Leading on from my post on storage the other day I thought I would expand and give you some fail safe tips that always work for me.
It's a fact of modern day life that most of us buy more than we need and keep more than we can fit into our homes. When I talk about storage people visualise bulky boxes and plastic containers but I like to mix things up a little and make the products suit the client. My recent shopping trip resulted in the purchase of an incredibly beautiful 1950s suitcase that will be perfect for storing my photos of which I have thousands, and I lovingly cherish each one.
*These boxes are from 'House Doctor' and I am a BIG fan!
Vintage suitcases are stunning and are a practical storage solution to create a striking effect and also moved easily. They can be stored under a bed or made a feature of in your lounge. Your living space should be functional and that means being able to put things away but also access them at the drop of the hat.
It's pretty simply but here are some tips:
1. Transparency - if it's not going on show this is a great option as it means you can view whats being stored with out needing to rummage through everything. (A good example of this is transparent shoe boxes)
2. On Top - quite simply, stacking saves space but only do this if you can easily access all that is being stacked - i.e stacking drawers.
3. Access - if you can access it you are more likely to use it, so don't pile things up and don't put things in front of items stored on shelves.
4. It's Whats On The Outside That Counts - quite simply storage can be quirky and fit in with your home. Have a hunt around and don't settle for something your not happy with.
It's your home, the objective is to create a stress free living space so be creative and look for solutions that work for you and your lifestyle - and don't make things too complicated!
Clients often assume that I live in a minimalistic haven surrounded in storage solutions. Actually, I have a home and by home I mean a wardrobe which needs regularly de-cluttering, a friendly lounge with probably a few too many ornaments and kitchen drawers with a few too many gadgets and utensils that will be tried, tested and then given on to a friend. An organised home does not necessarily mean a minimalistic home.
My objective is never to rid people of their prized possessions, but to turn their home into a practical, organised living space that they can fully enjoy. Often that means saying goodbye to things you no longer use but it also means making space for the things you want to keep.
(Photo by myself - taken in ED. Dulwich)