36 Things People With Small Apartments Actually Use

1. A toilet paper stocker that discreetly stores your extra rolls so that you never run out of toilet paper. It also conveniently doubles as more counter space for candles or extra soap. Promising review: “I really love it. Living in a shoebox in NY, I constantly look for storage solutions. This design is incredible. It takes up so little footprint and fits perfectly between the toilet bowl and the wall, and is very functional. I hate having to go to the deli store to get a couple of rolls of toilet paper at a time. Now I can get 12 rolls at a time, though if you get the larger rolls, they won’t come through the hole on the bottom. You will have to retrieve the larger rolls by removing the top, which is not a big deal. I put a wonderful Olavie diffuser and body scrub on the top, and it looks really nice. It’s a must-have for any small apartment living!” —Ken H

Get it from Amazon for $56.

2. A 4-in-1 folding ottoman sleeper because it eliminates the need to keep an air mattress in your limited storage space for guests. This easily changes from an ottoman to a lounger to a twin bed!Promising review: “I am very impressed with this ottoman. I live in a small apartment in NY with absolutely no storage or closet space, so I’m always looking for functional furniture and alternatives to air mattresses because I have nowhere to put them! This ottoman arrived quickly and assembled. It goes from ottoman to chair to lounger to twin bed. It’s very sturdy. I am 5’7 and weigh 215 lbs. I was able to fit in this perfectly. The cushioning is very firm, so I bought a mattress topper for when guests have to sleep on it. Also, the linen-like material looks to be very durable, but not comfortable (think outdoor furniture material). However, I will not be using this for anything more than the ottoman and occasional bed, so that is not an issue for me. All in all. This product exceeded my expectations, and I think it is definitely worth the money.” —Denise Baez

Get it from Amazon for $229.99+ (available in two sizes and four colors).

3. A floating bedside drawer if you could use the extra tabletop space a nightstand provides, but don’t want to crowd up the little room you have around your bed. This attaches to the wall so that you have a place to keep your phone, book, and glasses at night while barely taking up any extra space.Urbansize / Etsy

Urbansize is a family-owned small business in London, England, making furniture to help maximize space in the room since 2015. This bedside table is made from 100% beechwood.

Promising review: “We love our new shelves! We’re using them as nightstands in our tiny apartment, and they work great!!” —Ali

Get it from Urbansize on Etsy for $216.13+ (available in small and large and in all white or with an oak top).

4. A baker’s rack because it’ll condense most of your kitchen into one very organized corner. Designed with a countertop, two large shelves, one small shelf, and a bar with four hooks, this’ll make it feel less like you’re cooking in a cramped space.Promising review: “This thing is perfect, OK? I’ve got a studio apartment and don’t really have a lot of room to work with. I had absolutely NO counter space, so this baking rack saved my life. I’ve got more room for groceries and plenty of prep space for getting food ready. You can fit a coffee pot, and some containers of spices, and still have the vast majority of the space left over for prep space. The storage underneath is adjustable, so you can make the space between the lower and highest levels larger or smaller. You easily could put a microwave on the bottom shelves and store other larger kitchen appliances.” —Homeboy Gotcha

Get it from Amazon for $102.99.

5. A stainless-steel electric griddle — a 5-in-1 appliance works as a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, and a half grill/half griddle. No more need for a full-size setup when you’re in the mood to grill up some meat and veggies! And if you’re one of the chosen ones who actually has a dishwasher, this is also dishwasher safe!

Promising review: “The plates are easy to pop in and out. Easy to clean. We have a smaller apartment and it’s the perfect alternative for a grill. We love this! Highly recommended!” —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $99.99+ (available in six styles).

6. An ottoman, which is actually a secret hiding place for your overflow of shoes and extra tops instead of it all lying there for the world to see (and trip over). Not only does it have hidden slots on the inside, but it can also be used as extra comfy seating!

Promising review: “This is beautiful, unexpectedly! It looks much more expensive, and the storage space inside is ample. Living in a smaller apartment, I find this is a perfect medium-size ottoman. It’s not too small as to be useless and not too large as to eat up the whole room. I bought the white one. Also, it is sturdy enough to sit on and to put your drinks or books on. The seaming is slightly off, but to an untrained eye, this will go unnoticed. This is truly a great buy!” —Lady

Get it from Amazon for $81.65+ (available in eight colors).

7. A ceramic nonstick cookware set that stays organized and looks *gorgeous* doing it. It comes with magnetic pot holders and a canvas lid holder so you can easily store the set and keep it from taking over your whole kitchen.Caraway

The set includes a fry pan, sauce pan and lid, sauté pan and lid, and Dutch oven and lid, plus a magnetic pan racks and a canvas lid holder.

Promising review: “This set is incredible. The nonstick works perfectly. The potholder allows us to store these in as compact of an area as possible, which is important because of our small apartment in LA. We love the look and end up leaving one pan on the stove just because it looks so nice that it adds a premium feel to our space. Highly recommend!” —Connor D.

Get it from Caraway Home for $395 (originally $545; available in eight colors).

8. A three-tier rolling metal storage cart so that your art, cleaning, and beauty supplies can finally stay organized and together without slowly overtaking every corner of your storage space. Plus, it’s small enough that it can shimmy its way into any corner or even a closet!

Promising review: “I got this cart to have some extra beauty storage in my tiny apartment. I wanted to be able to wheel out the cart from my closet and easily put it back. This cart was easy to assemble (had to push down hard on the shelves to get them on but other than that it was easy). It is sturdy. Most importantly, I have a fairly thick carpet and wasn’t sure how well the wheels would do on the carpet. To my pleasant surprise, the wheels are fairly large and move smoothly over the carpet. I am happy with this product. Note, it isn’t tall. So if you’re looking for something that you don’t have to lean for — you may want to find a taller cart.” —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $38.97 (available in six colors).

9. A magnetic stove shelf, which equals more shelf space! This easily fastens on the top of your stove and gives you easy access to all your most used tools, oils, and seasonings while you listen to music and harness your inner Martha Stewart. StoveShelf is a US-based small business that specializes in stove shelves for various sizes of stoves.

Promising review: “I absolutely love it. It has sturdy, strong magnets that keep the shelf nicely in place. It goes nicely with my black stove. I’m really glad I purchased this because I was sick of having some of my kitchen counter space being taken up in my small apartment.” —antoinette mendez

Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in three sizes and three colors).

10. A six-outlet wall charger that comes with two USB fast-charging ports and a night-light so that the charging station in every room of your home is nice and organized. It’s just the thing you need for larger chargers that take up too much space!

Promising review: “I saw this on TikTok, and I knew that I had to have it. My apartment is very small, and this helped out a lot! I put it in my bathroom and now I can have several items plugged in. The night-light is great as well.” —Dj Kracinovsky

Get it from Amazon for $17.97.

11. A freestanding bike rack with a slim metal design leans up against the wall (no attachment required!) and hooks for storing up to two bikes.Wayfair

Promising review: “This is easy install and great for our small apartment! Even better, the arms are separately adjustable so it works for our different bike frames! Definitely recommend!!” —Kenneth

Get it from Wayfair for $43 (originally $63.99). 

12. A 4-in-1 air fryer, which lets you free up some space all while giving you endless possibilities when it comes to your options for dinner. Use it to make fan faves like fries, spicy chicken wings, and fried vegetables. And! — because it also roasts, bakes, and reheats — you’ll barely have to use your oven and can even get rid of your microwave (as one reviewer did).

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

Promising review: “I have a small kitchen and limited space. I was able to get rid of my microwave and toaster oven and use this product. Hot sandwiches are amazing in the Vortex. We’ve cooked some veggies, pork chops, and chicken. Overall, we are pleased.” —SFB

Get it from Amazon for $79.99 (originally $119.99).

And read one BuzzFeed Editor’s Instant Vortex air fryer review here.

13. A folding laptop table that you can fold up and store in a closet when you’re done working. But you might not even want to. I mean, just look at how pretty it is.Promising review: “Once I started to work from home full time, I needed a desk to fit in my small apartment. This desk does the job — small, lightweight, and easy to assemble. Now that I have been using it for two-plus months, I feel like It could’ve been deeper since I have a 34-inch monitor and use a laptop in front of it (to type). I have scooted my monitor to hang 2 inches off of the back and use the wall to help hold the monitor up and in place. This desk would be PERFECT if it was a little deeper, but overall, it’s an awesome desk.” —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $59.99+ (available in two sizes and six colors).

14. A vertical shoe tower because your horizontal space is limited, to say the least. Besides, if you’re someone who takes their shoes off as soon as you get inside (same), it’s much nicer to throw them in here instead of having to remember to pick them up later to store them in your closet.

Promising review: “I bought this shoe rack for my kid’s small apartment, and it fits just right in their tiny entry zone. All frequently worn shoes are now well organized. Very easy to assemble and capacious.” —Anar

Get it from Amazon for $49.99+ (available in three colors and two sizes).

15. A set of three nesting trays that prove the smallest things can make the biggest difference. Use these individually (or together!) to stash important things, such as keys, your AirPods, and glasses.Open Spaces

Promising review: “These trays might seem simple, but the moment you set them onto your table and put your items into them, you get a feeling that they were just what your room was missing. I put everyday household items like my keys, wallet, and remote into them, and feel that they give me a sense of organization, especially in a small apartment. I definitely plan to buy it again.” —Michael K.

Get the set of three from Open Spaces for $48 (available in two colors).

16. A set of magnetic glass spice jars, which basically double as kitchen decor, don’t you think? Free up some shelf space by sticking these to the side of your fridge and easily grab the oregano when the recipe you’re making calls for it.Promising review: “I am in love with my magnetic spice jars! I recently moved to a small apartment and don’t have the counter or wall space to store spices or a spice rack, so magnetic jars it was! I love how these have a decorative feel while providing a secure way to store the spices. Unlike other magnetic spice jars I feel that these add an extra flair to displaying your assorted spices” —rae.m.wri

Get a set of 12 small jars from Amazon for $70 (also available in 24 small jars, 12 large jars, 24 large jars, and a sample bundle).

17. A 10-pack of Wonder Hangers to really and truly maximize all the extra space in your closet (even if it doesn’t *look* like there’s any extra space 😬). And bonus! They come fully assembled, so all you gotta do is hang them in your closet and go buy cute new tops to fill them with.

Amazon

Promising review: “My family of three (teenage child and adult child) squeeze into an 820-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment. Closet space is high-value real estate for us. The Wonder Hanger Max has definitely maximized our closet space.” —Whovian

Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two colors and in two sizes).

18. A sofa table, which serves as an easy way of adding some life to your entryway or living room without taking up too much space!

Promising review: “I purchased this for my tiny apartment, and it is perfect. I placed two canvas hampers under it for extra storage and am really happy with the result. It’s very sturdy. Great item for the price.” —Ametrine60

Get it from Amazon for $80.62. 

19. A plush velvet vintage-inspired ottoman with such a sophisticated look that no one would ever know you use it as a secret storage compartment. It’s perfect for helping you tidy up your space and adding a touch of elegance to the room.

Amazon, Emma Lord / BuzzFeed

Promising review: “This is amazing for my small NYC apartment. It’s very sturdy, versatile, and much softer than I imagined it would be! Great quality for the price!” —Jackie Blessing

Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in two sizes and five colors).

20. A self-adhesive paper towel roll holder because it’ll let you retain easy access to paper towels without taking up any of that precious counter space. Plus, you can place it basically anywhere in your kitchen without using any tools!

Promising review: “I love the space this paper towel roll holder saves on my counter! I have a small apartment and jump on a chance to hang anything to save counter space that I can. The adhesive tape-on option is what I used, kind of like a Command strip, to situate the holder under my cabinet, and it has a gorilla-grip hold. Also, it comes with screws if you want a more permanent option. Very useful, sturdy, and convenient product. 10/10!” —Brandy Muth

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in five colors and in a two-pack). 

21. A velvet L-shaped sectional you’ll be able to lounge and relax on without feeling like it’s taking up 90% of your living room.Sabai Design is a Black woman-owned small business that makes beautiful furniture using sustainable products and ethical manufacturing. The velvet fabric they use is made of 100% recycled water bottles. You can customize this sectional to fit your space. For example, the chaise extension on this sectional can be set up on either side.

Promising review: “I was in the market for a new couch and wanted to both support an ethically sourced/sustainable company and also a POC company if possible. Stumbled upon Sabai and was immediately in love! I have a fairly small apartment, and other couches from places like West Elm were just not the size I needed; this couch is such a great size for my space, as someone who has only ever lived with one or two other people max. I cannot emphasize how happy I am with the couch.” —Miranda Briseño

Get it from Sabai Design for $1,995 (available in two fabric options, 10 colors, and three leg options).

22. A two-tier expandable shelf because it’ll let you really and truly utilize allll that cabinet space. With this, you can organize and hide away more toiletries and cleaning supplies.It expands from 15 to 25 inches.

Promising review: “This product worked perfectly for my needs. I live in a small apartment and need all the space I can get. This was easy to put together and adapts to the usable space under my sink. Great stuff!” —Jack Kiely

Get it from Amazon for $23.87 (available in three colors).

23. A cutting board and strainer hybrid that actually turns your sink into the extra counter space you need for chopping up your veggies. It also collapses down for smaller storage!Amazon

The 2.5-quart strainer is also removable so you can detach it as needed!

Promising review: “This is one of my favorite things I have purchased for our tiny apartment! It’s a pretty good size cutting board and I can see it fitting over most sinks. I LOVE the bowl inside that can let wet ingredients drain liquid directly into the sink. It’s seriously SO nice to have this when you’re limited on counter space!” —Atara

Get it from Amazon for $22.31+ (available in five colors).

24. A six-shelf wall-mount bookcase, which you can use to stuff all your books, plants, trinkets, or even shoes *without* making it look like a cluttered mess that makes the room feel smaller. Plus, its minimalist design helps everything look more orderly!Promising review: “I simply love the bookcase. It is perfect for the room and allowed me (finally) to organize some of the books I have. I live in a studio apartment and space is limited, but this is a great solution, especially because it looks so light and minimal. It looks very solid and is a good quality for the price. I really recommend this purchase. It is super easy to assemble.” —Ylenia

Get it from Amazon for $129.99+ (available in two sizes and 12 styles). 

25. A two-tier entertainment stand to create a designated (and compact!) area for your record player and vinyl collection. Besides, your beloved music deserves its own pedestal.Promising review: “This is the perfect size for my small apartment! It doesn’t fit all my albums underneath because I have a large collection. But it’s perfect for anyone looking for something that fits in a small space.” —meeshels

Get it from Amazon for $56.92+ (available in two colors).

26. A foldable kitchen island cart you can keep stored away in a closet until you’re inspired to try out that one TikTok recipe you’ve had saved forever. This’ll give you a place to chop veggies that isn’t the counter where all your other ingredients are.

Plus, it will be easy to move whenever you decide to leave your tiny space!

Promising review: “I have a tiny apartment with an even tinier kitchen, so that means I needed something like this! It’s just big enough to provide a decent workspace without overwhelming my tiny apartment. Plus, since it’s on wheels, it can be tucked away when not in use, which is a bonus! The wood top has been varnished or lacquered, so it can’t be used as a cutting surface, but that’s OK, I just put my favorite cutting board on top of it, and it’s all good!” —mperryckdcbd

Get it from Amazon for $149.99+ (available in four colors and three styles).

27. A magnetic knife-and-utensil holder that’ll keep your most used cutlery within easy reach *and* out of your way. You know what this means — more room in your drawers!Amazon

Promising review: “I have no idea why I waited so long to buy one of these! I have a small NYC apartment, this is a necessity! I bought two new Wüsthof knives, so I bought this as an accompaniment. It’s great. It’s holding two chef’s knives, a utility knife, a bread knife, a cheese slicer, scissors, and a box cutter. All things I reach for daily, and now no need to open a drawer to rummage. Game changer!” —Miss 60

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in six sizes).

28. A floating hidden bookshelf to turn that pile of books you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to read “so so soon” into wall art. These will add more dimension and personality to your wall space, and you can even use them to display small plants, photos, crystals, or whatever says “you!”

Also, these hold up to 15 (!!!) pounds, so you can really stack whatever you want on top without worrying that it will come crashing down in the middle of the night.

Promising review: “Been needing more book storage and I wanted a shelf that wouldn’t take up horizontal space in our tiny studio apartment. The wall where I wanted was too narrow for any normal size shelves. So this fit the bill, and I think it looks pretty slick! My husband installed them; it was fast and easy. They seem sturdy enough, we tested their weight capacity with my hefty Outlander books and they hold up well. I would recommend ordering the small size for most books, as the back cover of the bottom book slips into a little ledge that secures the book in place, and you want the width of the book to be the right size so the shelf doesn’t press into the book’s binding. I think the large might be better suited for coffee table or art books that are typically a lot bigger. Anyway, hope this helps!” —Annie Bagdasarov

Get it from Amazon for $10+ (available in two sizes, sold individually or as a set of three, and in silver and white).

29. A stylish and timeless storage bed that gives you the luxury of spacious storage without making you give up any more of your space. It lifts up instead of having drawers that pull out so that you no longer have to keep the area around your bed clear. It even makes up for the lack of closet space, and who doesn’t want that?

Promising review: “This is a fantastic bed for a New Yorker in a small apartment. My closet is literally 1 foot wide, so having the extra storage for out-of-season clothing, extra bedding, and luggage really saves my life. You could put those things under a normal bed in a normal bedroom, but this completely prevents having to lug out under-bed bins and also not having tons of space on either side to do so.” —Linlee

Get it from Amazon for $347.43+ (available in sizes twin–king and four colors and fabrics).

30. Or some under-bed storage containers if you’re not ready to invest in a whole new bed frame but still want to make use of all that wasted space. These are just the thing you need for storing clothing items, such as swimsuits or extra winter layers that are only used during specific times of the year.

Promising review: “I live in a small, one-bedroom apartment, so I am always looking for products to help with storage and organization. This product stuck out to me due to its low price point and appearance. I wanted something with a clear lid, so that I could clearly see what was inside without having to open it. I currently have ALL of my summer clothing and shoes stored in the two organizers. Everything fits snugly, but perfectly. I may end up purchasing two more for my winter clothing when the time comes, just because of how snug my thinner, lighter summer clothes fit in the two that I have now. I won’t hesitate when that time comes because I do love this product! I have had no issues with tearing or poor quality. Highly recommend!” —Emma Payne

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $13.97+ (available in five colors and also larger packs).

31. A delightfully versatile three-tier bamboo rack — set it next to your toilet as an easy way to stash extra towels and products *or* hang it on the wall for easy access to your most-used toiletries if you have limited floor space!

Promising review: “I love these Songmics bamboo products. They are perfect for home organization. We have a very small apartment, and as a family of three, these help with the lack of storage in the bathroom and bedrooms. They are also lightweight, so easy to move around and use in different ways over time.” —Andrea Patterson

Get it from Amazon for $32.99 (available in two colors).

32. An over-the-cabinet bag holder to create a designated place for that heap of plastic bags that seems to multiply every day. Hey, it’s better than just stuffing them in a drawer and hoping for the best!Amazon

This holds up to 60 plastic bags and comes with a removable hanger so you can put it over the door or attach it to the cabinet.

Promising review: “We love this! We live in an apartment in New York City and storage is always a nightmare, but we need our bags. This hangs neatly inside the cabinet underneath the sink. The clear hooks make it look modern and undetectable from the outside.” —CF

Get it from Amazon for $16.97.

33. A five-position, six-hook rack if your storage space for your cleaning tools is smaller than Harry’s cupboard under the stairs. This’ll help you keep each of your partners in grime organized and within easy reach.

Promising review: “I have a small apartment and the broom closet was always a mess: the brooms would hit me in the face whenever I took the trash out. This holder saved me so much stress! The slots have little rollers that can move to fit just about any size mop or broom, and there are also little hooks that can drop down if you want to hold towels or the dust pan, which is what I use them for. This is a must-have organizational tool!” —Jacqui

Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in two sizes and two colors).

34. A lift-top coffee table that may look like your typical table on the outside, but *tah dah* — it opens up to reveal a hidden storage compartment that lets you de-clutter and hide away everyday items like your laptop, TV controls, and such within easy reach, yet out-of-sight when not in use.Amazon

Plus, you can use it as a workstation and table to eat at, so it’s essentially three pieces of furniture in one.

Promising review: “This table was exactly what I was looking for! I just moved into a very small apartment and this was the perfect combination of a coffee table/desk/dinner table for one, and a little storage space. I can open it up every evening to have dinner and use my laptop, and while I have guests over I can put away my laptop and other small unnecessary items and it looks great! I did assemble this by myself, which was a little difficult, but possible. If you have someone to help DO IT.” —Janet Santiesteban

Get it from Amazon for $69.99+ (available in two sizes and five colors).

35. A clear shower curtain liner because it quite literally creates space for your shower bottles out of thin air. This will keep everything right where you need it without fear of knocking anything down as soon as you turn around in the shower.

Elizabeth Lilly / BuzzFeed

Plus, it can be used as both a shower curtain (facing out) or a shower liner (facing in).

Promising review: “I ordered this, set it up, and immediately fell in love. I live in a cramped little apartment I share with several other girls. There’s almost no space for any of my personal bath stuff, and I also knock over a lot of my roommates’ stuff in the process of getting in. I let the girls know they were free to put their stuff in, too, and about a week or so later, everyone had migrated their stuff in the curtain! It holds well, keeps items dry, and clears space in your shower, so it feels a little calmer and more soothing. I honestly love this thing, and it’s held up pretty well. I’ve had it a couple of months so far, and I foresee this lasting for a good amount of time.” —g. castro

Get it from Amazon for $17.32.

36. A three-piece table set with stools that fit underneath to take up less space when you’re not using it.Promising review: “I just moved into a small apartment with no dining room and not enough room in the kitchen for a table. This was a perfect answer. The table looks nice enough to be included in the living room and small enough to create a dedicated dining space. This was priced great and arrived so quickly and was very well-packaged — no dents, dings, scratches, etc. I’m a single, slightly built senior and had no problems getting this assembled by myself. Easy and fast. All pieces were marked, holes pre-drilled, and hardware all fit. I love the real wood — it looks like a much more expensive piece of furniture than the cost would imply. It appears quite sturdy with no wobble stools — the table legs may eventually require some reinforcement if I move it around a lot, but that’s just inherent with the clean design. I truly could not be happier.” —Tally

Get it from Amazon for $94.40+ (available in three colors).

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.