13 Things for People Who Are Desperate to Make Their Homes Feel Bigger

Shopping
2 years ago

It doesn’t matter if your apartment is too tiny or big enough, you’ll always need that extra space for a new *cute* jar or a pair of discounted shoes. Thanks to this list, you can consider your countertop cleared. From small hooks to spacious organizers, all of these things are waiting for a chance to declutter your house and turn it into a cozy home.

1. A set of small but mighty hooks that will become your lifesavers in case you long for more space but don’t wanna commit to nails and screws in walls. These almost invisible helpers will hold your stuff strongly while being easy to install and remove.

The set includes 16 hooks and 24 adhesive straps. Each hook can hold up to 0.5 pounds (~0.2 kg) and they work on a variety of surfaces like painted walls, finished wood, painted concrete cinder blocks, laminate, and tile, so you can organize any space like a pro.

For example, you can use the hooks in the kitchen so every piece of your cutlery has its own place:

Or you can hang your jewelry or your craft rulers on them:

Need to organize your hats, сaps, or bags? Not a problem anymore:

And you can even decorate your ceilings with the help of these hooks:

Usage tips:

  • To prepare the surface and remove grime and dust, clean it with rubbing alcohol.
  • The indoor temperature must be 50°F—105°F (10°C—40.5°C).
  • If you painted the walls/ceiling, wait for 7 days before using the hooks to allow the paint to cure.
  • Do not use the hooks over beds or on wallpaper or to hang valuable items.
  • To safely remove the hooks, lightly hold the top of the wall adhesive strips and slowly pull straight down toward the floor. You can reuse the hooks.

Happy buyer’s review: These hooks are great to hang most cleaning tools like swifter dusters and floor mops. They allow you to organize anything that can be hung in any manner you like. Very easy to apply and remove when you need to. Great price. Very handy! @Ben

2. A holder that will finally let you organize your cutting boards, bakeware pans, lids, cookie sheets, and food wraps in the kitchen and free space for cool kitchen gadgets. All you have to do is to find the perfect place for it. You can put it over the cabinet, mount it to the door inside the cabinet, or mount it to the wall. By the way, you can also use it in the bathroom to keep your stuff clutter-free.

It’d be a brilliant idea to measure your cabinet doors to avoid regrets. The holder’s dimensions are 13.5’’ (34.3 cm) in length by 9.5’’ (24.1 cm) in height by 3.62’’ (9.2 cm) in depth. The over-the-door height is 18.5’’ (47 cm). All screws and anchors are included in the package.

Happy buyer’s review:
Things I liked:
Lots of storage. The basket was larger than expected. I fit 2 cutting boards, 1 pizza pan, and a small cookie sheet in this basket with room to spare.
Sturdy. This is a basket with a heavy metal frame, and mine seems to be well-welded. I haven’t noticed any structural issues with the basket, and it seems to be pretty strong.
Easy to assemble. I chose to attach the over-the-door hooks because I wanted to hang it in my cabinet. The basket comes with 2 sets of screws, one for hanging the basket with the arms and one for attaching it to the cabinet.
Saves space. I don’t have to find a place for my cutting boards. I can also easily grab the one I want, rather than having them stacked and having to dig for the one I want. You can put more than just cutting boards in this basket. It makes grabbing the things you need more convenient.

Things I didn’t like:
Larger than expected. This is both a like & a dislike. I certainly like that I have more storage than expected, but this basket only fits in one of my cabinets. I would not recommend it if you have small cabinets unless you plan on hanging it on the side of your fridge, in which case the size doesn’t matter. @J_b-rock

3. This shower curtain is an ideal solution for small bathrooms as it comes with 9 mesh pockets to organize your stuff. Fill the pockets with kids’ toys, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, razors, sponges, and other personal care items, and forget about the mess.

The curtain has the following compartments that can withstand about 1 lb of weight:

  • 4 small pockets
  • 3 medium pockets
  • 2 large pockets

It’s waterproof and comes with rustproof metal grommets that will protect your shower curtain from tearing around the rings. Also, you can hang it outside as a curtain or inside as a liner.

Happy buyer’s review: I LOVE THIS SHOWER CURTAIN!!! I just refinished my tub, and I don’t want any products sitting on the new finish. I bought this not expecting much, but I love it! 5 people use the shower/tub, so we have a LOT of stuff: shampoo, conditioner, body washes, kid shampoos, razors, loofahs, bath toys, Epsom salts, and so much more! I love that the mesh dries REALLY fast, so I don’t foresee any mildew building up. The pockets are different sizes. I LOVE that it’s machine washable as well! I’m going to purchase a second one for my other small bathroom. There’s not as much “stuff” in there, but this will keep products off the floor of the shower, where the bottoms of bottles accumulate gunk, and I won’t have to remove everything to clean the shower floor! @Courtney Philips

4. This magnetic shelf will provide sturdy storage space for condiments, spices, oils, and decor. The coolest part is that it doesn’t require any installation. Yep! You don’t need to buy any special adhesives or drill holes in your kitchen walls. Just place it on your stove and that’s it.

According to the seller, this shelf is made to last. It won’t rust, corrode, or retain any kitchen odors or stains.

Happy buyer’s review: We purchased a new stove a month ago, and I was disappointed to realize that my salt, pepper, and assorted frequently used spice blends did not sit nicely on top of it because the top was narrower than that of my old stove. I put up with it for a while, then decided I needed another solution for the spices that were randomly falling down on my stove while I was cooking. I hopped on Amazon, thinking I’d get something magnetic that attached to the side of the refrigerator, but it was like Amazon read my mind, and this was the first thing to appear in the search results. Well, I hit order with only a few minutes of deliberation. I LIKE having my spice blends where they are.

It arrived today, and I pulled it from its box, set it on top of the stove (the strong magnets mean that it will not slide), and placed all my jars back on top. SUCCESS! The stainless steel blends perfectly with my stove (my husband is currently standing in the kitchen trying to figure out what came in the box, and he hasn’t noticed it yet). The top is even wider than the space on my old stove. Everything fits so nicely! Amazing that something so simple can be so utterly perfect. @Rea T

5. With this drawer organizer, you’ll be able to tame your socks, underwear, belts, scarves, and even office supplies. The size can be changed so it fits any drawer.

These photos are gonna bring a tear to any clean freak’s eye!

You can also use it as a place to store your jewelry.

Happy buyer’s review: I happened upon this drawer divider while doing some decluttering and discovered several things: (1) I’m a sockaholic, (2) this is a perfect solution, and (3) snapping it together is as satisfying as popping bubble wrap. Assembly was, as I said, a snap, and it felt sturdy considering it was just angled plastic strips. My drawer is about 15″ x 15″, and the unit is just enough short of that to use the edges for additional items. Nice product, highly recommended! @AZ Reader

6. A drying rack that is placed above the sink and capable of holding a lot of plates and utensils. It’ll free up your counter and keep your kitchen clean and organized. The 4 suction cups at the bottom keep it upright and won’t let it lean forward or shake. The other great thing is that it only takes 10 minutes to put it together.

The rack includes:

  • 1 dish rack
  • 1 bowl rack
  • 1 fruit basket
  • 1 knife and cutlery holder
  • 1 utensil holder
  • 1 cutting board holder
  • 7 utility hooks
  • 1 detergent rack

All these parts can be disassembled and washed so you can clean and sanitize each one of them. It’s also machine-washable in the dishwasher.

Promising review: This purchase took a lot of research, mostly reading reviews for many different but similar products before I finally settled on this one. I’m very happy I did.
Assembly was easy, and all but one screw spun in easily with just my fingers before being tightened with the included Allen wrench. Suction cups took a little thumb force before they popped into place. I don’t know or care if they stick to the counter because, to me, they’re just rubber feet.
I didn’t notice any sharp edges, no warping or bowing, and the hooks can fit more snugly if the tabs are pinched slightly. Same with the baskets, but I haven’t seen the need for that.
It’s so nice to have everything right there within reach, including scrub brushes, dish rags, sponges, and dish soap. I was concerned about being able to reach the faucet knobs and sprayer, but it worked out better than expected. @Brianstech

7. A stove cover that will add some extra space to your kitchen. What’s good about it is that you’ll be able to use it not only as counter space for your slow cookers, bread makers, grills, or other kitchen stuff but also as a cutting board.

  • The cover is made from natural bamboo. It’s strong yet lightweight and will resist moisture and minimize cut marks without dulling knives. Also, there is a built-in juice groove so that liquids don’t spill over the edge and make a mess that is difficult to clean.
  • Its legs can slide up to 3.5 inches, allowing you to find the best position around stove burners.
  • It’s very easy to take care of this cover: hand wash it and dry it with a cloth.

Check out the ways people use this cover:

1. As an extra space for different kitchen stuff:

2. As a food display during parties:

3. As a coaster for hot dishes:

You can also put it over your sink when you need the stove or use it as a stylish serving tray.

By the way, bamboo is a renewable resource and is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. It requires little maintenance to farm (as it doesn’t need any pesticides or herbicides) and very little water to grow. So, if you like to adhere to environmentally friendly principles, this cover totally fits the bill.

Happy buyer’s review: We were short on counter space, so I asked my husband if he could make me a cutting block for over the stove. By chance, I looked on Amazon and found this one. The price was reasonable as I knew it would have taken many hours for my hubby to craft such a thing, and it would never have looked as nice as this does. It’s awesome for adding extra counter space in a small kitchen. I bought some cutting board oil and wax to seal it first, and it looks great. I have to reapply the oil about once a week with heavy use, and re-wax about once a month. Water beads up on it, and it wipes clean easily. The adjustable legs slide in and out to accommodate the burner placements on different stoves. It was very easy to assemble and attach the legs — just follow the included instructions, or there is a video on YouTube that shows you how to install them. I get compliments on the cutting board from everyone who sees mine, and I know a few more have been sold to people who have seen it. @Joelle

8. This caddy is a flexible and versatile organizer for your shower space that will provide you with more space. It will give you 2 extra shelves that can hold up to 4 large shampoo bottles plus other bathroom essentials. It also features 2 large holes for keeping bottles upside down and making it possible to dispense every last drop of any product.

This organizer has an integrated draining system to prevent moisture and mildew build-up in your shower.
You can simply set it up on your shower head or curtain rod.

Happy buyer’s review: Just what I wanted to replace the previous storage caddy. We already had a suitable place to hang the caddy over the shower tray. Great capacity with 2 large Tigi bottles and 2 smaller on each shelf. @Sarah B

9. This bedside shelf is a perfect way out for many situations. If you don’t know where to put your phone, book, glass, or remote control when you’re about to fall asleep, this is what you need. It’s also great for those who are too lazy to get up and just leave their stuff on the floor (risking stepping on it during your nighttime or morning trips).

The shelf is very useful and versatile: it can fit both elements of decor to make your bedroom cozy and useful things you may need before going to bed or after your wake up.

You can also attach it to your sofa and use it as an additional tray for your laptop or food:

Some bright minds use it as an additional space in the car:

Happy buyer’s review: For the price and for its functionality, this is a must-buy for those who either do a lot in bed (work on a laptop, read books, have meals, etc.) or, like me, don’t have enough room for a bedside table and instead just need a platform to keep their phone and other essentials nearby.
It’s a fantastic bit of innovation — so simple and super easy to install! @Vish

10. A bookshelf that becomes invisible behind a stack of your fave reads. It looks like your books are floating in mid-air, giving your room a fresh and ultra-minimal look that will catch the attention of all your guests.

These shelves are easy to install and come with the necessary hardware, including drywall anchors to ensure your hanging bookshelf is securely installed, making the process quick and easy!

By the way, books aren’t the only things that can float: you can also make your speakers, Alexa, and other gadgets (even plants) hang in the air:

Happy buyer’s review: This product is exactly what I was looking for. They look awesome once mounted and filled with books. They have already confused a couple of guests who simply couldn’t figure out how they were “floating” there. Very easy to mount with the provided screws. @Josh MCK

11. An ottoman that will be the perfect addition to any room that can double as a comfortable seat. You can use it as an extra storage space to keep stuff easily accessible.

This durable contraption can hold up to 300 lbs.

On top of that, you can flip over the cushioned lid and have a sturdy wooden serving tray that’s perfect for holding drinks and snacks:

Happy buyer’s review: It’s really cute. If you’re using it for deep storage, it doesn’t have a large capacity to hold a lot of stuff, but definitely for a reasonable amount, depending on what you’re looking for. Super easy to assemble and super sleek. I love multipurpose furniture, and this is it. @Amazon Customer


12. Here’s a shoe rack that will finally put an end to the chaos with your footwear. It has 7 storage spaces and will also help you to keep everything neat and organized while making it easy for you to find the pair you need today. It’s very strong and durable, and the surface can be cleaned with water.

You can also use it as a display stand, a plant rack, or a mini bookcase for storing toys, books, or other small things. The top layer can be used to hold your keys, bags, umbrellas, and any other item you wish.

Happy buyer’s review: Love this item. Good value, and has a pretty design. Fits neatly behind my front door. Friends have admired it and may buy it for themselves. I’m buying another soon for bathroom storage. @Moya White

13. Spice jars you can stick to your fridge that’ll save you valuable kitchen space. Strong magnets will keep them from sliding, and the clear glass will make it easier to find the spice you need. Also, by keeping spices at arm’s reach, you’ll use them more often and create more tasty dishes.

The set also includes 72 washable printed stickers with spice names that can be placed on the lids or glass bottoms.

Happy buyer’s review: My spices are now organized on my fridge! They are so easy to access, and they look pretty. The magnets in the tops are strong and stay on the fridge. The jars are made of thick glass. The adhesive label collection is very comprehensive. I’m so glad that I bought these! @Laura P

What would you add to your room if you had more space?

Bright Side gets commissions for purchases made through the links in this post.

Preview photo credit Stacey / Amazon

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