Every time you think of safekeeping, you probably think of humongous shelves, kids’ toy chests, and that bulky closet at the end of your hallway. No wonder only several persons want to invest in good storage space—it’s just not that “chic”. But because of all the storage designs now available, there are so many unique ways to become organized without having to spend time worrying about these clashing with your house decorations. Here are seven outstanding organization concepts you may try for yourself.
1. Baskets. Although more popular with country-style houses, woven baskets have a warm, homey feel that goes great with any theme. Make use of them for keeping magazines, pens, jewelry, as well as other small items. In big, messy areas like your living room, you can put a big basket or a couple of smaller ones on or around your table. If you’re opting for the latter, use baskets in different sizes and weaves to add a bit of interest. For saving space, place your baskets on an end table or a wall rack.
2. Shelves and dividers. Room dividers are great for breaking up big spaces, but they tend to use a lot of space—space that can be utilized for storage. If your room has to have a divider, try using a small bookshelf or display rack rather than a divider. This way, they will be used both as a storage space and a dividing element. Find an open-backed shelf so that it looks presentable on both sides, or utilize two slimmer shelves and put them back to back.
3. Linear racks. Wall storage is a must for small spaces, and the trendy way to do it is with linear storage racks. These racks consist of a vertical trunk with a number of holders installed along it. It’s a great way of organizing small items inside your bathroom, office, or bedroom. And since it’s wall-mounted, it takes up no floor space and will work great for small spaces. You can even create your own—simply polish an old wooden slab and nail on some L-shaped brackets along the front.
4. Niche displays. Don’t have enough space for displaying your antiques collection? Try putting it on top of a shelf or closet. These areas are usually ignored and tend to be dark and dusty, but if utilized the right way, they can make great corner displays. The spot is just right for those special memorabilia that you’d otherwise put away in a box. Install slide lights or an up-light in order to add focus and draw eyes to the display. Limit yourself to just three items per display to play up their form and value.
5. Nested trays. So you have a big basket for all your beauty products, but you still end up digging for your favorite perfume each morning? You can avoid this situation by keeping the storage small, or by dividing your containers into small spaces. Try organizing your toiletries in nested containers, with the items you usually use in the largest tray and the less important ones in the littler compartments. This will provide you faster access to items you use everyday while keeping the rest within reach.
6. Recessed shelves. Mounting shelves on walls saves a lot of floor space, but since the shelves bulge from the wall, they would still add to that cramped atmosphere common in little areas. A wonderful alternative is creating your shelves inward, so the rims are just on the same level as the rest of the walls. This works particularly well with bathroom sinks in corners. The side walls have easy-to-reach storage space for bathroom essentials such as towels and toiletries. Make sure that you plan it well, though, as you can’t simply uninstall these shelves as you would a conventional shelf.
7. Old kitchen items. Old kitchen items such as pans, cups, and bowls can be recycled to make trendy storage tools. Organizing your jewelries? Grab an old muffin pan and position a different accessory in each muffin holder. Use an old cup or mug as a pen holder, or a large bowl to store small toys and figurines. You can even use your old kitchen cabinets and rebuild them to make pull-out trays, creating a space-saving dresser drawer. Nearly any old item can be recycled, so do not be afraid to do some experiments.
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Courtney James is a writer of numerous household organization and interior design articles who has more than fifteen years industry experience. She is also a Certified Interior Designer as well as a regular interior design columnist for redeco.org. Courtney specializes in creating unique and personalized home organization and home décor solutions for her readers and clients.