Small apartment in Geneva: 10 storage ideas that change everything

When Luca and Giulia arrived from Turin, they found a 3-room flat in Les Pâquis: bright, central, and small. With remote work, the kitchen table became office, canteen and workshop. Giulia's bike blocked the hallway. "In Geneva, square metres are expensive. Every single one had to earn its keep."

Here are the ten ideas that transformed their flat.

Gaining space

1. 011. Declutter before buying storageBoxes don't create space, they fill it. Luca and Giulia sorted first, then bought only what was missing.
2. 022. Use the heightFloor-to-ceiling shelves in the hallway and above doors: the top of the walls is the most underused space in a small home.
3. 033. The bike on the wallA vertical wall mount freed the hallway at once. Check with your letting agency before drilling.
4. 044. Under the bedRolling drawers for bed linen and off-season clothes.

Making work and home coexist

1. 015. A desk that closesA bureau or a shelf with a door: in the evening the laptop disappears and the flat becomes home again.
2. 026. One work box per personAt the end of the day, each of them puts cables, notebooks and headphones in their own box. The table is a table again.
3. 037. Furniture that does two jobsStorage bench, extendable table, storage pouffe: every purchase has to earn its place twice.

Keeping it tidy day to day

1. 018. A place for everything, especially small thingsA tray by the door for keys, one drawer for papers to deal with: it's the small homeless objects that create the mess.
2. 029. The ten-minute ruleEvery evening, ten minutes to put things back. With two of you, that's five minutes each.
3. 0310. The basement as an ally, not a dumping groundSuitcases, ski gear and holiday decorations go there, labelled. Anything you never use goes for good.

"It felt like we gained a room. Without moving." — Giulia

A hand to get started

We help small homes breathe: sorting, made-to-measure organisation and storage advice for your flat, across Geneva, Vaud and Valais, in French, English or Italian.