5 Easy Decorating and Storage Tips for Small Spaces

Since making the jump to America 19 years ago, I’ve moved many times. In Los Angeles, I first lived in two homes as a roommate, then in two tiny guest cottages, and in a small apartment.

When I met Don, I moved into the small guest house he lived in, before we moved to Westchester when Landon was six months old. There we lived in a condo for three months and then in a tiny upstairs apartment.

All of these places had one thing in common: not enough space!

Here is a video of how small out living room was when Landon was 2 1/2:

But I have always been able to decorate and organize my small homes without having to spend a lot of money. I’ve used multi-functional furniture pieces in a way that create the illusion that we more space and found ways to create storage in the niftiest spaces because I don’t like clutter.

Here are decorating and organizing tips that have helped me transform small spaces into cozy homes:

1. Creating clever storage under the bed:

Ikea sells sturdy, large paper boxes that are really inexpensive, and I always use them under our bed for extra storage. They are the next best thing after these wooden boxes on wheels. Come to think of it, these would be such an easy DIY project!

2. Organizing with baskets:

I bought a coffee table like this from Ikea years ago, and six baskets, and they served as storage space for small items for years.

3. Decluttering with storage ottoman:

We are currently proud owners of four cheap storage ottoman from Target, and there will be more in our future. I just discovered this adorable one, but Target doesn’t seem to offer it anymore.

In the living room, I have two under our coffee table to hide Landon’s toys, and when we have visitors, the ottoman turn into extra seating. I also put two ottoman under our half-round side table in the kitchen.

4. Creating a DIY desk with two filing cabinets:

My desk was never this cute, but I still have the same filing cabinets from years ago when I turned them into a simple desk.

5. Decorating with glass jars:

I use glass jars to hold nuts, cereal, cookies, leftovers, etc. — I just love the vintage look of them.

What a cool idea this is! We have so many plastic animals Landon doesn’t play with anymore, we could make tons of these glass jar containers for his room!

Do you have storage and decorating tips for small spaces? Please share them in a comment! And if you like this post, please pin it. Thanks a bunch!

{Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

Tagged as: decluttering, decorating tips, home storage solutions, interior design, organizing tips, small spaces, storage for small spaces, storage under bed