Efficient storage - the holy grail? Well, no. But you do have to tackle it in the right way.
It is the topic that recurs most frequently for me, often it’s the main focus of a project.
Lack of storage will almost always be the downfall of any space - interior and exterior. Spaces cluttered with too many possessions and inadequate items of furniture abound! It’s tempting to think that the minimalist dream is the recipe to a successful interior but I’m inclined to disagree.
We all have stuff: we do things, whether it’s baking, reading, children’s toys, collecting. A truly successful interior embraces and copes with stuff. So, the most fundamental things is to approach your interior by evaluating what you need. This has two strings; firstly de-clutter - what don’t you need and secondly what do you require your space to do? So step one is evaluate. Be realistic.
So, now you have the items edited and you want to store them. Again, the temptation is to complicate - especially if you’ve been confronted with the plethora of ‘storage solutions’ presented by a company selling Kitchen cabinets! Use your space efficiently and co-ordinate storage in the space. The most effective use of space will be built-in. Why? Because you are using all the space you can, you are organising the space. And if your ££££ alarm is flashing don’t let it.
Below are two images of the same space - it’s actually my own larder! The left was taken 5 years ago (wow, time flies) and the one on the right just a few minutes before writing this blog (hand-on-heart I did not tidy up first)! It proves that the storage planned over five years ago still works. The structure, gloriously simple, re-assuringly inexpensive, is from that place we all know and love beginning with I and ending with A.
It works, it just does. Shelves are at the right heights, the right depths (and I can change them at whim). It can be messier on some occasions, tidier on others.
So, my top tip? Please, before pouring over surface finishes, the rattan on a wardrobe sliding door, the veneer on a kitchen unit, the illuminated mirror on a bathroom vanity unit organise the space. Think about what it does, whether it efficiently uses the available space in your home.
The best solutions are often the simplest.