At the start of every new year, I decide it is time to ORGANIZE.  The tricky part is finding enough places and spaces to store everything.  The guest post below shares some great ideas about unexpected areas in your home to find ‘extra’ storage.  Enjoy and get organized in 2014.

10 (truly) unexpected storage spots

 Whether you are looking to decrease the clutter in your home, or simply find space for your essential items in a small apartment, unique and unexpected storage spots can be hard to spot. Fortunately, when you take a few moments to analyze what you have available to you, you may find some amazing storage ideas are sitting waiting to be used! Check out these ten unexpected storage spots below to help inspire your creativity!

Behind Cabinet Doors

While you may think of hiding a paper towel roll behind a cabinet door, you have probably never thought of including your entire spice rack, lid holders and more behind them! You have an abundance of cabinet doors in your kitchen, so get some shelves, hooks, and screws ready and start hanging up everything that can be hung behind the shelves! For more tips on how to improve the efficiency of a utility closet by adding shallow compartments to the back of the door click here.

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Behind Regular doors

Many people have taken to storing their present wrapping items on the insides of doors as well as cleaning products, shoes, and more. Take advantage of all that hidden vertical hanging space and use it to the max!

Room Dividers

If you are looking to separate a space with a divider, choose a double sided shelf instead. If you can’t afford one, try linking two shelves together, or stacking wooden crates together facing opposite sides for a unique way to create shelving space!

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Garage ceiling

Garage ceilings are perfect for totes, bike racks, and all of those seasonal items that have to be stored most of the year.

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On Top of washer/dryer

Provided you don’t have a top load washer, you can grab a wooden board, lay it on top, and add additional shelves above for some great storage space for all your cleaning and washing products!

Stairwell bookshelves

Have a staircase in your house? Check with a contractor to see how to fit in some slide out bookshelves into the side of the stairs! The space can be used for coats or seasonal storage as well!

Under the stairs

If you can’t fit shelves into the side of stairs, why not under each step? You have a good five or so inches which can be hollowed out and used as a storage space! Place books under each for a crafty book case and a beautiful finish to any stairwell!

Kitchen Island

A kitchen island may have some cabinets on the one side, but why waste all that potential storage on the other? Use some creativity and add in some shelves for all of your cookbooks and more!

Next to fridge

There are always those annoying two or three inch gaps between your fridge and the wall. Unfortunately for people who deal with smaller kitchens, that space may be the bane of their existence. Now, however, you can utilize some thin dresser shelves, turn them vertically, and create a mini slide out pantry right next to your fridge!

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Storage unit

Renting a storage unit is always an option for those dealing with tight spaces. Yes it’s not an “unexpected” storage space inside a home, but many overestimate how much a storage unit costs. At just a small monthly fee, a massive space can be rented out allowing for the safe and secure storage of valuables, seasonal items, and even excess furniture!