5 products I bought to make my small bedroom feel bigger

With very limited closet space, my bulky jackets, towels, and robe didn't seem to deserve hangers. My puffy winter parka takes up the same amount of space as multiple shirts, and I wasn't willing to get rid of clothes just to make space for a jacket come winter, so I got this heavy duty hook rack instead. You simply slide it over your door — it's cushioned so it doesn't scratch the wood — and it adds tons of hanging opportunity to an area that would otherwise be dead space.

It has four hooks, but each hook is made up of two prongs and a circular top, so you really have twelve hooks worth of space to hang things on. I like to use this for products that need to be accessible — my bathrobe, towel, and sometimes a jacket or two. Many hook racks of this kind make it difficult to fully shut your door, but with this model that's no problem — the over the door hooks are very flat, so they don't affect your door at all. At $15, this item is a no-brainer to me — it adds a ton of space-saving value at a low cost.

One of the items I struggled most to find was a nightstand. I wanted something that looked nice, but actually had a decent amount of storage. Ultimately, I decided to create one of these Elfa drawers at The Container Store, and it was a great decision. While not the cutest beside table on the market, the plain white color goes with everything and the amount of storage I gained is unbeatable.

One of my favorite things about this product is that it can be customized to fit your organization and space needs. You pick a frame based on how tall you'd like your drawers to be, then choose what size drawers you'd like, and top it all off with a surface of your choice. I opted for all white, as it matched my room best, though there are also silver options. For my drawers, I choose four different sizes, so I could neatly store lots of different items. In the smaller drawers I have paper goods and little things I use every day, while the larger drawers hold bigger items like tech and extra toiletries. This was one of the more expensive products I bought, but it's versatility and utility made it truly worth the price.

I'm lucky to have a good amount of shelving in my room, but keeping shelves looking tidy without constantly having to fold everything is difficult. These fabric storage bins have saved me from that issue. I keep them on my shelves and use them to store cold weather accessories like scarves and hats as well as socks and underwear.

Since they're made of fabric, they have some give, so you don't have to worry about them breaking from being stuffed to the brim. They do a great job of keeping my items concealed, and more importantly, all in one place. The heathered gray cotton also looks great and adds a nice aesthetic to any shelving unit.

I was pretty averse to this shoe organizer when I moved in, so I decided I would try using a regular storage bin to hold my shoes instead. When that bin became a messy pile, I realized I needed this organizer. This one bag can hold up to 16 pairs of shoes — even more if you're including flip flops, flats, or other really thin pairs. The soft sides make the bag malleable, and the clear plastic top keeps your shoes safe from collecting dust under your bed. You can easily pull this out from under your bed to access any pair of shoes at any time. Most importantly, it saves me lots of valuable floor space.

Throughout all of my internet research and crowdsourcing friends, one of the biggest space-saving hacks I came across was floating shelves. Admittedly, I was hesitant — what if my things slipped off the shelves and broke?

After becoming frustrated with the clutter on my nightstand, I decided to face my fear and just go for it. So far, nothing has fallen or broken — actually, these shelves have been one of my favorite additions. I use them to hold my favorite candles, succulents, books, and other small decorative objects. They add a nice decor element, but also are very practical.

When you have limited floor space and surface area to work with, using the vertical space you have available is a great idea. These shelves take advantage of that, letting you use your walls for actual storage. Depending on your living situation, you can choose shelves that screw into the wall, or ones that stick with a simple adhesive like these.