Built in Storage Ideas
An entire industry has grown up around the concept of organizing your home in order to control clutter and create the illusion of more space than you really have. A multitude of books and magazine articles have been written to help you create more space in your home by guiding you through sensible storage and clutter control decisions.
Built in storage ideas make the most sense, especially for small homes. You probably don’t want to cram every inch of your home with shelves and cupboards, but chances are pretty good that you need more storage room that you have. For example, you can keep your living room space clear and uncluttered by making the best possible use of wasted corners, recessed areas, and alcoves on either side of the fireplaces.
For more built in storage ideas, consider unlikely areas such as the wasted space behind doors, space under beds, and even space under larger pieces of furniture. Larger pockets such as landings or the space under the stairs may be big enough to create miniature rooms just big enough to hold a desk, chair or small bed.
Bathrooms can be fitted with cabinetry similar to the ones designed for your kitchen. Stream lined units that are tailor-made to provide open and closed shelving can provide handy storage spaces for your personal needs. Open shelves are perfect for taking advantage of ‘dead’ space, such as the narrow strips behind doors. They can also be used to create partitions or to provide extra storage or act as privacy screens. An example of this might be as simple as putting a set of shelves at right angles to the wall across the foot of the bathtub.
Bedrooms need to be clutter free and tidy to create a restful place for you to sleep. On the other hand, you probably don’t spend as much time in your bedroom as you do in the rest of the house so it is anideal place to create some additional built in storage space.
Under-bed storage is becoming quite popular. Deep storage drawers underneath the beds are useful for holding spare linens or clothing items that don’t have to be hung up. If your bed doesn’t already have a storage unit built in, look for a frame that has plenty of space underneath it and pick out wheeled drawers that can be pushed under and pulled out with ease. A built-in headboard will provide a shelf for a lamp or other items that you want to keep at your fingertips. Built in closet organizers have been configured to make room for different types of clothes storage.
If kitchen space is limited, even the mechanics of how your cabinet doors open are important. Normal hinged doors can take up a lot of space when they open up into a small room. Other options include doors that fold, slide or push upward. Half height or split wall cupboards with doors that swing upward or fold into a cupboard recess provide a similar service.
Custom-built cabinets can be designed to your specifications to eliminate wasted space. More than any room in the house, kitchens need good storage ideas. Contemporary designers are working hard to figure out ways to provide maximum storage for minimum space. Drawers are designed so that you can see and reach everything from either side. If space is really tight, you can get a miniature kitchen that has all of the basic appliances in a single unit or enclosed cupboard. The possibilities are endless. Built in storage makes sense for small homes in particular, but it can be a good idea for anyone who likes to keep their home orderly and clean.
Further reading: Small Spaces for Modern Living: Making the Most of Your Indoor Space
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