Living in a tiny house has many benefits – whether it’s the low costs to build or maintain them, or the ability to move from place to place with ease. But not every aspect of tiny house living is perfect. And sometimes there can be difficulties.
One of the most talked-about issues with tiny house living is the lack of storage. By definition, a tiny house is a restrictive space that often involves a lot of downsizing in your life before you move in. And as a result, storage space is often limited too.
So how do you make the most of the space you have? Well, today we’re going to show you 13 clever and creative ways you can build a tiny house with enough storage for all of your belongings.
1. Beneath The Floorboards
This is a really popular way to save space in a tiny house. When you build a tiny house you have to take advantage of every inch of space that you have. But people often forget about the space beneath the house.
While building, considering installing a compartment beneath your home with a hatch door or removable panel. Utilizing this space could give you huge amounts of storage if done correctly. And if you are unsure, hiring a local builder should make the job easier.
2. Under The Bench
Another favorite amongst tiny house owners. When you’re planning out how to build a tiny house, consider adding benches for seating rather than chairs. These can be used most easily in your living room space, but would also work as kitchen/dining room seating.
By adding a bench rather than traditional seating, you can use the space inside of it for extra storage. Just use a rectangular box or crate for converted seating, and make the top of the box removable. This way you can store anything you want inside, and simply remove the cushions and lid when you need to take anything out.
3. The Fold-Down Bed
This one is a classic and has been around for longer than tiny houses. But it’s becoming a staple in some particularly small tiny homes where owners want to maximize space as much as possible.
Installing a fold-down bed doesn’t have to be a mainstay of the master bedroom – many tiny houses have bedrooms in the loft space, where it isn’t possible to have a fold-down bed. If that is the case, you could always install it in the living-room space instead. Storing a fold-down bed here means you can use it anytime you have friends or family over, effectively doubling the living room space as a spare room.
4. High Shelving
This storage tactic is underrated and underutilized. High shelving is a must if you can make it work in your space. When you are thinking about how to build a tiny house with enough storage for your needs, try and implement high shelves. These shelves can be built in your living and dining room space.
Using the upper third of your wall (an area that remains unused in most homes), will provide you with meters of extra storage space. Just be careful with what you place there – shelves this high are best used to hold books and DVDs etc. Easily breakable objects should be kept closer to the ground. Don’t forget to make sure you have a simple way to access them, such as a high footstool or indoor ladder.
5. Staircase Storage
This is another common feature in tiny house buildings. If you are building a tiny house with a staircase, finding ways to convert your staircase into extra storage is an absolute must! If you can, that is.
The best and easiest way to use a staircase for storage is to use the steps themselves. This can involve using boxes and frames as steps, and filling them with books, toys, clothing, etc. You can even install pull-out drawers into each step, with magnetized front panels so they don’t accidentally slide open.
You can also build an alcove or cupboards into the space below the stairs, though this will depend on whether or not your build allows it. Take a look at the video below for inspiration on how to build a tiny house with staircase storage.
6. Outdoor Staircase
Your indoor staircase isn’t the only smart place to hide some extra cubby holes. If your tiny house is elevated above the ground, then no doubt you have a small set of stairs leading out of your house.
If so, consider using these as a cubby for storage. You can quite easily build some basic steps out of wooden frames and boxes that can be opened from above. By doing so you have a simple and easily accessible place to store any shoes, gardening equipment, or other items you usually keep outside.
7. Raise Your Bed
This option depends on where your bedroom is located within your tiny house, as it may not be possible to do it in a confined loft space. Preparing and planning your build properly will be key if you want to do something like this. Elevating your bed with concrete blocks or thick hollow boxes or frames will allow you to use the space beneath the bed as storage cubbies, without compromising too much space in the room or home.
You must use materials that are as solid as possible, hence why concrete blocks are recommended. Wood can be used too, but make sure to test it by placing equivalent weight on the first.
8. Install A Kitchen Bar
A kitchen bar is a simple steel bar installed on the wall of your kitchen, often above the sink or oven. By doing this you can place kitchen hooks on the bar and effectively hang whatever you want from it, though pots and pans are the usual choices.
Pots and pans can take up a considerable amount of cupboard space. A kitchen bar is a simple but truly effective way of using that bare wall space in your kitchen.
9. Cabinets Instead Of Walls
This is a trickier concept, as it depends on how your tiny house is built. Not all houses are equal, so your design may not allow for this kind of storage idea. When you are drafting ideas for how to build a tiny house that has enough space for you, consider implementing this idea.
Take your bare walls and turn them into storage cupboards. While this may not work for the outer walls that frame your home, it’s possible to do this with the walls that separate the rooms in your house. A concept like this is particularly useful in kitchens and bedrooms.
10. Roll-In Storage
Small shelves and cabinet compartments are a must. But have you considered adding wheels? By screwing on wheels to each corner of your storage, you effectively have furniture that can be moved wherever you want to depend on when you need it.
This means you can make use of it when necessary, then roll it away when you need that extra space. This is especially useful for furniture like bedside tables, footstools, living room seats, and small shelves.
11. Build Decorative Shelves Onto Walls
While it is tempting to decorate your walls with paintings and photographs, we recommend subbing out some of these decorations with creative storage. Using aesthetically pleasing storage features as wall hangings is the best way to do this.
By doing this you can have both attractive decorations for your wall as well as adding more storage to your living space.
12. Bunk Bed Storage
Assuming you don’t have a loft bedroom, consider buying or building a bunk-bed with multi-level storage in the space beneath. By doing this you can utilize the considerable amount of empty space that would normally float above a bed. And you also have a piece of furniture that doubles as two objects.
This is a particularly good idea for children, as it’s easier to build a single bunk bed for them.
13. Use The Space Between Your Bathtub And Ceiling
If you have a bathtub in your tiny home, you’ll probably notice that there is some space between the edge of the bathtub and the ceiling of your home. Consider using this space to add more storage for your bathroom items. Just be careful about how you build them and what you put inside, just in case a few things fall into a full tub!
These are just some of the best ideas you can use to create more storage in your tiny home. But there are many ideas out there, and you may find yourself coming up with new ideas for space-saving while you build your home. Hopefully, this list has given you all the ideas you need to understand how to build a tiny house with enough storage for you!
