Ways to compactly store things in a closet, how to fold them correctly. Smart storage in a small apartment Where to store in an apartment

A feature of many apartments from the times of the Union was space limitations. Most of all, this extended to the kitchen, bathroom and corridor. Until now, people live in these apartments, rejoicing at least in such living space. At first glance, it may seem that in crowded conditions, the owners will have to give up many necessary and practical household items. But, thanks to the competent distribution of space and some tricks, in small apartment you can install modern washing machine, a large refrigerator, a multifunctional wardrobe and everything you need in everyday life.

Various ideas for storage in a small apartment

In each apartment there are a lot of things and objects that people do not use, but consider them necessary. It is generally accepted that if a person has never needed an item for two years, then it should be thrown away. But, as soon as the item ends up in a landfill, as here, it becomes necessary. Therefore, many people continue to store items that they rarely need. I would like to know interesting ideas for storing things in a small apartment.

Idea #1

To store various small things and household items, you can sew a special hanging pocket with compartments different widths. We do not give special recommendations for tailoring, since it all depends in which free corner you hang such a pocket, and how many and what kind of compartments you provide (Fig. 1,2,3). It can store various household items (combs, brushes for furniture and shoes, glasses, chargers, hair clips, hand massagers, finger batteries, remote controls, cords, old mobile phones, batteries, adapters and even shoes). You can hang such a pocket on the wall or on the doors leading to the pantry, bath.

pic 1 - hanging pocket with cells
pic 2 hanging shoe pocket

pic 3 - hanging pocket
pic 4 - ironing board storage

For small kitchens, they will help you to compactly and beautifully furnish even the smallest kitchenette.

Idea number 2 - ironing board

Behind the door you can equip a place to store an ironing board. Such an arrangement does not require many additional accessories: only two hooks located along the same line so that the leg of the ironer fits comfortably on them (Fig. 4). There are many different designs for ironing board storage. A practical option its storage in a closet (Fig. 5), a drawer in the kitchen (Fig. 6.7), on hooks (Fig. 8) is considered. To perform such actions, special devices and high costs are not required.

figure 5 - ironing board in the closet
figure 6 - ironing board in a drawer in the kitchen

figure 7 - retractable ironing board
figure 8 - ironing board on hooks

Thesis №3

A good idea for storing things in a small apartment is to equip the entire wall with hooks, on which you can put a lot of things and objects (bicycle, umbrella, gloves, sports tools, clothing, bags) (Figure 9). But it is better if such a wall is framed on an insulated balcony or loggia. In addition, on closed balcony you can build a cabinet to the height of the entire wall. It can be open and closed and is suitable for storing empty cans, tools, some things, conservation, cans of paint, drying oil, glue, fishing tackle, gardening tools.

fig 9 hanging bar for hangers
pic 10 bed with storage box

Ideas for making children's do-it-yourself and the necessary materials.

Thesis №4

An important idea for storing things in a small apartment is based on the presence practical furniture. To do this, practice:

• sofas and beds with spacious drawers (Fig. 10.11);
• baskets for storing shoes and other things (Figure 12);
• sofa with a shelf on the armrest (Fig. 13);
• high, roomy and deep wardrobe;
• multifunctional revolving cabinet equipped with a mirror, shelves, hangers, drawers (Fig. 14);

fig 11 - sofa with_drawers
figure 12 - hanging baskets for storing things

fig 13 - sofa with shelf
fig 14 - rotating cabinet

Thesis №5

To leave more space for everyday life, you should change swing doors on the sliding structures going into the wall. If such a rearrangement has not been completed, then shelves can be arranged above the door and on its sides, which can be used to store books, magazines (Fig. 15) and other items.

fig 15 - shelves above and near doors

Idea #6 - platform

A practical option in the apartment is the platform (Figure 16). It can create maximum storage space various items. In this case, it is important that the apartment has high ceilings.

fig 16 - platform in the apartment

Conclusion

In any apartment, you can embody various interesting intentions for the practical use of space. But you should also review the things and objects that you store from time to time. An excessive number of them will lead to cluttering up space in any, even big apartment. If the size of your living space is minimal, then from time to time you should make an audit of all objects and things.

Start with decluttering

The change of seasons is a hot time for adepts of decluttering (decluttering. - Note. ed.). The essence of the method is to get rid of the excess and prevent the space from being overgrown with new rubbish. There are many decluttering techniques, but everyone has the same beginning - absolutely all things (in our case, seasonal) are collected in one room and divided into three piles: “needed”, “not needed” and “think about it”. All summer clothes and shoes that you have not used during the year are automatically classified as unnecessary and thrown away / given away. Things in the “think about it” category are put in one box and put away in the far corner. If they are not useful next summer, then they are not so necessary either. The hardest part about declattering is not to give up. No “or maybe I’ll lose weight”, “it’s a pity, the thing is good” and the like. To do this, the analysis of things is done on a timer.

Scotch is your friend

Stick masking tape and sign the contents of the box with clothes (take the masking tape: it sticks even to textile box and easy to remove).
Unlike down jackets, which can be vacuum-packed, summer clothes don't shrink as much. Because life hacks are different: do not fold in a pile, but vertically. Or a roll (again, “standing”) - so more will enter the box or box and nothing will stretch.

Shoe boxes should not be idle in the closet: for each of them, fix a summer and winter pair (or two) - for example, winter boots / summer sneakers and ballet flats. In order not to get confused, sign the box using the same masking tape: one end is winter, the other is summer.

Try sorting "off-season" thematically. For example, we hide all swimwear, flip flops, pareos, hats, children's armlets and sunscreen in a common box (in case of a sudden tropical vacation). And we put the box in a suitcase so as not to look.

Looking for a far corner

What you absolutely will not use for the next six months should occupy the farthest corners in closets and pantries, the most uncomfortable upper shelves and lower drawers. If possible, think over the storage of overall items in advance (arrange additional mezzanine shelves, a podium with drawers, a lifting section under the mattress).

Under the bottom row of cabinets in your kitchen, there are probably plinth plank: rail covering the legs of the headset. There is plenty of space for things in vacuum bags: fold and close again with a plinth.

What to do with the bike

Think about storage before you buy: a folding bike or stroller can even be hidden under the bed, but ordinary ones cannot. If you decide to hang your bike on the wall, buy a brightly colored bike carrier (the wheels won't stain the wallpaper). Just do not place the bike next to the battery: heat dries rubber and deteriorates protective varnish on the frame. A civilized way is to pay for the storage of a bicycle in a rented box in a warehouse or in a warm underground parking lot. We also send summer tires there in the absence of a garage (it has no place on the balcony).

Bonus: what to do with "cheesecakes"

The winter problem of parents in a small size is what to do with "cheesecakes" and sleds. On the stairwell you can’t leave them without a vestibule (they will take them away), but in the apartment you have to stumble over them. We strongly recommend a hook paired with a tray (for example, from IKEA) or the same from: not only shoes, but also any children's snow equipment drains perfectly on them. Dry - send to the hook on the wall.

Properly organizing the storage of things can be problematic in any apartment, and even in a small space it can turn into a nightmare. But reasonable and proper organization can visually enlarge your home. Yes, and to live in such an apartment, of course, is more convenient and freer.

My apartment is small, and this has its undoubted advantages: the rent is less, cleaning is easier. But there is not enough storage space catastrophically! We do not have pantries, and the only mezzanine was dismantled many years ago during repairs. Therefore, one has to show considerable ingenuity in order to find a place for each little thing and maintain a visible order at home.

The main secret to avoiding a mess in a small apartment is to find as much useful, but not always obvious, storage space as possible. Here are a few practical advice how to implement it.

1. Throw away the excess

This is probably the basic rule for organizing any premises, and even more so for small ones! No matter how carefully your belongings are stored, you should always strive to reduce, or at least not increase, their number.

Always remember the two golden rules:

— One thing we bring, one thing we take out. What does it mean: if you bought a new pair of shoes, then, for sure, there is at least one at home old couple that can be donated.

— Every day we take out at least one a little thing (in addition to food waste - they do not count). Yes Yes, empty bottle from shampoo and a toy car without one wheel are direct candidates for ejection.

2. Store a minimum amount of things on open surfaces

First of all, we are talking about tables, bedside tables, window sills, etc. If you really have to store something, say, on a table, then store these items in some kind of aesthetically pleasing container to limit their free movement on the surface.

And remember that too a large number of things visually “eats up” the space, creates a feeling of clutter. And this is unacceptable for small apartments.

3. Make the most of the entire wall area

Following this rule, you can free up precious centimeters and even meters of the floor, tables and other horizontal surfaces from things. So the room will appear larger.

Shelves of all shapes and types, a variety of hooks, hangers, wall organizers will help you get the maximum benefit.

Do not forget, by the way, about the distance between the cabinets and the ceiling or floor.

For example, in my room there is the only closet in the apartment. In height to the ceiling, it does not reach about 10 centimeters, and these centimeters are used by me as mezzanines: I store very rarely used things on the closet, for example, Christmas tree decorations and appliance boxes, for which the warranty has not yet ended.

Don't overlook and internal surfaces and cabinet doors. You can always increase the cabinet capacity using the same hooks and additional shelves that are attached to vertical surfaces. Another way is various organizers that can be hung on a barbell.

4. Choose Shelves Over Cabinets

The shelves are perfect solution to win precious inches of storage without much damage to total area premises.

Firstly, the shelves make the space visually much less visual, which is very important for small spaces.

Secondly, and this is no less important, they allow you to use the entire area of ​​​​the walls as efficiently as possible. After all, it is the shelves that can be placed in the most unexpected and, it would seem, “inconvenient places”. For example, in the corner of the room or under the ceiling.

And then, you will not keep any unaesthetic rubbish on the shelves, which will once again motivate you to critically evaluate the items that you store.

5. Choose furniture wisely

Maybe you love triple sofas, which can accommodate all guests, massive dining tables and soft chairs, but, alas, this is not the most the best choice. With such furniture small apartment will look even smaller.

Instead, choose a two-seat sofa and extendable table in case you have guests. In this situation, folding chairs that can be folded and removed when not needed will also help you out.

Consider purchasing a loft bed. Then you can sleep on the "upper floor", and put a desktop downstairs, small closet, sofa, thereby increasing usable space rooms almost doubled.

For very small spaces great choice- wardrobe bed.

When and where possible, opt for multifunctional furniture. It is desirable that one of the functions be the storage of things :).

For example:

The pouffe can be used both as a seat, and as a table (if you put a tray on it), and for storing things.

A coffee table with shelves or drawers will serve the same purpose.

You can store a lot of things under the bed. For example, seasonal clothes, or household items, like spare light bulbs. Use containers on wheels for this. If the bed is not high enough, you can put under the legs wooden blocks, and thereby adjust the height of the bed to find perfect balance between convenience and utility.

The secretary is perfect workplace for a small apartment.

It so happened that you are not a happy owner of a luxurious choir, but a typical Russian with a standard small apartment. Scarcity problems square meters you know, but the good news is that it's not too late to fix it. No, the apartment will not become more spacious, but things can fit in it much more than you think.

Everything on the shelves

Hide the excess in the closet - he is a true friend and assistant to all owners of small apartments. That's the advice, - someone will reasonably say, but the whole point is which model will settle in your apartment, because the closet is different for the closet. In conditions of an acute lack of space, the choice must be made either in favor of high and narrow models, if there is absolutely nowhere to turn around, or in favor of those that are made to order and completely occupy one of the walls of the room (for example, a bedroom) - such a cabinet will “eat” not so much footage in depth, and it will give a lot of storage space. Do not forget to check when buying whether you can easily reach the upper "floors". Shelves to the ceiling are, of course, good, but a new one will appear with them headache- a stepladder or a high (extra!) stool also needs to be stored somewhere. Although here you can find a plus - on inaccessible shelves you can store those things that, in spite of everything, are used extremely rarely (if not never), but your hand does not rise to throw them away.

Photo: Mazzali

Do not neglect the wisdom of the ancestors: in an apartment where every meter counts, empty walls- a crime. Modern variations on a theme hanging shelves they look airy, light and stylish, but they are not inferior in spaciousness to grandmother's mezzanines. A small life hack: the use of corner shelves. Combined into one, they create additional space at the junction of the walls.

Photo: decor8 holly

Keep yourself together and do not put unnecessary things on the balcony. And if the need (of course, acute) nevertheless arose, try to equip the walls as functionally as possible. Not only shelves will come to the rescue, but also convenient hanging pockets (suitable, by the way, for any room) - it’s good to put working tools in them. Remember, a balcony is not a warehouse, and it's not just suspicious people with empty balconies who say so.

Remember shelving. What they loved so much in their apartments will come to the rescue in modern apartments. open shelves, of course, quickly collect dust, but they can act as a light partition that successfully separates different zones one room. At the same time, they do not look heavy, like cabinets, and thanks to their “transparency”, they still retain its unity.

Photo: Mazzali

Search better. If it seems to you that all the places are already taken, remember the ceiling. For example, some designers place hanging hangers on folding hangers to save shelf space. If everything has already been decided with the ceiling, take a closer look at the doors and doors: you can attach small, but sometimes necessary additional shelves to them. This is also a good prevention of domestic scandals - you won’t particularly slap such doors.

Photo: Mazzali

The bed, which occupies a significant part of the space, should also not leave the savings program: a number of modern models It is equipped with a special retractable bottom, where not only bulky blankets and bedding sets that are always falling from the closet, but also everything that is important to you, perfectly fit.

Photo: Wicker Paradise

Breathe out if you share space with children, this is almost the only thing that can be done here for order. Yes, we know that organizing a storage system for numerous designers, dolls, books is not an easy task, but fabric (paper) bags, boxes and baskets can work wonders. Feel free to rake all the toys in a pile and put them in bags. Firstly, this is such a simple process that it can be passed on to a child. And secondly, you will not have time to blink an eye, as cars, cubes and plastic baby dolls will again be on the floor. In addition, all children love sorting - Montessori moms will confirm this, so one day a week could well be made a sorting day dedicated exclusively to sorting toys into categories: books - in the basket, designers - in the box, Stuffed Toys- in a box, every little thing - in small boxes.

Photo: decor8 holly

By the way, boxes are an excellent way out for numerous annoying souvenirs gathering dust and languishing on the shelves. But you should not get carried away with small containers either, an excessive number of identical boxes will turn your apartment into a warehouse or closet.

Photo: decor8 holly

According to the sample

And finally, a few instructive real stories from different countries. In the Chinese city of Wuhan, apartments with a footage of 4.5 square meters are rented. The owner of the smallest Roman apartment manages to place a kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom on 7 square meters, a Parisian apartment of 8 square meters is generally one solid closet, inside of which there is a bathroom, a wardrobe, a kitchen, and a bedroom. So someone and the standard Russian 36 square meters dream only in fabulous dreams.

Maria Solovyova

It seems simple enough, but sometimes due to improper storage not enough space even large closet. For all things to be in perfect order, and the space was not overloaded, it is worth knowing a few simple but effective secrets.

Get rid of everything superfluous

First of all, you need to conduct a global audit and sort through absolutely all things. It will take some time, but the result will please you. So, looking through things, you need to carefully look at them for defects, try on wardrobe items that have been idle for a long time.

If things have not been used for a long time, but only take up space, it makes sense to get rid of them. It is not necessary to throw them away, because a lot of interesting decor items can be made from old things. For example, sew a cover on a chair or a blanket from shreds of fabric. But they definitely don't belong in the closet.

seasonal storage

At the turn of the seasons, it is also necessary to sort out things and remove those that will not be used in the near future. You can hide them under the bed or put them in baskets and put them on top of the closet.

Sometimes seasonal things are stored in a pantry or in suitcases, which can perform several functions at once - decorate the interior, act as coffee table or bedside table, as well as be a capacious storage system.

Competent sorting

Competent sorting will help you quickly navigate what and where lies. There are several types of distribution of things:

By color. So, you don’t have to search for a long time among all the variety of things for a yellow sweater or a pink blouse, and harmonious color transitions will only cheer you up.

By type of material. It's nice when silk blouses hang in one part of the closet, and cotton shirts are given another separate corner.

Top bottom.This sorting allows you to divide things into “top” and “bottom”, that is, it is appropriate to place T-shirts, blouses, shirts and sweaters on the upper shelves, and hang skirts and trousers on the bar below.

little helpers

Putting things in order in the closet, you should not ignore all kinds of organizers, hangers with clothespins, transparent containers, wicker baskets, cells for ties. They save a lot of space and help to properly organize storage.

For convenience, containers and cells can be signed or hung on them with cute labels with the inscriptions "socks", "tights" and others.

Storing shoes and bags

Shoes and bags should have their own places in the closet. At the same time, it is better to select the lower shelves for shoes and boots, or build a small bar for them. It is convenient to store high boots on it, having previously hung them on hangers with clothespins.

Thanks to this, they will not lose their shape. For bags, you can select the upper shelves. So that the accessories do not wrinkle, it is worth stuffing them with paper. Then they will keep their shape.

The most difficult thing is to keep the perfect order in the drawers. To do this, and to fit as many things as possible, you need to carefully twist them and put them in vertical position. As separators, you can use cardboard partitions and tubes, which sometimes remain after shopping.

It is convenient to store underwear, T-shirts, T-shirts, socks and scarves. The main thing is to carefully fold things so that they do not wrinkle and can be used at any time.

Pants and long dresses are recommended to be thrown over the crossbar of the hanger, and only then placed in the closet. So things will not be wrinkled, and will not get dirty in the dust that often settles at the bottom of the cabinet.

Once a month in the closet you need to wipe the dust and ventilate it.