30 Stylish Wall Storage Ideas to Tidy Up Your Space

Get creative and gain inspiration from our favorite wall storage ideas to tidy up your space. From inexpensive solutions such as hooks, decorative ladders, and floating shelves, to bigger projects that involve custom built-ins, we're sharing stylish storage ideas for every room and budget.

Learn how to maximize wall space in any part of your home and create storage surfaces that are as functional as they are beautiful. These wall storage ideas don't just add a practical way to store essentials, they'll instantly infuse your space with lots of styles.

Floating Shelves

Floating shelves offer style, storage space, and flexibility all in one. They are incredibly versatile as you can hang one or multiple floating shelves above, and they work just as well in a kitchen as they do in a bathroom.

This stylish wall storage option is a great way to incorporate a natural material such as wood into your design, whether you're going for a modern farmhouse look or more of a rustic vibe. Floating shelves also allow for easy access and provide a visible surface to display your favorite items.

Wall Hooks

Wall hooks are an inexpensive and discreet storage solution for items such as wooden cutting boards that double as wall decor. They are easy to install and there's minimal patching required after they're removed.

Wall hooks are also a practical hanging option for narrow spaces such as a hallway or a small kitchen corner where you don't have enough space for a shelf or cabinet.

Decorative Ladder

For a stylish alternative to traditional towel bars, add an industrial design statement and practical wall storage with a decorative ladder. Use a metal or wood ladder and hang folded bath or hand towels on it—they'll look neat, dry quickly, and your bathroom wall will gain a unique yet practical accent.

Acrylic Bookshelves

Keep a small reading nook streamlined and visually uncluttered by mounting clear acrylic shelves on the wall to hold and display books. The transparent material is sturdy enough to hold a collection of books layered one behind the other, and the shelves look sleek and stylish to provide a modern storage solution.

Pot Rack

Instead of storing everyday pans in a cabinet, hang them on a wall-mounted pot rack for quick and easy access. It's a clever take on utilitarian design, and pot racks are available in lots of different finishes, from polished chrome to antique brass. You can pick and choose to coordinate with the rest of your kitchen hardware for a cohesive look.

Accordion Wall Hanger

Use an accordion wall hanger to bring in a vintage touch and a functional place to hang up coats, hats, and dog leashes. It's typically made from wood, features hooks or pegs for hanging, and its expandable design means you can stretch it out or compress it depending on how wide your wall is.

Built-In Shelves

One of the best ways to maximize storage space is to install built-in shelves from floor-to-ceiling and customize them to suit your needs. Use a mix of open shelves and closed cabinets for a mix of display surfaces as well as hidden storage to stash away the clutter.

Wall Rail With Hooks

A wall rail has been a stylish and practical staple in kitchens throughout history, but it has made a comeback in recent years, and for good reason—it's a good way to make use of wall space below floating shelves and above countertops.

These rails are available in various lengths and finishes and come with hooks to hang pots and pans, cooking utensils, and dish towels.

Wall-Mounted Ladder Shelf

A wall-mounted ladder shelf adds tiered storage and a contemporary-style built-in look without actually installing built-ins. Its slim profile makes it a good choice for tight spaces such as small bathrooms. This type of shelf doesn't have the same side and back support that a classic bookcase does, so use decorative storage baskets to contain and corral items to prevent them from falling off the shelf.

Mirror With a Shelf

If you have a tiny powder room with an even tinier vanity that doesn't provide enough space for hand soap and other essentials, hang up a mirror that has a built-in shelf. It doubles as a decorative surface where you can also display seasonal decorative accents if you like to add a touch of holiday magic to every space in your home.

Pegboard

A pegboard provides a large amount of wall storage that offers lots of versatility. You're not bound by shelf width or height, but instead, can attach baskets, hooks, shelves, and other storage vessels to the pegboard. While you may think of it as more suited for a garage or kitchen, it's also a fun addition to a kids' playroom or craft room.

Corner Shelves

Corners can be difficult to utilize and often end up being wasted space. Give them function by using corner floating shelves such as these rounded-edge wood shelves. They add a practical storage surface, but since they are open, you can display pretty food storage containers and jars, cute labeled spice bottles, and favorite kitchenware to add personality and style to a utilitarian room such as a pantry or kitchen.

Hanging Nails

Basic hanging nails aren't just for putting up a gallery wall, use them to turn an empty wall into valuable storage space for a hat collection. Your hats will always be on hand and they'll add a charming decorative feature to your closet.

Freestanding Cabinet

Wall storage doesn't just have to be practical, use it as an opportunity to bring style and color into your space. A vintage china cabinet adds color contrast and an elegant touch to this rustic dining room, displaying treasured glassware and frequently used entertaining pieces.

Use the top of the cabinet to prop up a piece of art for some height and to display additional decorative items appropriate for the room, such as vases or candle holders in this gathering space.

Open Shelving

Open shelving serves two purposes in a kitchen—it offers a spot to place everyday items such as plates and glasses so they're easily accessible and it also doubles as a decorative surface to showcase heirloom dishes or seasonal holiday decor.

If you're not in a position to remodel your kitchen to install open shelving, simply take the doors off one or two of your upper cabinets. Then, paint the shelves and back the same color as your cabinets to make it look intentional, or go bold and use a different paint color or even wallpaper to add some fun pattern.

Floor-to-Ceiling Hutch

To make good use of every square inch of your kitchen or dining room, incorporate a floor-to-ceiling built-in hutch. The combination of different types of wall storage in a single unit—glass-front cabinets, drawers, and closed lower cabinets—is perfect for holding occasional and everyday dishes as well as flatware, seasonal decor, and table linens.

Console Table

A console table is one of the most versatile pieces of furniture you can purchase for your home. It's a beautiful wall storage idea for an entryway—it gives you a spot to drop your keys, wallet, and sunglasses. If it has an open bottom, you can place a large wicker basket underneath to bring in a textural element where you can store shoes and seasonal accessories like scarves and gloves.

Under-the-Cabinet Shelf

Hang a minimalist shelf under upper kitchen cabinets for a sleek, contemporary wall storage solution. Install under-cabinet lighting to highlight the shelf, and use it to hold frequently used items such as mugs or plates, maintaining a streamlined, uncluttered look.

Cubbie-Style Built-Ins

Floor-to-ceiling cubbie-style built-ins are a nice way to create versatile wall storage. Since everything is visible, treat the storage in a decorative manner and create a layered look. Stack and lean books, alternate between the types of items on each shelf, and use decorative bins and baskets to hide those items that would otherwise cause a cluttered, messy look.

Heavy-Duty Metal Shelving

Garage storage may not strike you as stylish, but using a streamlined wall-mounted shelving system will give the space a clean and organized finished look. It helps keep things off the ground and maximizes vertical wall space to maintain a tidy garage that leaves plenty of room for your car.

Fireplace Mantel

A fireplace mantel is a beautiful natural focal point in a room. Let it play double-duty and use it to layer artwork, store a stack of books, and hold seasonal flowers and holiday greenery.

Single Long Floating Shelf

To utilize the narrow space between your countertops and a window, install one long floating shelf. Floating shelves vary in depth, with 12–15 inches being a standard depth, but for a space such as this, go with a more low-profile shelf, such as a 10-inch deep one. It'll still be spacious enough to hold small kitchen essentials such as spice bottles, a mortar and pestle, or a small bowl.

Hanging Planters

When it comes to outdoor wall storage, display and grow plants in a unique way through hanging planters. Not only does this free up the ground if you're working with a small patio or balcony, but it also creates a fun design and makes use of vertical space, filling an empty wall with a touch of greenery.

Floating Ledge

Hang a floating ledge to store and display books or picture frames in a stylish way. Similar to a floating shelf, ledges come in various styles and finishes, from farmhouse-style white-painted wood to modern clear acrylic—they're the perfect way to add function to a narrow space and wall storage in a decorative way.

Medicine Cabinet

If your bathroom lacks storage space, instead of hanging up a wall mirror, use a medicine cabinet that has a mirror front and interior storage. It provides a place to store everyday items that you don't want to clutter your vanity with and saves lots of space since the concealed storage is located behind the mirror.

Shelves Suspended From the Ceiling

Shelves suspended from the ceiling add a cool industrial design element and tiered wall storage. Use lower shelves that are more easily accessible for frequently used dishes, glassware, and cookbooks. Store more decorative, occasionally used pieces on the harder-to-reach upper shelves.

Window Shelf

You may think that hanging a floating shelf in front of a window will block all the natural light coming in, but that's not necessarily the case. The shelf placement makes an unexpected, stylish statement and provides extra storage space that's perfect for potted plants that love sunlight.

Drying Rack

Install a drying rack in your laundry room and use wall space for hanging up air-dry only clothes. Take the drying rack as an opportunity to incorporate a cool design element—like this pipe-style bar—into the space to give this hard-working room an elevated look.

Floating Cabinet

Go modern and hang a floating cabinet under a slanted wall or wall-mounted TV to maximize storage space and make use of a low wall.

Acrylic Hooks

If you have a small bedroom closet, think strategically and prioritize what goes on the shelves and use wall space for items that can be hung up. This includes jewelry, hats, bags, belts, and anything else you can hang from a hook.