Every room in the house has a secret. Secret storage space, that is. Use these ideas to help uncover hidden storage areas in your home.

Hidden Storage in the Living Room
It's not hard to find an ottoman with a hinged and padded "lid" for storage of blankets, remote controls and even board games. Using a wooden armoire for an entertainment center can provide storage solutions in the form of drawers that can be used as a cabinet for linens or something else.

Some sectional couches come equipped with a section that converts to an entertainment center, often with built in speakers, cup holders, TV guide storage, data ports and more. A sleeper sofa can make your living room double as a guest room.


Hidden Storage Areas in the Kitchen
A very high shelf that runs the length of the wall can be used to store seldom-used appliances in small spaces that aren't likely to be occupied already. This frees up the more convenient storage spaces, and can prevent counter top clutter. Unless you're using your toaster oven, bread machine, juice machine, blender, or mixer every day, they don't need to be on the counter or taking up valuable space in the kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen Storage Solutions
A kitchen booth-style table often has hinged seating benches that allow for storage, much like in a motor home. An organized pantry will have plenty of storage space. Don't forget that non perishable food items (like canned foods) can be stored on a porch or in the garage, leaving the kitchen pantry free for items that are used more often. Regularly purging your junk drawer and using a tray-style organizer can keep the junk from spreading into other areas.

Secret Storage in the Bedroom
Rubbermaid makes very wide and narrow boxes designed to slide under the bed. These storage solutions make great substitutes for a linen closet. If you keep one under each bed in the house, it holds more sheets than you really need, with room leftover for a thicker winter blanket and a few pillowcases.

Bedroom Storage Solutions
A closet organizer often holds more clothing in less space than a traditional closet rod. With multilevel shelves and rods at varying heights, and an assortment of optional drawers, bins, baskets and other space-saving storage solutions, a closet organizer is definitely worth the investment. If you're shopping on a budget, buy the components on sale, on craigslist.com or on ebay. Don't bother with the plastic, dollar store components because they break easily and in the long run it's no bargain.

Keep you eyes open for ways to turn your small spaces into extra storage spaces. Keeping clutter down and having a place for everything makes your decorating efforts stand out and helps you create a deliberate space that shows off your style; not you stuff.