Clever Living Room Storage That Works Hard

Living rooms in Maltese homes often need to do several jobs at once. A well-planned storage system keeps things tidy without feeling clinical, giving you a base to build a layout that suits your space and your style.

Start with a flexible base unit

A good storage system should flex to fit the room, not the other way round. IKEA's BESTÅ range is built on exactly that idea: a modular frame that can be configured low and long or stacked taller, with a choice of doors, fronts and legs so the finished piece looks like it was made for your flat. In a compact apartment or townhouse living room, a low BESTÅ unit along one wall gives generous storage without closing the space in, and the different door styles mean you can match it to the rest of your furniture rather than the other way round.

BESTÅ TV bench, white stained oak effect, 120x40x64 cmBESTÅ TV bench, white stained oak effect, 120x40x38 cmBESTÅ TV bench, white stained oak effect, 180x40x64 cmBESTÅ TV bench, black-brown, 180x40x64 cmBESTÅ TV bench, black-brown, 120x40x64 cmBESTÅ TV bench, black-brown, 120x40x38 cm

Shop BESTÅ

Organise what is behind the doors

The real trick to tidy storage is what happens once the doors are shut. Rather than one deep jumble, split the inside of a BESTÅ unit with boxes so everything has a home, remotes in one, cables and chargers in another, board games or throws in a third. It means you can pull out exactly the box you need without turfing everything onto the floor first. Grey storage boxes fit neatly behind the newer honeycomb-effect door fronts, keeping the outside calm and graphic while the inside stays properly organised.

PÄRKLA storage case, 55x49x19 cmSAMLA box with lid, transparent, 57x39x28 cm/45 lKNAGGLIG box, pine, 46x31x25 cmSAMLA box, transparent, 56x39x28 cm/45 lSAMLA box, transparent, 78x56x43 cm/130 lKNAGGLIG box, pine, 23x31x15 cm

Shop IKEA Storage boxes

Add open shelving for lightness and display

Once the closed storage is sorted, open shelving above or beside it stops the wall from feeling heavy. A cubed wall unit works well for this, letting you mix practical items with things you simply like looking at. Group objects loosely by colour or material so the display feels considered rather than cluttered, and try arranging pieces in odd numbers, which tends to look more natural than pairs. In a small Maltese living room, this kind of open display also keeps the eye moving upward, making the room feel less boxed in.

LACK wall shelf, white, 110x26 cmKALLAX shelving unit, white, 77x77 cmLACK wall shelf, white stained oak effect, 110x26 cmLACK wall shelf, white, 30x26 cmEKET cabinet, brown walnut effect, 35x35x35 cmLACK wall shelf, black-brown, 110x26 cm

Shop Wall shelves

Style the top of your storage unit

The flat top of a storage unit is often overlooked, yet it is one of the easiest surfaces to style well. Begin with one anchor piece, such as an EVEDAL table lamp, then build outward with a small group of objects and a piece of artwork, varying the heights so the eye has somewhere to travel. If mixing colours feels risky, keep everything within one palette so the grouping reads as a single considered display rather than a scattering of ornaments.

EVEDAL floor lamp, marble/grey, 41 cmEVEDAL table lamp, marble/grey, 28 cm

Shop EVEDAL

Browse the BESTÅ and EVEDAL ranges on Maltashopper to plan a living room storage setup that suits your space, with orders delivered to homes across the islands.

More living room ideas