Short answer: Closed storage works best in a small living room when each kind of clutter has its own home. Put cords and devices behind the doors of our Aurora credenza, Stella media unit or Mensa credenza, put blankets and pillows in a sofa storage seat or ottoman, and move books and everyday items onto the wall with a Themis cabinet or an Altitude storage cabinet. Keep a few open shelves for the things you like to see.
Small rooms show clutter quickly because there is nowhere for it to go. A few well-chosen closed pieces keep the room calm without adding more furniture than the floor can carry. Below, we sort the clutter, match it to our pieces and see what each product page says about doors.
On This Page
- What kind of clutter does a small living room collect?
- Which of our pieces hide which kind of clutter?
- How do you hide cords, routers and game consoles?
- What should you know about doors in a tight room?
- How do you hide blankets, pillows and everyday items?
- Can wall-mounted storage free up the floor?
- How much open storage should you keep?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our storage
What kind of clutter does a small living room collect?
Clutter usually falls into four groups, and each group needs a different kind of home. The sorting below is general advice, not a product specification.
- Cords and devices. Routers, game consoles, streaming boxes and the cables that connect them. They look untidy because they are visible and hard to move.
- Soft goods. Throws, spare pillows, kids' blankets and, in some homes, guest bedding.
- Small daily items. Remotes, coasters, chargers, magazines and mail.
- Things you want to see. Books, plants and objects you enjoy. These are display, not clutter, and they need open space.
Sort first, because closed storage works best when it matches what goes inside it. A wide, shallow cabinet suits devices and flat items, while soft goods need the deeper space under a seat.
Which of our pieces hide which kind of clutter?
The table matches each kind of clutter to the pieces in our range that are built to hide it or keep it contained. Our guide to living room storage covers modular shelving in more detail.
Which of our pieces hide which kind of clutter?
| Clutter | Our piece | How it keeps things out of sight |
|---|---|---|
| Cords and devices | Aurora credenza | Doors, built-in ventilation and wire management, adjustable shelves, 1 to 3 units |
| Cords and devices | Stella media unit | Cord pass-through; available with or without a door |
| Cords and devices | Mensa credenza | Cable management and height-adjustable shelves |
| Blankets and pillows | Sofa storage seats and ottomans | Hidden space under the seat or inside an ottoman |
| Remotes and small items | Arca curved side table | Hidden storage (the fluted version has open storage) |
| Remotes and small items | Eclipse coffee table | Rotating, removable tray |
| Books and objects, off the floor | Themis cabinet | Closed cabinet, wall-mounted or freestanding |
| Books and objects, off the floor | Altitude storage cabinet | Closed cabinet that fits into an Altitude shelf |
How do you hide cords, routers and game consoles?
A simple way to hide devices is a closed credenza or media unit with a way to route cords. We have three, and each suits a different wall.
- Aurora credenza. Each unit is 32.1 x 15.0 x 18.5 inches, and you can join up to three: two units are 64.2 inches wide and three are 96.3 inches wide. The Aurora credenza page describes built-in ventilation and wire management to keep tech cool while modems and gaming equipment stay organized. It comes in Walnut, Oak and Dove finishes, and it has four door styles: Solid, Slat, Chevron and Rattan.
- Stella media unit. The Stella media unit is 22.4 x 15.7 x 15.7 inches with a door and 22.4 x 15.0 x 15.7 inches without one. Its page lists a cord pass-through that keeps cords tucked away. It comes in oak or walnut, so it suits a small wall or a console and router rather than a large TV. It works as a single unit that you expand by adding more units, and it is made of 18 mm MDF with a melamine finish.
- Mensa credenza. The Mensa credenza is a single piece, 52.8 x 16.3 x 26.5 inches, with height-adjustable shelves and cable management. It assembles in 15 to 20 minutes and comes in Walnut, Black wood or Oak.
We do not publish a TV weight limit for these pieces, so check your TV's weight and the requirements of its stand or mount before you buy. For a full size comparison, see our guide to choosing a credenza or media unit.
What should you know about doors in a tight room?
In a small room, how a door opens matters as much as what is behind it. The table shows what each product page says about the doors or closed storage on each piece.
What should you know about doors in a tight room?
| Piece | Doors or closed storage | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora credenza | Four door styles | Adjustable shelves; 1 to 3 units |
| Altitude storage cabinet | Closed cabinet added to an Altitude shelf set | Shelves around it can stay open |
| Themis cabinet | Closed cabinet | Wall-mounted or freestanding |
| Mensa credenza | Closed storage | Height-adjustable shelves; cable management |
| Stella media unit | Available with or without a door | Door version is closed; open version keeps devices in reach |
Our product pages do not describe how every door opens, so we do not state a door mechanism for each piece: check the product page before you order. Any door that swings open needs clear floor in front, so measure that space before you decide. As general advice, not a product specification, keep a walkway of at least 30 inches in front of any piece, and 36 inches where you want it to feel comfortable.
How do you hide blankets, pillows and everyday items?
Blankets and pillows have the easiest home in a small room: under your seat. Five of our sofa collections have hidden storage, and our guide to sofas with hidden storage compares them in detail.
- Atmosphere. The Atmosphere sofa Storage version holds about 79.4 liters in each seat, corner and ottoman.
- Ciello. The Ciello sofa keeps its storage in a 75-liter ottoman.
- Orian. The Orian sofa bed has storage seats of about 90 liters if you select the storage version, while its sleeper seats have none.
- Neptune. The Neptune sofa bed has a storage ottoman of 32 liters (1.13 cubic feet), plus storage seats.
- Gaia. The Gaia sofa also has a storage ottoman.
Liters do not tell you what fits, so check the depth of the space against your bulkiest item. Our Neptune assembly guide asks you not to overload storage compartments or store flammable items, liquids or chemicals in them, and we suggest treating each storage seat the same way. Our guide to storage ottomans that double as seating covers how they work as footrests and extra seats.
For small daily items, a table can act as a landing spot. The curved Arca side table has hidden storage, the Eclipse coffee table has a rotating tray that detaches when you need it, and the Ombra table has an open shelf, with nesting ottomans for extra seating. Our guide to coffee tables with storage compares them.
Can wall-mounted storage free up the floor?
Yes, when floor space is the limit. Wall-mounted cabinets keep the floor visible, which helps a small room feel larger.
- Themis cabinet. The Themis cabinet is 32.0 x 11.0 x 24.0 inches. It can be wall-mounted or freestanding, and hung right side up or upside down. Freestanding units use anti-tip brackets that attach to the wall. It comes in Oak, Walnut or Dove, with Canary or Eucalyptus accent colors on its page. Each colored door is reversible. The yellow/white and green/white options are designed to be flipped during assembly. Each shelf, cabinet or desk in the Themis range holds 50 lb.
- Altitude storage cabinet. The Altitude storage cabinet is 32.1 x 9.4 x 9.8 inches and is added to an Altitude wall shelf set, so a closed cabinet can sit among open shelves. It comes in Walnut, Black wood, Oak or Dove. Its doors close with a magnetic push latch. It needs an Altitude shelf, which hangs on the wall: see the Altitude wall shelf.
Both are shallower than a credenza, which leaves more floor in front. Our guide to a home office corner with modular shelving shows how Themis cabinets and shelves share a wall.
How much open storage should you keep?
Keep some, because a room with all surfaces closed can feel flat. Open shelves are for the things you enjoy: a few books, a plant, one or two objects. Everything else goes behind a door.
A mix is easy to build with our modular pieces. Add an Altitude storage cabinet to an Altitude shelf run, or put one Themis cabinet among Themis shelves, so some items are hidden and some are shown. You can also hang Altitude shelves on the wall above a credenza such as our Aurora credenza, for a closed base with open shelving above. As general advice, not a product specification, limit open shelves to what you would be happy to see daily.
Our recommendation
Match the piece to the clutter, then check the floor.
- A TV wall in a small room: one or two Aurora credenza units, with adjustable shelves for devices and doors in the style you like.
- A small wall or a console and router only: the Stella media unit, with or without a door.
- One wide piece with more shelf height: the Mensa credenza, at 52.8 inches wide.
- Almost no floor to spare: a Themis cabinet or an Altitude storage cabinet on the wall.
- Blankets and pillows: a sofa storage seat or ottoman from Atmosphere, Ciello, Gaia, Orian or Neptune.
- Remotes and daily items: the curved Arca side table or the Eclipse tray.
For help sizing a sofa and storage together, see our guides to sofas for small apartments and condos and modular vs traditional sofas for a small apartment.
Explore our storage
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.