How to Maximize Space in a Small Apartment: 7 Valuable Tips

If you’re wondering how to maximize space in a small apartment, you’re in the right place—and you’re not alone! So many people are looking for small apartment storage hacks, tips and tricks to make their place seem larger. That’s probably why there are so many home improvement shows and articles about maximizing space, tiny homes and making the most of the area you have.

We’ll prove that bigger isn’t always better, by giving you our favorite tips for maximizing space in your small apartment. 

Don’t do anything rash like dropping everything and moving or donating all your stuff. You might need it in the future, and we have plenty of extra room at Store Space! Keep your belongings with us, so you can make your small apartment feel spacious—and like a million square feet. (Just kidding, that’s way too big to clean!)

1. Declutter

First things first—you can’t create more space in your apartment unless you get rid of a FEW things. (If you’ve already adopted the minimalist lifestyle, we applaud you.) Go through the usual steps, throw things away, donate them, and even put them in self-storage.

The less you have in your space, the more room you’ll have to utilize small apartment storage hacks.

Pro tip: If you haven’t used something in 6 months to a year, chances are you don’t need it!

2. Get Organized

If everything has a place, there won’t be overflow. No overflow means no clutter invading your living space and creating a mess. If you’re wondering how to stay organized in a small space, we suggest boxes and bins, dividers in drawers, shelving, and some storage hacks further down in this blog, to keep everything in its place.  

Pro tip: Being organized also prevents you from losing things, buying duplicates and then having two or three of everything.

3. Make the Most of What You Have

While you’re looking for the best ways to maximize space in your small apartment, remember to get creative with your space. Many pieces of furniture can serve more than one purpose, therefore saving space and using that space efficiently! Here are a few ways to use dual-purpose furniture to take advantage of every square inch of your apartment:

• Use a chair as a nightstand
• Use a desk as an end bench
• Find furniture with storage space built in (coffee table with drawers, drawers under a bed, etc.)
• Use windowsills like shelving
• Find a table with removable leaf

In a large space, you’d have room for a desk and an end bench, but in smaller areas, you need to be smart and make the most of the space you do have! (Check out this article for more examples of multi-purpose furniture.)

4. Make Your Storage Solutions Your Own

Utilizing small apartment storage hacks is the key to making the most of your small space. You have to find unique ways to store your belongings, while still keeping your sense of style. Here are some pointers:

Use your walls

Your walls should be your best friends. That blank canvas is sometimes under-utilized, but it can be helpful when you need a little more storage space. Use your walls for shelves, wall desks, mirrors and even décor. Get as creative as you want—fill your walls with racks for storing shoes, keys and pots and pans, or display your jewelry and ties. Wall storage opportunities are endless. (You can even hang certain recreational items like snowboards, surfboards and bikes on the walls to free up more space on the ground, and proudly display your passions.)

Pro tip: Express yourself on the walls to prevent clutter from collecting on your surfaces (desks, nightstands, tables, etc.). Plus, when you need your bike, it’s RIGHT THERE.

Store up (vertical storage)

Just like you want to take advantage of the space on your walls, don’t forget about height too! Use all your space from floor to ceiling to make the most of a small area. Whether that means adding a few extra shelves to make a bookshelf go to the ceiling to store books in small spaces, or covering a whole wall with custom cabinets, all that storage space will make a huge difference.

You’d be surprised how many weird places you can find room for storage. Above doors, on the backs of doors, in your closet and even on your ceiling! Every shelf counts.

Pro tip: Create or buy a wire rack to hang from the ceiling above your kitchen for pots and pans. This will free up cabinet and counter space, and be decorative.

Other unique storage solutions

Wherever you can find more storage space, do it. Paper filing cabinets are not limited to offices: use them to organize and store important papers and documents. You can have drawers underneath your bed, start rolling your unused comforters into small rolls, installing a murphy bed to save space on the floor, finding stackable cabinets, drawer organizers, or boxes and bins, any storage solution—even if it sounds crazy—can free up space for more living!

The average size of a studio apartment in the United States is 500 to 600 sq. ft. The average size of a studio apartment in Hong Kong is 110 sq. ft. — Wikipedia

5. Make Zones

There are a million storage solutions to help maximize your space, but you can also make your apartment seem bigger by creating zones. If you have a loft apartment, it’s also beneficial to create divisions between your living space, bedroom and kitchen areas.

Partitions

Partitions are a great idea for loft apartments. You can create a separation of space without actual walls that need to be installed by professionals. These can be anything from see-through shelving, a glass wall, room divider or even art.

Pro tip: If you use open or see-through objects to make your zones, the whole space will seem larger.

Levels

You can also differentiate spaces by making levels. Try lifting your bed (which also adds storage space!) or elevate certain items to create a sense of contrast.

6. Use a Trick or Two

Just like creating divisions in your space to make it seem bigger, there are a few other ways to fool your eyes into thinking a space or room is larger than it really is. By making your apartment seem more spacious, you’re maximizing the area and embracing the space! Although trickery is normally a bad thing, you can magically make more space out of thin air with these tricks up your sleeve.

Neutral tones

It’s fairly well known that lighter colors do wonders for small spaces. A white or cream color actually reflects natural light which creates an illusion of more space. But, darker colors can help too. In a space with little natural light, darker colors blend the walls, illuding to a larger room.

Pro tip: Check out this blog to get a more in-depth description of how to make a room look larger with just paint colors!

Mirrors

The power of mirrors is undeniable. Talk about tricking the mind! Mirrors make can create depth, reflect light and brighten up a room—which in turn creates an illusion of more space.

There are a variety of ways you can use mirrors that can have a positive impact on the perception of your space. Try making a pseudo window, utilizing large, tall mirrors, and putting these reflective wonders in unexpected places.

Pro tip: Here are more ideas about how to use mirrors to your advantage. (If you’re interested in the science behind why this works, check this out.) 

7. Rent a Storage Unit (Wink, Wink)

This may seem like a no-brainer, but self-storage is a great tool to utilize when you need more space—because you literally get more space. Don’t toss or donate everything that doesn’t fit in your small apartment, store it with Store Space! We’ll keep it all safe and sound, until you need that extra furniture for your dream home in a few years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

We get a lot of questions about how to maximize space in a small apartment. Hopefully, the tips above have helped, and we've provided answers to other commonly asked questions below. If your question isn't answered here, feel free to contact our Care Center at 833-786-7366.

Q: How do you maximize a small space?

A: With a few simple tips, it’s easy to make the most of your small space. Remember to declutter, organize, get creative with your storage solutions and don’t be afraid to use a few tricks! This blog outlines some of our favorite tips to maximize your space.

Q: What colors make a small room look bigger?

A: Generally, light colors like white or cream can make a small space look larger by reflecting natural light. On the other hand, depending on what direction the windows face in your space and the amount of natural light, a dark color may blend the walls giving an impression of more space.

Q: How do you hide clutter in a small apartment?

A: Instead of trying to hide clutter, try decluttering! Throw away or donate unwanted items, and anything you want to keep but don’t have room for can go in self-storage!

Q: How do you maximize storage in a small bedroom?

A: Use unique storage hacks everywhere! Under your bed, in your closet, on the walls, on the ceiling and the back of the door are all underutilized spaces that can be used to make the most of your small room.

Q: How do you fit a desk in a small bedroom?

A: You can easily fit a desk in a small room, if you use your space wisely. Instead of getting a large, bulky desk you’ll struggle to find a place for, get a small table that can serve multiple purposes. Your desk can also be used as your nightstand or end bench.   

Wrapping Up How to Maximize Space in a Small Apartment

We know maximizing space in a small apartment can be stressful, especially if you feel like you’re trying to make more space appear out of thin air. That’s why we’re here to help!

Decluttering is an important process, but everyone has things they just can’t get rid of—and that’s okay! Check out our storage location finder for a facility near you. Our affordable rates, premium facilities and amenities ensure you get the best storage experience. Make the most of your small space, and create more room to embrace it!