Top 10 Storage Techniques
That time of the year is approaching – spring cleaning! Since entering the spring season, you're likely considering how to spruce up your home and gain more space. Maybe it’s not the change in season inspiring a shift in your home but a transitional phase in your life, such as moving, having a baby, or just wanting to make your work-from-home lifestyle more comfortable. No matter the reason, we have ten storage techniques to save space, help you create the beautifully organized home you love and never want to leave!
1. Pull Out Drawers
The first storage technique on our list may look small, but you will be blown away by the results! Pull-out drawers not only make the day-to-day easier through the convenience of efficiently organizing materials but also offers opportunities for hidden storage. Which frequently-used space always seems full of clutter? The kitchen. This space is usually a high-traffic area for the whole family, so having as much storage as possible is critical to free up some much-needed space. One way that pull-out drawers can be utilized is by installing these inside your kitchen cabinets. This makes accessing cookware or pantry supplies much easier! Another idea for best using the pull-out drawer is creating a custom drawer for the garbage and recycling. This way, the trash is completely hidden!
2. Under the Staircase
Another way you can take advantage of crucial space is by utilizing the area under a staircase. The options for under-the-staircase storage can be endless, but here are our top tips. If you don't already have a coat closet, this could be a fantastic opportunity to build custom compartments within the space. For best utilizing every inch, we recommend going with pull-out drawers or doors – that way, you won’t need to crawl to look for items and everything is more likely to stay organized. Another great way to use the space under your stairs is to create a powder room. This can be a great location if you need additional bathrooms in your home! Or maybe you've been dreaming of adding a wet bar but are unsure where to find the space. Look no further! Under the stairs can be an excellent spot for a bar or even a wine cellar. This can be a fun spot to offer guests a welcoming drink upon arrival.
3. Laundry Supplies in Containers
Creating a space in a laundry room that feels open and well-organized can be tricky. A surplus of brightly colored boxes and materials are usually scattered throughout, but that doesn’t need to be the case. Instead of keeping your laundry supplies in their original containers, you can transfer them into glass jars. This gives the space a much more elevated look and instantly makes the area feel more open and airier. This slight change can significantly impact the look and feel of the room!
4. Hidden TV Cabinet
Have you ever walked into a home that is beautifully designed and then you stumble across a giant tv in the center of the living room that ends up diminishing the whole aesthetic? We’ve all been there before! But there’s a great solution to create a space that is both family and guest friendly. Wall-hung tv cabinets! They come in all different shapes and sizes, but this allows for a custom way to display a piece of art over your tv while it’s not being used.
These can be created using art panels that open similarly to a window shade. You could even create an entire wall that can slide over the tv cabinet to create a seamless look. The Shoreline Farmhouse project is a fantastic example of using art panels over the tv. As you can see from above, two photos illustrate having the panels closed and looking like a wooden art piece, and then the case is open, revealing the tv hidden inside the wall-hung cabinet.
5. Room Divider
Having a room divider that also acts as storage can be incredibly beneficial in all homes, especially for spaces on the smaller side. When working with a small area, every inch counts. In these spaces, we often need a way to separate areas and create specific zones in a room. That’s why see-through shelving dividers allow a space to feel as large as possible while creating highly functional areas. In addition, this can allow for light and fresh air to still pass through multiple rooms, contributing to an open and airy feel.
6. Murphy Bed
This is probably a storage technique you’ve heard of but maybe haven’t yet considered – or thought they looked outdated. Nowadays, the designs for murphy beds have greatly improved and you can’t even tell there’s a bed inside what looks like a nice standalone cabinet! If you have spaces in your home with multipurpose areas, this technique might be for you! Due to a shortage of space and time, most of us still don’t have proper work-from-home offices. If you have a guest room with a murphy bed, this space could be utilized as an office once the mattress is stored away. Or maybe you’ve wanted your own personal gym. You can get that gym if you have a guest room with a murphy bed! There are different styles, so you should consider what type of look would best work in your space.
7. Fold-Down Desk
Similar to the murphy bed concept, a fold-down desk can allow a space to serve multiple purposes and ultimately help save room. A fold-down desk would work in various locations, whether attached to the wall or on a built-in cabinet. There are some designs that even pair a murphy bed and a desk together in one unit! The advantage of incorporating a fold-down desk into a built-in is the ability to slide the surface out and back in again for a completely hidden solution when not in use. Additionally, there are several locations for books and supplies you may want while at your desk. This can allow the work-from-home lifestyle to be in a fully utilized room such as a bedroom, guest room, or living room.
8. Banquette Seating
Another way to save on space is to use the area under a banquette as storage. This could be a banquette seating area at a home's entrance or within the kitchen or dining area. The entrance banquette is a fantastic area to store shoes, umbrellas, or even gear for your dog, such as a leash. A banquette near the kitchen or dining area could store various items such as extra dishware, cookbooks, and table settings. It’s common to have specific table settings for different seasons or occasions, so this would be a great location to store these items while keeping them accessible.
9. Mudroom Bench & Built-In
Living in Seattle, there’s plenty of rain, which means plenty of opportunities to track mud into the home. A mudroom can be incredibly beneficial by confining dirt to one specific area, allowing the rest of the house to maintain cleanliness. However, this area could be a high-traffic zone, especially if you have a family. That’s why installing built-ins within this space can make a difference! Custom built-ins will give you ample storage options from the shelving, cabinetry, coat hooks, and even benches to take on and off your shoes.
10. Wall Niche
A wall niche can be an excellent way to highlight decorative items as well as adding additional functionality. Niches are usually smaller and often appear in showers to hold toiletries. However, other types of niches can be seen throughout the home, and they work beautifully with built-ins. This can also be a fun opportunity to add a pop of color or introduce an additional texture or material. Either way, these niches can be used to place sculptures and lamps, or they could even be an area for a reading nook!
We hope that you've gained several new ideas and are excited to launch into Spring cleaning! These ten storage techniques can be used throughout your home or as general inspiration. If you have an area in your home could use some organizing, try implementing at least one of these solutions and see what works best for your home. Keep in mind that everyone has different needs so it’s important to personalize the design to reflect your personality and style. Remember, this is YOUR space, so go ahead and lean into the design that feels right for you.
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