Interior designers share 5 of the best and 3 of the worst ways to use extra space in your home

Aug 03, 2026 10:25 PM - 2 hours ago 47

Living room pinch built-in shelves, achromatic fireplace, grey couches

Designers said location are immoderate smart ways — and riskier ways — to utilize other abstraction successful a home. sl-f/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Whether you rent an apartment aliases ain a house, it's basal to see really your creation choices let you to make the astir businesslike usage of your space. 

So, Business Insider asked interior designers for tips connected the champion and worst ways to return advantage of other abstraction successful your home.

Declutter your closet by efficiently storing apparel you don't need

Mark Cutler, an interior designer astatine CutlerSchulze, told BI that he recommends storing clothing you don't regularly wear separately alternatively than cluttering your closet.

For example, you tin besides switch your apparel retired seasonally and shop not-often-worn items, for illustration wedding-guest dresses, successful different spot.

"Just because you person a ample closet, it does not mean you person to capable it aliases occasionally purge," Culter said. "Having each that other abstraction intends you should beryllium capable to abstraction retired your wardrobe."

He suggested utilizing vacuum bags that tin fresh nether the furniture since they're protective and easy to tuck away.

Consider adding much shelving to your space, particularly if you emotion books

White book support filled pinch books that are organized by color

You tin besides usage bookshelves to shop various items.  MagicBones/Shuttershock

Different group person circumstantial needs for their space, truthful avid readers whitethorn require a spot to shop much books efficiently, said Betty Brandolino, laminitis and imaginative head of creation patient Fresh Twist Studio. 

Shelving units pinch cabinets aliases drawers astatine the bottommost tin beryllium particularly versatile.

"Bookshelves tin adhd other retention abstraction by incorporating little cabinets, and we utilize baskets arsenic hidden retention connected a bookshelf," Brandolino said.

When styled correctly, these shelves tin besides beryllium beautiful centerpieces successful a room.

"We emotion to style bookshelves pinch decor items, baskets, image frames, and, of course, books. It's each astir scale, color, and texture," she added.

She said that you tin moreover adhd wallpaper to the backmost of the bookcase for "extra definition" aliases a popular of color.

Turn the other level abstraction adjacent your chamber model into a meditation nook

Primary suites often consciousness for illustration they person a batch of other abstraction for much shelving and furniture. However, Amanda Oninski, an interior designer astatine FLOOR360, suggested creating a meditation area with a rug instead.

"The area rug tin beryllium selected to lucifer the remainder of the decor and civilization trim to fresh the designated space," she said. "The area rug serves arsenic the level cushion to relax."

Oninski besides recommended installing model treatments successful the abstraction to set the lighting and create a soothing mood.

Add ocular liking that isn't furnishings to your space

A room pinch achromatic walls pinch a debased console table, two-bulb lamp, and statement, black-and-white portion of creation connected the wall

You tin elevate a abstraction pinch art.  Followtheflow/Shuttershock

Charli Hantman, proprietor of luxury patient August Black Interior Design, said it tin beryllium tempting to capable your other abstraction pinch further ample pieces of furnishings — but location are different options worthy considering, for illustration wall creation and sculptures.

"Extra abstraction doesn't needfully person to beryllium filled area to corner. It's bully to person a assortment of things to look astatine to create extent and ocular interest," Hantman said. "I emotion uncovering creation and wall sculptures that activity together but person their ain personality."

For example,gallery walls tin beryllium a stylish and eclectic measurement to bring unsocial pieces to a room without adding much furniture.

Put the abstraction nether your stairs to work

Interior designer Brenna Morgan told BI that the abstraction nether neath a staircase is simply a great spot for added storage that's often forgotten. 

"People typically debar utilizing it because it isn't a 'walk-in' abstraction and has awkward angles," Morgan said. "[But] I person seen drawers and cabinets installed. I person seen it hollowed retired to let for a canine house. I person seen it utilized for vino storage."

Morgan advised utilizing observant measurements and moving pinch the overseas shapes and angles of your stairs to champion incorporated other storage.

On the different hand, defining other abstraction pinch imperishable features tin little the resale value

Living room pinch built successful fireplace and wall cabinetry

Built-in cabinetry is not ever very versatile.  Breadmaker/Shuttershock

Although it tin beryllium tempting to permanently tailor your abstraction to your needs, Renee Croome, a designer astatine Northeast Kitchen and Flooring Center, advised against built-in furniture. 

"In a prize room, I've seen a homeowner usage cabinetry to build successful a civilization hobby aliases trade area," she told BI. "Although it was a beautiful abstraction for crafting, the room didn't person the aforesaid versatility it would person if they had simply utilized furnishings pieces alternatively of built-in cabinetry." 

Croome added that a permanently customized space is "not ever the champion action for resale value," truthful see impermanent aliases movable options first.

Avoid adding azygous chairs arsenic filler

Hantman told BI 1 of her interior-design pet peeves is seeing azygous chairs placed successful small, quiet spaces without a purpose.

"A chair tin beryllium placed conscionable for ocular appeal, but it should beryllium surrounded by immoderate different constituent for illustration a lamp aliases a broadside table, to create a 'moment,'" Hantman said. "If it's only going to clutter the abstraction and doesn't adhd immoderate worth to conversational seating, it will only make the abstraction consciousness smaller and incohesive." 

The designer added that quiet corners are OK since they let the oculus to attraction connected the much absorbing pieces successful the room.

Don't usage your quiet abstraction without immoderate benignant of plan

Designer and stylist Heather McKeown of Land and Sky Designs told BI that "one of the worst ways to spell astir utilizing other abstraction is to beryllium a man without a plan."

"A room without a consciousness of intent aliases statement is for illustration a mislaid vessel astatine sea, floating aimlessly successful the waves waiting for a large wind to hit," McKeown said. "In this scenario, you are the storm, and the chaos of upset is that deficiency of direction."

Without a clear vision, rooms tin go a cluttered, stressful mess, according to the creation pro.

So, earlier tackling your other space, deliberation astir what usability your location is missing and ways it could service you better. Maybe you request other artifact storage, aliases your family could use from having a chair by the entryway for putting connected shoes.

When it comes to utilizing other space, attraction connected what could activity champion for your household.

This communicative was primitively published successful September 2021 and astir precocious updated connected August 3, 2026.

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Alyssa Towns Swantkoski is simply a contributing writer for Insider. 

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