{"id":5179,"date":"2021-01-07T10:00:46","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T01:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vhbloglive.wpengine.com\/?p=5179"},"modified":"2020-12-29T11:02:43","modified_gmt":"2020-12-29T02:02:43","slug":"creative-storage-solutions-for-small-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/japanese-apartment-life\/creative-storage-solutions-for-small-spaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Creative Storage Solutions for Small Spaces"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re moving to a\nJapanese city, chances are you\u2019ll be living in a pretty small apartment. Many\npeople who live in tiny places often struggle to keep their belongings\norganized. It\u2019s hard to fit everything you own into a tiny apartment in the\nfirst place, and once you\u2019re moved in, you might find yourself overwhelmed with\nclutter. Don\u2019t give up and resign yourself to living in a messy apartment. You\ncan be organized even if you live in a cramped space. Here are some creative\nstorage solutions for small spaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vertical Storage <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Making use of vertical space is one of the best ways to store things in a small apartment. Buy tall shelves and place things you don\u2019t have to reach for very often near the top. Use a back of the door organizer for your shoes or skincare and beauty items. Hooks are also a great way to make use of vertical storage. You can hang mugs and other kitchen items from hooks placed on the kitchen walls or fridge. Adding hooks to your closets is also a great way to maximize vertical space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Under the Bed\nStorage <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unless you sleep on a\nfuton or place your mattress directly on the floor, there\u2019s probably lots of\nspace under your bed. Don\u2019t just let dust collect there. Store stuff under your\nbed! You can even buy dedicated under the bed storage containers. If you\u2019re\nbuying a new bed for a small apartment, consider getting one that has drawers\nbuilt in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Consider not Having a\nBed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Think about sleeping on\na futon if your apartment has a room with tatami flooring. While you won\u2019t have\nunder the bed storage with a futon, you\u2019ll be able to get more out of the floor\nspace in your apartment than with a bed. During the day, you can fold up your\nbedding and put it away. This storage strategy is particularly useful for those\nwho like to do activities that require a lot of floor space, like home\nworkouts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Add on to Existing\nStorage <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Purchasing an add on can help you get more out of the cabinets and closets that are already in your apartment. Mounting holders for hair dryers and straightening or curling irons on the inside of your bathroom cabinets can help tidy up a cluttered bathroom. In addition, many bathroom sinks in Japan have little counter space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ou can add a rack onto the outside of your cabinets and keep your toothbrush, toothpaste, and other toiletries there. If your bathtub\/shower doesn\u2019t have much space for shampoo and other necessities, get a shower caddy that can be placed on the wall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hidden Storage <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Store things out of\nsight with furniture that includes a hidden storage compartment. Many chairs,\nottomans, and even some couches have a secret storage space. Your guests can\nsit right on top of your storage and not know it. Hidden storage is especially\nuseful for stowing away items you don\u2019t use very often. In addition to being\nused to maximize space, these sorts of compartments can also be used to hide valuable\nitems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put Away Electronics You\nDon\u2019t Use Very Often <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you have a printer,\nlabel maker, or other electronic device you don\u2019t use very often that\u2019s taking\nup precious desktop space? Consider tucking it away in a drawer or\ncloset and only pulling it out when you use it. Reserve your open storage space\nfor items you use everyday. You\u2019ll have more room to do your work and your\napartment will feel less cluttered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Window Storage <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Depending on the size\nand placement of your windows, you may be able to utilize them for storage.\nPlants that love light often thrive when placed on windowsills. If you have\nwindows in your kitchen, you can buy hanging shelves and racks that\u2019ll allow\nyou to keep your pots, pans, and utensils in the window. If there\u2019s a window above\nyour kitchen sink, you can set your soap and sponges on the windowsill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smart Organizers <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Get storage containers\nand organizers that help you make the most of your space! Separating your\ndrawers into smaller compartments can help you fit in a lot more clothes. Smart\njewelry organizers can help maximize space and keep chains from tangling. Look\nfor containers and organizers that can be stacked, compress your items, or\notherwise save you space but are easy to use. Buying organizers that are\ninconvenient and not user friendly will probably lead to more mess in the long\nrun.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re moving to a Japanese city, chances are you\u2019ll be living in a pretty small apartment. Many people who live in tiny places often struggle to keep their belongings organized. It\u2019s hard to fit everything you own into a tiny apartment in the first place, and once you\u2019re moved in, you might find yourself […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japanese-apartment-life"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5179\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}