A unique set of challenges comes with living in a small apartment, especially in cities like New York or London where square footage is so pricey.
While the minimalist ethos of owning less is a great starting point, the reality is that we all have things we need and love. This means the real test is not just decluttering, but creating smart, sustainable systems to keep your place feeling as open and calm as possible.
Most of us city dwellers aren’t living in a vast, empty space; we’re trying to fit our real lives into a compact footprint. And this means we have to move beyond basic tidying and get on board with clever ways to organise.
One big key here is to shift your perspective. Instead of seeing your apartment’s limitations, look at its potential. Every wall, every door, and every piece of furniture can serve more than one purpose.
I’ve spent years refining my own methods for home organisation and have lived in teeny-tiny studio shoe box-sized bedsits myself. Through some painful trial and error, I’ve learnt what works to maximise storage.
These 50 clever ways to organise a small apartment don’t entail buying a whole new set of furniture or expensive gadgets. Instead, they’re practical, tested apartment organising ideas that help you maximise space and create a place that feels both functional and restorative.
Go Vertical: Wall and Door Storage Ideas
When you run out of floor space, the only direction to go is up. Utilising vertical space is one of the most effective strategies for any small home. Your walls and the back of your doors are some of the most underused areas with massive storage potential.
1. Install Floating Shelves
These are a minimalist’s best friend. Use them in the living room for books and art, in the kitchen for spices, or in the bathroom for toiletries. They create storage without the visual bulk of a bookcase.
2. Use a Pegboard System
A pegboard isn’t just for the garage. Mount a section in your kitchen to hang cookware and bakeware, in your office for supplies, or near the entryway for keys and sunglasses. It’s a flexible storage workhorse with a cool utilitarian look.
3. Leverage the Back of Doors
The classic over-the-door shoe organiser is incredibly versatile. Use it in the pantry for snacks, in the bathroom for personal care products, or in the closet for scarves and belts.
4. Mount Your TV
Free up the surface of a console table (or eliminate it entirely) by mounting your television to the wall. This can instantly makes a room feel larger.
5. Use Wall-Mounted Baskets
Wire or wicker baskets hung on the wall are perfect for holding mail, magazines, or even fresh produce in the kitchen. This is a great way to clear counter space.
6. Install a Magnetic Knife Strip
Get that clunky knife block off your limited counter. A magnetic strip keeps your knives accessible and safely stored. This is a must-have for any small kitchen.
7. Hang Your Plants
Use ceiling hooks or wall-mounted planters to bring greenery into your home without sacrificing a single inch of table or floor space.
8. Add Hooks Everywhere
A simple hook is a really powerful organiser. Add them to the back of your bedroom and bathroom doors for towels and robes, inside your closet for necklaces, or by the entryway for coats.
9. Consider a Leaning Ladder Shelf
A ladder-style bookcase offers storage cubbies and display space while having a very small footprint. It draws the eye upward and makes the room feel taller.
10. Use the Space Above Doors and Windows
One of my favourite tricks. Add a single, high shelf above a doorway or window frame. It’s the perfect, out-of-the-way spot for items you don’t access daily, like sentimental keepsakes or out-of-season decor stored in a decorative box. I like using the single LACK shelves from Ikea for this purpose.
[Pinterest Pin: A high shelf installed above a bedroom door]
Choose Smart Furniture for Flexible Storage
In a tiny apartment, every piece of furniture needs to earn its keep. Single-use items are a luxury small flats can’t afford. Instead, focus on multi-functional pieces that offer hidden storage and adaptability.
11. Invest in a Storage Ottoman
This is one of the best purchases you can make. It serves as a footrest, extra seating for guests, and a coffee table (with a tray on top), all while hiding blankets, pillows, or games inside.
12. Get a Bed Frame with Drawers
Personally, I think under-bed storage is bad, but many folks really like it for small bedrooms. If you opt to go this route, a bed frame with built-in drawers is a more seamless way to store extra bedding, sweaters, or shoes without creating a massive dust magnet.
13. Use a C-Table
These clever tables are designed to slide under your sofa or chair, providing a perfect spot for a laptop or a cup of coffee without needing a full end table.
14. Opt for Nesting Coffee Tables
Instead of one large coffee table, go with a set of two or three nesting tables. You can spread them out when guests come over and tuck them away to save space when you’re not entertaining.
15. Use a Bar Cart for More Than Drinks
A rolling cart is the definition of flexible storage. Use it as a mobile coffee station, a nightstand, a craft cart, or for extra bathroom storage. I use mine to store emergency supplies! You can move it wherever you need it most.
16. Choose a Headboard with Storage
Some headboards come with built-in shelves or cabinets, providing a convenient place for books, an alarm clock, and other nighttime essentials, eliminating the need for a bulky nightstand.
17. Choose a Drop-Leaf Dining Table
Don’t have room for a full dining table? A drop-leaf or gateleg table can be folded down to a slim console size when not in use, and expanded to seat guests.
18. Use a Storage Bench in Your Entryway
An entryway bench gives you a place to sit while putting on shoes and provides hidden storage for those very shoes, hats, and scarves. My entryway bench is a mini fitness studio that holds all my workout supplies:
19. Select a Slim Console Table
For narrow hallways or behind a sofa, a slim console table adds a functional surface for keys and mail without taking up too much precious space.
20. Use a Dresser as a TV Stand
A dresser is often deeper and offers more useful storage than a typical media console. Using one for your TV combines clothing storage and media furniture into a single, efficient piece.
Kitchen Storage Ideas for Small Spaces
The kitchen is often the epicentre of clutter in a small apartment. With limited cabinet space and counter tops that quickly become crowded though, smart kitchen storage is all the more essential. Here are some ideas for small flats that will help you organise your culinary space.
21. Use Tiered Shelves Inside Cabinets
Instantly double the storage space in your kitchen cabinets by adding a simple wire tiered shelf. It’s perfect for organising plates, bowls, and mugs.
22. Hang Cookware from a Pot Rack
Free up an entire kitchen cabinet space by hanging your pots and pans. You can use a ceiling-mounted rack or a simple bar with S-hooks on a wall.
23. Use the Inside Doors of Your Cabinets
Attach a small rack or hooks to the exposed side of a kitchen cabinet to hang aprons, oven mitts, or a calendar. It’s dead space just waiting to be used.
24. Decant Pantry Staples into Clear Jars
This isn’t just for looks. Uniform, stackable containers eliminate the awkward shapes of commercial packaging, allowing you to fit more into your pantry. Plus, you can see what you have at a glance. Pro tip: you don’t have to buy these! Instead, wash and repurpose any pretty glass jars from your food staples.
25. Use Drawer Dividers for Utensils
Don’t let your utensil drawer become a jumbled mess. Use dividers to create a specific spot for everything. Works for cutlery, small gadgets and gizmos, cooking tools and junk drawers, too.
26. Store Cutting Boards and Baking Sheets Vertically
Use a file sorter or a dedicated rack to store these flat items vertically. They take up far less cabinet space this way and are easier to access.
27. Create a Coffee Station on a Tray
Group your coffee maker, mugs, and coffee essentials together on a tray. It contains the clutter and can be easily moved when you need the counter space. It’s also super cute.
28. Use an Under-Sink Caddy
The cabinet under the sink can be chaotic. A pull-out caddy or a set of stackable bins brings order to cleaning supplies.
29. Store Spices on a Wall-Mounted Rack or Magnetic Bins
Spices can take up an entire drawer or shelf. A wall-mounted rack or magnetic tins stuck to your fridge keeps them visible and off the counter
30. Use a Rolling Kitchen Cart as an Island
If you don’t have enough space for a permanent island, a portable storage cart offers extra counter space and shelving when you need it and can be rolled out of the way when you don’t.
Check out my dedicated post for even more tiny kitchen ideas and inspiration!
Maximise Your Small Bedroom and Tiny Closet
The bedroom should be a sanctuary, but in a small apartment, it often has to handle a huge storage burden. From clothing to personal items, keeping the bedroom and its tiny closet organised is key to a peaceful mind. These storage ideas for small bedrooms focus on smart, space-saving solutions.
31. Use Slim Velvet Hangers
This is the easiest and most impactful closet organisation hack. Slim hangers take up half the space of plastic or wood ones, effectively doubling the hanging space in your tiny closet.
32. Add a Second Hanging Rod
Most closets only come with one rod, leaving a lot of wasted space underneath. Add a closet doubler to create a second tier for hanging shirts, skirts, or folded pants.
33. Use a Bedside Caddy
If you don’t have room for a nightstand, a fabric caddy that tucks under your mattress can hold your book, phone, glasses, and remote when you’re not sleeping.
34. Implement a Capsule Wardrobe
The most effective way to manage a small closet is to have less clothing. A curated capsule wardrobe makes getting dressed easier and frees up significant closet space.
35. Store Shoes Heel-to-Toe
An incredibly simple shoe storage trick: place one shoe facing forward and the other facing backward. This small adjustment can save you a surprising amount of space on your shoe rack or shelf.
36. Use Storage Bins for Out-of-Season Clothing
Don’t let winter sweaters take up precious closet space in the heat of the summer. Store them in labeled storage boxes or bins up on a high shelf.
37. Hang Your Jewelry
A wall-mounted jewelry organiser prevents necklaces from tangling and frees up drawer or surface space. It also turns your collection into a piece of wall art. If you’re not a fan of dusting, mount the hooks inside your closet doors.
38. Roll, Don’t Fold
When storing clothing like t-shirts, pajamas, and activewear in a drawer, rolling them is more space-efficient than folding. You can also see everything you have at a glance.
39. Organise Your Scarves and Belts with a Single Hanger
Use a multi-ring scarf hanger or simple shower curtain rings on a regular hanger to corral all your accessories in one place.
40. Use Drawer Organisers for Socks and Underwear
Small items can make a drawer feel messy fast. Use honeycomb-style drawer dividers or small bins to give every pair of socks and underwear a home.
More Apartment Organisation Hacks: 50 Clever Ways to Organise a Small Apartment
Sometimes the best storage hack allows you to solve a unique problem or utilise a forgotten nook. The final 10 ideas in my list of 50 clever ways to organise a small apartment, focus on the bathroom, entryway, and other miscellaneous areas that usually need some extra attention.
41. Use Shower Caddies and Tension Rods
Add a second tension rod inside your shower to hang caddies for extra shampoo and soap storage. This keeps the corners of your tub clear. You can also use slim rods inside under-sink cabinets to hang bottles of cleaning solutions.
42. Stack Your Washer and Dryer
If you are lucky enough to have in-unit laundry, stacking them will free up valuable floor space for a laundry cart or folding area.
43. Add a Wall Organiser to Your Entryway
Even if you don’t have a formal entryway, you can create an entry “zone.” Use a wall-mounted organiser with hooks for keys, a small bin for mail, and a shelf for your wallet. This storage solution keeps morning chaos at bay.
44. Store Cosmetics on a Magnetic Board
Attach small magnets to the back of your makeup palettes and store them on a metal board inside a cabinet door. This clears your bathroom counter and makes everything easy to see.
45. Digitise Your Paperwork and Photos
Physical clutter is one thing; paper clutter is another. Go paperless! Scan important documents, receipts, and old photos and store them digitally. This can clear out an entire filing cabinet’s worth of space.
46. Use Storage Baskets on Top of Cabinets
The space above your kitchen cabinets or wardrobe is often wasted space. Place decorative storage baskets there to hold items you rarely use.
47. Store Extra Towels Rolled in a Basket
Instead of trying to stuff them into a full linen closet, roll your clean towels and display them in a large wicker basket in the bathroom. It feels spa-like and is a practical storage idea.
48. Use a Cake Stand for Perfume or Skincare
On your dresser or bathroom counter, use a two-tiered cake stand to organise personal care products. It looks elegant and utilises vertical space.
49. Store Boots with Pool Noodles
Cut a pool noodle to size and place it inside your tall boots to keep them upright in your closet. This prevents them from flopping over, getting creased, and creating a messy pile in the corner.
50. Do a Monthly Clutter Sweep
The best way to keep a small apartment organised is to regularly edit your belongings. Set a recurring 15-minute time slot on your calendar to do a quick sweep of your space and identify anything you can donate, discard, or put back in its proper place.
Living in a small flat doesn’t mean you have to live with clutter. With any of these small apartment storage ideas, you can create a bit more space, build functional systems, and turn your tiny place into a space you enjoy being in.
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