Buzz
Whether it’s clothes, kitchen items, or makeup, we all accumulate more than we can store. Even if you regularly declutter, finding enough space can still be a challenge. You may think every corner of your home is filled—but chances are, there are hidden areas offering more storage than you realize. Here are six secret spots you may have overlooked in your home.
Liudmila Chernetska/Getty ImagesUnused Luggage
Kat Green, ADHD organizing specialist, coach, and founder of Badass Homelife LLC, advises her clients to pack their bags, even if no trip is planned. 'I often encourage my clients to think outside the box when it comes to luggage usage,' she shares. 'By repurposing luggage to store off-season clothes, using vacuum bags for neat organization, and ensuring that it's easily accessible when needed for travel, we make the most of both space and functionality in their homes.'
This approach is especially useful for those living in apartments or lacking sufficient closet space. Simply store off-season clothing in your suitcase and swap them out when the season changes.
Under the Bed
If you're dealing with limited space, don’t overlook the area under the bed. 'This space can be incredibly useful for storing smaller workout equipment like weights and yoga mats, as well as extra linens, as long as they’re protected from dust,' explains Green.
Hillary Forst and Jamie Andrieu, professional organizers and co-founders of Sorted & Styled, suggest using clear storage totes for this under-bed space. 'Clear totes are perfect because they’re compact and shallow, which makes them ideal for fitting under most beds and sofas.'
The Top Shelf of the Closet
As Green notes, closet top shelves are often overlooked. With their considerable height, these shelves offer a perfect space for storing luggage, keepsake boxes, and other items that aren't needed daily but still need a home in the household.
Walls
Briana and Erica Spruille, professional organizers and co-founders of Just BE LLC, are strong advocates for using wall storage. They suggest adding wall hooks, floating shelves, and short steel rods to maximize available space, especially for hanging bags, purses, kitchen towels, mitts, umbrellas, hats, and even keys. These installations are ideal for entryways, bathrooms, kitchens, and closets.
Walls provide an excellent solution for storing items that need to be accessed frequently and easily. To elevate the aesthetic, opt for chic hardware rather than simple stick-on hooks.
Doors
The Spruilles explain that doors are a great source of storage, especially bathroom doors. “You can hang your robe, or install a hook-on shelf for towels, guest toiletries, or cleaning supplies. Inside a bathroom cabinet, you can even use a clear adhesive bin to store items like a hair dryer, hair products, or cleaning supplies.”
They also suggest adding a hook inside kitchen cabinets to hang items like dish towels or cleaning brushes.
Forst and Andrieu highlight that a great way to utilize door space is with over-the-door shoe organizers. “We recently helped organize a family of five living in an RV full-time, and they loved using an over-the-door shoe organizer to store kids' arts and crafts. Instead of shoes, we filled the pockets with crayons, markers, glue, scissors, and pipe cleaners.”
Under the Stairs
Although you might overlook the space beneath your stairs (if you have one), Forst and Andrieu have been assisting homeowners in transforming these awkward nooks into functional storage areas. 'We crafted a tailored mudroom with a dedicated drop zone for purses, bags, and backpacks, a cabinet for storing shoes, and hooks for jackets and umbrellas. To complete the look, we added cubbies filled with hyacinth baskets containing warm-weather essentials like gloves, hats, and scarves.'
