Do you sometimes feel you have too many things and very little space to keep them? Are your cupboards full to the point of overflowing, and your apartment has things lying all over since there is no place to store them?

You are not alone in this mess-there are hundreds of apartments and people in this state. This is not a problem of being organized alone, it is also a problem of the limited space apartments have. However appealing the prospect of moving to a new apartment may be, it is definitely worth a try to create space within your current apartment and add to the existing storage facilities in many innovative ways. Read on and you will wonder why you never thought of all this before. None of the tips mentioned below cost too much money and certainly do not require breaking walls etc.

Use vertical space- when floor space is scarce, it is wise to think of expanding towards the ceiling by adding cupboards and shelves right to the top. If things are arranged neatly on open shelves they will enhance the elegance of the room.

Use the hallway- Many people consider hallways to be a waste of space. But they are necessary since they connect all the rooms. They can be utilized by leaving a clear walking passage and the rest of the space can be fitted with tall cabinets, bookcases or shelves. These can then be tastefully arranged with books, decorative pieces, movies, music discs and so on.

Cover the bedroom walls with shelves- these can make enough space for children’s toys, games and books and extras like bags etc.

Add shelves in cupboards- Cupboards often have high shelves and when piles are not high enough, the top few inches of the shelf space goes waste and unutilized. This can be rectified by adding another shelf that divides the existing shelf into two, and many more things can be stored.

Have two levels for hanging clothes- Many cupboards come with long hanging areas. These can be divided into two levels by fitting another rod lower down, and using both to hang clothes. They will prove to be better than the addition of a shelf since more clothes can be stored this way, they will stay ironed and leave shelf space for other things.

Keep boxes in stacks, one on top of the other- Instead of placing boxes in a straight line on the floor, stack them up one on top of the other to use vertical space. Some amount of clear floor space helps to give the room a more spacious look.

Make a loft- If the ceilings are high, and you have too many boxes, bags and suitcases that are not needed often, you can think of making a loft with a wooden framework. This will serve as a false ceiling as well that can be tastefully decorated, and the additional space will be a boon.

Use furniture for storage- Innovative furniture ideas will help you find place to keep so many things you may have collected over the years and just cannot throw away. Invest in box beds, use boxes as center tables, cabinets wherever possible, and even around your home theatre you can have shelves to store all the accessories. Buy table with drawers that can be used for knick-knacks.

Use walls to hang pictures framed and arranged on shelves. The shelves will then be clear for other things. Patterned shelves will also improve the visual appeal of the room.

Discard and de-clutter, and throw what you do not need- This is a real space creator. If half the things you no longer use were thrown away, so much space could be created in your apartment that you would not need to do anything else to make place.

Restrict your shopping- While markets and malls are full of tempting offers, buy only what you need or have place to keep, never stock so much of even food, that you have no place to keep it. You will inevitably end up throwing things into the dustbin. A bit of restraint will ease the tension of storage and also help you save a lot of money.

Tip- before you set out to add a shelf here or a cabinet there, adding hooks on the walls or anything that involves the structure of the apartment, take your landlord’s permission, lest he objects and makes you pay for renovations later on.

The home, be it an apartment or a house, is like a bottomless pit that can be filled endlessly. But never let it fill so much that it spills over and a beautiful home becomes a messy one.

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