Five Alternative Storage Options for a Tiny House
When you live in a home under 1,000 square feet, the biggest issue is probably finding enough storage space for those items you don’t want to see all the time. Rather than trying to cram everything into your cabinets or closets, here are some “secret” storage spaces in small homes that you might be overlooking.
Up above
The first alternative storage option is to take your items up as high as they can go. The 307 square foot El Capitan has tons of shelving in the closet and the bathroom that go up to the ceiling. The 640 square foot Regal Mountain has a laundry closet that can accommodate additional shelving and don’t forget that many of the Cozy Home plans that have stackable washers and dryers also have space above for storage.
Under the floor
Another ingenious storage idea came from Deek of Tiny Yellow House and from Ted Owens of Building with Awareness. When putting in wood flooring in your Cozy Home, leave a few floorboards loose (or cut them and add a hinge) to create an under-floor storage area. There is a good tutorial on how to do this on the DIY Network.
Inside your furniture
There’s an amazing amount of furniture out now that is designed for additional storage. Footstools with tops that lift up, chairs, sofa beds and beds with drawers, and dining chairs and dining tables with secret compartments where you can put books, items for guests, tablecloths, toilet paper and cutlery.
Under the stairs
The High Point is a 2-story Cozy Home that comes in at 781 square feet. Since it has a staircase, when constructing the home, you can build in a cabinet under the stairs that can fit seasonal items, luggage and other larger objects.
Take it outside
If you have some items that can weather the elements, purchase or build some outdoor storage cabinets or trunks that can hold your sports gear, tools and maybe even some food that is contained in buckets or another protective covering. You can place these cabinets on the deck of your Crested Butte Cozy Home, put some cushions on it and call it a bench.
Photo courtesy of DIY Network
4 Responses to Five Alternative Storage Options for a Tiny House
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We’ve actually decided to build a small platform to “separate” (liberal use of that term, for sure) our living room from the kitchen and bedroom. And so in that platform will be storage much like the photo you show. Seems like a simple concept but man did it get us excited. We felt like we had discovered something totally new under the sun! HAHAHAHA
Thanks Andrew! About 30 years ago I discovered the idea of using a grain bin silo as a potential getaway cabin. After some research, “way before the internet mind you, I discovered the several thousand year old YURTS… I sooo know how you feel, but it did not curb my enthusiasm for the concept.
I like this idea of storage in the floors. Great way to use space.
Thanks Holliday! It is actually a pretty unique idea. Of course a lot depends on what type of foundation that you currently have; what insulation is required, Bugs or larger critters etc… It is certainly a space that could be utilized a lot more in the beginning stages of construction if planned ahead properly.