5 Storage Solutions for Every Home

Organization requires a balance between decluttering the things we don’t need and effectively storing the things we do need. As professional organizers, we tend to focus on the first task of decluttering. Even a home with tons of storage will be overwhelmed by excess stuff.

However, when I see clients that have piles of essential items on floors and flat surfaces, I know it's because they lack the fundamental storage that is needed for organization. I especially see this in my younger families and folks who have moved from homes that had a lot of built in storage. We describe organizing as a place for everything and everything in its place.  But if you don’t have that ‘place’ to begin with, you have no way to organize! Rather than buying small bins and baskets, these clients need foundational storage. Here are my 5 top solutions I use in these clients' homes to create the foundational storage to make organization possible.

Pullouts in kitchen cabinets 

Base cabinets in kitchens are often deep, dark places that seem to do a better job of hiding things than storing things. It’s one thing to get on the floor and root around in the deep recesses of our base cabinets when we are young, but there will come a point when our knees will protest and things will start to pile up down there. Installing pullouts in our base cabinets will increase space by up to 70% and make that space easy to use and and and our things easy to see. Pullout shelves are a great solution for narrow, but deep pantry and linen closets, as well.

Storage on the back of doors

Pantries, offices and bathrooms really benefit from a back of the door storage solution. The items we need and use in these spaces are often smaller and will be lost if they are stored on deep shelves or under cabinets. Usually they end up cluttering the tops of our desks and bathroom counters. Storing them on a door rack gets them up off the surfaces but keeps them close, tidy, and accessible. 

Move a dresser into the closet

Often, clients will have a closet with a single hanging rod at eye level that the builder installed. Budget and timing may not allow us to tear out the closet and put in a new system so we have to be creative. Tucking an IKEA dresser or repurposing an underutilized dresser already in our homes in the closet will boost storage for T-shirts, socks, diapers, and other things that are hard to hang. This is a great solution for kid’s closets as there will be underutilized space between the bottom of their hanging clothing and the floor. A dresser will make this space functional and prevent clutter from accumulating in piles on the floor. A tall, narrow dresser in coat closets works to store hats and mittens, sunscreen and umbrellas, and all the other things that need to be near the door. 

Put an empty wall to work

This is one of my favorite things to do! I look for a long wall in the home that is centrally located and I design a storage system on that wall. Any budget can do this - I’ve created custom solutions for contractors and I’ve used IKEA bookcases. Organizing involves two key steps: reducing the volume of items to a manageable level and giving everything that needs to be in our home a designated place. If the existing closets and cabinets are not enough, additional cabinets, racks, or bookcases will bridge the storage shortage. Putting in a wall unit turns empty spaces into a storage center, giving families a functional space to store essentials in a very accessible place.

Mobile shelves

Garages and basements are the natural place to store holiday decor, seasonal clothing, camping equipment, and other bulky things that aren’t used frequently. These spaces are also the natural place for mice and mold to live. In these spaces, it’s wise to have storage that allows us to have access to the floor and walls and allows air to circulate.  I like to use metro shelving on casters with good quality bins in garages and basements. These shelves store 5 times as much as the floor alone, are easy to move and clean under, and are easy to assemble. They are even a breeze to take apart and move to the next house, unlike muscle racks or built in storage. 

Effective organization is not just about decluttering but also about creating the right storage solutions for the essential objects in your life. Using these solutions helps home owners bridge the storage gap in their homes, making organization easy to use and easy to maintain. Boosting storage by incorporating these practical strategies will transform any house into a well-organized home.