6 Best Cabinet Design Tips For Maximizing Space In Apartments To Declutter
These cabinet design tips will save you so much space.
That pile of stuff by the door. The kitchen counter that’s more "storage" than "prep space." We’ve all seen it in apartment living, where every square inch feels both precious and impossibly cluttered. The problem often isn’t the amount of space you have, but how you use the space within your cabinets.
Effective cabinet design is the unsung hero of a decluttered small home. It’s not about finding more places to hide things; it’s about creating systems that make your belongings accessible, organized, and easy to put away. This transforms your daily routines from a frustrating search into a smooth, efficient flow.
Before you think about renting a storage unit or throwing everything out, let’s look at your existing cabinets. With a few strategic additions and a shift in perspective, you can unlock a surprising amount of usable space. These six tips focus on proven, practical solutions that work in the real world of rental agreements and tight budgets.
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Maximize Your Apartment Space with These Cabinets
The first step to decluttering is to stop seeing your cabinets as simple boxes. They are vertical real estate, corner opportunities, and hidden surfaces waiting to be optimized. A truly functional apartment doesn’t just have storage; it has an integrated storage strategy.
This means looking beyond the default shelf and single rod that builders provide. It involves retrofitting, organizing, and choosing freestanding pieces that work harder for you. The goal is to make every cubic inch serve a purpose, from the back of the door to the highest point on the wall.
We’re going to break down specific, high-impact solutions you can implement. These aren’t abstract theories; they are battle-tested methods for reclaiming your space. Get ready to rethink what your cabinets can do.
Go Vertical with an IKEA PAX Wardrobe System
Organize your walk-in closet with this customizable 6-15ft system featuring 8 wooden drawers and 4 adjustable hanging rods. Built with durable wood board and anti-tip kits, it offers a total load capacity of 1200 lbs for secure, long-lasting storage.
Most apartments waste a massive amount of space between the top of a standard dresser and the ceiling. Going vertical is the single most effective way to multiply your storage without increasing your footprint. You have to build up, not out.
The IKEA PAX system is a classic for a reason. Its modularity allows you to design a floor-to-ceiling unit tailored to your exact needs, combining hanging space, shelves, and drawers in one consolidated piece. This lets you replace a bulky dresser, a separate shoe rack, and overflowing bins with a single, streamlined cabinet.
Organize your space with this versatile closet system. Featuring six drawers, four hanging rods, and a corner tower, it offers ample storage and a sturdy design with a 2000 lbs load capacity.
Of course, there’s a tradeoff. A PAX is a significant piece of furniture that requires careful planning and assembly. But the payoff is immense: you reclaim valuable floor space and create a "built-in" feel that makes an entire room feel more organized and intentional.
Reclaim Corners with a Rev-A-Shelf Lazy Susan
Maximize your corner cabinet space with this 32" white, two-tier kidney-shaped Lazy Susan. Its durable polymer construction and independent swivel shelves provide easy access to spices and cans, fitting cabinets from 26" to 31" high.
Corner cabinets are the Bermuda Triangle of the kitchen. It’s where Tupperware, small appliances, and forgotten cans of beans go to disappear. The space is deep and awkward, making more than half of it functionally useless.
A corner cabinet organizer, like a Rev-A-Shelf Lazy Susan, completely solves this problem. These rotating shelf systems bring the back of the cabinet to you with a simple spin. Suddenly, every last pot, pan, or box of pasta is visible and within easy reach.
While this is a retrofit that requires some installation, the impact is transformative. You’re not just organizing; you are fundamentally changing a "dead zone" into one of your most efficient storage areas. It’s a small project that reclaims a huge amount of prime kitchen real estate.
Organize Drawers with The Container Store’s iDesign
A closed drawer can hide a world of chaos. The infamous "junk drawer" is a symptom of a larger problem: a lack of internal structure. Without designated spots, items just get tossed in, creating a jumbled mess that’s impossible to navigate.
This is where modular drawer organizers, like the clear iDesign collection from The Container Store, are brilliant. They aren’t just flimsy trays; they are a system of interlocking bins that let you create a custom grid inside any drawer. Your kitchen utensils, office supplies, or bathroom toiletries finally have a home.
The key is to treat your drawers like a puzzle. Measure them first, then buy a variety of organizer sizes to create a perfect fit. This simple act turns a chaotic drawer into a high-density, perfectly organized grid where you can find anything in seconds.
Use Doors with a Simplehuman Cabinet Organizer
Declutter cabinets and maximize space with this pull-out organizer. Its smooth-gliding, heavy-duty steel frame holds up to 20 lbs and features an adjustable divider for customized storage.
The inside of your cabinet doors is one of the most overlooked storage opportunities in any apartment. It’s a blank canvas, perfect for holding small, frequently used items. Leaving this space empty is like ignoring an entire wall.
Over-the-door or screw-mounted organizers are a game-changer here. A product like a Simplehuman cabinet organizer can hold cleaning supplies under the sink, spices inside a pantry door, or toiletries in the bathroom. This gets bulky bottles and small jars off your valuable shelf space.
This isn’t just about adding more storage; it’s about improving your workflow. By placing items on the door, you make them instantly visible and accessible the moment you open the cabinet. It’s a simple, low-cost hack that dramatically improves the function of your existing storage.
Install Lynk Professional Pull-Out Cabinet Shelves
Organize your kitchen cabinets with this 2-tier pull-out spice rack. Its patented Proglide Plus 2 system ensures smooth, heavy-duty sliding, while the secure polymer tray prevents spills and keeps items stable. Easy, two-screw installation fits most cabinets.
Deep lower cabinets are fundamentally flawed. To get to anything in the back, you have to get on your hands and knees and pull everything out from the front. This makes them terrible for storing anything other than the largest, least-used items.
Pull-out cabinet shelves, such as those from Lynk Professional, convert these frustrating spaces into giant, full-extension drawers. The entire shelf glides out smoothly, presenting all its contents to you. No more digging, no more lost items in the back.
This is arguably the best upgrade you can make to a standard apartment kitchen or bathroom. It makes storing heavy items like pots, pans, or small appliances incredibly efficient. You effectively double the usable space in your lower cabinets by making the back half just as accessible as the front.
Think Shallow with an IKEA TRONES Storage Cabinet
Maximize your entryway with this slim, wall-mounted shoe cabinet. Its two tilting compartments neatly store multiple shoe pairs, while the top surface offers convenient space for keys and accessories.
We’re often conditioned to think bigger is better when it comes to storage. But in high-traffic areas like hallways and entryways, deep cabinets are a liability. They jut out, obstruct pathways, and become a dumping ground for things that get lost in their depths.
This is where shallow storage shines. The wall-mounted IKEA TRONES cabinet is a perfect example. At only a few inches deep, it sits flush against the wall, providing just enough space for shoes, mail, winter accessories, or other grab-and-go items without impeding flow.
The lesson here is to match the depth of your storage to the items it will hold. Using slim cabinets prevents small items from being swallowed by cavernous spaces. It’s a strategic choice that keeps tight areas feeling open and ensures everything has a right-sized home.
Your Decluttered Apartment Awaits Your Design
Ultimately, maximizing space in an apartment isn’t about magic tricks. It’s about making deliberate, intelligent choices with the storage you already have. By going vertical, activating dead corners, and adding layers of organization, you create a home that supports your life instead of complicating it.
These six solutions—from floor-to-ceiling wardrobes to simple door organizers—are more than just products. They represent a shift in thinking. They encourage you to see every cabinet, drawer, and door as an opportunity for greater efficiency and calm.
Take a fresh look at your own space. Identify the pain points—the cluttered counter, the chaotic drawer, the inaccessible cabinet. The right design solution is out there, ready to help you declutter and reclaim your home.
