- Get something to raise your bed a few more inches (bed risers, bricks, etc.). That should make room for several short/long bins which you can fill with all kinds of things.
- Build up. Add more shelves all the way up the wall, and make them look as efficient or decorative as you wish. If you want to hide your stored items, push them to the back and place nick-nacks or paperback books in front of them.
- Instead of a plain ottomon, get one that opens. Store whatever you want there.
- Use the space under stairs if you can. Cover with fabric-colored plywood or curtains.
- Make a nest of compartments by placing large cardboard cylinders in a stack like a wood pile. Bolt together at points of contact. Use to store shoes, rolled linens, etc.
- Make or buy roll-out storage bins to fit under stairs.
- Our attic is pretty much useless because we have cathedral (angled) ceilings, but if you can, make walking platforms to fit around your trapdoor opening. Store things there that the heat of the Summer or cold of the Winter will bother - like plastic storage buckets of extra sewing things, canning supplies, aluminum foil or toilet paper.
- Rethink how you have arranged things now. If you have a tiny kitchen, and you store you plates flat, that may leave a lot of space on top. Consider rearranging things, or adding space savers to use the space above the plates. Clean out your cabinets and drawers, and toss or donate or sell items you never use. Place extra kitchen appliances on top of half-walls, or in a trunk that doubles as a seat.
- Only using the bottom of a bunk bed? Use the top part for out-of-season clothes, stored goods like toilet paper and paper towels, or whatever you need to.
- If you don't have much money and don't care about being decorative, check out freecycling groups (yahoo) in your area, and while you get rid of things you don't need or want, you can pick up things like plastic crates, shelving, and even canning supplies, bows/arrows, and more.
- Anything in your car's trunk? If you have room, keep some extra supplies there.
What are YOUR ideas for adding storage space?
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