Have you looked under the bed lately?

If under your bed you find a dark recess that is home to dust bunnies, old books you forgot to finish, or the lost socks whose existence you gave up on months ago, you are missing out on a wealth of hidden storage!

The average queen size bed can garnish a good 25 to 30 square feet of flat storage. A twin bed still gives you a nice 15 to 20 feet and you could practically park the car under a king bed (although that might make the mattress a bit lumpy!).

WHAT IS THE SPACE GOOD FOR?

Depending on how big the bed is and how close to a wall you have the side of your bed, it may or may not be good for everyday storage.

If the area is not readily accessible consider using it for luggage, out-of-season clothing, old books or magazines and sports equipment. It's also a great place for large pictures and other items you don't currently have a home for. Use it for large winter blankets or some extra sets of linens.

It is also a great place for toys or children's clothes when using storage boxes with wheels that can easily be pulled out from under the bed. Storage bins make it easy and fun to clean up since all items can be chucked into the appropriate bin and quickly wheeled back out of sight.

If your children like puzzles, train sets or building blocks like lego, you might devise a flat platform on wheels so they can push their projects under the bed for the night and pull it out - untouched - to continue playing the next day.

If you need an extra place for overnight guests (especially little ones) perhaps you could purchase or build a trundle bed. A trundle bed slides underneath a regular bed and only needs to be pulled out when in use.

A COMMENT ABOUT PROTECTING YOUR ITEMS

Because dust, humidity (or even bugs) can be a problem in areas under the bed you should try to use sealed storage when possible. Storage bags which allow you to vacuum pack your items makes for a great use of space AND keeps your items dust-free. You might also fill the empty luggage with other items or out-of-season clothing for double duty storage.

Items that are valuable or subject to breakage (which could include pictures if they have frames with glass) should not be stored under the bed in case of accidental breakage. However, it is a grand space of needed storage and you are sure to find many uses for it in your own home.