There are many awesome things about living in this country. You can walk to lots of places. You can interact with all kinds of people, basically whenever you want. You can get really good, fresh food for non-Whole Foods prices. The list goes on! Storage space, unfortunately, is not Mexico’s fuerte.
At least not for the masses.
If you rent a typical house or apartment, you should celebrate if you’ve got closets in all the bedrooms. Though they may seem like a basic thing to have, you’d be surprised at how many homes simply do not include them. Other dwellings may have closet spaces, but no doors to cover them, which in my opinion is a grave sin. It’s nothing a college dorm-looking curtain can’t fix, I suppose.
Mosey on over to the bathroom, and the only surface you’re liable to find is the sink itself and the top of the toilet. Do you want a place to put your make-up and towels? No.
Take a peak into the kitchen, and it might look even more bare. While some newer homes will include a “cocina integral” — basically, cabinets and counter space — most older homes will simply feature a room with a sink and a little table or counter space if you’re lucky. You’re going to have to pay handsomely if you want a pantry, and might not ever find a place with a hall closet. No wonder so many people keep their pots and pans inside of the oven.
On the one hand, the lack of storage space in Mexico forces us to think about the possessions we really, truly need. Perhaps we don’t need two sets of dishes or three jumbo packs of toilet paper. Maybe one towel per person is enough.
On the other hand, sometimes you just don’t want your place looking junky. What to do?
How to fix your storage issues in Mexico
Have less stuff
This is obvious. But again, it’s an easy way to “solve” a lack of places to put it all. If you’re looking around and realizing that your possessions are spilling all over the place, it might be time to take a page from Marie Kondo and make sure that the things in your space are the things you actually want in your space. If they’re not, perhaps it’s time to say goodbye!
Shelves, shelves and more shelves!
I love shelves. Shelves are the best. I want to marry shelves.
In general, the idea is to use your wall space. Kitchen? Shelves for your dishes and food, and find a place to hang your pots and pans. If there are no cabinets on the bottom, tables with at least two tiers. Bathroom? Larger shelves higher up for your towels — above the toilet is a good spot — smaller ones closer to sink level for your toiletries. Just make sure they’re not in a spot where you’re liable to bump into them with your face. For wet towels in both places, command hooks look great, and nails will do in a pinch!
Baskets
What do you put on those shelves to keep them from looking junky? Baskets! Pretty, rustic woven ones can be found at the market, as can simple bookshelves that you can paint and varnish (or not). Fancier expensive ones can be found at higher-end stores.
Actual storage furniture, like in the “olden days”
Think china cabinets. Stand-alone wardrobes. Dresser drawers. Dining room bars with drawers underneath for the drinks and glasses. How did we build homes before the invention of the spread-out ranch-style model? Think about the furniture pieces you’d find in a historical home, and find their modern versions.
Cheaper versions of storage units
If you’re in a pinch, you can get wooden crates, the kind they sell mangos in, at the market. Mexico’s plethora of Chinese stores and even grocery stores offer plenty of plastic and metal-looking stand-alone cabinets and drawers. If you need something cheap and temporary, there are options!
What else would you all add to this, my experienced Mexico-dwellers?
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
