Home Tree Atlas: Home Decor Ideas and Mood Boards

Hidden Storage Ideas: James Bond and Home Decor

Maybe you want to hide things away for security reasons. Or things need to be hidden just to make the room look better and keep it clutter free. Either way, this post has a whole list of creative and inventive hidden storage ideas for you to use around the house.

Hinged Wall Storage Poster

A framed picture, mirror, or canvas piece can hang on the wall to hide something. But don’t hang it like you’d normally would. Instead use hinges so that the framed piece can swing open.

You could hide a thermostat, keys just like in picture (1), sockets, a breaker box, or hide a shelf of items (2), a router, use it for gun storage, or anything that’s on the wall. You could even hide an ironing board if you have a tall enough canvas piece.

Going Beyond Draws

Draws are designed to be just one empty box. Things get lost and messy, unless you are able to create some sort of organizer to keep things separated. There are simple draw insert, but you can take it a step further.

It really comes down to what you want to store away. Have a look at the flour and sugar draw in picture (3). The grilled draw in picture (4) lets the vegetables breath in the draws. I’ve seen a draw fitted with a chopping board and a hole in it, and under it was a pull out trash can.

You could fit a knife block in a draw (5). Or how about fitting a fold out ironing board (6).

To create extra draw space, look to the baseboard. This is the space underneath the cabinets, and it can be turned into extra draws – just like the ones in picture (7).

Staircase Storage

The space under each step can have a draw that pulls out (8). Another idea is to give the space under the staircase a makeover.

You can either have a door that opens to a small storage space – which is what most homes will have. Another option is to have a shelf that pulls out with a small room behind it – seen in picture (9). One last option is to have large draws that pull out and have separate storage sections.

Getting Creative With Built In Units

Built in storage units can be fitted and hidden around the home. They can be fitted in between the studs just like the pull out cabinet in picture (10). Another big build would be to fit storage into decorative kitchen molding (11). And floating shelves can be made so that they pull out giving way to hidden storage (12).

Or how about the clever hidden storage space built into the bathroom sink countertop in picture (13). And check out the pull outs under the kitchen sink in picture (14) storing washing up items.

In Plain Sight

Books seem to be a common way of hiding things on a shelf. You normally see books on a shelf, so why not cut the covers off of some books and create a box disguise – just like the one in picture (15).

Hanging up a wall unit is a simple way of storing and hiding away common house hold items, such as laundry supplies (16), a flat screen TV, or electronics.

Another way to store things out in the open but not have them create a cluttered and messy look is to use good looking and matching storage containers. Use matching wicker baskets on a shelf, or glass jars, wire baskets, or galvanized buckets. Wicker hampers and trunks, and wooden crates are some other decorative ways of storing items out in the open.

How about fitting a trap door in the floor. This can either be done outdoors on a deck or patio – seen in picture (17). It can even be done inside. Maybe it’s just a small storage space hidden under the floor. Or it could be a space saving way of getting into your basement.

Under Cabinets, Tables and Desks

You can’t see the underside of your tables, cabinets, or desk. Which means you can hide things away here. Routers can be attached to the underside of a desk. A paper tray can be fitted under the kitchen wall cabinet to store paperwork. You could even fit a small shelf under your desk or cabinet to store small items.

Inside the Closet and Cabinet Doors

The inside of closet and cabinet doors can be modified for extra storage space. Kitchen cabinet doors can be fitted with railings and hooks to store rolls of paper tissue, tin foil, or cling film. While bedroom closet doors can be fitted with railings on the inside to hang up scarves (Creative Ways of How To Store Scarves), jewelry, or other pieces of clothes.

You can also buy over the door storage organizers. These are used mostly over a door to a room, but they can be fitted to the inside of a closet door.

Under the Bed

If you have a bed with space under it, this can be a place to store items too. IKEA has a number of storage units on wheels that slide under the bed. Or use wicker baskets to store things away neatly under the bed.

If you want creative ideas on how to hide wires, then have a look at my post here.
Want to hide a router? Look here.
And here is a post on how to hide the ugly things around your house.
Search all of my storage posts for more ideas

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June 1, 2016 in Storage

Creative Ways of How To Store Scarves

It’s pretty surprising the number of ways you can create storage for your scarves. The 15+ scarf storage ideas in this post have been divided up into A) ideas on how to store them out in the bedroom, and B) ideas on how to store and organize them in your closet.

Creative Open Storage Ideas and Solutions

Hang up towel rails or a decorative curtain rail on the wall, and tie scarves to them, just like in picture (1)
You could also use shower curtain rings as hooks on the railing
A more DIY approach would be to hot glue gun clothes pegs (see if you can get some vintage looking ones) onto a plank of wood (2). How about spray painting the whole piece to give it a more uniformed look.
A ladder is a unique way of hanging up scarves in a bedroom (3). If you have extra space on the ladder you could always hang up magazines, blankets, or clothes. You could also screw in some hooks on the sides to add more storage.
A wine rack makes for a good mini cubby system for your scarves (4)
Wooden crates with dividers can hang on the wall, just like the tie holder in picture (5).
Or how about getting draw dividers so you can store your scarves in a draw neatly. You could DIY your own draw dividers by cutting up PVC pipes (6).
Create an accessories wall area by hanging up a mirror and a small shelf. And a railing can be used to hang up your scarves (7).
For a more natural and rustic look, how about framing some dried tree branches that can be used as hangers (8). This can hang in the bedroom of by the front door.
Another rustic idea is to use pallets just like the wall hanger in picture (9)
Your scarves can add a bohemian touch to your bedroom or by the front door. Hang up some string or cord on the wall, and drape your scarves to create a curtain of different fabrics (10).
The PVC pipes or round storage boxes can hang on the wall. Use different size pipes and boxes, and paint them to create a decorative wall storage space (11).

Storing Scarves Inside Your Closet

You could always hang up the towel or curtain rail on the inside of your closet door (A)
A coat hanger can be used with shower rings as a space saving scarf storage idea (B)
A DIY way to create a large stackable mini cubby system is to cut PVC pipes and stack them in your closet (C)
There are over the door storage organizers that have pockets for you to put your scarves into. This can hang over your closet door or over the bedroom door.
You can get your own round coat hanger here and use shower curtain rings to create a space saving scarf hanger, just like the one in picture (D)

Here are some other closet and storage posts to get more ideas from:

image credits 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11 A/B/C/D

May 31, 2016 in Bedroom, Storage

Make The Most of Your Space: Dorm Room Storage Ideas

It might seem like a hard task to add storage space to a dorm room. Since you are limited by what you can do, it terms of hanging things up and changing out the furniture.

But there are quite a few creative ways you can carve out some storage space, you just need to look at your room closely and get a little inventive. This post of dorm room storage ideas tries to list out all the different ways you can go about organizing and storing things in your room.

Just make sure that you find out what you can and can’t do to your dorm room. As each college will have different rules.

Creating Storage Space

Add a Ladder: A ladder doesn’t take up much floor space (which is quite valuable in a dorm room). But what it does do is help add vertical storage space to a room. You can use one to hang up clothes, magazines, or blankets. And you can always add hooks to the sides of the ladder (or even on one of the steps) so you can start hanging things up, whether that be clothes, jewelry, or other items.
2 Ladders? If you have space then 2 ladders (the kind that open up) can be used along with planks of wood to create make shift storage – seen in picture (1). It can even act as a desk, table, or TV cabinet.
The Inside of Doors: There is a bit of extra storage space that can be created inside of closet and cabinet doors. Maybe you can fit screws and railings to the inside of your closet door, or at least use stick on hooks. The same can be done on the inside of cabinet doors.
Door Organizers: Another way to create storage on the inside of your doors (or the outside) is to get one of these over the door organizers. Fit it so that it faces the inside of your closet for a cleaner and more clutter free dorm room look.
Hanging Organizers: If you have a railing somewhere in your room (maybe your headboard), or if you have extra space on your railing in your closet, you can get a hanging organizer to store clothes, bathroom items, or stationary.
The Magic of Pegboards: See where you can add a pegboard in your dorm room. Maybe it can lean against the wall like a mirror, it can sit on your desk, be fitted to the inside of your closet or cabinet door, or maybe you can hang one up with stick on hooks. The normal thing to do would be to hang things up on pegs, or use little hook and storage bins. But you could also use longer pegs to create a shelf. (The Pegboard House: Inventive Ideas on Using Pegboards Around the House)

Bedside Storage Solutions: There are fabric caddies that can be bought (get one here) that tuck away into your mattress, seen in picture (5). These can be used to store your phone or other items. You can also get a bed shelf that does the same thing. Check out picture (2) showing one of these caddies being used on top of a fridge.
Under the Bed: Most likely you’ll have storage space under the bed. IKEA has storage units that can be rolled under the bed. And another option is to use good looking storage containers (suck as wicker baskets) to store things in, as you’ll probably be able to see these containers when you are in the room.
DIY Storage Solutions: Check out the cubby holes in picture (6). PVC pipes can be cut and hot glued together to create these cubbies. You can even use different sized PVC pipes to get different sized cubbies.
Rolling Cart: A small rolling and multi level cart could be a good way to add storage space for your dorm room. Maybe there are some items you don’t need out all of the time (stationary, bathroom items, etc.). These can be rolled away (into the closet, under or behind the bed) when not in use.
Go Vertical: See if you can add a hutch / small bookcase to your desk – just like the hutch in picture (8). It does take up some of your desk space, but you get a lot of vertical space in return – which can be hard to add in a dorm room.
Better Dorm Room Organization: A lot of times you can get more storage space just by organizing areas better. Draws would be a good place to focus when it comes to organization. Since they are just one big box, it is easy for things in draws to get messy. The best way to organize draws is to divide them up. You can get simple draw divider inserts (get yours here), or you can make your own out of PVC pipes (4). The same goes for shelves – look for ways to create dividers (just like the document holder in picture (7)).
Good Looking Storage: It would be nice if everything could be stored out of sight, leaving you with a clutter free and tidy looking dorm room. But sometimes there is not enough space and items need to be stored out in the open (either on countertops, the floor, or on open shelves).

So if you do need to store things out in the open, then try and get good looking containers to store them in. That way the storage pieces also act as decor items for the room. Some ideas for good looking storage pieces include wicker baskets (get yours here), wooden crates, matching glass jars, wire baskets, or a wicker hamper or trunk.

Another storage tip is to try and get rid of ugly plastic bottles. For example you might have bathroom items that come in the brand’s plastic containers, or there are food items around (like cereal). Replace the brand’s packaging with good looking storage items. Instead of having plastic water bottles, use glass jars. If you have any lotions or liquids on your dresser, pour these into glass jars (how about some vintage glass jars from Etsy). Try and get rid of the generic plastic containers, and use good looking storage pieces. This way your storage pieces also act as decor.

Here are some other dorm room posts to get more ideas from:

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May 31, 2016 in Dorm Room, Storage

Helpful Laundry Room Storage Ideas and Solutions

The toughest item to store in a laundry room is the ironing board. Luckily there are a number of ways to store it out of the way. You can even eliminate having to wrestle with it every time you need to use it. This post goes over a list of laundry room storage ideas, from using your draws as drying racks, to how good looking storage containers can help style your space.

Ironing Boards

You kind of need to wrestle ironing boards to get them open and to close them up again. A good way to get rid of this problem is to either fit a fold out ironing board in a draw, or have an ironing board that folds down from a wall. For pictures and more ideas on how to store your ironing board, have a look at my post here: Wrestling With Your Ironing Board: Ideas on How To Store It and Hide It.

Simple and Inventive Storage Ideas

Draws: Fitting storage pieces into draws makes everything so much more convenient. Doing this also helps create a clean look in your laundry space, since it can all be hidden away when not in use. Above I mentioned how you can fit a fold out ironing board into a draw. Picture (5) shows a dryer rack that pulls out, picture (6) shows laundry hampers that can be stored away into cabinets, and picture (7) shows a handy pull out shelf that helps with sorting clothes out before they go in the washer.
Railing: See if you can fit a railing to hang clothes on. This railing can be fitted in between cabinets, hung on the wall, or have it hanging down from the ceiling. You could go with a standard steel piece for your railing. Or more decorative options include a copper pipe, or how about a long branch for a more DIY rustic look.
A Line: Have a look at the laundry room in picture (2) and you can see that a simple laundry line has been put up. Use it with pegs to hang up delicates.
On the Inside: The inside of closet and cabinet doors can be modified for extra storage space. The doors can be fitted with hooks, railings, and baskets to store items.
Hooks: Simple hooks can be fitted to the walls to hang up towels, jackets, etc.
Wall Cabinets: Built in cabinets would be the best way of creating storage in a laundry room – since they make the best use of your space and are designed to blend in with your room. But hanging up a simple wall unit is another way to create wall storage and hide supplies away just like in picture (4).
Going Portable: The rolling cart in picture (5) is a good storage solution if you have a small laundry room. This can be rolled out when it is needed, and stored away (say under a counter) out of sight when not in use.

Good Looking Pieces

If you need to store things out in the open, then look to get good looking storage pieces. This way they will also act as decor pieces for the room. Have a look at the wire basket in picture (1).

Other good looking laundry room storage solutions include: wicker baskets, wooden crates, glass jars, a set of matching containers, enamel pieces, and copper/galvanized buckets.

Replace the packaging of your store bought laundry supplies. Supplies such as detergent can be poured out into a good looking container (say a glass jar), and can then be stored out in the open – adding to the style of the space.

Here are some other laundry room posts to get more ideas from:

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