some cosmetics or even important documents. Essentially, as long as you’ll use that space near your bed, you might as well use it fully and make sure that it includes at least a couple of drawers. This can also be applied to the coffee table in the living room area: if you’re going to have one, choose the option that comes with either shelves or drawers.

Shelves

 

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When we think of storage solutions, we usually only consider the floor space around us. However, suspended shelves are a great way to create a little extra storage without cluttering the floor area. But, before you make any holes in the wall, it’s best to check with the landlord to see if it’s ok to add a couple of shelves here and there. Then, if you get the thumbs up, know that you can find simple, elegant and inexpensive ones online. You can use that space to store books or display little decor items that will not only breathe some new life into your rental but also be out of anyone’s way.

Fold-Down Desk

 

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This is especially necessary if you’re one of the people still working from home. If you don’t need much equipment to do your job and the laptop is your main work tool, a fold-down desk is a perfect solution to save space in a small apartment. Once again, you might need approval to drill some holes, but you can also find options that are freestanding. Moreover, while a desk that folds down is extremely useful for working from home and storing your laptop or a few other items, it can also disappear when you have people over or simply need the extra floor space.

Storage Space Under the Bed

 

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Like nightstands, if you can opt for a version with storage, why not? Having extra storage that’s basically hidden is a perfect solution for your bedsheets, pillows and blankets — which would otherwise take up space. Specifically, some beds have drawers incorporated into them, whereas you can lift the mattress on other models to uncover a huge storage area for anything that you need to keep but still want to leave out of sight. Or, if you already have a bed in your rental apartment that doesn’t have built-in storage, you can still make use of that extra space underneath: just add boxes to store your things completely out of sight.

Ottomans

 

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Ottomans are perfect for when you have friends over or simply for a cozy night in front of the TV. But, they’re not only cute and inexpensive. They are the quintessential piece of furniture with storage, being one of the most affordable and accessible little storage solution. In fact, you’d be surprised by how much stuff you can hide in an ottoman — from your favorite magazines to your pet’s toys or seasonal decorations. Plus, they’re the perfect hideaway for those panicky moments when you have an unexpected guest and didn’t have time to clean up.

Find even more creative storage solutions for studio apartments in this article and don’t forget to check our blog for the best renting market insights and useful tips.