The Best Gear for Small Apartments

To find pragmatic solutions that work for tiny-home owners as well as renters who can’t rebuild their space, we partnered with the folks at LifeEdited, who specialize in designing space-efficient apartments. Some of our picks come directly from the LifeEdited team or existing Sweethome guides; other recommendations are the result of more than 60 hours of collective research and testing.

Hide what you aren’t using. In the LifeEdited apartment, a Murphy bed tucks into the wall during the day. Photo: Amadou Diallo

To be clear, we’re not suggesting you buy a bunch of stuff you don’t need. In fact, editing your belongings might be the best first step. As Graham Hill, founder of LifeEdited, said: “Most of us just have a lot of crap. Take stock in what you truly use and what you don’t. A lot of the time we’ll keep stuff around that we think we use, or only use really rarely.”

Hill should know. After founding the site TreeHugger, he went on to found LifeEdited with the express purpose of helping people live well in small homes. His first project was remodeling his 420-square-foot apartment to provide 650 square feet of usable space. One of Hill’s biggest pieces of advice? “After you’ve gotten rid of the stuff you don’t use, make sure you have stuff that makes sense for the space.”

Seating next to the window takes advantage of the airiness of a view. Photo: Amadou Diallo

For this list, we also reached out to other small-space experts, including Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves (we love her Life in a Tiny Apartment series) and Gardenista, Erin Doland of Unclutterer, and professional home organizer Laura Cattano. The experts helped us define the following five small living principles:

• Choose the right size: Often this means getting smaller versions of things—like a compact fan or cordless vacuum—that will stow more easily.

• Maximize vertical space: Hill uses floor-to-ceiling closets to provide more storage. The same principle applies to hooks, magnets, hanging racks, and pegboards that take advantage of walls and the backs of doors.

• Use nooks: Hill created extra seating in his apartment by adding cushions to extra-wide windowsills. Morsels of otherwise unused space—a shelf under a bench, hooks inside a cupboard—can also be great places to tuck smaller items.

• Fold away: Hill recommends investing in things “that nest, fold, stretch, or that are compact.” Items that can be stored flat or rolled, such as a folding chair, clothes drying rack, or air mattress for guests, are especially good for preserving floor space.

• Go for quality: Well-made clothes, furnishings, and appliances may initially cost more, but you won’t have to replace them in a few years. “Sometimes, the expensive thing is the best and most financially smart,” said Hill.

Table of Contents

I. MAIN ROOM

Over-the-door rack

Nickel Duchess 5-Hook Overdoor Rack

Rentals rarely have enough hooks for hanging things like jackets, bags, and towels. We like over-the-door racks because the thick metal will hold a lot of weight, and there’s no drilling required.

$23 on The Container Store

After looking at dozens of models and testing two, we found the Container Store’s Nickel Duchess 5-Hook Overdoor Rack ($23) is the best around. It’s solidly built, and the oval nubs at the end of each hook are smooth enough that they shouldn’t damage delicate fabrics. The rack measures 19 ⅜ inches wide and 12 ¼ inches high, with a 1 ¾-inches-wide hanging bracket that should fit over most interior doors.

In our testing, we found the rack hung easily on a small door—24 in. wide and 1 ½ in. thick. There was a quarter inch overhang in the bracket, so the rack did wiggle a little on the door, but not enough to prove annoying. We didn’t find that the bracket scraped the door paint, although we did find one user comment about the bracket making it hard to shut a door—truthfully, though, this could be an issue with any over-the-door rack. The Nickel Duchess 5-Hook Overdoor Rack should be able to hold heavy bags and bulky jackets without bending or breaking.

The Spectrum Windsor 6-Hook Over the Door Rack we tried had double hooks for more storage, but we didn’t like the blunt, mushroom-like ends, which we think could snag a sweater.

$5 on The Container Store

PerfectCurve Cap Rack

This is technically made for ballcaps, but we found it’s great for bags and purses, too.

For hanging purses and bags, we also like the Container Store’s PerfectCurve Cap Rack ($5). Yes, this sturdy nylon strap with small polypropylene clips is made for hanging ballcaps, but many user reviews claim it’s the perfect system for hanging handbags. As one reviewer, Edwinag, said: “I use it whenever I change out my purses. I can see every purse I have at a glance, and I just grab it, switch out what’s inside the current one, and then hang it up……quick and simple.” In our own test, we found that taller canvas shopping bags tend to overlap too much on this rack, so we’d only use it for squatter purses or hats.

The cap rack isn’t as sturdy as a regular overdoor rack. Although it has nine hooks, each could really only handle a single empty purse or cap or a couple of scarves. The Nickel Duchess rack, on the other hand, could easily hold five heavier bags, a few sweatshirts, and a number of scarves. -CCC

Chairs

Terje folding chair

Ikea’s affordable Terje chair folds tightly for stowing away, and a hole in the backrest makes it easy to hang. We also like that this chair’s simple, modern lines blend with a range of interiors.

$18 on IKEA

If you live alone, putting away extraneous chairs can make a huge difference in how spacious a room feels. That’s why we like folding chairs for extra guest seating that you can easily tuck away when not in use. After three hours of research, we’d go for the Ikea Terje ($18 each), a simple wooden chair with a hole in the backrest, so you can hang it on a wall.

Made of solid beech wood, the Terje comes in white, black, or red. This chair’s hard backrest isn’t friendly on slouchers, and we’d throw a pillow on the seat for guests, but we think it’s comfortable enough for a sit-down dinner or cocktail party. The Terje folds to 4 in. deep, 35 in. high, and 17 in. wide, so it’s easy to stow.

The Terje is also recommended by the New York Times and Apartment Therapy, and it’s a favorite of the LifeEdited team (although they admit that this chair may not be the sturdiest).

Voxia left, IKEA Terje on the right. Photo: Amadou Diallo

If you want something more design-forward and can afford to spend more, Graham Hill used these Eco stacking chairs by Voxia in his LifeEdited apartment. Each chair is made of compression-molded beech plywood and laminated in one piece. They’re expensive ($350+ each), but at less than a centimeter thick, the chairs stack very closely together. In the LifeEdited apartment, Hill can fit 10 of them in a small closet. In the 2 ½ years since purchasing them, though, Hill has found the white finish hasn’t held up well, so he recommends the simple wood finish. Currently, you can only get the chairs from one of Voxia’s dealers in Europe, so if you want these, contact the company directly. -CCC

Adhesive hooks

Command Hooks

Command Hooks

Wall hooks keep flat surfaces or drawers uncluttered. We like adhesive hooks, as they’re easy to install anywhere, even inside cabinets and in the shower, and won’t permanently damage walls or other surfaces.

$9 on Amazon

3M’s Command hooks are the best adhesive hooks we’ve found, and they come in a range of sizes that will hold anywhere from .5 to 5 pounds. People are enthusiastic about them, and they were recommended by Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, and Erin Doland of Unclutterer. The adhesive tape on the back of the hooks sticks firmly to most surfaces but also comes off easily, so you can avoid permanently damaging walls (a common problem with other adhesive hooks). For best results, carefully follow the installation instructions (including cleaning the hanging surface with rubbing alcohol and, once installed, waiting an hour before hanging anything on the hook).

For this guide, we tested three types of Command hooks. The medium Designer Hooks will hold up to 3 pounds, enough for a small bag, collection of belts, or other light objects. As a nicer-looking option for hanging towels, we like the brushed nickel Medium Traditional Hook, which will bear 5 pounds. The small wire hooks work well for anything under .5 pounds, like necklaces or keys. In our tests, all three worked well, although only after we followed every step of the installation instructions—otherwise, the hooks fell off.

For hanging book bags, winter coats, or other heavy items, we recommend screwing a hook into the wall, as the Command hooks tend to fall when loaded past their weight limit. -CCC

Guest bed

Insta-Bed Raised Bed with NeverFlat pump

For hosting overnight guests, a dependable air mattress offers the best combination of comfort, price, and storability. Plus it automatically regulates firmness throughout the night—no more waking up on the floor.

$115* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $125.

While we love the LifeEdited apartment’s fold-down bunkbeds, they’re not going to work for renters or people without a renovation budget. Because we’ve never found an air mattress we absolutely loved, we tested the best we could find against a few other options, hoping to come up with a more dependable solution. However, we found that an air mattress is still the most comfortable and economical solution for most people.

The LifeEdited apartment offers guests Murphy beds behind a moving wall. Photo: Amadou Diallo

After looking at 20 options and sleeping overnight on two of the top air mattresses and a cotton roll-up futon, we think the Insta-Bed Raised Bed with NeverFlat pump is the best solution, especially for people who like extra firm support. It’s the number three choice on Sleep Like the Dead (and the highest-ranking option in a twin size) and gets a high rating on Amazon of 4.2 stars from more than 1,700 reviews. The 18-inch, top-flocked bed has a primary pump to fill and deflate the mattress to your desired firmness (firm, medium, plush) as well as a low-humming secondary pump that regulates the firmness of the mattress throughout the night.

If that very subtle buzz bothers you, it’s easy to turn the secondary pump off. The Insta-Bed was comfortable to sleep on all night, and the mattress stayed firm until morning even without the secondary pump turned on. With an 80-inch length—the size of a twin XL—and a 350-pound weight limit, it’s also better for taller folks. The one-year warranty should cover defects in the material or workmanship, but it isn’t supposed to cover standard holes that come with wear and tear; however, many Amazon reviewers report that the company’s customer service is excellent, often talking people through repairs or supplying replacements.

$29* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $40.

Intex twin air mattress

The Intex isn’t quite as comfortable as the Insta-Bed, but at less than half the price it’s a great budget option (and preferable if you have a knack for popping air mattresses).

If $105+ is just too much, the Intex twin air mattress is considerably cheaper and pretty good. The air pump fills the mattress in less than five minutes, and the bed’s 18.5-inch height makes it feel a bit more substantial than the standard Aerobed. The raised border is nice for recognizing the edge of the bed before you roll off, but I could do without the pillow top, a higher edge at the head of the bed. The flocked-top vinyl squeaks a bit when you shift, but not much more than other blow-up beds. It’s a bit more marshmallowy than the Instabed, but for $40, it works.

While visiting the Sweethome founder Brian Lam, several members of our staff have enjoyed these Texsport Camping Cots ($49), which also come in a Jumbo size for taller folks. They’re more appropriate for sleepers who prefer very firm support, but our staffers report that they’re sturdy, comfortable, and pleasantly raised up off the floor.

We wanted to love this durable cotton-filled Japanese futon, but even rolled up, it was as bulky as a 3-foot barrel and difficult to store. We also tried the ultra-portable Therm-a-rest NeoAir Sleeping Pad as a super compact option, but found the three-inch thickness too spartan to offer to visitors.

We looked primarily at twin-sized options because we recommend putting only one person on an air mattress; sharing an air bed with another person is a surefire recipe for interrupted sleep.

Reusable grocery bag

Baggu

The Baggu folds into a compact pouch for easy storage and is the strongest bag we’ve found for carrying lots of groceries.

$9 on Amazon

If you want to free cupboards or drawers of those ever-expanding colonies of disposable bags, we recommend the Baggu ($9), also a favorite of the LifeEdited staff. We tested it against the ChicoBag and the flip & tumble 24/7 bag—two of the other best-selling reusable bags—and the Baggu held far more groceries, was easier to carry, and folded into a 5-by-5-inch pouch.

We do wish the Baggu folded into itself, as the ChicoBag and flip & tumble do. If you lose the Baggu’s stuff sack it becomes much less portable. But overall, the Baggu is a much better bag. It carries up to 50 pounds of groceries—at least two paper/plastic bag’s worth—compared with the 25-pound capacity of the other bags we tested. It also has wider straps that make it much more comfortable to carry, even over the shoulder.  -CCC

Step stool

Gorilla EasyReach 2-Step Aluminum Ultra-Light Step Stool

A great step stool helps utilize vertical storage and can even replace a full-sized ladder for some home improvements. We like the Gorilla EasyReach because it’s sturdy and stores efficiently.

$25 on Home Depot

For reaching top shelves, installing light bulbs, and other times you need a boost, we’d get the Gorilla EasyReach 2-Step Aluminum Ultra-Light Step Stool ($25). With a top step height of 21.5 in., a solid build that holds up to 225 lbs., and a knee rail for balance, this stool allows for safe access to vertical storage. The Gorilla EasyReach also folds down to a 3-inch depth, so you can keep it in a closet or hang it in the dead space behind a door. It was the best of the 23 step stools we tested for our own guide and was recommended by Real Simple.

If you want something sleeker and more compact, Graham Hill uses the Ultraslim Aluminum Step Stool by Tivoli ($119.95 – $139.95). The ladder comes in two- and three-step versions  (with a top step height of 20.25 in. and 31.5 in., respectively), holds up to 220 pounds, and folds to a mere 1.75 inches. Although it’s expensive, the Ultraslim is one of the most design-forward stools we’ve seen, and it gets outstanding user reviews on Williams-Sonoma’s site. Hill has used it for more than two years with no complaints.  -CCC

Toolkit

76-Piece HDX Homeowner’s Tool Set

For the casual handyperson who needs a compact box of essential tools, we think Home Depot’s HDX Homeowner’s Tool Set is the best around.

$20 on Home Depot

For even the smallest home, we like the 76-Piece HDX Homeowner’s Tool Set ($20), which has everything you need for minor home repairs and fits in a compact box—about the size of a chunky laptop—that you can tuck away in a closet. In our 2013 review of tool kits, we found the Home Depot HDX set has all of the tools we consider essential—hammer, tape measure, screwdrivers, allen wrenches (SAE and metric), a level, needle nose pliers, utility knife, adjustable wrench, slip-joint pliers, and vise grips—plus a pair of scissors, four small spring clamps, diagonal cutting pliers, and a four-piece precision screwdriver set.

We didn’t find the HDX tools reviewed anywhere, and because they’re a relatively new Home Depot product, there aren’t many user reviews or other feedback for comparison.

If you want tools geared more toward heavy-duty use, we’d go with the $50 Denali 115-Piece Home Repair Tool Kit. This set includes all of the essentials, plus combo wrenches, a stubby screwdriver, a hacksaw, locking pliers, and plenty of driver bits. We did find this set’s duffle storage bag a pain to keep organized, and the set’s screwdriver, which comes with interchangeable bits, doesn’t feel very solid. We might supplement this kit—or the HDX one—with a MegaPro 13-in-1 Multi-Bit Ratcheting Screwdriver ($30), which we reviewed in our best screwdriver guide. -CCC

Cordless vacuum

Dyson DC44 Animal

Cordless vacuums are best for navigating tight quarters. We like the Dyson DC44 because it’s powerful and can be used as a stick vacuum for floors and a hand vacuum for other surfaces.

$300 on Amazon

One of the great benefits of living in a small apartment is that you have a lot less to vacuum, and many find that cordless vacuums provide enough suction power to replace full-sized vacuums. For sucking up dust and pet hair around and on your meticulously placed furniture or reaching cobwebs in ceiling corners, we like the Dyson DC44 Animal ($300). It’s one of the most powerful cordless vacuums we tested, and by switching attachments, you can also use it as a hand vac for cleaning upholstery and narrow stairs. The Dyson stows and charges neatly on a wall and you can get additional attachments if you like.

Its rechargeable battery provides 20 minutes of constant suck power—enough for a small apartment. It is annoying that you have to keep pressing the button down while vacuuming, but since you have a small apartment, you won’t have to do it for that long.

We’re currently finishing up an entire guide to stick vacuums, and our overall favorite is the $150 Hoover Linx. However, the Linx is a single-use floor cleaner, so we don’t think it’s as versatile for an apartment with limited storage space. But if you are willing to supplement it with a duster, then you can save a few bucks and still get a great-performing, compact floor vacuum.

If you prefer a canister vacuum and have the closet space, we like a couple of small Miele models. The Miele S2121 Capri ($399) is a good bet for hardwood floors because it comes with a parquet floor tool. For a place with carpets and pets, we recommend the Miele S2121 Delphi ($499), which has an electric hose and power brush. We reviewed both in our guide to the best home vacuum cleaners. -CCC

Compact fan

Vornado 660

A compact but powerful fan keeps air circulating without hogging precious floor space. Our pick runs quietly and will cool an entire room.

$98 on Amazon

If you need a fan, the Vornado 660 ($100) is hard to beat. At about 12 inches wide and 13 inches tall, the Vornado 660 has a small footprint but can create a 100-foot-long airstream. With horizontal and vertical airflow positions, it’s easy to blast any corner of a room. User reviews also note that there’s virtually no vibration or mechanical noise from the 660, and in his review of fans, our reviewer Bryan Gardiner found that the lowest of its four settings is whisper quiet. The 660 isn’t cheap, but it is one of the most powerful fans we’ve found in its class. Most user reviews agree that it’s worth the $100 price tag. -CCC

II. STORAGE

Bike storage

Racor Solo Vertical Bike Rack

Vertical storage is key for stowing a bike in a small apartment. Our favorite hook is compact, strong, and easy to take down when it’s time to move.

$13* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $19.

Minimal, inexpensive, and very effective, nothing beats a vertical hook for storing a bike in a small space. In general, vertical hooks are better than horizontal ones because your bike will take up less of the area on your wall that you need for things like shelves and other hooks. And unlike racks or pulley systems, vertical hooks can tuck bikes into very narrow places like the tiny strip of space behind a front door or between a refrigerator and a wall.

Photo: Eve O’Neill

We looked at seven options and found that the Racor Solo Vertical Bike Rack ($12) is perfect for tiny apartments. The Racor can accommodate 80 pounds. (An average mountain bike weighs 30-35 lbs., and road bikes typically weigh less than that.) And at $12, the Racor is $4 less expensive than the other hook we tested. In a side-by-side comparison with the Delta Leonardo, the Racor was easier to mount and sturdier; when we tried to hang the Delta on the wall, the screws that came with it stripped instantly—a major problem if you’re renting and need to take your hook when you leave. The Delta is also only rated to hold 40 lbs. -EO

Vacuum-sealing storage bags

Ziploc Space Bags (Box of 15)

Vacuum-sealing bags are an efficient and economical solution for packing away seasonal clothing and bedding to free up closet space.

$30* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $28.

Like the Hulk crumpling a can, vacuum bags supposedly compress bulky jackets and bedding to a fraction of their size. Ziploc’s Space Bags ($27 for 15) don’t quite live up to the hype, but we still think they’re a great solution for stowing away seasonal clothing and bedding. In our tests, we found that the Space Bags lost their tight seal after about 24 hours, but they still kept clothes and bedding densely packed. Ziploc claims these bags allow you to pack twice as much in them as non-compression bags; after the bags lost their tight seal, we’d conservatively say they pack up about 25 percent smaller than when storing items in a storage box or duffle. They also sealed much better in our testing than Storage Kaddy’s Space Cube Compression Bags.

From our testing, we think the Space Bags seem durable enough to be reused, although they probably won’t stand up to the abuse that a plastic or cloth storage case could take. We read many positive user reviews that said Space Bags are reusable, but there seemed to be an equal number of reviewers that said the bags ripped or broke after one use.

We don’t think Space Bags are a perfect solution for everyone. Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves prefers stowing clothes in cloth bags from Muji, while Erin Dolan of Unclutterer prefers plastic storage bins or Eagle Creek’s compression sacks. But for the price, we think Ziploc’s combo pack of 15 small-to-large bags gives you lots of options for stowing everything from baby clothes up to a king-size comforter. We also like that they’ll protect your stuff from bugs like moths or (dare we say it?) bedbugs. -CCC

Compact shoe rack

Home Depot Wood Crates

Wood crates reliably hold differently shaped shoes and can stack into whatever modular formation you like.

$15 on Home Depot

We struggled to find a great shoe rack for using on a closet floor, and in the end found the best one isn’t even officially a rack. Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves recommended wood crates from Home Depot, and we found them a far more dependable solution than the two shoe racks we tested them against.

Photo: Amadou Diallo

Ranging from $15 to $23, the boxes come in two styles (one with a divider and one without) that will store sneakers, heels, and even tall boots. We like that these boxes are modular, so you can stack them in whatever formation works for your closet or foyer. Each box doesn’t fit a ton of shoes, so you’d need to buy several to hold the same amount as an official shoe rack. But shoes won’t fall out of them as they can on racks.

If you really want a rack, we’d get the $18 Whitmor White Resin 20-Pair Shoe Rack.  It holds a lot of shoes in a shallow space, which can make it a good option for a slim entryway. The Whitmor is easy to assemble and doesn’t fall apart, and we found it much sturdier than the Walnut 3-Tier Grippy Shoe Rack we tested. Shoes, especially high heels, do fall pretty easily between the Whitmor’s bars, though, so you need to be careful when placing pairs on it.

$24 on The Container Store

Container Store’s 24-Pocket Overdoor Shoe Organizer

This hanging rack stores a surprising number of shoes, and it’s the only one we found that nicely holds men’s sneakers.

As a hanging solution, we also like The Container Store’s 24-Pocket Overdoor Shoe Organizer ($24). The horizontal pockets are big enough to stow a pair of women’s sneakers or high heels and tall enough to accommodate a men’s mid-top. Shoes can be stuffed in from the side, and a see-through window in front protects clothes from touching shoe dirt (and allows you to easily see all footwear at once).

Made of canvas and plastic, this rack felt sturdier than the all-plastic 24-Pocket PEVA Overdoor Shoe Bag or the Whitmor Over-the-Door Shoe Organizer that we tested, and it also fit the most shoes (18 pairs of men’s and women’s, plus three toddler’s). Each pocket easily holds a pair of women’s sneakers or high heels, but only one men’s shoe. We’d still store delicate leather dress shoes elsewhere, though, as the soft pocket doesn’t provide as much protection as a shoebox. Even though the organizer extends about 7 inches out when loaded, we were able to shut a closet door without mashing hanging clothes.

This rack gets really heavy when fully loaded with shoes, so it’s not the best choice for a lightweight door or one with wobbly hinges. The pockets hold a men’s size 10, but bigger shoes may fall out. At 22½ inches wide and 63 inches high, the organizer fit nicely on a 30-inch-wide door but will likely obstruct the handle on anything narrower. (The 18-inch-wide Whitmor organizer will fit smaller doors, although the pockets are a little small for men’s shoes.) We didn’t find the 24-Pocket Overdoor Shoe Organizer reviewed editorially, but it gets high user reviews on The Container Store’s site. -CCC

III. KITCHEN

Shelf risers

Seville Classics Expandable Kitchen Counter and Cabinet Shelf

When cupboard space is limited, risers can maximize the height and width of each shelf. The Seville is sturdy and can expand up to 30 inches in width.

$23 on Amazon

The Seville Classics Shelf expands to fill your cabinet, creating an extra row. Photo: Amadou Diallo

The Seville Classics Expandable Kitchen Counter and Cabinet Shelf ($23) is the best we’ve found for a range of cabinet sizes. In our testing, we found this heavyweight iron riser very sturdy, and because it expands from 15¾ to 30 inches wide, the design utilizes the entire width of a cabinet, creating no dead space (a problem with most risers). At 5 inches tall, we could easily slide 9 dinner plates below the shelf.

Organized Living’s double risers give you two thin rows. Photo: Amadou Diallo

If you have tall cabinets with few shelves and want to maximize vertical space, we’d recommend Organized Living’s double risers. These heavy-gauge steel risers are very sturdy, and we found them leagues ahead of identical looking ones we tested from The Container Store. For storing large dishes, we’d go with the $22 rectangular rack, which accommodated a 19-piece dish set with room to spare. The $18 square version wasn’t big enough for large dinner plates, but would work particularly well for spices or squat bowls. -CCC

Pegboard and hooks

Wall Control Metal Pegboard

Wall Control pegboards are a great option for hanging pots, pans, and utensils in a small kitchen. They’re stronger and easier to install than standard masonite boards, and their unique slotted hooks don’t fall out.

$35 on Amazon

A quick tour through Pinterest shows countless Julia Child-inspired kitchen pegboards hung with pots, pans, and utensils. What these pictures don’t show is that standard pegboard can be tricky to hang, the holes often droop over time, and the curved wire hooks can fall out really easily. That’s why we like the 20-gauge steel Wall Control Metal Pegboards ($34 for 2 panels), which have pre-drilled holes for hanging and a flange around each edge, so you don’t need to tinker with spacers or framing. According to the company, when properly installed, a single 16” x 32” panel should hold up to 200 pounds.

Photo: Amadou Diallo

What really sets these boards apart is the addition of slots to the standard pegboard holes. Wall Control’s matching slotted hooks lock into the pegboard and don’t fall out as easily as round pegboard hooks (although you can use those in the boards, too). The holes will also never droop or rip when a peg falls out. The company sells a variety of sizes of hooks, which can hold between 5 to 10 pounds each. We found the 1⅞-inch hooks ($5 for 4) and 2⅞-inch hooks ($6 for 4) most useful for hanging pots, pans, and utensils.

One downside to the Wall Control boards is they aren’t as customizable as masonite boards, which can be cut to size (say, if you want to fill an entire wall). But we like that the boards come in a range of finished colors, including white, red, blue, yellow, orange, and galvanized steel (the latter would look particularly nice with chrome appliances). And because the boards are steel, you could use magnetic spice jars on them to create a spice rack.

A few panels in a closet would make a great compact station to hang tools, an ironing board, or other housekeeping equipment you want in one spot.

Wall Control was highly recommended by Stuart Deutsch of ToolGuyd, and we found great user reviews for it on The Garage Journal and on Amazon and Home Depot’s websites. -CCC

Compact dish drying rack

Chef’n Dish Garden

Counter space is at a premium in a small space, and a dish rack that holds a full load of dishes in a small footprint makes cleanup efficient and less of a pain.

$38* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $30.

If you have fewer than 14 square inches of counter space to work with, get the $30 Chef’n Dish Garden, which can handle all the dishes from a two-person household. It can be used in the sink or on the counter, is compatible with most sinks, and the steeply angled base ensures that it drains well, making it a great choice for both single- and double-sink kitchens.

Though its circular shape might seem like a wasteful use of countertop space, it actually holds more than other compact racks of similar size because the design includes cup holders around its circumference. The Chef’n holds plates upright with tall plastic prongs, which allow you to set dishes in it any which way, even long baking sheets. That can be a problem for countertop use, with water dribbling everywhere, but it’s a bonus for in-sink use. Unlike hanging-basket models, the Chef’n sits in the sink instead of over it; you don’t end up with wasted space beneath it.

The Chef’n also comes with two utensil holders that can be placed anywhere on the rack, which adds to this rack’s flexibility. Another bonus of the Chef’n: The spout flips up to close, so you can pick up the rack and move it around without worrying that any lingering water will leak. The textured exterior prevents glasses from suctioning themselves to the plastic, a problem we found with lesser plastic racks we tested for our guide to dish racks.

None of the other compact racks we considered held dishes or drained nearly as well as the Chef’n. The only complaints among the 32 Amazon reviewers, who gave it an aggregate 4.9 stars, was that the rack is small—which is pretty much what you’re looking for in a compact. -WY

Essential kitchen equipment

A cast-iron skillet and a tri-ply All-Clad skillet are versatile and can be hung up by their handles. Photo: Amadou Diallo

Outfitting a tiny kitchen is a little like putting together a streamlined wardrobe; choose high-quality basics that you’ll be able to use all the time. Here’s a collection of things we’ve tested and recommend for small kitchens. Cooking styles, like clothing, are personal, so buy only what you think you’ll truly use often.  -CCC

• Three great knives: Graham Hill of LifeEdited recommends investing in an 8-inch chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife. We’re big fans of Victorinox knives, and we’ve recommended their paring knife and 8-inch chef’s knives. This affordable Victorinox 4-Piece Knife Set with Fibrox Handles ($100) includes those two, their bread knife, and a bonus 6-inch chef’s knife.

• An awesome skillet (or two!): In our 2013 review of skillets, we found that the All-Clad 12-Inch Stainless Steel Fry Pan ($150) is the best skillet overall for its superior heat conductivity, balanced handling, and durability. If you don’t mind the heft and extra care involved with cast iron, we also recommend the Lodge Logic 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet ($25), which sears meat beautifully, can double as a roasting pan, and is great for panfrying chicken and vegetables. Nest one in the other or hang them by their handles to save cabinet space.

• An all-purpose saucepan: We’re currently working on a full guide for this, but for now we suggest going with the Cuisinart MultiClad Pro Stainless Steel 2-Quart Saucepan with Cover ($50). It has a lip that makes it easy to pour water for tea or coffee, and would work well for heating soup and steaming vegetables.

• Quarter sheet pans: Rimmed baking sheets make great all-purpose pans for everything from baking cookies to roasting vegetables. For a small kitchen, we’d go with the Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Quarter Sheet ($13), the smaller version of the pan we chose in our cookie sheet guide. It’s just as useful as a half sheet pan, but fits into small ovens and is easier to clean in a small sink.

• Dutch oven: For braising meats, making soups, and even baking no-knead bread, we like the Lodge Color 6-Quart Dutch Oven ($72). We found the Lodge cooked as evenly as the Le Creuset Dutch oven we tested, and it sells for a fraction of the Le Creuset’s price.

Magnetic knife storage

Benchcrafted Mag-Blok

The exposed metal rails on most knife strips wreak havoc on blade edges. Benchcrafted’s all-wood strip will protect your knives, and its powerful magnets keep even heavy tools securely in place.

$35 on Benchcrafted

If you don’t have the countertop space for a knife block, we’d go with Benchcrafted’s Mag-Blok. Made of rare-earth magnets encased in wood, the holder looks almost like a well-sanded and stained furring strip. We tested the $48 18-inch strip, which holds eight knives (for three knives, you could get away with the $35 12-inch version). We really like how the wood protects knife blades from dulling. In comparison, we felt that the IKEA Grundtal knife rack and the Norpro 18-Inch Magnetic Knife Tool Bar we tested could easily dull and dent the knife blades when tapped against the unprotected metal.

Photo: Amadou Diallo

At times, the Mag-Blok’s rare-earth magnets felt a little too strong—we actually had to yank a knife off once—but at least it seems knives won’t fall off easily. The Mag-Blok, which comes in a range of finishes, is one of the nicest-looking holders we’ve found. We also like that it comes with countersunk washers and brass screws, which give this holder a streamlined look when hung. -CCC

$87 on Amazon

EVA Stainless Steel Magneto Knife Holder

This has weaker magnets than those in the Mag-Blok, but its unique design holds eight knives in 40% less space and keeps blades facing the wall.

For fitting a lot of knives in a super small space, we also like the EVA Stainless Steel Magneto Knife Holder ($88). It’s expensive, as far as magnetic strips go, but its innovative jagged teeth design can hold up to eight knives in an 11-inch width. The EVA has slots that keep blade edges facing the wall and thin rubber bumpers that protect the blades from dulling on the metal. Although we love the design of this strip, we found the magnets weren’t as powerful as we’d like (we could knock a chef’s knife off of it pretty easily). It’s also not as versatile as the Mag-Blok for hanging tools, such as tongs and spatulas. -CCC

Immersion blender

Breville Control Grip

A powerful immersion blender like the Breville Control Grip does a lot of the jobs that a full-size blender or food processor would while taking up only a fraction of the space.

$100 on Amazon

Many small kitchens don’t have the room to stow a full-size blender or food processor. The Breville Control Grip ($100) can pureé soups, blend smoothies, emulsify mayonnaise, and even chop small quantities of nuts or whip cream (with the right attachments). After testing seven models, we found the Breville had the strongest motor, the best range of speeds, and was the only one with a handy gasket at the base that keeps the blade cage from suctioning to the bottom of the blending container (common with stick blenders).

If you’re only planning to use an immersion blender infrequently (once a week or less), we also like the Cuisinart CSB-75 Smart Stick 2-Speed Immersion Blender ($35). It produces chunkier pureés and smoothies than the Breville, and doesn’t come with any chopping or whipping attachments, but we found the Smart Stick performed as well if not better than spendier models in our test. -CCC

Door-mounted garbage can

simplehuman In-Cabinet Trash Can

A door-mounted garbage can frees up floor space while leaving plenty of room for storage under a sink. The simplehuman In-Cabinet Trash Can is the nicest we’ve found.

$30 on Amazon

The 2.6 gallon simplehuman In-Cabinet Trash Can ($30) is great for small kitchens where there’s little space under cabinets. Because this mounts to the door and extends about only 8 inches, you’ll have plenty of room to store cleaning supplies and other items under the sink. It’s smaller than a full-size can (usually 8 gallons or larger), so you may have to empty it daily, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing considering how smells can permeate a small space.

The simplehuman was the only cabinet can we found with a lid—essential for reducing odor and keeping pests away. You can also hang it on the front of a cabinet during food prep, or remove the hook and mount the can directly to the cabinet.

In our testing, we found this can works best on single-door cabinets. When we hung it inside small kitchen cabinets with double doors, we couldn’t open the door with the can without opening the opposite one first. We also had trouble hanging this can inside some bathroom cabinets, where there wasn’t enough clearance between the top of the door and the bottom of the sink. Make sure to take measurements.

Of the five over-the-door trash can holders we looked at, the simplehuman also had the sturdiest mounting hardware. We didn’t find editorial reviews on it, but it has 4.7 stars after 88 Amazon user reviews. -CCC

Stacking hot/cold drinking glasses

Duralex Picardie (Set of 6)

These nearly indestructible stacking glasses can handle both hot and cold beverages, offering a truly minimalist solution for entertaining or everyday use.

$28* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $30.

Glasses that can serve both hot and cold beverages cut down on the need for extra mugs and barware. Our step up pick for best everyday glasses are the Duralex Picardie tumblers ($30 for 6)—which also happen to be Graham Hill’s favorite. These are considered a design classic for everything from shots of espresso to red wine, and they neatly nest one into the next for shorter stacks in the cabinet. Made of tempered glass, these delicate-looking glasses can withstand extreme shifts in temperature, and in our tests survived a fall on linoleum (although they broke on concrete). You can find them in sizes from 3¾ oz. to 16¾ oz.

As a slightly less expensive alternative, we also like the Bormioli Rocco Rock Bar drinking glasses ($20 for 6). These aren’t as quite as lightweight and elegant as the Duralex tumblers, but in our tests they similarly withstood extreme shifts in temperature—and they were one of the only glasses that survived a dive onto concrete. The Bormioli also stacked better than any of the other glasses we tested, making them more efficient for storing in limited cabinets, and they don’t scratch or cloud with use. They’re available in sizes from 2.5 oz. shot glasses to 16 oz. -CCC

Electric kettle

Cuisinart CPK-17

An electric kettle lets you heat water wherever there’s a plug, a boon if you’re working with a tiny (or inefficient) stovetop.

$100* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $85.

It’s easy enough (and arguably more minimal) to heat water in a pot that you already own. But if you drink a lot of coffee or tea and have a small stove (or no stove at all), an electric kettle tucked in a nook can be very useful. Our favorite is the 1.7-liter Cuisinart CPK-17 ($90). It has variable temperature settings—great for different teas—and will keep water warm for up to 30 minutes.

Our reviewer, Tim Barribeau, found that the Cuisinart boiled a liter of water in 4 minutes, 50 seconds, and that it consistently heated water to within 1 or 2 degrees of the desired temperature (many kettles are as much as 10 degrees off). The Cuisinart gets solid user reviews on Amazon, and it was recommended by Wired. -CCC

Coffee

Kalita Wave

A pour-over setup requires less space than an automatic drip machine and also makes a better cup of coffee.

$27* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $23.

For coffee in tight quarters, a percolating machine is a space hog. Pour-over coffee, the latest brewing method of choice for coffee nerds, requires very little space. For an forthcoming update to our coffee guide, we tested six home manual coffee brewing devices and found the $23 Kalita Wave to make the best and most consistent cup of coffee. It’s also one of the easiest to master.

The Wave uses a flat-bottomed brewing system that makes for slightly slower dripping, thus commanding less attention from the user. As a pour-over apparatus it’s on the smaller side, meaning it can be easily stored away or even hung up on a kitchen wall. We recommend you purchase a glass Wave, which will best protect against heat loss.

The Wave has been featured in The New York Times, Gizmodo, and pretty much every coffee blog ever written.

If you’re making more than one cup of coffee at a time, we also suggest a serving vessel, such as this glass Hario Server. Its 800mL capacity means you can make about three mugs of coffee in one sitting. -CW

IV. BATHROOM

Best towels

Classic Waffle Weave Bath Sheets

Waffle-weave towels are plush enough to feel luxurious, but dry more quickly and take much less space than terry cloth ones. These towels from Gilden Tree are a favorite of the LifeEdited staff.

$4-$44 on Gilden Tree

If your bathroom is cramped, the LifeEdited crew recommends Gilden Tree’s Classic Waffle Weave Towels ($4 to $44, depending on size). David Friedlander, LifeEdited’s communications manager, has used and loved them for years. Made of 100% cotton, these towels are soft and absorbent, but also dry quickly—key for a small, damp bathroom. The towels are also thinner than terry cloth, so they’re easier to store.

Stricter minimalists can consider investing in good peshtemal towels—very thin, flat-woven cotton towels from Turkey—that dry quickly and stow compactly. This style of towel is a favorite of Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves. Keep in mind, though, that while these soften and become more absorbent with washing, they’ll never feel quite as plush as waffle-weave towels. -CCC

V. CLEANING/LAUNDRY

Best compact hamper

Clothesline Laundry Hamper by Reisenthel

We don’t think there’s one perfect hamper for small apartments, but Reisenthel’s Clothesline Laundry Hamper makes transporting your washables easier.

$40 on The Container Store

When schlepping to a basement laundry room or laundromat, it’s nice if your hamper can go with you. For this purpose, we like  Reisenthel’s Clothesline Laundry Hamper ($40). In our testing, we found that the Reisenthel stands on its own (thanks to wire supports), but it can also be squished into a tight closet. It holds two loads of laundry, and the wide handles are comfortable for carrying. This bag is much more durable than the Household Essentials Hanging Cotton Canvas Laundry Hamper Bag we tried. Honestly, we hate the Reisenthel’s childish graphics and would probably only use it in a closet (we wish that this more sophisticated-looking version were still available stateside), but it’s really functional and gets rave reviews on the Container Store’s site.

If you’re looking for a more traditional hamper, we like the $9 Starplast Tall Flex Laundry Baskets featured in our laundry basket guide. The compact design is small enough to slide into a closet and well ventilated so damp clothes won’t mold. The soft plastic makes this an easy basket to carry, although it’s not as portable as the Reisenthel.

For a hamper that’s attractive enough to leave out in plain sight, go with the Seville Classics Water Hyacinth Hand-Woven Oval Double Hamper ($55), made of wicker with two separate bins for sorting and removable canvas for transport. It also has a lid, so you won’t need to scramble to hide your skivvies when guests come over. This hamper doesn’t perform as well as our other picks, but it looks nicer. -CCC

Compact clothes-drying rack

2-Tier Mesh-Top Drying Rack

Our favorite drying rack will fit in a bathtub, can easily be moved while loaded with laundry, and is the easiest one we’ve found to store.

$35 on The Container Store

After testing three top-rated racks, we prefer the Container Store’s 2-Tier Mesh-Top Drying Rack for a small apartment. Although it holds only one load of laundry, it has a very small footprint—19 by 23 inches and 39½ inches tall. That’s small enough to fit into a bathtub, which we’ve found is often the best place to dry clothes in a small place.

Because this rack folds vertically, you can also fold it up while it’s loaded with clothes and move it to another room, or outside—a bonus if you’ve just hung stuff up, and then unexpectedly have guests. We like the mesh top, which would work nicely for drying delicate lingerie or a sweater that needs to be dried flat.The rack folds down to 2 inches thick, so it’s easy to stow behind a door or on a hook in a closet. In comparison, the Moerman Laundry Solutions Y-Airer Indoor Folding Clothes Drying Rack and Household Essentials Folding Clothes Drying Rack we tried were bulkier.

One quirk that we didn’t love is that the bottom bar that locks the rack into the open positions seems to slip pretty easily, but that’s what makes it so easy to fold up and move around, even when full. And the rack never fell. -CCC

Hanger drying rack

Whitmor Designer Plastic Clip and Drip Add-On Hangers (Set of 3)

For a clothes-drying solution that saves even more space, a hanging rack works well for items such as socks and lingerie.

$9 on Amazon

For delicates and smaller items, we like Whitmor’s Designer Plastic Clip and Drip Add-On Hangers ($8 for 3). The three hangers can be used separately or attached together for more storage. The hanger hooks have a unique locking mechanism that keeps them securely on a shower rod, and we like that the three hangers, which can clip to each other like a vertical mobile or hang separately on a horizontal rod, give you 24 clips to work with. In contrast, the Lingerie Drying Rack we tested from the Container Store felt flimsy, and none of the other racks we looked at offered as many hooks.

The Sweethome’s Harry Sawyers uses and likes the Whitmor for hanging baby socks and delicates that shouldn’t go in the dryer. If you use a tension rod, he cautioned not to overload one end. “The trick is to balance the hangers out through the length of the rod and not load them up on one end. Or, you know, get a tougher, wall-mounted shower rod,” he said.

Across 191 Amazon reviews, the Whitmor rack has a rating of 4.7 stars. -CCC

VI. MULTIMEDIA

E-book reader

Kindle Paperwhite

The Kindle Paperwhite holds as many as 1,100 titles, so you can keep growing your library without cluttering your apartment. Its backlight makes it easy to read in the dark without keeping up your significant other, baby, or a roommate.

$119* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $140.

Considering you can carry an entire library in your pocket with an e-book reader, going digital makes a lot of sense when space is limited. We like the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, as we reviewed here, because it has a built-in screen light for night reading and a no-glare screen for sunny days. It can hold 1,100 titles, and the battery runs for up to eight weeks at a time, even with its screen lighting on. You can use the backlight to read in the dark—great for one-room apartments where one person goes to sleep earlier. The $119 Paperwhite comes with ads that pop up during reading, so we recommend springing for the $139 version without ads.

You’ll also want to download the free Kindle app to your smartphone for those days when you leave your Kindle at home. “I think Kindle is great. I’ve probably read 50 books on my phone,” Graham Hill said. “A lot of people write it off out of hand, but you always have your phone with you. It’s amazing to have a library with you all the time.”

The Paperwhite was highly recommended by Gizmodo, CNET and Engadget, and comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Amazon recently announced the Kindle Voyage, which costs about $80 more and comes with improvements to page turning, the backlight, and more. We plan on testing it against the Paperwhite once it ships at the end of November. -CCC

Digital audio/visual

Graham Hill recommends going digital whenever you can. Physical media like DVDs take up a lot of space. He’s a big fan of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Pandora, and Spotify. If streaming movies is your jam, check out AT&T’s new U-Verse package, which bundles high-speed Internet with basic cable, Amazon Prime, and HBO (check your area for availability).

Hill has also used ScanMyPhotos to digitize old photos (so he doesn’t have to store the snapshots or negatives) and eFax to send documents instead of having a fax machine on hand. -CCC

Media streaming box

Roku 3

This fast, affordable media streamer offers a huge selection of apps from all of the major services and a clean, responsive interface.

$89* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $95.

If you subscribe to streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu Plus, the best way to get that content is with our favorite streaming box, the $90 Roku 3. It offers the largest selection of apps so the content you want is most likely available on it. The interface is easy to use; the remote uses WiFi, so you can hide the box in a cabinet; and it offers a better day-to-day experience than the other products out there. In our tests, the Roku 3 fired up Netflix in a quarter of the time it took the cheaper Roku Stick to do the same. The Roku is service agnostic, unlike Apple TV and Google Chromecast, which are both geared toward selling content from their own stores.

The Roku 3 will be the best pick for most people, but if you buy most of your content from the iTunes Store, you should get an Apple TV, which supports almost as many apps as the Roku and lets you play iTunes content on your TV. If you mostly use the Google Play store, the $35 Google Chromecast is a better solution for you, but it requires a smartphone or tablet to work.

Projector

BenQ HT1085ST

The BenQ 1085ST is the best projector for small rooms because you can place it closer to a screen or wall than most others and still get a big image.

$967* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $1099.

A projector turns even the smallest room into a home theater and eliminates all of the visual distraction of a big TV when not in use. For small apartments, we like the $1,300 BenQ HT1085ST, a “short throw” projector that can be placed closer to a screen than other models while still generating a large enough image to be worth it. This is very similar to our favorite $1,000 projector, the BenQ HT1075, but allows for a bigger picture in a tight space. For example, from just about 3 feet from the wall, the HT1085ST will project about a 65-inch image, while from the same distance the HT1075 makes only about  a 40-inch image.

One downside to the HT1085ST is that it lacks lens shift, so you can’t adjust the lens up or down, ultimately limiting the installation options. But given that you would mount/place this close to the screen, this may not be an issue.

If you want to save a bit of cash, you could get the W1080—the older version of the HT1085ST. It doesn’t quite match up in performance but goes for $300 less. Or there’s the short throw $600 Optoma GT760, which we reviewed in our budget projector guide. Both BenQs have better picture quality overall, though, and because they are 1080p they have a much higher resolution than the 720p GT760. -CCC

Soundbar

Paradigm Soundscape

This 46-inch soundbar provides richness and clarity to movie sound and dialogue.

$1500 on Amazon

If you want to improve the sound quality of the BenQ W1080ST projector (and you probably do, because the single speaker is tiny), we recommend getting a soundbar. A soundbar basically combines a receiver or multiple receivers, and sometimes even a subwoofer, into one compact package that will produce great sound. But the real draw: space savings. While a nice speaker setup might consume a whole room, this thing sits right below your TV (or mounts onto the wall) and still provides a level of detail that enhances music’s sound and dialogue more understandable. The better ones will even give you the illusion of having multiple speakers set up in different locations—just like a real home theater system.

The $1,500 Paradigm Soundscape is our pick for best soundbar. It costs a hefty chunk of change, but the sound is excellent and it outperformed five other similarly priced competitors. Our home theater expert, Chris Heinonen, explained in our review, “It bested almost all its competitors in our testing thanks to a more-accurate lower midrange that provides some extra richness and warmth to movies and music. It throws a very large, involving soundstage and has clear dialogue with its center channel.” Beyond having great sound, it’s easy to set up and comes with a wide variety of inputs, including Bluetooth with Apt-X, which means you can easily stream music to it from your phone or computer.

$250 on Best Buy

Vizio S4221W-C4

Our favorite budget soundbar improves the sound on a small TV or projector.

If you’re not willing to shell out $1,500, the Vizio S4221W-C4 is the best budget soundbar we’ve found. It has immersive sound, a solid build, and the best wall-mounting mechanism for models in this class. We also like that it comes with an LCD remote, all the cables you’d need, and a slim subwoofer design (12.5 by 6.9 b 15.9 inches) for easy placement. Overall, it sounds good, but if you care about quality sound, it’s worth investing in the Paradigm.

These soundbars will also work for streaming music, although if you specifically want a speaker for this purpose, go with a home Bluetooth speaker. The Wirecutter’s Geoffrey Morrison said soundbars excel in improving a TV or projector’s sound, while BT speakers are usually better for music. -CCC

Home Bluetooth speaker

Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth Speaker System

This compact Bluetooth speaker doesn’t require a bunch of annoying cords and will fill a small space with party-worthy sound.

$399 on Amazon

Chances are you’re streaming much of your music these days, especially since you probably don’t have room for records and CDs. For an easy-to-use audio system that will work with any streaming service, we’d go with the shoebox-sized Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth Speaker System ($400). Its sound won’t trump that of a full-size system, but it is compact and performs well enough for a small apartment.

Our reviewer Brent Butterworth found that the Marshall Stanmore sounds great with all kinds of music and plays louder than any other all-in-one wireless speaker he tested. Its bass and treble controls are easy to use, and it has plenty of inputs if you want to connect it to multiple devices. (Keep in mind that if your main use is to improve TV or projector sound, you’ll probably want a soundbar instead.)

If you find the Stanmore’s faux guitar amp style a little too garage band for your taste, we also like the $300 Wren V5BT (which also comes in an AirPlay version). It’s not as clear or as natural sounding as the Stanmore, but it has a sleek, modern design available in a more sophisticated rosewood or bamboo veneer. -CCC

VII. MISCELLANEOUS

Here are a few personal small-living recommendations from folks at LifeEdited and the Sweethome, as well as from our experts.

IKEA Pax closets

Infinitely configurable, IKEA’s modular closets provide floor-to-ceiling storage with any mix of drawers, shelves, bars, or door styles desired.

Varies on IKEA

Modular closet: There are many modular closets out there, but we didn’t get a chance to test them for this guide. Professional organizer Laura Cattano recommended the Pax and Stolmen closets from IKEA. You could create something similar to Hill’s magic wall of storage with a few of the Pax wardrobes, or with the open Stolmen shelving covered with floor-to-ceiling curtains. -CCC

Canvas Drop Cloths

A little bit of sewing can turn this affordable sheet of canvas into heavy curtains or room dividers.

$14 on Home Depot

Floor-to-ceiling curtain: If you’re looking for a DIY solution for hiding the visual clutter of open shelving or a modular closet, Hill likes using simple canvas drop cloths. “You can make super inexpensive curtains out of them,” he said. At $12 for a 6- by 9-foot piece of cloth, this is indeed a much cheaper solution than buying yards of heavy-duty fabric. We think drop cloths would also work well for creating a room divider. To hang a heavy curtain, Cattano uses sturdy half-inch plumbing pipe or metal conduit, available at hardware stores. “They both come in 8-foot lengths, can either be cut (where you buy it) or easily added to in length, can be painted, and are inexpensive,” she said. A drop-cloth curtain can also cover other apartment eyesores; we like this DIY project from One Kings Lane for hiding a stacking washer and dryer. -CCC

GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Toaster

$15* on Amazon

*At the time of publishing, the price was $14.

Camper toaster: If you don’t have room for a countertop toaster, a camper toaster—meant to toast one piece of bread over a campfire—takes up only a fraction of the space and can be used directly on the stovetop. Sweethome editor Ganda Suthivarakom uses the GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Toaster ($9), which folds flat when not in use. It takes only one to two watchful minutes to toast a standard slice over electric or gas ranges (but not induction). It was recommended by Carolyn Shearlock on The Boat Galley. -CCC

Microfiber Dish Drying Mats

If you don’t have a sink that can accommodate a dish drain tray, get two of these absorbent pads—one to hang dry while you use the other.

$5 on Bed Bath & Beyond

Microfiber pads: As an alternative to a small dish drain tray, try these microfiber dish drying mats ($5 each). The Sweethome’s Christine Cyr Clisset keeps two of these on hand (rotating them between uses to dry), and folds them in half, since she only has 9½ inches of drying space between sink and wall. She’s also found that the mats work well as a drop cloth under a baby’s high chair and, in a pinch, as a compact bath mat. -CCC

e-cloths

LifeEdited’s David Friedlander recommends these dense microfiber cloths for cleaning any surface without sprays.

Varies on e-cloth

Microfiber cloth: LifeEdited’s David Friedlander loves e-cloths, washable, high-denier microfiber towels that can be used to clean nearly every surface of the apartment. He said, “We picked up one of their Kitchen Packs from Green Depot for the LifeEdited apartment, not knowing what to expect. They work great, cleaning glass, chrome, and counters equally well, all without cleaning fluids.” -GS