Rethink your home storage

Modern homes are often multifunctional spaces: they’re offices, gyms, classrooms, even cafes, and can sometimes feel like drop-in centres. But home is also a sanctuary so it needs careful crafting to help it meet all the demands life throws at it.

With limited space and ever-expanding needs, a regular rethink on home storage is a good idea. Smart storage is the secret sauce behind a calm and organised home, and there’s no better time to rethink your strategies than the start of a brand new year.

Smart Storage Principles

When you’re rethinking home storage, keep these core principles in mind:

– Intentional Decluttering: Before adding more storage, assess what’s already in place and how it copes with your possessions. Regarding owned items, follow the “less is more” approach by only keeping items that are functional, beautiful, or hold sentimental value. When you realistically have no room for valuable or sentimental items, investigate local self storage as a viable alternative place to keep them.

– Prioritise Accessibility: Store frequently used items where they’re easy to get at, saving the harder to reach areas for things you don’t use often. Initially reorganising shelves and cupboards may take time, but you’ll keep your blood pressure lower by avoiding frustration in future.

– Use Your Verticals: Make the most of vertical space with tall shelving units, hanging organisers, and wall-mounted hooks, rails or pegboards. This approach maximises storage without encroaching on floor space, making the area automatically feel bigger.

– Choose Multi-Functional Furniture: Pick furniture that doubles as storage, such as ottomans with hidden compartments, beds with drawers, or coffee tables with shelves. Multi-functional pieces add stylish utility and, again, create a sense of more space.

 Storage Ideas Throughout the House

It can feel overwhelming at first, so here are some clues and suggestions for rethinking your storage in every room.

Living Room

– Use decorative chests, ottomans or footstools to store throws, magazines, or remote controls and gaming controllers. They’re also handy for device chargers, power banks, batteries or craft supplies… an almost endless list of small items we often keep on hand.

– Hang floating shelves to display books and ornaments instead of having floor standing units.

– Place a sturdy storage bench along a wall, in a bay window or even the hallway if there’s room. It’s useful for seating and offers discreet storage.

Kitchen

– Add pull-out shelves or organisers in cabinets for easy access to pots and pans.

– Use wall-mounted magnetic strips for knives and metal utensils.

– Invest in stackable, transparent containers to keep pantry items organised and visible.

Bedroom

– Maximise under-bed space with rolling storage bins or vacuum-sealed bags.

– Use hanging door organisers for shoes and accessories.

– Save on closet space by putting out of season clothing into affordable self storage. Just doing this can instantly make wardrobes and drawers feel more organised.

– Install a pegboard or wall hooks to display jewellery or handbags. For hidden storage of these items, consider fixing additional rails or hooks inside wardrobes.

Bathroom

– Add shelves above the toilet, bathroom door, or beside the sink to hold toiletries and towels. There are some great bathroom storage ideas

– Use stackable bins or caddies inside cabinets for better organisation and to keep surfaces clear.

– Consider a ladder-style rack for hanging towels in tight spaces.

Garages and Outbuildings or Sheds

– Use pegboards to hang tools, hoses, and accessories.

– ceiling-mounted racks for larger items that take up floor space.

– Group similar items in labelled bins for quick identification.

The Long-Term Benefits

While rethinking home storage is never a one-time activity, it’s a worthwhile undertaking in the long term. You’ll spend less time searching for misplaced items, reduce stress and frustration for all the family and make even your smallest rooms feel more spacious and comfortable. It also gives you the opportunity to have storage that reflects your style and personality as well as your needs.

If you’re ready for a bit of a reset this year, storage is a fine place to start.

Thanks for reading xxx