Building Extra Strorage

Besides looking for places to store things, seek places to do things.

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Of course, the best way to expand storage capacity is to reduce inventory, so give away, sell or recycle what you don’t need. Then you’ll have an easier time organizing and customizing storage space to suit your prized possessions. Before you annex the attic or remodel the basement, plan ahead to develop the most efficient and beneficial use of your new territory. 

Double duty

As you evaluate and reform your space, consider multifunction storage solutions. For example, an entryway bench with a compartment beneath the seat can provide a place to sit as you remove shoes and offer a place to keep them. A bookcase or cabinet peninsula in a living room’s entry area can serve as a drop zone and help to direct traffic and enhance privacy. And in a roomy kitchen, an island can provide additional counter and storage space. Improving functionality doesn’t require a lot of square footage. Max-imizing the usefulness of even a small area can make a big difference in your day-to-day operations. The key is to first analyze how you need to use the space to accommodate household activities. Once you determine an area’s purpose, you can problem-solve, purge and plan. 

Order in the house

First things first: You need to restore order before you re-store your stuff. In Organizing From the Inside Out (Owl Books, 2004) Julie Morgenstern takes a positive approach. Rather than viewing purging as a loss, she says, think of it as retaining the things that are most important to you. You actually gain:

Time — formerly spent searching for, maintaining or rearranging things you don’t really need

Money — from selling items or from tax deductions if you donate to nonprofit organizations Satisfaction — from helping others in need and taking charge of your living space

Space — which will instantly make your house seem roomier

Once you’ve purged unnecessary items, you can create an efficient system. Morgenstern endorses what she calls a “kindergarten model of organization” based on the classroom systems that foster sanity for one adult and 30 5-year-olds. Follow these guidelines:

1. Divide the room into activity zones. Organize a kitchen around its functions: a cleanup area, a baking station, dishware storage, etc.
2. Store items at their point of use. For example, keep dishes near the table and/or dishwashing area.
3. Give everything a home, so it’s easy to put things where they belong. Control quantities of contents, and assign them parking spots.

In looking at your storage and organization projects, decide what activities and items are important and consider how you live with them. Then reinvent a closet, reconfigure a cabinet or carve a niche in the wall to achieve new goals. 

Beyond storage

Traditional storage areas such as basements and attics may not offer optimum function and efficiency for your situation. The most useful, convenient location for a new activity center or storage area might be hiding between the studs in a wall cavity (see “Stud-Bay Spaces,” p. 20), under the stairs or in a yet-to-be-created room partition.

Besides looking for places to store things, seek places to do things. Decide what activities could benefit from an assigned area. For example, you might want to add a desk/office space for homework or paying bills, a breakfast booth or inglenook for casual dining and game-playing, or a hideaway bed to convert a home office to a guestroom. In nearly every part of a house, you can find opportunities to increase storage capacity and efficiency and improve your daily operations. Take inspiration from these ideas:

Kitchen: Install a drawer in toe-kick spaces to hold baking sheets or placemats. Build a storage bench in the eating area to create a breakfast booth.

Hallways/entryways: Use a wall cavity to add a niche for display.

Bedroom: Install a Murphy bed, add under-bed storage or create built-in bed alcoves with drawers beneath and shelves on either side.

Laundry room: Install a wall-mount ironing board and add a cabinet or shelves above the washer and dryer.

Under stairs: Improve access to the space under a stairway by installing drawers and doors (see “Storage Underfoot,” ).

Transition areas: Organize entryway clutter by adding hooks to the wall or building lockers, benches or cabinets. Redirect traffic or enhance privacy by adding a bookcase room divider.

The options for fulfilling your home’s storage potential are unlimited — especially for DIYers. If you cut the clutter and carefully consider your design preferences, daily habits and other interests, you can customize storage solutions to fit your unique needs and tap all of your available spaces.  u