Storage can be one of the most challenging issues in a home. You’ve got all the different rooms, all sorts of items that need to be stored away, and you want to try and keep the room looking good while doing it. This long post goes over creative storage ideas – from how to use storage containers to style a room to hacks such as fitting hooks and racks to the inside of cabinet doors. It only takes one little idea to transform a space, hopefully one of those ideas is below.
Lazy Susans All Over The Place
The great thing about lazy Susans is that they take up almost the same amount of space of a normal storage unit, but they let you get easy access to hard to reach places. For example, have a look at the first picture below. Instead of having to reach for things stored in the back of the bathroom cabinet, where it will be hard to see whats going on, a lazy Susan is being used.
Other places where lazy Susans can be used include:
- Built into pantry corner shelves, as seen below
- A lazy Susan cabinet tower can be used in the bedroom or bathroom
- Or you can follow along with the tutorial here on how to build your own lazy Susan shoe tower.
Storage as Decor
Good looking storage containers can be left out in the open, on the floor, on open shelves, or on countertops and they will add to the decor and style of the room.
It is best to avoid using plastic containers and go for storage items such as:
Vintage glass bottles can be used to store a whole bunch of stuff. I created a whole post and mood board on using them here: Home Decor Ideas: Using Vintage Glass Bottles. One of the ideas you can see in picture (1). The branded plastic bottles of kitchen liquids (hand soap, dish liquid) have been replaced with glass bottles. By filling up the glass bottles and getting rid of the plastic containers, you add some style to the sink area. This can also be done in the bathroom with hand soaps, lotions, and other liquids.
Shadow boxes hung up on walls add some decorative flair and storage space to a room. In the bathroom this can be combined with a mirror to create a compact vanity. By the entryway they can be used to keep your keys and mail.
Peg boards are great for storage. Not only can you hang things up with just the pegs, but you can hang up planks of wood in-between pegs to create shelves. Check out the peg board wall in picture (2). It looks so much better when it is painted in black. The holes don’t stand out, and it has a luxurious feel to it.
For more storage as decor ideas have a look at these posts and mood boards:
A Simple Way of Managing Clutter
A simple storage item you’ll want to have laying around a few places in the home are clutter bowls or trays. Look for areas that suffer from clutter – such as near the front door, on the coffee table, or on a bedside table. Place a clutter bowl in these places. Now you can chuck all the seperate and loose items together. By simply grouping these small items together you create a cleaner and more organized look in seconds.
Clever DIY Storage Ideas and Hacks
Here are some genius and easy home storage ideas:
- Fit a bracket to the back of kitchen cabinet doors (even a file organzier can be screwed to the back of the door). This inexpensive bracket can hold up cutting boards – seen in picture (3), pot lids, or aluminium foil/saran wrap rolls.
- You can also hang up a railing, such as a towel hanger, on the wall or on the inside of cabinet doors. Now you can hang up trash can rolls, aluminium foil, paper towels, and saran wrap rolls.
- The inside of room doors or even closet doors can also be used for storage. This is helpful if you have a small space. Ties, scarves, and belts can be hung up on hooks. In the bathroom you can hang up towels. You can also get shoe or stationary/craft organisation hangers that hang over doors (4).
- Inside shelves you can fit in tension rods so you can organize items vertically just like in picture (5).
- Floating shelves don’t take up any floor space, which is great for small spaces. And since they don’t use brackets, you create a more minimalist and less cluttered look.
- In picture (6) you can see beams have been attached to the ceiling of a garage to hold up storage containers
- Ladders are an easy way of adding some rustic style to a room and can be used to hang items. In the bedroom they can be used to hang up clothes and shoes (7). In the living room they can hang up blankets and magazines, while in the bathroom they can hang up towels (Ideas for Decorating With Ladders).
- A quick way to add storage to a room is to drape fabric over any tables. Now you’ve got hidden storage space.
- Crown molding can be fitted to the walls so you can hang up heels. For more shoe storage ideas have a look at my post here: Unique Closet and Entryway Shoe Storage Ideas.
- A cool and clever bathroom idea is to have a double shower curtain rod. One of the rods, the closest to the shower, is used to hang up the shower curtain. The second rod is used to hang up your towels, which will be protected from the water by the shower curtain. Now you don’t have to get out or reach for your towels after showering. For more creative bathroom storage ideas and a picture of the double shower curtain railing have a look here.
- That awkward space under the stairs has tons of unique storage potential. In my mood board here people have turned that space into a playroom, bathroom, home office, bedroom, and storage area.
- The corners of a room are some other awkward spaces. The DIY door shelf in picture (8) is a fun and decorative way of adding shelving (Corner Shelving Ideas: Creative Ways of Adding Corner Shelves).
- Room dividers are great for breaking up a space, and hiding items when they are not in use. Say you want a home gym or home office in your bedroom. Hang up a curtain to separate the space. When it is not in use you can cover it all up and hide it away. There are a few simple ways to divide a room, from hanging up curtains to using bookcases. Have a look at my mood board here for pictures and ideas: Ideas Mood Board: DIY Room Dividers.
Built In Storage Ideas
Storage units that have been built in make the most effective use of a space – since they have been customised to the layout of the room. Another great thing about them, is that they are built and design to blend in with the rest of the room. This means that they take up less visual space, whereas free standing storage units are more imposing and make a space feel smaller.
Here are some ways built in units can make the most of your space. Most of these storage ideas take advantage of the height in rooms:
- Get floor to ceiling cabinets made
- Look to build storage units over the headboard in the bedroom, just like in picture (9), over the toilet, or over any doorways.
- The space under a sink can easily go to waste, unless you have a storage unit built around your plumbing work.
- Kitchen and bathroom cabinets can have a toe kick draw fitted. These draws are fitted right at the bottom of the cabinets, which is usually wasted space.
Extra Spaces Around the House
The attic can house a lot of storage space. If you have an unfinished attic space, there are some simple ways you can flooring so you can start using the space. For storage and flooring ideas have a look at my post here: Finished and Unfinished Attic Storage Ideas
There is also the attic space above the garage. This space can make use of a small lift that takes boxes and containers from the garage up into the attic space.
A cozy nook is a great addition to a home. This can be some cushions or a bench near a window in a hallway or bedroom. The little nook can be surrounded by book shelves: Creative Book Storage Ideas: From Nooks to Staircases.
Here are some other storage posts to get more ideas from:
image credits: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9 A/B/C
