The 5 Amazon Small-Space Buys That Make My Apartment Livable (and Lovable)

While there are a lot of challenges that come with small apartment living, there are also a whole lot of opportunities to get creative and be mindful about what exactly fills your (limited) space. We’ve covered countless tips and DIY projects to make the most of small spaces (it’s kind of our thing), and everyone has their own opinion on the must-haves of apartment living, from smart storage solutions to DIY hacks. My personal list includes an expensive yet life-changing shower organizer, a vacuum that isn’t a Dyson, and this selection of my favorite Amazon buys that I recommend to anyone who asks.

I’m a huge fan of this foldable bamboo rack. With limited counter space in our small kitchen, we knew we couldn’t buy a heavy duty option, but we didn’t want to settle for something super small either. We finally landed on this rack, as it checks all the boxes: compact, easily storable, durable, and attractive enough to not be an eyesore in our tiny space. You can also purchase a matching utensil holder, sold separately for $10.

The nice thing about living in an apartment with little storage space is that we were forced to organize just about everything in the name of “making the most” of it. Like most budget-minded people, we try to pack our lunches every day, resulting in a large collection of food containers and rogue lids. To tame the beast that was our container cabinet, we found a lid organizer. This seemingly random product actually creates so much more room in that cabinet — and keeps things just a bit more under control.

This small but mighty Brita is the perfect size for two people, and is slim enough to fit comfortably in our always-crammed fridge. The filter status indicator on the lid actually does work, and is very useful — who can remember on their own to change their filter every two months? We’ve been using this particular Brita for well over a year now, and have no complaints with the quality or functionality. Plus, if you don’t like red, it also comes in blue or white.

Getting a full-size broom for an apartment with limited storage space and a small surface area felt a tad unnecessary, so instead we settled on a mini dustpan and brush set. I’m very happy with this little option — it can easily be hung on the back of a cabinet door or tucked away with the rest of the cleaning supplies under the sink. It’s perfect for small, everyday messes, and I’ve never once regretted not going for the full-size broom.

As someone with a whole lot of books (cookbooks and regular ones!), I realized pretty quickly that storing all of them was going to be a challenge — there simply wasn’t any extra floor space for a proper bookcase. Instead, I turned to the walls, deciding on a pair of these rustic-industrial shelves to hold a good portion of my collection. I’m super pleased with them — they break up all the white in my room, are well-made, and are quite roomy.

This post originally ran on Apartment Therapy. See it there: The 6 Amazon Small Space Buys That Make My Apartment Livable (and Lovable)