Got stuff? You love it. You need it. You gotta find a place to keep it.
After you have sorted and purged, you are ready to assign a home to your belongings. You will want to keep in mind your habits and preferences (where does it usually land?), where the items will be used, and the nature of items to be stored.
These are the 7 basic storage options available to you. You can mix and match (a hidden built-in) to your heart’s content to find your perfect storage solution.
- Hidden storage – Drawers and cupboards that hide contents, keep items safe from damage
Drawback: more effort to retrieve and replace, out of sight = toss it in and forget it - Display storage – open shelving, glass cupboards when well organized, double as a decorative feature
Drawback: storage of too many objects can look crowded and unappealing. - Built-in storage – efficient use of space with no footprint, no cleaning around it.
Drawback: location is set, cannot rearrange for different decorating option. - Freestanding storage – portable and adaptable, such as bookcases, carts, metal shelving.
Drawback: takes up floor space, usually not enclosed so can become unsightly dumping ground. - Compartmentalized storage – used to keep like items separated, such as partitioned drawers, matching baskets, jars, bags, or a system of hooks/pegs.
Drawback: the designated holder takes up more space than the objects alone. - Item-specific storage – well designed to hold specific shapes or fit in a particular space, such as shower organizers, CD racks, jewelry trays.
Drawback: limited use, hard to repurpose. - Dual duty storage – versatile furnishings that double as storage, ex. trunk used as coffee table, ottoman with inner storage compartment.
Drawback: Can’t think of one unless it is the option to keep more stuff!
Don’t forget to leave a little empty space for expansion. Otherwise all your organizing work will be undone by a few new additions!
When you get all your stuff stored in perfect order, step back and breathe a sigh of satisfaction. Better yet, take a picture and tack it up where you can see it and duplicate the same order as needed.
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