10 Ways To Rethink Storage In The Home

1. Use Wasted Corner Space

You may think that triangle of space in the corner of your bathroom, bedroom or kitchen is meant to house the occasional umbrella or ambitious spider web, but it can work as useful storage when you outfit the space with shelving or cabinets designed especially for corners. When space is tight, every little bit counts.

2. Explore Stairway Storage

The area under a staircase is often wasted space. Stairs take up a lot of room in a home, and that space can be reclaimed using one of a number of different strategies. We like step boxes, those cute wicker baskets designed to fit over two steps and nestle close to the wall or railing. They’re perfect for amassing items for a trip up or down the stairs. If your stairs are cluttered with books, shoes and other objects headed in one direction or the other, a step box can be a tidy way to distinguish up from down. To order one, you’ll need to know the horizontal and vertical step rise for your stairs.

There are also prefabricated under-stairs solutions like graduated wall shelves. These shelves are designed for installation adjacent to a staircase. One side of the unit adjusts to the steep angle of the stairs for a custom look.

3. Design With Open Shelving

Kitchen cabinets and even door fronted entertainment centers can look big, dark and intimidating. That’s one reason open shelving has become so popular. Whether you choose freestanding shelves, wall mounted or floating options, the airy look of open shelving is refreshing, and the extra space can be a welcome addition to almost any room. The trick is in finding ways to make your belongings look attractive and interesting.  Here are some suggestions:

• Store your shoe collection on shelves in your bedroom, freeing up space for other types of closet or under-bed items. You paid plenty for those tootsie enhancers, so get full value for your money.

• Don’t store your colorful blankets, quilts, throws and pillows in your linen closet. Instead, fold them nicely and store them on shelves in a bedroom, hallway or nook. The different colors make for an attractive display, and if your shelf is located on an exterior wall, the additional padding can actually help keep the room more temperate during weather extremes.

• If you have a doll, rock, shell or other collection, put it on display instead of storing it in a box or trunk. Visitors enjoy decorative touches that reflect the personalities of a home’s inhabitants. Get your darlings out were everyone can enjoy them.

4. Hide Your Home Office

If your home office looks like a disaster area, you might want to stow at least some of that gear out of sight. There are armoires designed especially for office equipment. They’re like door fronted entertainment centers, only for office essentials like computers and printers. They often include functional features like hinged, pull down desktops and even a two drawer, letter size file cabinets. When you’ve finished for the day, close the door on the mess and reclaim your family room or guest bedroom. Working within the limited footprint of a computer armoire may even help you get and stay organized.

5. Sleep Storage Solutions

The bed takes up a lot of space in a bedroom, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of area leftover for storage:

Under bed storage – Of course, folks have been exploiting the space under the bed for generations. There are lots of products around that make keeping winter sweaters, heavy blankets, holiday decorations, shoes and other gear stored under the bed dust free and protected from the family pet. They include low profile boxes, bags, bins and chests.

Platform bed – If the idea of storing your cashmere sweater next Fido’s latest chew toy doesn’t appeal, you might want to make the bed itself more storage friendly. Platform beds are popular in Europe for a reason. Instead of an innerspring (box spring) mattress, this type of bed is mounted on a platform that can be outfitted with drawers or cabinets. Think of it as under bed storage with a little added flair.

Headboard storage – Another option is to invest in a headboard with onboard shelves, cabinets or drawers. Larger wall units may also include built-in accent tables and lighted mirrors.

6. Increase Garage Storage

Garage storage is considered prime storage. It’s easier to get to than basement or attic storage, and much more convenient than a self-storage unit or even a backyard shed. The trouble with garage storage is that it can get messy and out of control quickly because it often contains seasonal and outsized items like camping gear, landscaping equipment and a wide assortment of tools. It can also be hard to come up with a strategy that will allow you to both put things away efficiently and access them relatively easily when you need them.

Although there’s no simple solution, one strategy is to get as many big, bulky or oddly shaped items off the floor as possible, and then relocate seasonal items as you need them. Large, heavy duty shelving and cabinets can help, but another resource is to install a roof rack system. Once attached to your ceiling joists, a roof rack can hold quite a bit of weight, and it’s the perfect spot for items that hog more floor or shelf space than they deserve.

7. Look Up

If you’re of average height, the space between the top of your head and the ceiling has storage potential. The area over a door, window or cabinet is perfect for small items you use infrequently. Another likely spot is the five inches or so beneath your closet’s ceiling. When equipped with shallow shelves or even rings and securing cord, it can hold umbrellas, wrapping paper and other long but lightweight objects.  When you’re hunting for creative storage, don’t forget to look up.

8. Make Attic Storage More Convenient

Attic storage is a great place for off season items and belongings you can’t bear to part with — yet. Often the problem with attics is they’re difficult to access.  If the only way into your attic is through a hatch in a bedroom closet that requires dragging a ladder from the garage, the space can be so inconvenient it’s practically useless.  Products like pull-down attic stairs can solve the problem. The most popular sizes fit a 7′ 11″ to 10′ 3″ ceiling heights and support around 250 pounds.

If you aren’t really handy, a ceiling staircase (which is more like a roomy, permanently installed ladder) will require professional installation, but the liberated space can be substantial. Once you have an easy way into and out of your attic, add simple flooring with modular, plastic tiles that secure right to the ceiling joists. You can install a 36 sq. ft. section of floor in about 15 minutes.

9. Prefer Multi-Purpose Furnishings

A chair is a chair is a chair—or is it?  Today, the right piece of furniture can perform multiple functions. Some chairs double as step ladders, while others convert to beds. Hassocks can conceal storage bays, and some drop leaf tables can stow a handy set of wooden chairs. When space is an issue, investing in multi-purpose furnishings makes sense. Often you don’t spend any more, but get increased functionality for one low price. In the case of kids’ furniture, invest in a convertible changing table that will be useful as a dresser long after your child is out of diapers, or bunk beds that easily convert from stacked to individual twin beds. The more functional each item is, the fewer overall items you’ll need to own—and store.

10. Crawlspace And Basement Options

Your home’s crawlspace or basement may be home to mold and spiders, but a makeover could turn that wasted space into valuable storage. The effort might take some doing, including adding moisture control, insulation and possibly ventilation, too. The cost could be justified, though. According to Realtor.com and others, new home buyers want plenty of storage space, and if your home has skimpy closets and a small garage, an updated basement or crawlspace could make your home look more attractive when it comes time to sell.