Storage Solutions for Your Home

As an interesting sequel of the feature in the last issue about arranging furniture to create a beautiful yet functional living space, we have these very practical tips to help you further maintain a functional home by maximising the storage space in your home in a way that’s efficient and yet homely.

Buy Double-Duty Furniture

• Look for furniture that serves more than one purpose, such as a coffee table with built-in drawers, a side table that also functions as a display case for collectibles, or chests and tables with enclosed cabinets.
• Find an armoire or entertainment center designed to fit smaller rooms and create enough extra space to store everything from old photo albums to linens or electronic equipment. Or look for one that fits into a corner. Multiple drawers and shelves maximize their holding capacity.
• Use a sleeper sofa and chair as perfect multi-use furniture in bedrooms or other living areas of your home.
• Look for a couch made with built-in drawers hidden beneath the seat cushions.

Find Free Storage Containers

• Save your disposable butter and margarine containers to store small items in the kitchen, hobby area or workshop.
• Use cans with plastic lids or plastic baby-wipe boxes to hold buttons, threads, nuts, nails, screws, washers and small project items.
• Keep just about everything in hanging shoe bags with clear pockets.
• Use an empty rectangular tissue box as a convenient holder and dispenser for small garbage bags, plastic grocery bags and small rags. Secure it to the inside of a cabinet door with thumbtacks.

Control Your Closet

• To fit more into your closet, plan storage that reaches all the way to the ceiling. Stow suitcases, out-of-season clothes, and rarely used items on harder-to-reach upper shelves.
• Save space in your closet by adding hooks to the door for belts, ties, or shoe organisers.
• Use shelf organisers and dividers to keep things neat and easy to find.
• Put an inexpensive cardboard or plastic drawer unit in your closet to increase storage space.
• Hang your clothes by style and colour and give the clothes to charity that you haven’t worn in over a year.
• Install tiered double-hanging rods to accommodate shirts and pants. This way, they can hang above and below each other, taking up less space than hanging side by side.

Save Space in the Bedroom

• Under-the-bed storage boxes fit in tight, narrow spots; some even have wheels for easier access.
• Increase the space in a child’s room by using a bed platform with built-in drawers.
• Kids will help keep things out of the way and off the floor if a row of wooden pegs line one wall of their room. Make sure the pegs are within the child’s reach.
• Store toys and books in low shelves and secure bins that won’t fall over. Old chests and trunks also make creative tables with toy-storage capability.
• Use a wall hanging with storage pockets as a great space saver for keeping coloring books, pencils, rulers and other small items together in one place. Buttoned pockets help keep sharp scissors or glue out of reach of a toddler who shares a room with an older child.
• Canvas and wooden clothes hampers make excellent, easy-access containers for toys. Use a large hamper for stuffed toys and a smaller one for books and puzzles.
• Store seldom used clothing or other materials inside your luggage and travel bags rather than just storing them empty.

There’s more yet untold about maximising the storage space in your home, expect more interesting storage tips in the next edition, guaranteed to make your home a haven of practical loveliness!