Room Four: Storage — How to Organise Storage in a Studio Flat and Live With Less

Storage isn’t about fitting more in. 
It’s about owning less — and choosing well.

In a studio flat, storage determines how a home feels. Without thoughtful places for things to live, the space quickly fills with visual noise — boxes, piles, and the quiet weight of excess. But when everything has a place, even the smallest home can feel calm.

This home taught me that storage isn’t really about cupboards. It’s about clarity.

Letting go

Before moving here, my life looked very different.

In Glasgow, I lived in a four-bedroom house we had built from a disused furniture maker’s workshop in the West End. When that chapter ended, I had to decide what would come with me — and what would not.

I reduced my clothes from a full wardrobe to a single large suitcase. I kept only what I loved, what I wore, and what made me feel like myself. The rest went to charity shops and friends.

I spent a year living by the sea in Troon, running along the beach each morning, swimming and paddleboarding. Then a year in Edinburgh in a small rented mews. During lockdown, I packed everything into a van and drove alone to London to stay with my mum. I still don’t quite know how my life fitted into that van.

Those moves taught me something important: we need far less than we think.

Choosing this studio — and choosing enough

When I began looking for a permanent home again, I saw studio flats everywhere — often treated as temporary places, full of compromises.

I was curious. How small could I live — and still feel fully at home?

This studio flat had been largely untouched since the 1930s. It was small, but it had the things that mattered most to me: a large window with sky beyond it, proximity to parks and swimming, and the ability to walk or take the tube easily across London.

I saw it as an opportunity to live differently — and more intentionally.

Storage that supports daily life

The original built-in cupboards remain, and they form the backbone of the flat’s storage. Older interiors often understood storage better — integrated, proportioned, and designed as part of the architecture.

Today, everything has a defined place:

• A small wardrobe, chest of drawers, and hall cupboard for clothes

• Kitchen cupboards designed precisely around what I use

• Bathroom drawers that keep everyday items hidden

• A basket under my desk for art materials

• A wooden box my dad made to store current creative projects

That wooden box has become an important ritual. At the end of each day, I put my work away, change the lighting, and allow the space to shift from studio to home.

In a one-room flat, this transition matters.

Hidden storage, visible calm

In small spaces, I prefer hidden storage wherever possible. Clear worktops and surfaces allow the room to breathe.

The hall cupboard works particularly hard — housing coats, cleaning tools, and everyday essentials. The kitchen was designed so everything I need fits behind doors. In the bathroom, limiting duplicates prevents cupboards from quietly overflowing.

Storage isn’t about capacity. It’s about boundaries.

Living with a one-in, one-out mindset

I mainly shop in charity shops now and follow a simple principle: one item in, one item out.

This keeps my wardrobe manageable and ensures everything I own has purpose. I no longer buy duplicates “just in case.” I trust that what I have is enough.

Every few months, I review everything again. Not as a strict exercise, but as a quiet check-in:
Does this still support my life?

Keeping what matters

Many of the objects here carry stories.

My painted chest of drawers, finished using leftover paint samples.
Artwork made by close friends.
Small treasures found on beaches and at craft fairs.
Books that continue to shape how I see the world.

Nearly everything in this studio makes me smile.

What I’ve realised is that storage isn’t about hiding things away — it’s about making space for what matters most to be seen.

Storage as a form of freedom

Living small has changed how I shop, how I organise, and how I think.

It has made me more conscious. More selective. More grateful.

I no longer dream of endless storage. I value knowing where everything is — and why it is here.

This studio holds everything I need.

And nothing I don’t.

#RoomByRoom #StudioLiving #SmallSpaceLiving #StorageIdeas #StudioFlat
#IntentionalLiving #LivingWithLess #MinimalInteriors #SmallHomeDesign
#OrganisedHome #HealthyHomes #SustainableLiving #InteriorDesignerLife