Furniture
Most of us follow standard storage plans… cleaning stuff under the sink…tools in the garage / shed……. Coats in the hall……linens in the airing cupboard ….. miscellaneous junk under the stairs (There will be more on miscellaneous junk in a later blog) etc
But what if ….
You don’t have an airing cupboard* (Many newer or remodelled homes don’t), you don’t have a garage or a shed or you don’t have a cupboard under the stairs. You need another plan. But before you run out to buy furniture, storage boxes and labels, here are a few things to consider! Part 2 will discuss how to choose storage boxes but for now let’s consider larger storage items.
Choosing New Furniture & Adding Cabinets
Look for companies that specialise in small spaces. Furniture that is too large for your space will make the room look smaller but also limit options for storage. IKEA is one of my favourites. The furniture is affordable and there are lots of options on style. Best of all most of their pieces have built in storage and their lines come in multiple sizes to give you more flexibility.
If IKEA is not for you try Wayfair or MADE. They don’t specialise in small spaces, but their product lines are vast and their apps have great features. They have tools to let you see how it looks in your space and an excellent filter that lets you choose by depth / height / width. Most apps don’t allow you to filter by depth which I think is a big mistake.
Custom made furniture is a fantastic solution but it’s often very expensive. Where a live a fitted cupboard with shelves in a fireplace alcove is upwards of £1200; and that for a basic model.
At ‘Clutter Free & Organised’ we like to provide solutions that suit any budget, so we won’t be foucsing on custom made options here.
Multi-function Furniture
Look for furniture that has built in storage. Most beds these days include options for drawers or have hydraulic lifts, and headboards with built in shelves are terrific. Be careful though, if you add a big heavy matress to a hydraulic lift bed, it can make it very difficult to lift. Go to your local bed store and try a few out.
Coffee tables can double as ottoman style storage. I have seen lots of chairs with built in storage, but these tend to be more gimmick than practical, and are both overly expensive and uncomfortable.
Use Vertical Space
Most kitchens don’t have floor to ceiling storage. The good news is that it can usually be added easily. These high cabinets are perfect for storing seasonal items.
Decorative boxes for the top of wardrobes are great too. Just don’t store things that will be too heavy to put up and down easily.
Be creative with tall vertical bookcases and add ceiling height cupboards to your walls. I installed these to hide an ugly electric meter, but they are also perfect for hiding my jigsaw puzzle addiction.
Making the Most of the Furniture you already have.
If your furniture has no have built in options consider furniture with legs, this allows you to store extras underneath.
Store it Underneath:
Sofas: If your sofa fabric has a drape that reaches the floor your storage will be out of sight. But if you can see under your sofas find fabric storage boxes that match or compliment your sofa. de storage boxes underneath your sofa and your bed
Beds: Any Good home store will have options for underbed furniture. If you are storing heavy items, make sure your box has wheels to avoid damaging the carpet when you drag in out. Avoid fabric boxes if you are storing anything heavier than coats or duvets. Linens are often too heavy and fabric bags lose their shape when moved about.
Sideboards: These often have a space underneath, my hide a collection of board games. Another option is a decorative box to hide the overflow… oversized place mats or seasonal napkins and table decorations.
Store it Behind:
If you have flat items that can be stored upright, hide it behind something else. My sofas and sideboard hide a multitude of things. White boards / Jigsaw keepers / Large pads of paper / tracing board).
Get Creative
Think outside the box! Yes that is a deliberate pun!
Have a Great Day
Clutter Free & Organised 