25 Space

Jun 18, 2023

Where there's a wall, there's a way.

No matter how many dressers, desk drawers, and storage benches you have, you may still be at a loss as to where to put all your items. This is especially true in busy households and small spaces. But have no fear—where there's a wall, there's a way. Translation: If you have any empty walls in your home, you have untapped storage space. We're highlighting 25 wall storage ideas below to help you stylishly display your items or tuck away everything from clothing to cookware, books, wellness products, and everything in between for any room in the house. Whether you're ready to call the contractor for custom builds or want to do it yourself right now at a low cost, there's something for you in the designed examples ahead.

New York City-based architecture firm Shapeless Studio is beyond savvy when it comes to creating stylish storage solutions in small spaces. Here, they carved out custom niches for a graphic, high-impact display of books that feels unique and stands out amongst other more expected options while still being visually understated.

Hooks are a bathroom storage essential. Not only do they allow you to show off pretty bathrobes, but they also give your towels a designated place to go to dry off and stay out of the way. A small stool in this bathroom designed by Arent & Pyke makes a case for matching your wall hooks to the hardware and knobs.

Medicine cabinets are great for bathrooms, so what's stopping you from taking a similar approach in the kitchen? A floating cabinet with a door covered in either a mirror, artwork, or wallpaper will hide spices while also beautifying the walls.

No matter the size of your space, every little inch matters when it comes to storage. A simple shelf above a window increases the display area for plates, bowls, and art. In this kitchen designed by Juan Carretero, the shelf brackets also prove to contribute the same look as decorative moldings.

Architect Jeffrey Dungan proves how transformative built-in features are in this home office from a Birmingham, Alabama, home. Instead of blanketing the wall in built-ins, he opted for custom columns separated by an internal window to the entry, which increases light flow.

Here's another clever and ultra-discrete television storage idea in the family home of designer Kristin Fine. She created custom sliding plaster doors. The asymmetrical design makes the doors look like texture-rich art.

Customize your built-ins to accommodate certain items, like plates, as Heidi Caillier did here. Not only does it break up the shelves visually, but it also keeps you organized since they will have a designated place to go.

Designed by Shamshiri Studio, this room needed to serve two very different purposes: be a calming place to rest and sleep, and function as a productivity-boosting home office. Floating shelves and a similarly low profile wall-to-wall floating desk features matching millwork for a cohesive look and just enough wall storage that keeps things organized but doesn't totally infringe upon the bed zone.

A wall-mounted console with drawers is a storage game-changer. While cabinets may make this room feel bulky or claustrophobic, an upholstered console with brass pulls in this dining room by Heidi Caillier Design proves to be the perfect storage unit and the proportions of the space. And there's still room to hang art!

In this primary bedroom designed by ETC.etera, the closet is separated by a simple curtain. Whether it's shelving, cabinets, or just general wall storage you want to keep concealed, a curtain will do the trick. Pro tip: Try securing the rod to the ceiling if the wall is too long.

This wall shelf unit pops against the textural navy paint thanks to the eye-catching brass hardware. Designed by Sarah Blank, the fully stocked home bar features solid lower cabinets with wood enclosures to ground the space but easy-to-grab exposed shelving for a more open feel.

Folding chairs are a good call no matter what, but if you can't locate free closet space when not in use and they block the path while leaning against the wall, consider securing strong hooks or a pegboard that can keep them safely propped up on the wall. In this eat-in kitchen by Leanne Ford, they bring dimension and depth.

For this Palm Beach living room, designer John Fondas turned a shallow closet into an out-of-the-way bar nook with tons of wall storage by removing the doors and building-in cabinets as well as side shelves.

A modern and utilitarian home office designed by Andy Beers of Ore Studios calls for an equally minimalist shelving unit. Modular shelving unites like this one from Blu Dot are great for anyone who want somethig flexbile (you can expand them or downsize at any time).

Spruce up some glass-enclosed cabinets and exude an air of mystery (read: conceal anything you'd rather keep to yourself) with pleated fabric panels. In this walk-in closet/workspace designed by Anna Spiro, a pretty print energizes the wall storage while still being neutral enough to blend in.

A bi-fold panel painting by Stuart Coleman Budd conceals a television, but the goal was to be transparent. "Bronze hinges honestly express that it's a movable screen—that this is true kinetic art," says architect Ken Pursley of Pursley Dixon Architecture.

The wall-to-wall shelves in this home viewing and media room designed by Brigette Romanek house a vast book collection. The svelte-legged seating prevents it from feeling overstuffed.

Hardware can really set your wall storage apart, as seen in this kitchen designed by Heidi Caillier. Brass bards ensure safekeeping for fragile kitchen items while also introducing a touch of formality.

Speaking of which, if a medicine cabinet will feel too clunky in a small bathroom, take note of this space by Anna Spiro Design and secure a small shelf to the wall to prop up things like toiletries instead.

Though the vintage desk is used in Kathleen McCormick's home office has drawers, she needed to utilize the walls for more storage. A custom wood storage shelving spans the walls and brings dimension and warmth to the otherwise modern white surfaces.

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