6 ways to maximize vertical space

Whether you live in a mansion or an inner-city apartment, at one point in time, space will fill up and you will have to go out to search for ways that can increase the space in your home.

The conventional approach people take is to widen their homes. They add a room, shift around sofas, and if nothing else works, seek to buy a bigger home. Which translates to more expenses of course.

Now, this is not to suggest that you don’t buy a new home if you want to. But, if space is the reason you are doing it, then there might be a section of the house that you wouldn’t have looked at with innovative eyes: the vertical space section.

Instead of casting your eyes around, turn them up.

There is probably plenty of space against the walls that, if you utilize properly, will not only look aesthetic but also finish your complaints about the lack of space in your house.

That being said, below are a few ways to maximize the amount of space you have in your house without investing in any overly-expensive measures.

1. Get a loft bed

If you can learn to optimize it, then a loft bed is one of the best vertical space maximizers and is a redesigned version of traditional bunk beds.

The lower berth of the traditional bunk bed is replaced by a desk, a wardrobe, or a workstation depending on the piece you buy. This means that when your work for the day is done, and by simply climbing up the ladder, you can hit the sack and doze off.

These are truly innovative pieces of furniture and so great for maximizing vertical space. The horizontal portion of your room that would have been occupied by a desk or wardrobe is now a part of the bed arrangement and is taking up vertical space. Moreover, it just adds a fun/ exciting element to whichever room it is kept in.

2. Stack, stack, stack

Look into your study cupboard or the book section in the cupboard and you’ll see how natural it is for us to stack things. Even if we make different categories and keep them separate, we eventually end up making a stack in them, too. So, in line with this idea, we are going to stack other things, too, but smartly.

The main problem with stacking is that retrieving the stuff at the bottom becomes a real pain. You have to remove all the stuff at the top to get to them. Not with these stacking solutions, though:

• Stackable washer or dryer
• Stacking tables
• Platform beds with under-bed storage for effectively stacking beds on top of a chest of drawers
• Stacking your documents and folders

Using stacking solutions helps to fill up precious and plenty of vertical space that would be going unused. The above suggestions sit comfortably on one another or have a frame that makes the items easily accessible. Visit your nearest home decor/ interior store and have a look around for the many stacking options available.

3. Invest a little more in items you already use

This means that if you are getting an armoire or cupboard, then get one that is longer (and more elegant) than your past buys so you can store more clothes. A baker’s rack- whether it is funky or functional- can spice up the look of your kitchen. Especially if you have it decorated time-to-time.

If this doesn’t jam with you, then…

4. Shelf it

There are plenty of collapsible and freestanding shelves available in the market today. Depending on what you are going to keep on them and where you will keep them, you can buy a few shelves and save up on the money that a more expensive cupboard or rack would demand.

A dedicated shelf for shoes, books, magazines, albums, etc. will decrease the disorder due to these items. Also, it isn’t necessary that a shelf can be kept against a wall only. You can stash one under the stairs if you have a staircase.

You only need to pinpoint your need and voila! There’s a very good chance that there would exist an ideal shelf that fulfills your need.

5. Garden vertically

This would make your guests ooh and aah the minute they understood it for what it was. Instead of buying hundreds of potted plants and squeezing them into corners or on windowsills, learn how to garden vertically.

You can go for a wall-mounted column of green, called the hydroponic setup. And yes, you can still get your herbs and vegetables from it. If this seems too expensive, you can plant ivy that always looks good on walls.

Another pretty solution involving plants is by using hanging baskets and propping them on the wall. Just imagine how enchanting roses, daisies, and ivy would look when dangling off of a basket and complemented by lamplight.

Apart from the added beauty, this garden also helps to purify the indoor air all day.

6. Hang it up

If you are an art enthusiast and instead of a wall-garden, you prefer the same flowers on a canvas, then you can maximize your vertical space by experimenting with a few methods.

While you would normally mount the piece on the wall, how about hanging it up this time? You can also lean it against a floating shelf, or mount it below waist height to add an element of surprise and delight.

This idea is especially good if you have empty walls with color but no substance.

Without realizing it, so many people are misusing or not using vertical space at all. Its time to remedy this and utilize vertical space efficiently for both aesthetics and organization. It’s time for your home to get a new look and feel!