Tiny House Interior Storage

Tiny houses are, uh-what is the word I am looking for-TINY. However the same storage techniques that are used in other small living spaces can be used for your tiny house. I lived aboard a cruising sailboat for 11 years; finding storage for everything aboard a boat is a common problem and these items need to be secure, out-of-the-way and convenient for use.

If you build you own tiny house, plan for storage. The wall that separates my kitchen from my bathroom is actually a storage cabinet. I have a section for liquor bottles in the top (I do not drink much but like having it available for visitors) and room for canning jars in the lower portion. 

I store all types of food items in my canning jars. Oatmeal, salt, sugar, hot chocolate, pasta, etc; this keeps food fresh and also protects it from bugs. It is also very convenient because when I am cooking, I just turn around, grab the jar, add the items to my recipe, then return the jar to the shelf. In a tiny house, we do not have large open counter spaces so the ability to return items to the shelf helps keep the counters open.

I use a variety of canning jars from the pint size for smaller items (pepper, brown sugar, salt, baking soda and powder, etc. I use the half-gallon size for oatmeal, pasta, sugar, hot chocolate, rice, and many other staples. This keeps it fresh and also protects it from bugs.

I have an Atwood tank water heater; in front of this heater is a dead space that I have also installed a cabinet for kitchen items (cooking oil, vinegar, etc) plus a draw above the heater for silverware and such.

I have my pots and pans hung under an overhead shelf. My pan lids are hung on the pans for convenience and space-saving. Plates, bowls and other items are on the shelf over the top.

Many items you just want out-of-view. Cabinets under the kitchen counter is a perfect place for all these items. I also have my internal water tank under the kitchen counter; it is in the corner of the "L" of the cabinets. For a more complete description of my water tank see this blog post.

There are other items you use multiple times a day, such as dish soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, cleaning pads, etc. 

I prefer my home to look tidy so I like to have a place to put everything so it is not on the counter-top. I use boxes I constructed to store these items. 

Commercial items are available for holding foil, baggies and many other items. I have my kitchen knives on a magnetic strip and my cutting board stored on the wall adjacent to my counter-top.

Another area to use is the stairs; the area under the stairs is excellent for a closet and storage cubbies. I also constructed my own light stand and store four large house batteries in this stand. Storage is also available under sofas and such. Use all your spaces for effective storage.

The sky is the limit, design away and store  your items for convenient use.

Comments and questions welcome!