I was standing in the doorway to our bedroom last week (7 months pregnant) and laughing. Not because anything funny happened. Just because two years ago this same room was literally a disaster. We could hardly see the floor. It’s funny, because even though we’ve accumulated way more “stuff” than we did then – I’m basically a ninja at hiding it all.
It was about 18 months ago when my mom came to visit and said one of those “oh, it’s very…lived-in, isn’t it?” comments. She knows exactly how to cut. So, thanks Mom for helping me realize I’d been drowning in exhaustion as a single parent to a toddler. My husband worked nighttime shifts and I was responsible for bedtime routine alone, folding mountains of dirty laundry that had been sitting in a basket for three days while simultaneously trying to sort through stacks of clean clothes.
After Amara fell asleep that evening, I sat down on our bed covered in piles of clean clothes, partially unread books scattered everywhere, and random toddler items that magically make their way into the adults’ bedroom overnight. The room felt suffocating, even though it’s fairly spacious. What struck me, however, was the fact that the room wasn’t actually small – it just appeared that way due to its sheer volume of mess making it appear cramped.
For quite some time, I followed various home decor accounts on Instagram featuring homes with perfectly minimalist designs. At least for me, I couldn’t wrap my head around how they managed to maintain a “real-life” existence without collecting junk. Then it dawned on me – they weren’t owning less, they simply hid theirs better. Pure genius.
Our first major investment was replacing our old divan bed with one of IKEAs ottoman storage beds. About $450 or roughly £350. Worth EVERY penny. This bed is essentially a large piece of furniture that has hydraulic hinges that allow the entire mattress to lift upwards exposing a MASSIVE amount of storage space underneath. I can store our winter clothing, extra bedding, a box containing Amara’s baby clothes I am keeping for this pregnancy, plus approximately 15 books I told myself I’d reread one day.
My word of caution — please measure the clearance of your ceiling before attempting installation of this product. I almost knocked myself out during my first week with this product due to failure to remember that the mattress would lift higher than I anticipated. Although pregnancy brain didn’t help, learn from my mistake — be sure to check your ceiling clearance prior to installation.
Next came the wall mounted bedside table units with concealed drawers. These cost approximately £85 per unit, which initially seemed excessive for what resembled merely simple floating shelves. However, upon closer inspection, these units feature hidden compartments below the surface that can easily go unnoticed unless you’re aware of their presence. Essentially all of our bedside clutter (phone chargers, hand creams, etc.) has disappeared into these hidden drawers. Our guests think we’re extremely organized — what they fail to understand is that we’ve become experts at concealment.
I began obsessively searching for multi-purpose furniture pieces. That innocuous-looking bench at the bottom of our bed? Secretly a storage container. Purchased on Amazon for approximately £65 and contains all my pregnancy yoga equipment — allowing me to discontinue using my previous excuse that my yoga mat is located in a spot that’s inaccessible. Additionally, the cushioned top is surprisingly comfortable for sitting on while placing footwear and Amara enjoys utilizing it as a stepping stone to climb onto our bed (which admittedly wasn’t the intended purpose).
To date, the mirror trick remains one of the cleverest ideas I’ve utilized. Rather than purchasing a standard closet unit, we installed mirror fronted storage panel units along one wall. These units resemble a single continuous mirror — creating a sense of increased space and brightness — although beneath each panel lies a hidden storage compartment accessible via sliding glass doors featuring no visible handle or hinge design. While costly, I believe it was worth the added expense for both the additional space created and the magical illusion created.
My vertical storage obsession took hold quickly. Although unlike many other methods, I discovered slimmer cabinet systems (approximately 8 inches wide) designed to span from floor to ceiling — providing ample space within for storing linens, maternity clothing, and other assorted ‘items’ you collect throughout raising a child although you don’t require immediate access to each item on a regular basis.
The previously unused area above our wardrobe was transformed into functional storage space by installing pull-down stairs enabling easy access to storage containers — currently accessed primarily by Liam since I’m becoming increasingly apprehensive about climbing elevated spaces as my pregnancy advances.
Hidden Headboard Storage was my most recent discovery. Rather than investing in a typical headboard, we constructed a shallow shelf unit spanning the length of our bed. Approximately 10 inches deep — not obtrusive — it stores books, lamps and also features hidden compartments behind false back panels to store important documents and miscellaneous items (e.g., receipts). To my guests, it appears as though we possess an extensive library; to me, it provides concealed storage for all the random knick-knacks formerly stored in overcrowded drawers.
In addition to numerous discoveries regarding creative storage solutions, I made several errors along the way. Developed multiple storage systems so covertly designed that I eventually lost track of where specific items were placed — spent hours attempting to locate my passport only to discover it was stored in a secret compartment. Presently I utilize a simple list on my cell phone documenting what is where. Perhaps not particularly mystical but significantly more practical when experiencing cognitive impairments associated with pregnancy.
Ultimately, I realized that effective concealed storage requires understanding how you live versus how you aspire to live. The picture-perfect under-window bench storage unit featured in countless magazines might be visually appealing but ultimately useless if you inevitably drop things on your bed when returning home from work — develop hidden storage systems based upon your natural tendencies rather than resisting them. For months I fought against developing new habits before realizing it was easier to work with them instead of against them.
Another essential aspect of successful hidden storage systems involves temperature management. Learned this lesson the hard way when certain leather boots were destroyed in a storage compartment that became excessively hot during the warmer months. Also avoid hiding electronic devices in areas lacking adequate ventilation or risk damaging your devices and converting them into expensive paperweights.
One of the most intriguing aspects of mastering the art of concealed storage is its psychological implications. Once everything possesses an assigned location and is not visibly displayed, your bedroom transforms from a constant visual representation of the quantity of belongings you possess into a space you enjoy spending time in. Additionally, there is an element of satisfaction associated with having guests compliment your “minimalistic” bedroom design while knowing you own just as much merchandise as everyone else — you simply learned how to conceal it more effectively.
With baby number two arriving shortly, I appreciate all the hidden storage space we developed for accommodating all the baby gear and accessories that are sure to inundate our lives again. On occasion, being deceptive about where your storage exists may represent one of the most honest ways to exist within family life.
