Tiny apartments are the running joke of New York City real estate. If you live in one, you know that every little square foot counts. So making it a functional, yet still open space does require some creativity. Don’t have a closet? Find a slim clothing rack. Have a tiny kitchen? Maximize your shelf space. And so on. To find some inspiration for creating order within the confines of a small living area, we talked to some of the people who would know best: Laura Cattano, a professional organizer in New York City who lives in a 335-square-foot alcove studio; Mecca James-Williams, a stylist and the proud renter of @itsapt4; interior designer Lisa Gilmore; Jamie Hord, the founder of organizing company Horderly; Jessica Shaw, the director of interior design at The Turett Collaborative; and Emmett Shine, the creative director of Pattern Brands, which studies what type of products are attracting millennial consumers.
Cattano’s philosophy on small spaces is all about living better with less. “Anyone with a small space should start by thinking about what activities they want their space to support first and then set things up accordingly.” For her, that meant making sure she had sufficient desk space, a sitting area, and a queen-size bed, and then working around that. “I wanted everything to feel spacious and still allow me to do what I need to do. That should be the basis of any space, but especially for a small apartment where you want things to be multifunctional and have purpose.” Below, our five experts’ favorite small-apartment ideas for sprucing up a cramped space, along with some Strategist-approved products based on their wisdom.
Small-apartment ideas for the entryway
Cattano says that having an effective entryway is crucial to preventing oversize items from taking up precious space in your living area. “Having a couple of hooks or a coat rack is helpful for a few reasons,” she told us. “Even if you have a coat closet, most people (especially in the city), don’t have room in their closet for guest coats. And it’s great to have a spot to drop your coat and bag instead of tossing it on a chair.” She adds, “I’ve never had a client complain about the additional hooks I’ve added.”
For a slightly more upscale look, Cattano recommends this stylish solid brass option that she says looks good whether something’s hanging from it or not.
For a cheap (but expensive-looking) metallic hook, Cattano also likes this affordable option from CB2, which comes in a similar brushed-brass finish.
Keys and mail are other things that can clutter a space (and get lost) if you don’t have a place for them in your entry. For that, Cattano loves using one of these narrow floating shelves (they’re 4.25-inches deep), which she says are “simple, clean, and don’t take up floor space.” She adds that you can hang a couple of them — for example, a lower shelf for the mail and an upper for a basket with your keys. They start at $30 for a two-foot-long shelf, but come in three-foot ($50) and four-foot ($60) lengths too.
Small-apartment ideas for the living room
Unless it’s a studio, an apartment’s living room (or living area) is usually the next largest space after a bedroom. Sometimes, of course, a living room can be bigger than a bedroom — which is why it can also quickly become the dumping ground you use to make your bedroom clean. Both Cattano and James-Williams told us they’ve added additional shelving in every room in their house to create more storage space, and Cattano recommends this shelf set from West Elm. The two-foot shelf is $35, or get a three-foot one for $10 more. At the same link, you’ll also find different brackets for the shelves, starting at $28.
If you have only a little bit of floorspace to spare, this Sapien-style bookcase will make the most out of it. “It’s a great very-small-footprint bookshelf that stacks everything vertically in these little sections,” says Shaw. She owns it herself and has used it for “umpteen clients” because it works in “all environments — everything from a very luxe looking office space to a living room to a kid’s room.” It’s only about 16 inches wide, but it has nine shelves, all of which rotate, so you can swing them out to create a more dynamic look — or configure it in whatever way fits your space.
To keep shelves neat once they’re installed, both Cattano and Shine recommend using boxes, noting that stylish ones can also double as décor. Shine’s favorite storage boxes are these, from Hay, which he uses all over his apartment. “We keep these for paperwork, receipts, tax files,” he told us. “Things that aren’t pleasant, but in these boxes they feel a bit nicer.”
A truly bare-bones alternative to Hay’s boxes would be these Container Store storage bins, which Barbara Reich, the founder of Resourceful Consultants, recommended when we spoke to experts about the best storage bins for every room. Small holes along each basket’s exterior make it easy to see what’s inside, and the boxes are made with polypropylene plastic, so you can label them with a dry-erase marker (and wipe them clean again whenever you’d like). The Container Store sells the baskets in multiple sizes; the smallest goes for $7, and it also sells the lids shown separately, for $8.
When it comes to space-saving furniture, Shaw says “nesting inside of nesting is great.” This may look like your average coffee table, but it’s hiding three stools underneath, and the top can be raised to work or eat from the couch. And inside is even more storage — for magazines, remotes, and whatever else you want to keep out of sight.
The same nesting concept works for a side table situation as well. You can save on footprint space by tucking the tables under one another when you don’t need them, but when the occasion calls for it, you can spread them out and add additional tabletop surfaces wherever you need them.
When we looked into the best $100 or less home improvements, architecture student Emily Wisseman told us about how a floor mirror can create the illusion of extra space. This floor mirror, from our list of the best-reviewed full-length mirrors on Amazon, received praise for how high-quality it looks for the price.
Gilmore told us that when her clients have small apartments, they often make the mistake of buying a small area rug, which ends up looking “dwarfed” by the furniture around it. Instead, Gilmore recommends buying the largest rug your space can fit. “It grounds the room, and makes everything look more unified,” she says. Gilmore says she likes using rugs from West Elm in clients’ tiny apartments, noting that the retailer sells them at various sizes, depending on the space you’re working with.
Small-apartment ideas for the kitchen
Much like the living room, a tiny kitchen can quickly become littered with things, too (not to mention that, in many small apartments, the kitchen and living room can be one and the same). To restore some order, Cattano recommends stashing some baskets above cabinets and the refrigerator because, according to her, people will otherwise “just throw stuff up there, and it looks terrible.” She specifically likes the Yamazaki Home Tower White baskets which are steel, meaning they are easy to clean should any food or liquid within accidentally spill, but those are sold out everywhere. These slightly taller Tosca baskets, also from Yamazaki Home, will serve a similar function.
If you have a pantry (or a nearby closet doing a million jobs), this over-the-door rack will help you maximize that space even more. “It can be completely customized to fit your needs, whether it’s a shoe rack and hat rack combo in your closet, or a spice and oils rack in your kitchen or pantry,” says Hord. This one comes with two medium and two large baskets, making it perfect for a variety of pantry goods. It fits a standard seven-foot door and can be easily assembled without the use of any tools.
Shaw says that the softer edges of a round dining or coffee table will make it feel like there’s more room in a space, but in really small spaces, she recommends a drop-leaf table. “You can really compress it and just have it out of the way, or lift one leaf if it’s just you and a friend. And then if you’re having company, pull it out and let it be a larger thing,” she says. When collapsed, this one is just 11 inches wide, but fully extended it grows to 41 inches and can seat up to six people.
If you’ve got a small kitchen, James-Williams recommends putting your trash can under your sink to both save floor space and hide something that’s usually unsightly from view. “It condenses trash around the kitchen area,” she told us, and since there is no practical need for a hidden trash can to be aesthetically pleasing, she opted for this very basic model from Ikea, which has a top-handle handle that makes grabbing it a touch more sanitary.
Cattano recommends installing a roll-out drawer like this to tame any unruly stacks of pots and pans overtaking a small kitchen’s precious cabinet space. “Clients call it life-changing,” she says, adding that they appreciate never again having to crawl around on the floor to find an old pan. “Just be sure to measure the space between the cabinet hinges and the back of the cabinet to ensure a good fit,” she adds. James-Williams also likes roll-out shelves, noting she installed a similar one to make accessing her undersink trash can even easier.
If James-Williams were doing it all over again, though, she told us she would purchase this rolling unit from Home Depot, which includes three trash bins (with lids) as well as a steel rack. The unit comes preassembled, and installs with only four screws, so while you’ll need to be somewhat comfortable with a screwdriver (or need to call a friend who is), there’s no need to hire an installation guru.
[Editor’s note: This item is currently sold out, but you can sign up to receive a notification for when it’s back in stock.]
Cattano also likes these clear caddies for the kitchen, which she says stick to the wall quickly with no installation required. While she recommends them for the insides of kitchen cabinets, “so people don’t have too many packets of tea and spices lying around,” we think they would also be good for additional shelving space in the bathroom (or shower).
Small-apartment ideas for the bathroom
As our own Rio Viera-Newton has said, creating smart storage solutions in the bathroom is an art form. Cattano swears by these acrylic risers for creating more room in the medicine cabinet. “You can stack them on top of each other to give yourself more shelf space,” she told us, adding that the four-by-two and six-by-three sizes fit in almost all cabinets (they also come in eight-by-four and ten-by-five). Hord is a fan of these too and agrees they can be helpful in the bathroom, along with the rest of the house. They can be used to separate piles of dishes in kitchen cabinets and even act as another shelf inside the fridge.
Should you need even more medicine-cabinet space, Cattano says you can always affix a second one to your wall. “I often add additional cabinets in bathrooms, usually over the toilet for extra toiletries, or to separate roommates so they don’t need to share storage space,” she told us. If this sounds like the solution for you, she recommends Ikea’s Godmorgon cabinet, which comes with four tempered (i.e., stronger) glass shelves, and can be mounted to open from the left or the right. She adds that “the high gloss means it’ll blend into the wall better than a mirrored cabinet.”
Shine told us that a hack he’s found for smaller bathrooms is to have a few toiletry bags on hand. “People typically only use these for travel, but you can put together lotions, makeup, dental stuff in different bags and have them stored on a shelf nearby so when you do need to dip into your backups or secondary items, they are right there and easy to get to.” When we asked experts for the best Dopp kits, menswear writer Tim Melideo praised this one for its “premium look” at an affordable price, and the fact that its unique diagonal zipper allows it to open up much wider than other Dopp kits (which, if you’re using it primarily for storage, means you can likely shove even more in).
“When implementing products in small spaces, it’s important to get creative with how you use them,” says Hord. Even though these boxes are intended for shoes, she says you can use them anywhere. Where they really make a difference is under the bathroom sink. “Horderly loves using these to stack and maximize the awkward spaces with plumbing that seems to always get in the way,” she says. They also come in a smaller size to accommodate even more spaces.
Lighting ideas for small apartments
“Lighting is so important in any space, especially a small space,” Cattano says. “It helps set a mood, and who couldn’t use more light in their homes?” But, according to her, “a lot of apartments don’t come with overhead lighting, so I’ll always add some.” (Cattano told us that she moved into a place with 9 light sources and now has 16. ) An overhead paper lantern — which also made our list of under-$100 home improvements — will save floor and table space without breaking the bank.
If the smaller size of your apartment means you have less natural light coming in, lamps that artificially mimic the sun can help to simulate daybreak or nightfall — even in bedrooms that face brick walls. That’s why Shine likes Casper’s newish Glow Light. According to him, it emits soft light that both extinguishes and brightens slowly, which can help ease you to sleep at night or wake up in the morning. The Glow Light also has a corresponding app that features a timer, so you can set it to turn on at the same time (or before) your alarm goes off every morning. “It’s great to wake up to,” he told us, “to get melatonin going as you open your eyes for the first time.”
“This is a great looking desk lamp with an articulating arm,” Shaw says. “It’s a modern piece that can fit in with a lot of different design sensibilities. Plus, it’s functional and it’s small.” The base is only five inches wide, so it won’t take up too much of your precious desk space. It uses an LED light that won’t cause a glare, and it can swing in any direction to illuminate exactly what you need it to. The light’s also adjustable, so you can find the level that’s right for you, and if you ever leave it on for too long, it automatically turns off when it doesn’t detect any motion.
Small-apartment ideas for the bedroom
While many of us hate storing things under our beds (“For many, it’s like putting things in the basement,” Cattano says) sometimes in small apartments you just don’t have a choice. “If it must happen” Cattano says, “can we make it beautiful?” She recommends these rolling underbed storage drawers from Wayfair’s children’s line, which she says will work for anyone who wants to turn their underbed area into additional, efficient storage space.
If your bed frame has legs in the middle as well at the four corners, James-Williams suggests these underbed storage bins from Ikea that come in two parts. “I have four under my bed,” she told us, “and I use them for my sweaters, out-of-season clothes, and workout clothes.”
If your bedroom closet isn’t the biggest — or if you don’t have one at all — James-Williams recommends getting a bookshelf that can function as additional clothing and shoe storage. When we trawled Amazon to find the best-reviewed bookcases under $50, this sleek étagère-style bookcase made the list, with one reviewer noting how it can be used “for proper storage as well as décor.”
In the same vein, a wall ladder can also do double duty as décor and storage, and might be just the ticket for anyone familiar with the concept of the bedroom “clothes chair,” where outfits lay in an increasingly tall heap as the week gets busier and busier. This one is a favorite of writer Laura Perciasepe, who says it’s like having a whole extra closet.
If you’re moving into a brand-new cozy space, and are able to splurge, Cattano loves this storage bed from Nest, which she notes will help the things you’re storing stay dust-free, as the mattress acts as a sealant over them. “I do not believe in storing things under the bed because people don’t clean under the bed,” she says. Cattano says this bed is particularly great for people who live in climates that require constantly changing wardrobes, or for kids, so parents have a place to stow and easily retrieve their toys.
If you’re willing to custom order your bed, Resource Furniture has “taken the Murphy bed to a whole next level,” Shaw says. “They’ve got a lot of really clever ideas for hiding away things and having a piece of furniture be multifunctional and multipurpose and chameleon-like.” Anyone with odd shapes or uncommon dimensions might want to look into custom furniture too.
Closet ideas for small apartments
Cattano says that too many small-apartment owners underutilize the inside of their closet doors. “Adhesive hooks are game changers,” she told us. “Use them in closets for belts (the small utensil ones), or get larger ones for handbags, tote bags, hats, scarves, umbrellas, and necklaces.” She swears by 3M’s collection of adhesive hooks, which come in all manner of sizes.
The closet door is a great place for a larger organizational tool like this one. “This over-the-door shoe bag can hold 12 pairs of adult shoes, or even more pairs of smaller kid’s shoes,” says Hord. Unlike other over-the-door shoe racks with horizontal pockets, these vertical ones are also great for smaller accessories and random household items that you won’t have to worry about falling out.
“Felt hangers are not the be-all and end-all,” Cattano explains, noting that despite their space-saving thinness, many users complain that they make clothes harder to get on and off. Instead, she suggests using some equally slim tubular metal hangers, a style that she says has been in her closet for the past 20 years.
While Cattano may be against fabric hangers, Strategist writer Hilary Reid swears by them. She specifically swears by these AmazonBasics velvet hangers, which she praised for their durability, and the fact that they helped her fit “about 25 percent more clothes in my closet.”
If you’re looking to maximize storage on a closet floor or built-in shelf, Cattano suggests using these softer, zippered storage boxes from Muji. “I like them for blankets, for off-season clothes, for anything really,” she told us, adding that they also look a lot nicer than your average cardboard box.
There are a couple ways that Hord recommends using these shoe shelves. In addition to making space for shoes in narrow closets, you can also use them to create free-standing shelving units. “You can stack them and put bins on the shelves to organize accessories in areas that don’t have shelving, or somewhere you need to maximize height.”
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