20 Sneaky Storage Ideas

Even that slimmest of slim corners of the kitchen can be transformed into a storage boon. At only 4 inches wide, this DIY cabinet perfectly houses spices, oils, and more. You can knock this pull-out together this weekend with some wood boards, dowels, castors, and this tutorial. While it’s safe to store most foods next to a fridge, avoid storing canned goods on a shelf like this, and keep them in cool pantry or cupboard instead.

A built-in tub surround typically provides enough space to house tilt-out storage for extra cleaning sponges, shampoo, and soap. Stash your favorite bubbles here, so the kids (and guests) don’t get to them.

A simple box is transformed into a secret storage solution that will fit right into the shelves of your personal library. Collect old and broken textbooks and novels, remove the spines, then hot-glue them to one side of the box. Now your bookcase can be more versatile than ever!

The trim work on this mantel looks like it’s just for show. But upon closer inspection you’ll find that it frames the doors to several secret compartments, hidden behind the structure. Designed by Covert Concepts, it’s perfect for storing valuables, fireplace accessories—or simply around-the-house junk, when surprise guests come calling.

Who knew that stair risers could conceal such ingenious storage compartments? Hire a cabinetmaker or handyman to retrofit slide-out drawers under each step, and suddenly you’ll have a storage for all those pairs of shoes piling up at the foot of the staircase.

Finding extra storage in the space you already have often involves some creativity, as in stretching a bookcase over the doorway. Use heavy duty anchors to help hold the load.

From baubles to trinkets, you can easily (and secretly) stash just about anything behind the door of this classic mirror frame. The best part? Everything you need to get ready after your morning shower is within arm’s reach.

Cooking accessories and oversized serving dishes find a home in low, horizontal drawers slotted into the barely visible inches between kitchen cabinets and the floor surface. 

Built-in banquette seating is an appealing designer detail, but what’s even better is under-seat storage. Seldom used items are hidden from view within deep pullout drawers, freeing up precious real estate in the kitchen’s main work area. 

Staircases take up a lot of room. Where square footage is precious, use custom-fit cabinets, drawers, and closets with clever pullout drawers to make full use of the under-stairs space.

Exposed beams and rafters are beautiful architectural details, and they are also perfect for keeping your prized reading material neatly organized and safely out of the way.

No one would ever expect a wall safe to look like an electrical outlet. This hidden mini vault is big enough to secure valuables such as rings, credit cards, and cash. You can get your own on Amazon.

With built-in drawers or a lift-top bench seat, window nooks can work double duty, providing not only a cozy place to relax but also a storage spot for less frequently used items. 

This ingenious solution creates storage space where no one would imagine. The stone surround makes it look even more improbable that there are cubby holes lurking behind the screen. An added bonus? The TV can be swung out to accommodate different viewing angles!

If you have any decorative beams or other architectural details in your home, consider cutting a small door into them that can open to provide small, but likely-to-get-noticed storage areas. In this example from Harrison Interiors, a decorative obelisk in the yard not only conceals garden tools above—but the central air conditioning unit below!

If you have a hollow-core door, it’s easy to use that inner space to hide small valuables—like jewelry or a memory stick—that you won’t need to access often. Buy metal storage tubes and attach a washer that’s bigger than the diameter of the tube to the lid. Make a hole the size of the tube in the top of the door, drop the tube in and you’ve just opened the door to secret storage!

Not all storage has to use existing spaces. You can install this faux air vent in your sheet-rocked walls wherever there’s not a support beam to create an instant area to hide things. If you put it up by the ceiling, it’ll be harder for you to access it, but that means it’ll be harder for would-be snoopers to get to it as well!

The area around a towel rack in the bathroom tends to be a bit of a “dead zone.” You can turn it back into useable storage space for small toiletries by hinging the part of the wall to which it’s attached. Make sure the closures are heavy duty so that the towel doesn’t accidentally open the door.

Can you secretly store a bathtub out of view? Yes, you can! Nestled into the floor of this teeny tiny guest house, it magically appears by lifting a door in the floor, and just as quickly hides away once you have finished bathing.

Behind this TV are all the electronics that can junk up the space around the screen. Mounted to a wooden board, the TV lifts up on hinges to reveal a built-in cubby housing the cable box, DVD associated wires. That’s a slick trick, indeed!

If you’re looking for other storage and organization ideas, consider:

20 Clever Ideas for Repurposed Storage

Garage Storage: 10 “Neat” Solutions

30 Storage Ideas for Under the Stairs