Stow it!
It’s amazing the amount of things we accumulate over the years – many of them saved "just in case”. A good spring clean will rid you of what is truly surplus to requirements, but what to do with the rest? Luckily, there are many storage solutions available to the creative home decorator – some mobile, some modular, some freestanding, some built-in.
1. Close the ceiling gap
Unless your ceilings are enormously high, take cupboards and wardrobes to the ceiling. That no man’s land between the top and the ceiling is good for nothing but a hiding place for fluff balls. In kitchens it’s a repository for grease.
Out-of-the-way cupboards in halls or bedrooms can also be used for storing seldom-used items such as sleeping bags, suitcases, ski gear and baby wear.
2. Second-storey storage ideas
Think storage when you're planning a two-storey extension. Save your legs and include a linen cupboard upstairs near the bedrooms.
Conversely, install a laundry chute so dirty linen is easily disposed of. And keep baskets at the bottom of the stairs to hold bits that need to go up or down, so you take them with you when you go, rather than making unnecessary trips.
3. Cupboards a tidy solution
Plan for cupboards and drawers rather than shelves if space is limited and you want to avoid looking at clutter. Somehow, if stuff can be flung out of sight, it’s easier to cope with than if it’s piled in a corner (say in a bathrooms or laundry) or tumbling off shelves.
4. Clean out before adding
Have a big clean-out before going to the time and expense of building more cupboards or shelves. Throw out the excess and you might find that extra storage isn’t necessary.
One couple we know were all set to sign up for a new pantry cupboard in the kitchen. They spent a wet weekend turning out the cupboards and throwing out masses of stuff they’d forgotten they had. Result? Plenty of space and a saving of more than $1000 on a cupboard they never really needed anyway.
5. The walk-through wardrobe
Walk-in or walk-through wardrobes which have become almost as much of a necessity as ensuite
bathroom are all very well. You can see exactly what you’ve got. The trouble is that if you’re untidy, it’s so very obvious.
When you’re planning a walk-in robe and an ensuite, have the wardrobe off the
bathroom rather than the other way around. Then you won’t get depressed when you pass your untidy clothes and that jumble of shoes every time you go to the bathroom. Alternatively, install sliding doors to hide the mess.
6. Using roof space storage
Look up for storage space. You can store plenty in the roof space and get to it with a pull-down stair or ladder.
But don’t get carried away. Heavy loads are out. Ceiling joists have been designed to take only the weight of the ceiling. Too much weight could cause the roof to sag in the middle. And while you're up there looking, it goes without saying that you don't step on the ceiling! Serious storage needs a separate floor which is independent of the ceiling system. If you’re in doubt, talk to an expert.
7. Self-contained storage
Install shelves in a wide cupboard in the laundry, hall or spare bedroom, to take a sewing machine and sewing accessories. Recess the main shelf so there’s room for a chair with the door shut. To be totally self-contained, add a power point so there’s no need to have electrical leads snaking all over the floor.
The big advantage of a cupboard such as this is that everything is at your fingertips and the mess is instantly hidden when the door is closed.
8. Lower the ceiling
In a small terrace house with high ceilings, consider lowering the ceiling in a bathroom or laundry to provide extra storage space. The proportion is not as important in these rooms as it is in living rooms. A lower reinforced ceiling is a small price to pay for valuable storage space.
A door set high into the wall in the hall will provide access, via a ladder. The ladder can be hung on a wall in the laundry, or even kept under a bed.
9. Stash it in the garage
If you're planning a new carport or garage with a pitched roof include storage space. You simply build it into the roof to store seldom-used items such as sailboards and tents. Again, it’s best to get professional advice about siting, design and construction.
The gable can match the house in front and have a couple of doors behind the roof pitch at the back, so they’re not visible from the street.
A mezzanine floor might fit under a steeply pitched garage room.
10. Use under-shelf baskets
Make high shelves do double duty. If there’s a gap between what’s on the shelf and the shelf above, swing an under-shelf wire-covered basket from the top shelf. Or stand a wire frame on the lowest shelf to give an extra surface. Shelves and baskets are available from large stores and specialist storage shops.
11. Shallow shelves for books
Books can stand on shelves around 23cm or less deep. These shelves could easily tuck between or under windows without intruding too far into the room.
A tip for gauging how you’d feel about them is to measure up the dimensions and stack magazines or cushions where your shelves are planned. Live with the make-do arrangement for a while and you’ll have a good idea of whether your proposed shelves will be useful or intrusive.
12. Double duty furniture
Maximise space by making furniture work twice as hard. The best example is a sofa bed which eliminates the need to store bulky mattresses or fold-up beds.
A convertible Japanese-style futon is a budget option which works just as well. Use a chest as a coffee table and it can double to store magazines or DVDs. Park it at the end of the bed and it will take an extra doona and pillows.
A chest of drawers used as a bedside ‘table’ in a spare bedroom will store all those bits you can’t find anywhere else for such as spare buttons, washing instruction labels and receipts you keep ‘just in case’.
You can put things in an ottoman or footstool with a lid and use it as an extra seat or even as a coffee table.
The ultimate storage idea we saw in an overseas magazine was a build-it-yourself bed that folded concertina-style into a coffee table. Not for the faint-hearted!
13. Under-stair storage ideas
Don’t overlook storage space under stairs. Depending on the size of the staircase, the area underneath can be converted to a cosy sitting spot, turned into a powder room, or used to store everyday overflow, the vacuum cleaner or a stereo system.
If the area is dark (which it is likely to be) with a constant, cool temperature, then it’s ideal for wine. Install off-the-shelf timber racks or terracotta pipes which have good insulating properties.
14. Get moving with storage
Consider how long you will live in a house before you go for all built-in storage.
If you will be on the move in a few years, look at moveable alternatives. Stores such as Freedom and Ikea have well-priced ranges to choose from. Movable storage is certainly an alternative if you plan to change the function of a room. You can also add to it as your needs change.
15. Modular storage specialists
Once again, retailers such as Freedom and Ikea, not to mention the various storage specialists, have modular storage, shelving and cabinet systems in abundance. The idea is to mix and match various components to tailor a storage solution that suits the available space and your storage needs.
You can create something that mixes open shelves, drawers, closed cabinets — even pull-out desks.
16. Custom-designed storage
If you’re there for the long haul and you like a sleek, well-integrated look then custom-designed storage — built-in, recessed, concealed — is the way to go. This can be very effective in kitchens and bathrooms where you don’t want too much clutter and space may be at a premium.
17. Get a lightweight ladder
Keep a lightweight folding ladder in the house. (If it’s in the shed of garage, you will be less likely to bother getting it.) Most of us have cupboards that are impossible to reach by simply standing on our toes. Hardware stores sell affordable small folding ladders, which can be stashed in a cupboard or under the bed for easy access.
You will find your little ladder invaluable for changing light globes, fixing rogue curtain hooks or dusting high cobwebs.
18. Swap linen for books
If your hall cupboard is redundant because you are lucky enough to have a house that’s well supplied with coat and linen storage, convert it for books.
A clever renovator gutted a double hall cupboard to make way for two low cupboards with bookshelves above them. The result is particularly practical and provides an eye-catching focal point in the hall.
19. Breakfast bar storage
Not everyone likes sitting at a ‘breakfast bar’ for meals. If your family are divided by a high but unused breakfast bar, turn it into storage space.
You need not do anything built-in and costly, although you can if you like. Just remove the stools to make way for shelves and cupboards to tuck under the bar. This makes ideal book storage and can also take the TV and DVD player.
20. A wardrobe for books
If you happen to be blessed with a large walk-in wardrobe with space to spare or, better still, an unused one, it can double for book storage. Certainly, the shelves might be wider and deeper than you would like but you can buy folding plastic shelf inserts from hardware stores so you can double the storage capacity of any shelf. These are also useful in pantries with wide shelves.
21. Hang pots and pans
Add a storage wall to a kitchen in rented accommodation with a plastic-coated, wire-grid frame. Bolt the frame to the wall, sling some butcher’s hooks from it and suspend pots, pans and utensils from them. Not only is it totally practical as everything is right there where you need it, but it looks good, too. You will find a frame in shops specialising in storage equipment.
22. Getting hooked on storage
On the subject of hooks, they are useful in children’s rooms, too. There is an array of hooks and pegboards around these days, some with natty fish and animal designs on them and others featuring fancy painted finishes.
If the hooks are where children can reach them, they will learn tidy habits as they hang coats, backpacks, hats and scarves instead of tossing them on the floor.
23. Blending your bookshelves
To make a bookshelf look less obtrusive, paint it the same colour as the wall so it blends into the background. Open sides on a freestanding bookshelf will also help to lighten the overall look.
24. Become a basket case
Baskets can be stored on a shelf, tucked under a table or bed or stylishly grouped in a corner. Use several in the same material and shape if making into a display. Just make sure the baskets are lined so items don’t get snagged.
Small baskets can be ideal in bathrooms for toiletries; larger baskets in children’s rooms for toy and clothing storage.
Hat boxes, old suitcases, restored tea chests can also be used for storage and to add character to a room.
25. Stow it in a window seat
Window seats can be used to stow everything from toys and Christmas decorations to winter blankets or your stash of favourite decorator magazines. Built-in bench seating in a casual meals or breakfast room can be use for the same thing.
The same concept applies to storage in outdoor rooms with built in benches providing storage space for pools equipment and the like.
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If you have objects you’d like to display, choose a
cabinet with glass doors. Also ensure it matches
the other furniture in the room.
You can take your storage all the way to the
ceiling, but you’ll need a ladder to reach the
uppermost cupboards. Photo courtesy of Ikea.
If you’re neat of habit and don’t want to hide
your clothes away, you can opt for open
storage systems. Photo courtesy of Ikea.
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