5 Ideas For Using The Area Under Your Couch For Storage

Living in a small space means you may have to get extra creative with your storage solutions. If you feel like there's just not enough storage space in your home, think again. You're probably not using the space under your living room couch as best you can. The untapped space below your sofa can be a great place to store items like extra bedding, books, clothes, or anything else that doesn't have a designated space elsewhere. If your couch doesn't have enough room underneath it, you could raise it with the help of furniture risers. You could either purchase these from a retail store or get them custom made for your furniture on websites like Furniture Risers.

When using the space under your couch for storage, you'll want to make sure it looks organized while also being functional. With both these things in mind, below are five ways you can utilize the space underneath your couch for extra storage.

Under the bed containers are, you guessed it, typically used to store items underneath the bed. However, they could easily be used underneath your living room couch as well. Because these containers are usually flat, they should easily fit under most sofas. However, they are also pretty long, so unless you have a large couch, only one may fit.

Under the bed containers can be made of plastic or canvas. Plastic storage bins are durable, easy to clean, and will protect your belongings from moisture and insects, per Just Right Self Storage. According to Oasis Promos, storage bins made from canvas also have a number of benefits. Canvas bags are collapsible, which means that when they're empty, they can easily be transported. Another benefit is that they typically have handles attached to them. Both plastic and canvas bins can have transparent panels that will make it easier to know which one to grab for what. They can also both be labeled to keep everything organized.

Another storage container you could use is a crate. To make them easy to remove from under the couch, you could choose crates with attached wheels. A huge benefit of using wooden crates is that they look appealing. They can also be customized with a little bit of paint. DIY Beautify offers a tutorial on how to transform a simple crate with wood stain and stencils to make it look like an antique.

However, because a wooden crate will not have a lid, it won't be able to protect items as well as a plastic or canvas bin. Your belongings may still be subject to dust, insects, and moisture when stored this way. On the other hand, wooden crates will last a long time and are very durable. And, if they have wheels on them, it will be that much easier to get to everything. A handle could also be added to make it a cinch to pull out from under the couch.

To make your own storage containers for underneath the couch, you could reuse drawers from somewhere else. Drawers like this can be repurposed from old furniture like a dresser or side table. This idea is basically the DIY version of using storage crates. To make them function the same way, you could add wheels to your drawers as well. My Love 2 Create takes four drawers and attaches them all together to make one segmented storage piece for underneath furniture. They also add a long piece of wood to the front of all the drawers, to make the finished product look like one cohesive piece. Adding wheels and labels will make this storage solution even more functional.

Paint the drawers or change the knobs or handles to make it match your style. Anything could be stored inside old drawers, which means they are a very versatile storage option. And the knobs or handles will make the drawers easy to pull out from under the couch.

If your space is too small for a bookshelf, you could store your books underneath the couch. They could be stacked into piles and slid right under there without the need for a bin. To make your books easily accessible, store them with the bindings facing outwards, so you can see the title of each book.

This could be a great way to add a fun pop of color to your living room space. Home Made Lovely says that using books in home décor adds personality and texture. Books can also be changed out for new titles at any time, making the aesthetic easy to update. Stacking them underneath the couch not only gives them the perfect storage space but also gives you a fun way to use books as art in your home.

If you have a lot of books to store, you could choose which books to display and which to store away based on your style or color preferences. The books you like the most can be placed at the front of your couch, while the less aesthetic books could be stacked behind them.

While living in a small space, you may be holding onto art pieces with the hopes of displaying them once you're able to live somewhere with more wall space. Maybe they were handed down to you by family members or you just fell in love with them at a gallery. These large pieces can be hard to store in small areas, leaving them typically stacked in the closet. But a better place to store them may be under your couch.

These pieces could be laid down flat and slid under your couch where they will be hidden away from direct sunlight, which can cause fading over time. To protect them from the inevitable insects, moisture, and dust, Eden Gallery says to wrap large art pieces in protective materials like foam or sheets. Avoid using bubble wrap to protect oil paintings, as this could cause damage in humid climates. Be sure to keep your home cool and dry to preserve the artwork.