There are many things we love about our island home, but if there’s one thing we lament about, it is the lack of sufficient space and the constant brushing of shoulders with strangers. This translates to sky-scraping HDB blocks of a staggering 30 levels, and smaller apartments in our neighbourhoods.
The flats seem to shrink with every BTO launch and it is hard not to feel overwhelmingly cramped in our tiny homes. On the other hand, the prices of homes only seems to go up and getting an “upgrade” for a bigger flat a few years down the road just isn’t a reality for many.
But at the very least, we can maximise storage space in our flats through some simple, low-effort additions – without needing to buy new furniture or hacking away parts of the home for new built-in features.
For more home ideas, check out:
Image credit: IKEA Singapore
Not everyone has a light-filled, spacious balcony to amass a home garden, so plant lovers may have limited space to display their succulents and flowers.
Image credit: @caraphrase
But with simple shelves, plant ladders, or even regular wooden ladders, you can display your potted plants in a ‘vertical garden’. This will take up less space on the ground, and also help all your plants receive ample sunlight.
To create a little more space on your study table, get a monitor stand for your laptop or desktop. This also creates a nook where you can slot your keyboard and mouse in to keep them out of sight when not in use.
Image credit: @refined_bam
Many monitor stands come with little slots for stationery, even a space to hold your mobile phone and sticky notes. Some also have drawers on the side for you to store other things such as notebooks.
Image credit: DEKstudio
For some of us, raising the monitor screen will also help reduce neck strain and backache from prolonged use.
To fit shorter tops and shirts, you can add an additional rod at the bottom.
Image credit: @toneostensen
With most wardrobes, there’s a long and narrow compartment to fit long dresses. But if you’re a more of a t-shirt and jeans kinda gal – or a guy with a ton of shirts to hang – the bottom portion of your wardrobe is usually left empty. Simply add on a tension rod to the bottom half of the wardrobe and you’ve got an additional rack for more clothes.
This is an especially useful hack for adapting a wardrobe to fit baby clothes as well
Image credit: @diana.levent.nuradin
This doesn’t just have to be in the bedroom – you can add a tension rod to under-sink cabinets to maximise space, make it less cluttered, and separate your storage from the pipes. Use the rods to hang bottles of detergent, or as makeshift shelves.
Image credit: @help_my_home
Adding them to kitchen drawers can also help provide you with practical divisions to hold bulky items like pot lids upright.
Image credit: @bt_organising
Tension rods are affordable and easily found in homeware shops such as Japan Home and Daiso. There’s no drilling involved with these, which makes the installation process simple and reversible.
Your bike can also double up as part of your decor when displayed this way
Image credit: @artivelo_com
Some of us have little space in our bedrooms or storerooms to store our bikes – and thus they have to be relegated to the corridor area or even public bike racks.
With a wall-mounted bike rack, you won’t have to face the trepidation of stolen or vandalised bicycles. Some of these can even accommodate up to 2-3 bikes.
Image credit: The Container Store
To utilise all the space you can get in cabinets and shelves, use the space behind cabinet doors with over-the-door baskets or racks. Just make sure to measure the space between the doors and the inner shelves so that the doors will not be blocked from closing fully.
Keep tools like hair curlers and brushes out of sight but within easy reach in the bathroom
Image credit: Urban Outfitters
If you cannot find an over-the-door shelf to fit into the back of your cabinet door – or you just want to stretch your dollar even further, a magazine holder works as well.
Image credit: Jodi Whittmer
To fully utilise the space within cabinets, use wire shelves to create tiers. Not only is it neater, it also makes for easier retrieval of heavy items like ceramic plates.
Image credit: Alla Decor
For taller shelves, you can also get hanging baskets to utilise the space above.
There’s limitless freedom in using a pegboard as a storage rack cum display piece – you can arrange the pegs in various configurations to hang items of different sizes like your keys, spectacles, and stationery.
A scrapbooking hobbyist’s pegboard with rows of washi tape and tools
Image credit: @moyoscrap
You can also create a simple bedside rack in place of a bedside table to hold your night read, spectacles and maybe a glass of water.
Image credit: IKEA Singapore
Image credit: Hijab – latest in style
Attach multiple book rings or the rings of an old shower curtain to a clothes hanger to hang scarves, belts, and necklaces in one place. Not only does this keep them together in an organised manner, your scarves also won’t wrinkle easily.
Image credit: Hrafnhildur Þrastardóttir
It’s easy to let things pile up on top of microwaves, ovens and washing machines. But we can utilise the space even further if we invest in a shelf that fits above these appliances for neater and more efficient storage.
Image credit: Amazon
With a compact shelf, you can stack your oven on top of your microwave so there’s no need to go to the trouble of storing them in cupboards after usage. This way, you can also keep both near the same powerpoint.
Image credit: Urban Outfitters
The same shelving method can be used over your toilet bowl to keep toilet rolls and hand towels in easy reach, as well as a couple of magazines for entertainment while you’re taking a dump.
Image credit: Amazon
And while many of us have drying racks for our crockery, they aren’t always placed above the sink. Invest in a metal rack that fits above your kitchen sink – not only will it keep things convenient while dishwashing, there’s also no need to wipe away the water that collects at the bottom of the tray after a few hours.
Image credit: IKEA Singapore
Create more “shelves” to store your folded t-shirts, throws and scarves in your wardrobe by using hanging compartments can be attached onto the rods. They can also be folded and tucked away when you don’t need them, so there’s always the flexibility of changing things up for a wardrobe overhaul.
You can get these hanging compartments easily from places such as IKEA, Japan Home or Miniso – they come in various sizes and colours too.
Image credit: Urban Outfitters
Having a row of hangers at the back of your bathroom door for clothes and towels is almost essential. But having a whole storage rack is not the most common. With a multipurpose over-the-door rack, you can not only hang bath towels but also store your toiletries.
Image credit: John Lewis
This is also great if you are attempting to amp up the aesthetics in the bathroom – add a small potted plant or a reed diffuser to make every shower session extra therapeutic.
There are lots of space-saving household items like fold-out beds and expandable dining tables being sold furniture at stores, but those are mainly big-ticket purchases. But we can fall back on these simple low-cost hacks to reorganise and neaten our humble abodes.
Cover image adapted from (L-R): @artivelo_com, Hrafnhildur Þrastardóttir
Benefits of an ice bath include better sleep, reduced muscle soreness, and a boost in…
The only guide you'll ever need for this year's NDP.
You wouldn't want to miss out on your favourite artist, so check out the amazing…
Now abandoned and reportedly haunted, Neo Tiew Estate is Singapore's last surviving Rural Centre -…
Ditch the expensive restaurant reservations and chope your seats at these spots on D-day now.
Even car owners might want to hitch a ride on this bus to avoid the…