Our entire lives are stored in our homes, and over time, especially for growing and developing families, this can become what seems like mountains of stuff that appears to bulge dangerously out of available storage spaces like cupboards and wardrobes. While there are plenty of resources available detailing how to have a productive clear out and only keeping things that ‘bring you joy’. Knowing how to get creative with your storage and display favourite items around your home without it seeming cluttered, doesn’t get discussed as much.
Here are some great ways to incorporate creative storage in your home to hopefully inspire your storage needs;
Make Efficient Use of Corner Space In Out of Sight Rooms
Unless you live in a roundhouse, your home is full of corners that are crying out for some love. While you aren’t going to make the most of a corner on full display for all your guests, such as in the living room or dining room. Making use of corners in bedrooms, guest rooms and offices can be a great way to use space efficiently, without being too intrusive to the room. Set up shelves around the top of the room or install a clothing rack with some cupboards or boxes underneath to neatly pack away pairs of shoes and boots. This makes an excellent alternative to large, bulky built-in wardrobes and doesn’t require much effort to take down or move around your home should you change your mind about room layout or room use.
Turn Your Colourful Feature Wall into A Functional Shoe Rack
In your bedroom or dressing room, many people include a beautiful feature wall to catch their attention or tie the room together. Rather than leave this as a functionless wall, consider installing a rail, hooks or hanging components and turn your feature wall into a striking shoe rack. Measure out the storage hangers to be equidistant apart and then hang your shoes up in colourful groups, according to type or occasion. Not only will this make your collection look amazing, but it’s easy to grab a pair of shoes depending on what you are wearing or where you are headed.
Getting Creative with Your Bottle Storage
Whether you like alcohol or you prefer non-alcoholic beverages, no doubt you’ve got some special bottles that have been given as a gift or collected over the years. Rather than hide these away out of sight where they can’t be shown off to your guests, consider moving your bottle storage front and centre in your home and putting together a beautiful or funky display that acts as both a head-turning piece of home décor and also provides a strong conversation starter for guests. There are functional, decorative bottle storage units available in many designs including wooden globe tables and carved instruments with bottle holders, or for those extensive and impressive collections, look towards a large self assembly wine rack that you can install set into the wall or as part of a room divider.
Making Most of Behind the Sofa Storage
If your sofas are pushed against the wall, consider pulling them forward and installing a shelf unit in the gap. This provides a practical, within reach space to place drinks cups and mugs and display flowers, decorative home pieces or functional home accessories, such as the house phone and an extension lead. You won’t be losing much space in your lounge or living room, and you may provide yourself enough of an additional surface to be able to ditch the coffee table, saving you more floor space!
While it always feels good to have a clear-out and get rid of the clutter, there are some things in our life that we want to hold on to, whether for the warming memories they bring or because they were gifted by someone we cherish. Rather than hide these bits away, put them somewhere proud for all to see, regularly talk about why it means so much to you and relive those memories every time you see your beloved belonging in your home.
