Have you ever wondered if there’s a better way to organise your under bed storage? If you need more storage (and who doesn’t), that bit of floor, or a storage bed, is prime real estate in any home or apartment.
It’s the ideal place to store the things you want to hide away but need to access regularly. By de-cluttering your bedroom, you can regain some much-needed living space and create the right environment for sleep.
So, let’s jump in and look at how to organise your under bed storage.
What are your options for under bed storage?
When it comes to under-bed storage essentials, there are a few options to choose from, but ultimately the decision will come down to what you want to put under there and your budget.
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Plastic boxes on wheels
It’s possible to get plastic boxes that are just the right size to fit under your bed. Best of all, they come fitted with wheels, so you can roll them in and out easily. You can even get boxes made just for shoes.
Boxes are an affordable way to use that otherwise wasted space, but the drawback is that they gather dust quickly, so you’ll need to wipe them down regularly if you want to keep on top of it (this is particularly important if you suffer from allergies).
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Fabric bags with handles
Fabric bags with handles are great for out-of-season clothes, towels, and bedding because there is a lot of give in them. The only downside is that they aren’t as robust when it comes to holding heavier, chunkier items.
Vacuum storage bags are also a great space saver if you don’t need to access the things inside regularly. Old baby clothes and Christmas jumpers are ideal candidates for storing inside vacuum bags under your bed.
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Built-in under bed storage
Beds with built-in storage are easy to use and make the most of the space available. Furl Ottoman beds have an amazing amount of hidden storage under a very comfortable mattress, which sits on a metal frame fitted with gas struts to make lifting it more manageable.
This type of bed offers more storage than the kind with drawers because it uses every available square inch of space, mirroring the footprint of the bed from the slats to the floor.
4. Invest in a Furl storage bed with a huge amount of under bed storage
Furl storage beds are the most beautiful, comfortable, practical, and easy to open, and have the deepest storage (from 20cm to 40cm) you’ll find anywhere. Our space-conscious storage beds take up less space in your room and are delivered and assembled by our team in your home.
They come with 100s of fabric choices, with or without headboards, and the frames take up less space than the average storage beds. Sizes go from Single to Emperor, and you can even order one naked so that you can pick fabrics later on. When it comes to opening mechanisms, they’re easy to lift with side or end opening mechanisms, and there are electric options, too.
We’ve carefully designed these beds to open all the way to the back to reach everything you need, so there’s no “dead space” underneath that forces you to fling things to the back and hope you can get it again one day!
Once the storage bed is in place, the next step is to sort what will be stored in the storage bed. To make the most of the storage space, it is a good idea to buy boxes or baskets to store items.
What things can you store under your bed?
Under bed storage is ideal for things you occasionally need but don’t need to access daily.
Here are just a few examples of things you could store under there:
- Out-of-season clothes (your winter clothes in summer, and vice versa)
- Spare bedding, cushions, and blankets
- Swimwear
- Guest towels, beach towels, etc.
- Festive jumpers and outfits
- Wrapping paper, Christmas trees, decorations, and other seasonal essentials
- Christmas and birthday presents!
- Toys (Lego is great for storing under the bed)
- Sports clothing you don’t often need – ski wear, etc.
- Shoes
- Bags, belts, and other accessories
- Ironing boards and irons
- Sentimental baby clothes and keepsakes
It makes sense to store your stuff in the room it belongs – toys and kids’ bedding in the children’s bedrooms, spare towels and bedding in the guest room, and your own clothes in the master bedroom.
In the next section, we’ll show you how to organise your things in the best possible way to make your under-bed storage look great.
How do you make your under-bed storage look good?
De-cluttering the mess under your bed by organising it into boxes, baskets, or bags is the first step to making it look neater. Wicker baskets or even purpose-made drawers with wheels have a nice look and feel.
You can buy under-bed drawers in standard sizes from big-brand stores. If you’re handy with a screwdriver, you could make your own from scratch or repurpose old drawers. There are lots of guides online that show you how to do it yourself.
However, if you are using plastic or cardboard boxes that aren’t as nice to look at, consider putting a valance sheet on your bed that hangs down over the sides to hide the space underneath.
With an ottoman bed, your storage is already tucked away out of sight. Not only does this make your bedroom look neat and tidy, but it’s also easier to clean (less dust!) and organise.
3 Tips for how to organise your under bed storage
If you’ve invested in a premium storage bed, you might be tempted to just chuck everything in there and forget about it. But this would be a missed opportunity because by organising the storage space under your bed, you can squeeze more in and make finding things easier.
Here are our top three tips and tricks for whipping your under-bed storage into shape.
1. Separate your items, so they’re on your side of the bed. If you live with your partner, you’ll both be storing things under the bed, so keeping your items on the side you sleep on makes sense.
2. Use storage boxes or separators to organise your items. To make finding the things you need easier, store similar things together and create sections for different categories like ‘Christmas’ or ‘Baby’.
3. Label everything, so you know what’s inside your boxes. Use custom-printed labels or make your own and stick them to your boxes or bags, so you know what’s inside. It will save you a lot of time when trying to find things.
Does under-bed storage get dusty?
Rolling drawers, wicker baskets, or boxes without lids are bound to see a build-up of dust because there is nothing to stop it from getting in and settling on the contents.
If you’re storing sentimental things that need to be kept clean, we recommend putting them inside zipped bags.
Built-in bed storage is less likely to get dusty because it’s protected from dirt and grime. A quick hoover inside your ottoman storage bed from time to time is all that’s needed to keep it looking like new.
Read more on how to keep your storage bed clean in this article: ‘five simple steps to keeping your storage bed clean’.
Is under-bed storage bad for Feng Shui?
Whether under-bed storage affects your bedroom’s Feng Shui is a hot topic, and the answer is not as straightforward as it seems.
To adopt the principles of Feng Shui, you need to ensure there is a free flow of energy (chi) around your bed. When you put things under there, you risk disrupting this flow.
What really matters is what you’re planning to keep in this space. Feng Shui experts recommend only storing things related to sleep under your bed, i.e. pillows, blankets, spare bedding etc.
They discourage followers of the ancient Chinese practice from hoarding books, shoes, or sentimental memorabilia.
Whether you subscribe to Feng Shui or not, de-cluttering your bedroom is essential for creating the right environment for a better night’s sleep.
For more ideas, here’s our guide to Maximise Your Space: A Furl Guide to Organising Your Storage Bed.