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I am a proponent of vertical organization and believe deeply in the benefits of turning unused wall space into a storage solution and investing in shelving, shelving, and more shelving. But why stop there? If you live in a tight space or just need more storage room, why not think outside the box—or rather, at the top of it? Let’s talk about how we can turn a ceiling into a storage solution.
A ceiling is a practical storage helper
When I moved into my first apartment, I was big on screw-in hooks. I stuck them in the ceiling and under every ledge and cabinet so I could hang my kitchen tools, mugs, and even storage baskets. Eventually, I got more specialized items to go in those spaces and hold those things, but I never forgot how truly helpful it was to start imagining how much I could store and display if I stopped relying only on the flat surfaces. By suspending some of my possessions above my shelves or other parts of my home, I saved a lot of space and had easy access to what I needed.
This thinking culminated in an interior design feat I’m still most proud of to this day: I suspended my television from the ceiling, like you see in a doctor’s office waiting room, and finessed a little basket up there, too, to hold my Playstation. I loved it (and still do) but my friends and family kept banging their heads on the TV, so I eventually acquiesced and took it down, taking a valuable lesson with me: If you’re going to use your ceiling for storage, make sure you are smart about placement. After I suspended a wire shelving unit from the ceiling a few years back, I also learned to only suspend sturdy things. I consulted a handyman before mounting my TV to the ceiling, and he taught me about toggle bolts, which are a stronger version of the screw-in hooks I was using for everything before that. I had to bore a hole in the ceiling, close the hinged part of the toggle bolt, and jam it in so I could screw my hooks into it, but without it, my TV would have eventually crashed down, defeating the purpose of hoisting it vertically entirely.
Still, there are safe and easy ways to use your ceiling for storage if you get creative.
Ceiling storage ideas
There are a lot of things you can suspend. A few months back, I wrote about storing bags and purses by attaching them to a chain and hanging it up. You could hang it in a closet or along a wall, from the ceiling. But you can use this idea in other ways: With a few S-hooks, you could use a chain to store belts, shoes, cooking utensils, or winter gear like hats and scarves.
That’s a customizable, DIY option, but there are also some pre-made products out there that make this easy. For the most part, with pre-made solutions, you have two options: Industrial but less attractive, or aesthetically pleasing but less sturdy.
In a garage, shed, or storage room, you can opt for the heavy-duty option with no problem. Fleximounts sells a variety of overhead storage racks, like this one that can hold up to 600 pounds, so your bikes, camping gear, or seasonal supplies don’t all need to take up space on the garage floor or shelves when not in use.
On the other hand, you can try a ceiling-mounted net, which can be used in a closet or elsewhere in the home for lighter items, especially seasonal ones you don’t use a lot or things you have a bunch of, like stuffed animals or shoes.
You can also consider ceiling-mounted shelving units ($95) or clothing racks ($109.80). Get creative with what can go up high so you can then get creative with what you’ll do with all your new floor and shelf space down below, too.
