I love looking at beautiful rooms in design magazines but I always find myself wondering, “where do they put all their stuff?” You know, papers, toys, craft projects, half-read library books and magazines, video rentals…. Real rooms , if they are going to stay beautiful, require adequate storage for the everyday stuff of our lives.
Whether you are redecorating a single room or designing an entire new home, here are 6 simple steps to planning for adequate storage in your design.
1. Make a list of all the activities that will take place in each room.
2. List the items you will need to store for each activity? In addition to naming the individual items, make note of their shape, size, volume, rate of acquisition and growth (you always need room to grow).
3. Now look at your floor plan (including furniture placement) and determine where in the room you would ideally like to have these items stored. In general, the closer an item is to it’s point of use, the better.
4. Select the best storage solution for each item or group of items. This may be a traditional furniture piece (a book case for books) or an unusual container that matches your decor and ALSO provides adequate storage (like a steamer trunk that serves as a storage for craft supplies or a vintage hat box that houses your extra computer cables).
5. Make sure that it’s “easy” for both you and others in your household to take out and put away the items you are storing. For example, don’t set a decorative display on top of a storage box or it is unlikely you’ll go to all the trouble of moving the decorative items to get to what’s inside.
6. If you expect others to retrieve and store items, consider “labels” for your containers so that EVERYONE in the household knows where to find and put things away. There’s a reason that cutlery drawer dividers work so well for storing silverware– they are VERY user friendly.
What decorative or creative ways have you found to store some of the “stuff” in your life?
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1. Hi Joan,
We’re big into cozy blankets, so I use a trunk as a coffee table, and all the blankets fit inside. Here I thought I was lazy, and it turns out I’m smart! LOL
by Susan — 11/4/08 at 2:18 pm #
2. Your trunk/coffee table is a fabulous storage solution for tucking away throws or even extra bedding for those with sleeper sofas. Some use a coffee table with storage for toys too. I never doubted your brilliance. Thanks for sharing your solution, I’m sure others will copy your idea.
by Joan — 11/5/08 at 11:24 am #
3. Hi Joan,
I purchased a storage ottoman that “triples” as a coffee table, storage chest and foot stool. I store my cats toys, my winter throw and some magazines in this piece of furniture I treasure. I have a lovely decorative wooden tray on top, which holds a guest’s glass of iced tea.
by Maria — 11/7/08 at 3:26 pm #
4. Maria:
What a treasure indeed — love multi-purpose furnishings and if it has storage all the better. Thanks so much for sharing one of your storage solutions with the rest of us.
joan
by Joan — 11/7/08 at 5:39 pm #
5. I have a square storage ottoman…red leather top/black painted; The lid flips over to use as an eating tray. I use it as a coffee table. It can be used as foot stool, and if I have extra guests…pull it over to let someone ’sit’ on it. I also store daily mail/newspaper/and whatever sewing project I’m working on in it.
Has become very handy. In fact, am considering another one…maybe a bigger double one to use at back door entrance to store shoes/hats/gloves/’green’ shopping bags.
by patty — 10/29/09 at 7:44 pm #
6. Hi Patty: Your storage ottoman sounds ideal and yes, they work great in entryways too — a place to sit and to be able to store stuff you need there.
by Joan — 10/30/09 at 2:10 pm #