Do you live in a small flat in India? Then you know the pain. You buy one new shirt and suddenly the cupboard does not close. You bring one book home and the table disappears under it. I have been there. My first Mumbai flat had a bedroom so small that two people could not stand together. One person had to sit on the bed if the other wanted to open the cupboard. After living in four different small apartments in Delhi and Bengaluru, I learned a few things. These are not fancy ideas from a home magazine. These are real things that worked for me and for people I know.
Let me share them with you.
The Real Problem With Indian Bedrooms
Our bedrooms are not like the ones you see in American movies. Those rooms are big enough to play cricket in. Our rooms are different. We keep our festival clothes. We keep our school bags. We keep the ironing board. Sometimes we also keep the extra kitchen utensils because the kitchen is too small. Also most of us live in rented flats. The owner says no holes in the wall. No nails. No new cupboards. You have to work with what you got.
And one more thing. Many of us share the bedroom with family. One room for two people. Sometimes three people. So the storage has to work for everyone. Keeping these three things in mind, here are the ideas that small bedroom storage ideas for apartments.
Read Also: Modern Bathroom Ideas For Small Spaces With Shower
Look Under Your Bed Right Now
Go and look under your bed. What do you see? Mostly dust and one old chappal. That space is pure gold and you are not using it. Under the bed is the best place to keep things you do not need every day. Your winter sweaters in summer. Your summer cotton clothes in winter. The extra bedsheet that your mother gave you last Diwali. Old school notebooks that you cannot throw because of memories. What you need is simple. Go to any local plastic shop near your house. Ask for flat plastic boxes. Make sure they have wheels. Wheels are important because pulling a heavy box from under the bed is hard on your back. If you do not want to spend money on new boxes, use your old suitcase. The big one that you took to your cousin's wedding. Slide it under the bed. Fill it with off season clothes. Works like a charm. One problem. Some beds are very low. The box does not fit. In that case, buy bed risers. These are small plastic blocks. You put one under each leg of the bed. The bed becomes four inches taller. Now your box fits. You can get bed risers online for less than five hundred rupees.
Your Walls Are Empty. Fill Them.
Look at your bedroom walls. They are probably empty or have one old poster. That empty wall is your friend. You do not need to build a big shelf system. Just buy two or three simple wooden shelves. Get the ones that float. That means you do not see the brackets holding them. Put one shelf above your bed. Keep your phone, your water bottle, your spectacles case there. Put another shelf near the door. Keep your keys, wallet, mask, hand sanitizer there.
Where to buy these shelves in India? Ikea has good ones. Flipkart and Amazon also have many options. Your local furniture shop can also make simple plywood shelves for cheap. But what if you cannot drill holes because of the rented flat? Then use adhesive shelves. These come with very strong double sided tape. You stick them to the wall. They hold up to three kilos. Enough for your phone and wallet and a small plant. One warning. Do not put heavy books on adhesive shelves. They will fall down in the middle of the night and scare you.
The Corner Near Your Door Is Wasted Space
Every bedroom has a corner behind the door. That corner is empty. You can put hooks there. Buy a set of three or four hooks. Stick them on the wall behind the door. Or buy an over the door hook set. This thing hangs on top of the door. No holes. No tape. Just hang it and start using. What to put on these hooks? Your office bag. Your market bag. Your cap. Your umbrella. Your belt. Your dupatta that you wear every day.
This takes two minutes to set up and it clears so much clutter from your chair and bed.
Buy Furniture That Does Two Things
In a small bedroom, every item should have two jobs. A chair that only gives you sitting is a waste of space. A bed that only gives you sleeping is also a waste. The best purchase for a small Indian bedroom is a storage bed. This is a bed that has empty space inside. You lift the top part or you pull out drawers from the side. You can keep your extra bedsheets, blankets, pillows, and even suitcases inside the bed.
Yes a storage bed costs more than a normal bed. Prices start from fifteen thousand rupees on Pepperfry and Urban Ladder. But think of it this way. You are not buying a bed. You are buying a bed and a cupboard together. That is worth the money. If you cannot afford a storage bed, buy an ottoman bench. This is a small padded bench. You can sit on it to put your shoes. But the top opens and there is storage inside. Keep your winter shawls, extra socks, or old newspapers inside. Keep the bench at the foot of your bed. Another good buy is a folding table. Do not buy a big fixed study table. Buy one that folds against the wall. When you need to work or eat, you fold it down. When you are done, you fold it up. Your room stays open. These tables cost two to four thousand rupees online.
Open Your Cupboard Door and Look Inside
The inside of your cupboard door is empty. You are not using it. But you can.
Buy small metal hooks. Stick them on the inside of the door. Hang your belts, ties, and small bags there. This frees up space on your shelves. Better than hooks is a hanging pocket organizer. This is a cloth sheet with clear plastic pockets. You hang it on the inside of the door. Put your socks, innerwear, handkerchiefs, small makeup items, and combs in these pockets. You can see everything. No searching. You can find hanging pocket organizers in D Mart for less than two hundred rupees. Also on Meesho. Very cheap. Very useful. One more trick. Stick a magnetic strip on the inside of the door. Stick your scissors, nail cutter, small mirror, and metal clips on this strip. Small items never get lost again.
Hang Things Inside Your Cupboard
Your cupboard has one hanging rod. You hang your shirts and kurtas there. Below those hanging clothes, there is empty space. Use that space. Buy hanging shelves. These are fabric shelves that hang from the rod. They have three or four levels. You can keep folded t shirts, jeans, and towels on these levels. You can also buy a hanging shoe rack. A small one that hangs below your shirts. Keep your daily shoes there. No more shoes sitting on the floor near the door. Hanging shelves and shoe racks are available on Meesho for very low prices. Two hundred to three hundred rupees.
Buy a Small Drawer Unit on Wheels
Go to Amazon or your local shop. Look for a plastic or wooden drawer unit. Three drawers or four drawers. And make sure it has wheels. Keep this unit next to your bed. Top drawer for your phone charger, power bank, medicines, notepad, pen, face cream. Middle drawer for office files or school papers. Bottom drawer for old bills, extra cables, tool kit.
Why wheels matter. When you sweep the floor, you roll the unit to the side. When you change the bedsheet, you roll it to the corner. Without wheels you have to lift and drag. With wheels you just push. These units cost between fifteen hundred and three thousand rupees depending on the size and material.
Stackable Plastic Bins Are Your Best Friend
This is the most simple idea but it works better than anything else.
Go to your local plastic shop. Buy four to six plastic bins. Make sure they are the same size so you can stack them. Make sure they have lids that lock. Write on each bin with a marker. Winter clothes. Festival clothes. Extra bedsheets. Old electronics. Papers. Stack them in a corner of your room. Cover the stack with a nice cloth or a thin bedsheet. Now it looks like a small side table but inside it has so much storage. Cost of one medium sized plastic bin with lid is around two hundred to three hundred rupees in local shops. Do not buy from Amazon for this. Local shops are cheaper.
One Habit That Creates More Storage Than Any Product
You can buy all the bins and shelves in the world. But after six months, your room will be full again. That is how it works. So you need one simple habit. Once every month, open your cupboard. Take everything out. Look at each thing. Ask yourself one question only. Have I used this in the last six months?
If the answer is no, get rid of it. Give it to your maid. Donate it to a temple or church. Sell it on OLX. Throw it if it is garbage. This one habit will keep your small bedroom storage ideas for apartments. You do not need to be a storage expert. You just need to stop keeping things you do not use.
You May Also Like:Decorating Ideas For Bedroom With Avocado Green
Prices of Things Mentioned Here
Here is a simple list. Prices are approximate. They change from city to city and shop to shop.
- Plastic crate with wheels for under bed: four hundred to seven hundred rupees
- Bed risers set of four: four hundred to six hundred rupees
- Over the door hook set: two hundred to four hundred rupees
- Floating shelf one piece: five hundred to fifteen hundred rupees
- Adhesive wall shelf: three hundred to six hundred rupees
- Folding study table: two thousand to four thousand rupees
- Hanging cupboard organizer: two hundred to five hundred rupees
- Rolling drawer unit three drawers: fifteen hundred to three thousand rupees
- Stackable plastic bin with lid: one hundred fifty to four hundred rupees
- Tension rod: one hundred to three hundred rupees
FAQs
Where can I buy these storage items in India?
Local plastic shops for bins and crates. Hardware shops for tension rods and hooks. D Mart and Meesho for hanging organizers. Amazon and Flipkart for shelves and drawer units.
I live in a rented flat. I cannot drill holes. What do I do?
Use adhesive shelves, over the door hooks, tension rods, and free standing plastic bins. None of these need holes or damage the walls.
What is the cheapest way to add storage?
Use under bed space with old suitcases. Use back of door with hooks. Use stackable plastic bins from local shop. All three together will cost you less than one thousand rupees.
How do I keep insects away from things stored in plastic bins?
Put small naphthalene balls inside each bin. Or put dried neem leaves. Make sure the lid locks tight.
How often should I clean under the bed?
Every fifteen days. Dust collects there fast. Also check for insects or moisture.
Conclusion
You do not have to do everything at once. That will just tire you out. Pick one idea from this article. Try it this week. If it works for you, pick another idea next week. If you have clothes on your chair right now, start with under bed storage. If your cupboard door is empty, start with hooks. If your floor has too many things, start with wall shelves.
Small steps. That is how you fix a small bedroom. Your room should give you peace when you enter it. Not stress. Not the feeling that the walls are closing in on you. Use these small bedroom storage ideas for apartments. Change one thing today. See the difference for yourself.