Storage... Have You Run Out Of Space

We've all said it at one time or another: "I don't have enough closet space." And yet we all know, the minute we find more storage space, we immediately discover we need more. Certainly we can all use more closet space. But what we are concerned with here, primarily, is using what space we do have to best advantage, and in finding more storage space where none appears to exist.

Good storage that is both ample and convenient contributes to easier housekeeping, not to mention the amount of time and energy one can save in pulling things out and putting them back again. Rooms full of clutter create an impression of untidiness and chaos. It still seems to most of us who try to maintain some degree of orderliness that the key to efficient housekeeping lies with in the familiar adage, " Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place." Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. To help you achieve the satisfaction of maintaining neat closets and drawers, we offer the following guide.

Analyze Your Storage Space

If you take a critical look at your present storage it can pay off in both appearance and convenience.

• Do you really need more space or is better organization the answer?

• Is everything that you have stored in the most logical place?

• Does the item take up more space than necessary? For example, do you have things stored in a box that is too large? Is a box necessary at all?

• Are items stashed away together that shouldn't be together?

• Do you have to move several items to get to something you use frequently?

• Are you storing things you'll never use again? Be ruthless in your editing of seldom-used items, then make a decision to throw, sell, or give them away.

Hints to Prevent Disorganized Storage

Keep in mind that there are three kinds of storage: (1) things that are used regularly; (2) seasonal and occasionally used items; (3) seldom-used articles.

• Labels and lists will save you time when you are hunting down something you need and haven't used for a while. Store all items you use most often at the place where they are used.

• Keep things covered as far as possible, to cut down on dust accumulation. Try not to stack or "stash" things away hoping to get back to them "later."

• Spruce up your storage areas with colorful accessories and shelf and drawer linings. It will encourage you to be tidy.

Look for Storage Where None Exists

A creative survey of every room in your home or apartment can lead to many good ideas for additional or more convenient storage space.

• If the space under your stairs is ample you might build in shelves. Or enclose the entire area, creating a closet for bulky items.

• For kids of all ages, create a mud room. All you need is a carefree floor and room for a low, slatted shelf and hooks. Boots and packages go on shelf, coats are hung on the hooks; make a place under the shelf for wet boots.

• Use drop-leaf table attached to wall or closet door for desk or table.

• Use small chests and cabinets as end tables and coffee tables; or, look for coffee tables that provide storage.

• It's still in vogue to have window seats with colorful cushions. The window seat, hinged at the top, becomes a chest for all kinds of items.

• In extra spaces next to refrigerators or freezers, build narrow shelves on casters for kitchen items, such as paper goods, canned goods, etcetera.

• Clothes hamper makes a good storage container for blankets and pillows.

• A hanging basket attached to the inside of a closet door is handy to hold paper bags or other items.

Click on the links below for more tips on organizing your home.

Bedroom Closets |Linen Closets and Dresser Drawers | Sports Equipment and Toys| Bathroom, Bedroom, Garage, Attic and Entrance Halls

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