Six Unexpected Places In Your Home That You Can Turn Into Storage
With all the world events going on lately, our home feels more like a true sanctuary. A home is where we seek shelter from the elements, protecting us from all the harsh outdoor conditions.
The home comes with items – like furniture and belongings. Stuff we need to live comfortably and to turn the house into a home.
But you will need storage for stuff, and most homes these days could use a little more storage space.
We have put together a list of six unexpected places in your home that you can turn into storage.
#1 Wall Space
When you think of space, you often think of floor spacing. Most of us overlook our walls as storage solutions, though.
Every home, big or small, comes with walls. Walls divide our house into rooms and provide noise barriers and privacy. Too often, we see homes with bare walls – or, at best, used for hanging paintings and photo frames.
However, wall space is valuable real estate that can provide many vertical storage solutions.
In the living room, you could wall mount the TV and the media units and free up some valuable floor space. You could add floating shelves and cabinets to create storage areas to stow away your living room clutter or display your records collection or travel memorabilia.
The wall space in bedrooms or bathrooms can be used similarly to add extra shelving and storage areas to hide the clutter.
The kitchen walls are generally well used with cabinets filling them, but if you see any free wall space, you can always hang bars to hang some kitchen utensils or pans.
#2 The Garage
It should be no surprise that the garage is a perfect space for storage. However, many people make the mistake of using the garage floor space for storage. That limits the area you can utilize as you will need to leave enough clearance space for your car to be parked and for people to get out of the car.
This is where you need to look up to the air space near the ceiling for some smart storage.
According to Garage DIY ideas, garage storage is perfect for storing garden equipment, ladders, and home improvement equipment. You should aim to always put away what you store in your garage away from the floor as much as possible. You can hang the equipment on the walls with hooks or build shelving near the ceiling for added storage.
The garage is a great versatile space you can also use to expand your living space. That, in turn, will expand your storage options as you grow your living room or media room – of course, this is only possible if you don’t plan on storing your car in your garage ever.
#3 The Deck In the Yard
If you are lucky to have a yard in your house, you know yards are beautiful places to build your private oasis and outdoor space.
The outdoor oasis is also best enjoyed with a beautiful deck outside. The deck becomes the base for outdoor living, dining, and gathering with family and friends.
The deck is also a great space for smart storage solutions too. You can have deck storage benches to store away the outdoor cushions and such. The other fantastic storage solution is the space under the deck.
The deck is often raised a few feet above the ground, creating a nice crawl space. This is a perfect place to store away your garden essentials like the wheel barrel, spades, shovels, rakes, and even your lawn mower.
Doing this will free up storage space in your garden shed and the garage that can be used for more storage.
Do you see how creating storage space in one area of your home also opens up space in other areas? This is the magic of smart storage solutions.
A Word on Clutter
We are about the mid-way point of the article, so it would be a great place to insert a little section about clutter. Creating storage solutions is always great for any home as it allows us to use our home practically. We get to organize our home to maximize the space to enjoy our sanctuary to its full potential.
As we consume and purchase home goods throughout the years, we can get carried away and accumulate all this stuff. This stuff can all add up to make a massive pile of clutter. However, creating more storage solutions should not be considered a license to fill more space with your stuff.
The storage solution is no place for unnecessary clutter. We recommend that you practice decluttering at least once a year. All the material possessions on earth have a shelf life of utility. Holding on to things you don’t need or no longer love is unnecessary.
Minimize, delete, and edit the contents of your closets and storage cabinets and think of donating the items you don’t need anymore. There was considerable effort and resources spent in producing the goods you hold, and if you are not going to need them, chances are there is someone in need who will appreciate your hand-me-downs.
#4 The Stairs
Now on to the next unexpected place for storage – the stairs. If you have a multi-level home, you will notice that the stairs and staircase can take up considerable square footage in your home. So, naturally, using the stairs for storage would make efficient use of that square footage.
Neat ways to transform staircases for storage include:
- Utilizing the walls along the stairs
- Using the bottom of the staircase
You can hang floating shelves along the wall of the stairs and keep books to display your book collection. You can also use that space to store and display your travel memorabilia or hang awards and prizes you and your family won. This frees up storage space from other places like bookshelves or display cabinets.
If you are lucky, you can also transform the bottom part of the stairs and build a cabinet or stairs closet. This is a great space for hanging your coats, storing shoes, or even turning them into a broom closet. In most cases, the drywall is easy to remove to create this hidden closet.
#5 The Beds
We all know the virtues of good sleep hygiene and its importance to well-being. At the same time, clutter can disrupt one’s ability to unwind and sleep. This is why it is essential to keep our bedrooms as clutter-free as possible to help you sleep better. Moreover, bedrooms are notorious for attracting clutter.
Whether it is your clothes, the pillows or throw cushions or even your bedside table toiletries, all can create visible clutter that can severely affect your sleep quality.
Beds are great places to rest and get your sleep, but did you know they can also hold a lot more than just the people that sleep in them?
You can use the space above the headboard or the space under the bed for smart storage solutions. This will help you eliminate or hide clutter and organize your bedroom better.
The hanging shelves above the headboard are great places to put away extra clothing, books, or toiletries. The space under the bed can be used to stow away extra bedding or your off-season clothing in air-sealed storage bags.
You can even change the bed frame to one that lets you pop up the bed to open up the storage underneath or has drawers under the bed.
#6 The Kids’ Bedrooms
Our sixth idea is to utilize all the air space in the kids’ bedrooms. Kids are famous for creating clutter – from toys, books, clothes, and gadgets to their obsession with the latest comic character, they can quickly add items to their bedrooms.
This is where you can use the kids’ bedroom for some storage solutions. Luckily, kids are not as tall as adults, so use that to your advantage and elevate their beds to a top bunk bed.
You can then utilize the space underneath as a play nook area with built-in cabinets to put away the toys after they are done playing.
Alternatively, you can also put in double bunker beds to accommodate two kids as opposed to giving them both separate bedrooms. This will free up the spare room to convert into your office.
Conclusion
Your home is your sanctuary, a place to rebalance your mind, rest your body, and create happy memories with your loved ones. You don’t need to clutter the home with stuff you rarely use, or you don’t need to see in front of you all the time.
Utilize some of the existing space in your home to boost efficiency around the house and to have a well-organized, neat, and tidy home that you and your loved ones can enjoy for many years! Good luck.
Additional:
Leave A Reply