Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.

For those of us making the best of small-space living, furniture that doubles as storage can be a godsend. You don’t need custom-built or pricey pieces. Finding furniture that increases your home’s storage capacity without gobbling up tons of square footage can be fun! Here are some creative examples of furniture that doubles as storage.

I found this old pie safe on the curb nearly twenty years ago. It was yellow and had glass panes with ducks painted on them. I painted it blue and removed the glass, replacing it with chicken coop wire. It now stores the kids’ arts and crafts supplies, my cookbooks, trivets, etc. I use this piece so much that when I renovated my kitchen, I left a space for it.

This next piece is a refinished trunk. It was a wedding gift from my uncle and aunt (he re-finished the outside, while she fixed up the inside). The possibilities here are endless. I use it as a coffee table and I store lesser-used board games here. But, you could use it to store extra linens, out-of-season clothes, or wrapping paper.

I recently saw a similar trunk downstairs at Potomac West Interiors on Mt. Vernon Avenue. While there, I also saw this coffee table. The bottom was closed in and made to look like an old ice box. This allows for decorative storage of knitting materials, photo albums, card games, etc.

Next door at Not Too Shabby Consignments, I found two of these fun end tables. They don’t take up a lot of room but allow for a small lamp on top and the bottom is perfect for storing books.

This vintage dresser is multi-purpose, for sure. Three drawers were removed to open up space for food, which was helpful in a house lacking a pantry. The TV sits neatly on top, while the DVD lives inside on an added shelf. Table linens are stored in the bottom drawer, while small kid treasures like matchbox cars, stickers, notepads and cards are kept in the smaller drawers.

And here’s an option for using a vintage stereo cabinet for storage. The record player was removed when it couldn’t be repaired (the radio works though). Kids’ games and puzzles are now stored inside the piece, which was placed in the family’s living room.

So, if you are short on space, need to save a little money, or just like creative problem-solving, consider all the ways you can make your furniture work overtime.

Last four photos courtesy of DIYDelRay.

Laine Hardman can be reached at [email protected], 703-401-4829 or https://uv8.f83.myftpupload.com.