I think we can all relate to wanting to find easy, affordable solutions to make the home more organized.  It seems that although we are spending more time at home these days, we find ourselves just as busy, if not more. That is why we came up with storage ideas for your home that can be implemented in every room in your house.

It is an on-going challenge to keep all our “stuff” organized without spending hours and hours to get there.  Added to the need to organize our personal space, it has also become a priority to reuse, reduce, and recycle in our collective effort to save our planet.  

Here at meori, we are constantly thinking about how to create reusable storage solutions that help people organize their homes and car and reduce waste in the process.  We are always testing new ideas in our homes, with our kids and pets, at the grocery store, and on the road for family vacations and road trips.  

Below is a list of ideas that are designed to help you organize specific areas and rooms in your home. Before you purchase anything, take a moment to study our tips for making good purchasing decisions.

 

Storage Ideas For Small Spaces on a Budget

meori’s heritage is all about smart, eco-friendly solutions and small spaces, and people on-the-go. We developed the meori brand and product line while we were living in Europe (where homes and apartments are generally smaller than American homes) and reusable grocery bags were already in wide use.

It seemed natural to us to create storage bins and organizers that were foldable, available in many sizes, including accessories, like divider inserts and rewritable labels, that extend the functionality of our foldable storage bins. Below is a list of tips and tricks to organizing small spaces.  

Storage Ideas for the Entryway

Your entryway is the first impression in your home that visitors make so it’s important to keep it tidy and inviting without getting too stressed out about it all.  Here are some easy tips and tricks to making the most out of your entryway, whatever the size.  

• If you have a closet in the entryway, great.  Use all the vertical space and add hooks and shelves up high to give it more functionality for storing shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, etc.  
• Add a hanging organizer outfitted with fabric storage bins to the closet rod.
• Look for a storage bench with cubbies underneath to store hats, gloves, scarves, and other small items for easy tidying and grabbing on the way out the door.  A clean and tidy look is to fill the cubbies with fabric storage bins that are easy to label.  

• Look to foldable storage containers for small spaces.  For instance, a great way to organize the shoes is to add a storage box with a label for each member of the family.  Color coordinate the boxes or let each family member choose their favorite color.  
• Adding a pop of color to the entryway adds a cheerful, inviting touch.  Don’t be afraid of bold color for the walls.  You may also think about a cute lamp for an inviting light as opposed to the harsh overhead light.  
• Keep only the coats you are wearing during that season and store the others away in a storage box or zipped closet bag in the attic or basement.  
• Don’t let mail and other paperwork pile up around the front door. Create a space in your house for sorting and prioritizing your paper.  
• Use hooks on the back of the closet door or a coat rack to hang reusable grocery bags near the door so that you remember to take them to the store.

Storage Ideas for the Mudroom

The mudroom is the oh-so-critical “buffer zone” for all things coming and going in the house and yet sometimes, must act as a first impression, so striking a balance between form and function is the trick to this room.  To make the most of your mudroom,  here are some basic tips and tricks:

• Add throw rugs and washable mats on both the outside of the door and the inside.  Look for washable mats that have a rubber, nonskid bottom for this high traffic, high dirt area.  
• Don’t underestimate everyone’s need to have their own personal space.  One of the most helpful things in creating an organized mudroom is to create space for each member of the family and label it.  Storage cubes with rewritable labels are a great way to do this.
• What to do with all the shoes and boots that are scattered everywhere!  Depending on the size of your space and where the door is located, finding the right shoe organizer can be tricky.  Look for shoe racks that fit your space – sometimes the easiest way to organize shoes is to simply have a labeled box for each family member to keep the shoes you are most often wearing depending on the season.  Then store the shoes that are not in season somewhere out of the way like the garage or basement.  This will help cut down on the clutter. 

• Add a storage bench for the mudroom, especially for children and older adults who need to sit down to take their shoes on and off.  Look for a storage bench with cubbies underneath that hold storage cubes, perfect for storing cleaning supplies, bottled drinks, pet supplies, and extra shoes. 
• Hang storage containers from the wall on hooks.  
• Create a message board to leave messages for other members of the family but also to write reminders to yourself as you go out the door.
• Create dedicated cubbies for each member of the family – including the pets.  
• Add a set of wall hooks or a standing coat rack to hang reusable grocery bags on so you won’t forget to take them with you when you go grocery shopping.

• If your space is small, consider adding a closet rod that stretches between two walls where you can hang umbrellas, coats, and hanging organizers that can be filled with labeled storage cubes. 

In terms of form, here are some easy and fun ways to add a touch of flair and personality to your mudroom:

• Add a funky “statement” mirror that also makes the room look bigger.
• Look for a large basket that adds a touch of hominess but is also an easy container to keep hats, scarves, gloves, and slippers out of the way.
• Paint your space a darker, fun color to cover dirt and add personality.
• Install a Dutch door or door with glass in it to add more light and make the room look friendlier and airier. 
• Add a colorful patterned throw rug.  Make sure to measure your space first, making sure you can open and close all doors once the rug is laid down.  A washable rug makes everything easier.
• Paint the outside door a fun color on the inside of the door.
• Add an antique umbrella stand or free-standing coat rack.  Look for something fun and inexpensive at a garage sale and paint it a fun color.  
• Look for a compact “statement” chair at a garage sale or antique shop.  

Storage Ideas for Small Bedrooms

•  When space is tight, create more order with hanging organizers that don’t take up space on the floor.  This is especially helpful in the closet but also look for storage containers that can be either stacked on top of each other or hung on the wall.  
• If you don’t have space to add a dresser in your bedroom or closet, look for hanging organizers that you can hang on the back of the door of the closet or on the clothing rod to organize small items like socks, belts, and ties.  
• Label boxes – this is particularly important in kid’s rooms and closets where storage boxes are hard to reach.  Try to organize items in those storage boxes that you don’t need every day and then label them so you don’t have to reach up to get them to find out what is in the box. Labeling toy boxes in kids’ rooms will help them to tidy up and help keep things organized. Look for labels that have pockets so you can use pictures for small children.  
• Look for lightweight, stackable storage boxes with lids that kids can fill and stack themselves.  They should have handles on the outside so that kids can easily get to them and then stack them back together when tidying up.  
• Think about adding a platform bed where kids can play or study underneath the bed with a lounge area or workstation.  Add shelving cubes with storage boxes in this space to keep things out of the way and organized.

Small Kitchen Storage Ideas

• Create a recycling station with containers for each type of recycled material supported by your city’s waste disposal system.  Label each container to help family members remember where garbage and recycling go.  
• Create a meal plan and grocery list that all members of the family can add to or help shop and cook for.
• Use foldable bottle carriers for drink bottles and extra wine glasses that aren’t for every day to save cupboard 
• space.
• Use storage containers with labels for food items such as rice, pasta, and dried fruit and nuts that are individually packaged.  
• Keep a set of containers under the sink that sort and organize the cleaning supplies, garbage bags, and dishwashing tabs.
• Use small colorful containers inside your cupboards that act as “drawers to store and easily take things in and out of the cupboards.

Home Office Storage Ideas

With so many of us working from home indefinitely, we are starting to see some of the challenges in making it a truly productive and satisfying experience. Here at meori, we all love working from home because it allows us to be close to our kids and pets.  But there are some things to consider that can really help boost productivity as well – starting with an organized space that doesn’t take up too much room and is easy to keep tidy. 

• If you are looking for storage ideas for your home office, adding IKEA shelves with labeled boxes for files, craft supplies, and keepsakes are a great way to start.  
• Other ideas for organizing a home office include adding a desk that folds up to a small space that might not otherwise be used.  This can be especially helpful right now as we all work and go to school from home.  
• Look for office wall organizers that keep stuff off the ground and make it easy to sort and tidy up incoming mail and other paper items.  
• Keep a stash of office supplies like pens, stapler, and scissors at the ready using small desk organizers that are easy to move around from space to space.
• Sometimes the best desk organizer is the simplest.  Try tiny fabric storage cubes in different colors to organize types of office supplies like pens and pencils, mailing supplies, reading glasses, and cables and cords.  
• Choose storage containers with interior pockets for organizing smaller office supplies and mailing supplies.  

Learn more about how to convert your living room into a home office space.

Bathroom Storage Ideas

For a more comprehensive look at bathroom storage ideas for small bathrooms check out our new blog post here

Well organized bathroom cabinets and are the key to no-stress mornings and bedtimes, especially in large families.  If you don’t have a drawer for every member of the house, consider adding labeled storage bins to an open shelf or hanging organizers or wall organizers.  

Smart storage ideas for small bathrooms start with using vertical space wherever possible.

• Add a small shelf over the toilet and then use small fabric boxes to organize and sort cosmetics and other bathroom supplies. Use hanging organizers on the shower curtain rod to keep small items in.
• Use fabric storage bins to organize bathroom supplies or rolled towels under the sink.
• Consider storing your cleaning supplies under the sink as well.
• Hang self-adhesive hooks on the backs of doors or up high on the wall to hang the hairdryer, towels, etc.
• Add drawer dividers to your drawers for maximum organization of all those tiny items. Assign each family member their own drawer organizer (as opposed to the whole drawer) when drawers are limited.  

Your bathroom will look and feel infinitely tidier and more organized if the counters are clean and tidy.  The bathroom counter organizers are key. Keeping things on trays or in small containers keeps things looking tidier and is easy to clean the counters. Choose containers with handles so they are easy to lift up to clean the counters.  Look for baskets or colorful fabric organizers that are more attractive than plastic.  

 

Playroom Storage Ideas

“Playroom” means something different depending on the size and configuration of your home, not to mention the age of your kids.  In some homes, the playroom is a huge room in the basement but in others, it’s a tiny corner in the living area.  

Wherever your “playroom” area is, your main issue is probably finding ways to organize the toys on a daily basis, not to mention finding easy to reach organizing systems for toy storage.  And if it’s in the living area, you may also want it all to look nice and maybe even coordinate with your living décor.  

• Let’s start with toy organizers.  Look for small and large fabric boxes in stylish colors with multiple compartments and pockets for storing toys and books.  Use labels with pictures so that little kids can help tidy and have fun too.  You can either keep this on the floor for easy access for small children or fit them into IKEA storage shelves.
• Add wall organizers in places where kids can reach.

• Lightweight, stackable storage boxes with lids can help you save space and are quick and easy to clean up when company is coming over.  Make sure they are easy to move with exterior handles and soft corners so that kids can help tidy and organize themselves.
• Add a rolling cart with storage containers on the shelves for arts and craft supplies.
• IKEA storage solutions, especially IKEA cubby storage are always a good choice for storage projects on a budget.  Add a pop of color with fabric storage cubes and labels for easy tidying up.
• Look for furniture that has built-in storage spaces to save on space. 
• Add wall hooks down low so that kids can hang things up easily, including costumes and totes for specific toys like cars and legos.  

 

 

Craft Room Storage Ideas

Every creative person needs their own space to get crafty in. Some people have a whole dedicated room, while others have a small table, and others just make space whenever they are on-the-go. Whether you are sewing, crafting, quilting, or knitting you probably have a whole bunch of supplies, tools, and products that need to be organized and stored. 

• Use stackable storage boxes with lids to store things out of the way and maximize the use of vertical space.  
• Use an IKEA shelving unit combined with filing boxes and fabric storage cubes to sort different supplies and tools.  Filing boxes are perfect for storing patterns for sewing quilting or coloring books and print-outs for kids.  Storage cubes with interior pockets and compartments can be used to sort tools and art supplies like brushes, pens, and paints.
• Look for a hobby toolbox that can easily be taken on-the-go for crafting parties and retreats or taking your favorite project with you on vacation.
• A large craft table with storage space underneath allows you to work on large projects or with multiple participants and keep your supplies close at hand.
• Re-work an old dining room hutch or office wall organizer to store your supplies and add some personality to the room.

• Re-purpose a kitchen or bathroom rolling cart to store your craft supplies and tools.  This will also allow you to move your supplies from your craft space to any other space in the house where you want to work on a given project.

• Combine a set of IKEA shelves in different colors to separate and organize supplies and tools by hobby.  This is especially helpful if you share the space with other members in the family.  You can even choose a different color for storage bins in each of the shelves.

Dorm Room Organization Ideas

Small space living is achievable with good organization skills. Small living spaces often have one major disadvantage; they lack adequate storage space. This can be quite challenging if you haven’t learned any dorm room organization skills; however, you could find ways to add more storage space with good planning.

You could do this by utilizing the space on your walls, under your bed, and stocking up on products that could help you manage your space better. You could use this strategy to make space for your belongings and ensure that everything has its space.

That said, dorm rooms can be particularly hard to manage because of their Cinderblock walls, school-issued furniture, and one or more roommates that you’ll have to share space with. However, creating extra storage space for such rooms is still achievable.

Use the following tips to increase the space in your dorm room:

• Invest in multi-purpose furniture
• Take advantage of your vertical space
• Designated spots for kitchen items
• Dorm room under the bed storage

For more dorm room organization ideas follow our guide.

Homeschool Workstation Storage Ideas

Are you a homeschooling family?  Getting ready for back-to-school goes WAY beyond a trip to the local office store for brand new notebooks and binders.  

Curriculum materials need to be sorted and grouped. Designated homeschooling spaces need to be optimized and organized. Books and resources all need easily accessible homes so as not to cause clutter. Overwhelmed? Don’t despair! We have tips for organizing your homeschooling workstation, so everyone starts the new school year on track.

Just a few of the tips we cover are here:

• Sort Your Way To Homeschool Organization
• Assigning Locations
• Creating A Command Central
• Rolling in the Deep Drawers
• Time to Look Up!
• And more!

For more storage ideas make sure to follow us on Pinterest. Which storage idea is your favorite?