Maximizing Space with Shelves

I ran out of space in the kitchen for bottled and canned water so I started storing them on the small shelving unit in the basement entry.  It’s practical too because now I can easily grab water to go on my way out the door to the car.

Putting this tiny space to work for us got me thinking about how much shelving really helps you maximize a small area.   I have wanted to add built-ins to our office and/or living room for some time now but even though we haven’t tackled that project yet,  I found two other areas where shelving has made the most of the room we do have.

As you saw in the recent before & after post, our laundry room is a decent size.   Still, two wood shelves and a melamine countertop installed in a little nook there made that extra space available for storage, crafts, and folding clothes!   The curtains underneath the counter hide the less attractive stuff we have to store.

Our guest and half baths are very small.   DIY shelving units mounted above the toilet give us more storage room for things needed in a bathroom and just a nice place to display favorite items.

I also love how the shelves with brackets in this bathroom make great use of a small space.

Even if you can’t create built-ins or attach anything to the wall you can still use shelving in small spaces.  The shelves in our basement entry were made for the dimensions of that spot and are completely standalone.

But if you don’t want to have to build something, there are pretty cool ready made options.  Here, a rolling cart is used to store baking supplies and an industrial metal unit  provides more storage for kitchen and pantry items.

Of course, shelving is just one way to maximize space in a home.  What are other ways you’ve made the most of the space you have?
-J

Images 4|6|7 via my Pinterest ‘Organize’ board