How to Maximize the Space You Have
A question I get a lot is how do I come up with an idea to maximize the space I have since this is something I am super passionate about. So let's talk about that today! My goal with this is to be specific and provide you with examples so you can implement these same ideas into your spaces.
How to Maximize the Space You Have | Use All Space From Floor to Ceiling
The first thing you can do to maximize the space you have is use ALL of your space from the floor to the ceiling. This is something I talk about and do a lot because I have 12 foot ceilings in my house and not a single closet has shelves or access to the ceiling. I feel like it's SO much wasted space that I've tried, room by room, to remove. One of the ways I've done that is by double hanging rods to maximize space. I Implemented this in our front hall coat closet. I stacked double hanging on one side of the closet and then did floor to ceiling shelves on the other side of the closet.
The other thing you have to remember when you're in this process and you've done something from floor to ceiling, is that you have to be able to get stuff in and out of the shelves/cubbies you've made. This is why, in this case, I did the double hanging rods on the opposite sides from the cubbies. It is possible you'll have to use a step stool to access the top layer of double hanging, but it's still utilizing all of that space so I call it a win.
How to Maximize the Space You Have | Use All the Space - Primary Bedroom
When I started my primary bedroom closet, I had two shelves that were wire racks which went all the way around the closet. If you've been following me for a little while, you know that I hate wire shelves, they are the worst. They take up more space than they need to, they aren't stable, you can't add anything on top of them without it falling off and things always fall through. So in order to truly maximize the space in my closet, I took everything out.
Adding in drawers are always going to be your friend in the closet when you can make it work, especially if you can combine those drawers with shelves. I did two sets of drawers in the middle, and then drawers and shelves on both sides. Then I did shelves on top of the drawers and a shelf going all the way across the closet that leveled up with the shelves on top of the drawers. Honestly, I could have left it like that, with the four feet of space from that shelf to the ceiling left over. But that's a lot of extra space and when I did our closet, I did it in two different time frames, so they were a year apart. We lived with that shelf that had four feet from the shelf to the ceiling for a year and it made me so mad the entire time because I had all of this space I couldn't use because I didn't have an additional shelf there.
So, when I went in and did the second round of this closet and added more shelves and trim and all the things that needed to be added, That second shelf gave me so much more space to work with because I could put a whole other shelf with bins that went all the way up to the ceiling. I absolutely maximized all of the space in this closet floor to ceiling. There's not an inch of this closet not being used. And because of that, clothes are less likely to pile up. I'm less likely to have issues finding homes for things. It just worked out so much better to have all of the space utilized.
How to Maximize the Space You Have | Adding Functionality with Built-ins
Let's talk about something that's not as obvious. In my daughter's room, we had a bookshelf for her that was not cutting it. She needed more shelf space just in general for toys, knick knacks and more books as well as space for things to be organized into baskets. I realized the bookshelf wall in her room was not being utilized to its capacity. So I decided to build a set of shelves. Now, obviously not everyone is going to be able to build their own set of shelves, but you can buy stuff, or you can hire someone to make it for you. There are options, you don't have to build it yourself if you don't have the tools, money, ability, etc.
I added a bench for the bottom where the cubbies were and then I put the shelves on top of that. By adding this bench and then the shelves on top, I more than doubled the shelf space in her room. I didn't go all the way to the ceiling on this project because I was using a lot of scrap wood, but I'm still so happy with the amount of functionality it created.
How to Maximize the Space You Have | Adding Built-Ins - Family Room
Another not so obvious example of maximizing space is in our family room. We had this exterior wall with one very thin window on top in our family room. We were moving our TV and couch down to this room because the room they were originally in was being converted into the baby's room. I wanted to come up with a creative solution for the TV stand and I decided to put in a wall of cabinets. I used ready made cabinets from Lily Ann Cabinets. They graciously provided them to me and they have completely transformed the space from builder-grade to customized. They make the room look a lot bigger, which is so funny since its adding more into the room.
Its also maximized the space. I'm using all of this space for storage. There's nothing else going on on this wall. There was nothing there and I now have all of this storage for things that didn't have a home before or were going to be spread all over my house. Now it's all in this space and it's contained. Honestly, people who come into my home tell me all the time how much they love this wall of cabinets. It's stunning and so functional and is maximizing the space and has definitely added value to our home.
How to Maximize the Space You Have | Adding Storage - Bar Shelves
The last not so obvious example I want to talk about is the bar shelves. If you've followed along for a little while, you know we have a 9 foot long bar that's a very awkward height. We weren't utilizing it well and it was causing more clutter to gather. I decided to take 2/3 of that and put in shelves.
The clutter that was gathering here was driving me insane so instead of just letting this gather, I created shelves that we could use for actual storage. In this area now we have art supplies, accessories for the smoker, extras for the baby carrier and lots of other stuff that I otherwise didn't have the space for.
This is maximizing the space that I have without getting a whole new house. I know all of these examples I showed you are things I have built or things I have received as a content creator, but there are ways to do this without having to build something yourself or pay someone to do it. You can find items from Walmart, Amazon, Target and even your local thrift stores or Facebook Marketplace if you look hard that can help you maximize the space in your home, it really is possible! I have linked the tools I've used below.
