Home Storage Solutions
Tuck it Away
Organizing your closets in my opinion is where it all begins. Vertical and horizontal storage is necessary for bedroom closets. You need a place to hang dresses and formal wear, but it is good to have the option to fold up sweaters and sweat shirts as well. Lowes and Home Depot both care wire racks that are easily installed by any novice do it yourselfer. Wire racks are durable, efficient and offer the ability to hang items and have shelving as well. A shoe rack for the floor is a great idea, it makes it easier to decide what footwear to put on in the morning with minimal time spent searching for pairs. Personally, we don’t even use dressers/ bureaus in my home. We all have wire rack storage for all our clothes and shoes. Additionally, we have hanging baskets for underwear and socks. It has made our lives easier, especially in the morning.
Seasons of Change
When converting your closets, you should keep in mind that it is best to keep only one season of clothes out at a time. Whatever season of clothing you are not currently using should be neatly folded into a plastic storage container. Plastic storage containers can be purchased at department store in all shapes and sizes. If you don’t have a basement or attic that is safe to place these containers, you can always purchase under the bed containers. This works well for shoes too. You can place additional shoes that you may not be using in shoe box sized storage containers, and label them for easy identification.
A Little Bit of This a Little Bit of That
Our hall closet where we keep our coats tends to be the messiest closet in our house. To remedy this problem I placed a shoe rack in the closet for the shoes the kids wear daily. That way when they come home they can neatly place their shoes on the rack rather than tossing them in on the floor or leaving them out. I also installed additional hooks on the walls and door of the closet so they could hang their bags and backpacks. Lastly, I keep a small plastic storage container in the closet with all the mittens, gloves,hats and umbrellas, that way if we have an off day of whether we can grab what we need easily.
Think Outside the Cabinet
The kitchen is another great place to utilize wire racks for storage. If you have a pantry installing some wire shelving can add to it’s storage capabilities. Placing some small wire shelves for cans on the back of the pantry door or on one of the inside walls can really expand your storage options. I also keep hooks on the wall for hanging aprons, the broom , the mop, and the dustpan. I have no food in my actual cabinets, I use them strictly for dishes and cooking items. My pantry is where all my food is kept.
Easy Does it
My daughters room is probably the hardest room to keep organized. Regardless of what I have done in there it still remains an uphill battle keeping it neat. What I have done in an attempt to organize her room is utilize shelving for toys. I use under the bed plastic containers for Barbies and dolls. I also purchased plastic drawers for separating and storing crafts and coloring books. Now, don’t get me wrong the potential for organization is there, but my daughter is not a tidy girl!
Regardless of the size of your home, there are many affordable storage options available to you. Using all the space you have available vertically, horizontally and even tucked away underneath furniture can make your life more organized and less chaotic. Check out Lowes.com, Homedepot.com and WalMart.com for more home storage solutions and ideas.
