Living in a TINY flat in London? Believe me, I’ve been there (2-time studio renter here!). Over the years, I’ve come up with some tips for maximising space in a small London flat. Below, I share my best storage ideas for your small flat in London!
This article contains my top tips for maximising space in a small London flat, including the best storage ideas for your apartment.
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So, without further ado, let’s get into my tips for maximising space in your small London flat.
1. Under-bed storage
My absolute top tip for maximising space in your small London flat is to USE UNDER-BED STORAGE if you have it. Although I haven’t had it everywhere I’ve lived, when I have, it’s been a LIFESAVER. I seriously put basically everything I own under my bed, including extra linens; my clothes horse; extra medical supplies, sports equipment and other things I don’t use very often; and out of season clothes and shoes.
Here are the bins I use to store things. I have four of them which is enough for all of my stuff.
If you’re not using your stuff for quite a long time (i.e. a warmer duvet, etc.), putting your stuff in space bags before you put it in the bins is a good shout!
2. Add plastic furniture to your closet
Another option, particularly if you’re on a budget, is to customise what storage space you do have with plastic furniture. For instance, one flat I lived in had two hanging wardrobes, but no chest of drawers. I put one of these plastic drawer units on one side of the closet to give myself more folded storage space. In that flat, I used the drawers for socks, underwear, bathing suits, and the like.
Now that I have more storage space, I still have one of these in my closet, but use it for all my office supplies.
3. Suitcases
Another pro tip is to use any suitcases you have for extra storage. I currently keep mine in my wardrobe, but have previously also used them for under-bed storage. I put all of my out of season clothes (i.e., winter coats, jumpers, shoes, etc.) in them and rotate my clothes seasonally. Obviously, if you’re travelling super often (which I don’t think any of us are at the moment!), this may not work, but if you only travel a handful of times a year, suitcases are an excellent storage option.
Here is the suitcase I use most often:
4. Hat boxes
I have a set of hat boxes that I bought for a flat where I didn’t have much storage. I didn’t have any open shelves to put baskets or anything on, so I put these on top of a side table. I keep a lot of miscellaneous items in these, from my passports, to extra lightbulbs, to plasters. Essentially, they’ve become my ‘catch-all drawer’ in houses where I haven’t had much drawer space.
Here are my recommendations:
5. Folding tips
I’d be remiss not to mention the importance of *how* you fold things when you’re trying to maximise space in a small flat. When I’ve been short on space, I’ve always used the Konmari Method. It helps you to actually see what you have and also fits much more than traditional folding.
Here’s a video that explains how to do it: