Small Living Room Storage Tips
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If your living room is a small space and you’re having difficulty keeping it clutter-free, storage solutions for small living rooms exist.
Now, you can have the feel of a larger space with room for your bits and pieces, decorative items, and essentials without a jam-packed look.
These days living rooms are multi-dimensional. In addition to welcoming guests and hosting casual conversations, living rooms serve as a backdrop for television watching or game playing and as a place for work (either by way of home office or homework). Since all these activities take place in one room, smart storage is key to maintaining order.
So, let’s dive in and look at ways to add storage to your small living room.
1. Use Decorative Baskets
Baskets are a good option for storing your throws, blankets, and cushions. Even your kids’ games and toys can be stored here. And as a bonus, they add a nice decorative touch to your living room.
You can use inexpensive woven baskets as storage, and there are other options as well, such as decorative wicker tulip baskets for more upscale looks, metal baskets for industrial decor, and artistic rolls of raffia for something a bit different.
2. Add floating shelves
The beauty of this design is that it leaves no gaps between the edge of the shelf and wall, allowing it to seem like it’s floating or hovering over thin air. Now, one option is for display purposes, such as photos or plants. As well, these open shelves are a great place for books, or even decorative boxes to store your cables and cords.
Be mindful of sizing if you opt for this look. You don’t want a floating shelf that overpowers your small space. Also, do not put many items on one floating shelf since it will look imbalanced if it is too crowded.
3. Opt for corner shelves
Corner shelves are simply floating shelves specifically designed for the corner of the room. When you think about it, corners are often unused areas and as such, offer a great way to add storage to your small living room.
They provide a simple and functional storage solution that takes up little space – perfect for this small room. Here are some suggestions to make the most of this open shelving option.
Add baskets to hold items you use frequently. The best thing about corner shelves is that you can make them exactly as big or small as you want, so add a larger basket on one space and smaller ones to fill up the other areas. Look for stackable plastic or wicker baskets to keep your system looking cohesive.
Go vertical with storage bins. Corner shelves are the perfect place to store vertically, especially if you have lots of things that stack easily. Utilize wall space by adding storage cubes or bins on each corner of your shelf to make efficient use of your space.
4. Increase surface space with nesting tables
Nesting tables are typically sold in sets of two or three. And are stacked one inside the other. When separated you’ll instantly have additional surface space – a great spot for drinks and snacks when guests are over.
Also, when stacked inside of each other, you’ll save floor space.
5. Turn your trunk into a coffee table
Re-purposing your trunk into a coffee table is another way to add extra storage to your small living room. This is a popular option because of its versatility and style that is easy to work into many different designs.
Coffee tables are an essential piece of furniture to any living space, whether for storing additional items or providing surfaces for drinks and food, people use them daily without fail.
One of the main considerations when turning your trunk into a coffee table is where to place it. With all the storage options available nowadays, there are plenty of ways for you to work with your existing décor and not feel like it’s interfering with any of the furniture pieces you already have in place.
One advantage to using a re-purposed trunk as a coffee table is the vast amount of storage space it provides. Many are large enough for you to store away larger items, such as board games or movies, that you tend to forget about until you need them. If you have young children, there is also plenty of room for coloring books, crayons, and even a small table for them to work at. There is no shortage of options when it comes to how you use a re-purposed trunk as a coffee table.
Another option is the number of different ways you can style your coffee table. Some prefer a more classic look, while others might go with a modern design. Whichever you choose, there’s plenty of room to show off your unique style and personality without worrying about what goes where.
6. Purchase a storage ottoman
Storage ottomans are versatile furniture pieces. In addition to the standard footrest function, they can serve as extra seating, surface space, and of course, storage. The built-in storage compartment provides an easy way to store magazines, books, throws, etc. And give you easy access to your items, when needed.
7. Add storage with a rolling bar cart
Here’s another resourceful way to add storage to your small living room.
It can double as a storage unit for so many items, from magazines to remotes, and the drawers themselves can also be used to store things such as board games or DVDs.
Given its versatility, your bar cart can double as an end table when you’re relaxing at home or can be used to serve drinks and snacks to your guests when you’re entertaining.
8. Invest in a multi-level coffee table
You can’t go wrong with this option, as you’ll have about 3 areas of storage. And if the table has drawers, that will expand your storage options even more.
Throw a decorative tray on any of the levels and voila, you have a designated spot for your remotes!
Some even come with a surface that lifts, providing a perfect place to store your laptop, if your living room is doubling as a home office.
9. Go traditional with bookshelves
For a classic option, consider using bookshelves to add storage to your small living room. In addition to your book collection, this is an easy way to display family photos and other personal mementos, such as your favorite vase. As well, with a few well-placed decorative boxes, you can put games, Lego sets, and other toys in them.
10. Consider a console table
If you’re used to a console table in the entryway, consider placing one in your living room. Plants or flowers on the top surface add a nice decorative touch. There’s such beauty in simplicity.
And a tray or bowl with accessories on the bottom can store small items, such as paperclips or elastic bands, things you can never seem to find when you want them.
Recap
As you can see, having a small living room doesn’t mean that you have to give up completely on getting extra storage.
These ideas show how you can make decorative items pull double duty and also function as storage.
Experiment with these options to see how well you can add storage to your living room and make it look good as well.
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