Storage

Shallow shelves inset into the wall could be just the thing for a collection, and the bathroom could be an ideal place to put it. These bottles are filled with sand collected from travels all over the world – what could you display to bring back memories of your globetrotting adventures?

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You don’t need paintbrushes to be creative. Using common items in a less common way can add interest to any room. Here, an old ladder displays beautiful fabrics. You could do the same to store and show your own scarves, towels, or bedsheets.

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8. A built-in laundry hamper keeps clothes off the floor

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Clamp on to a ladder A storage wall ladder placed snugly between two single beds, or either side of a double bed, is the perfect vehicle for clipping on a wall lamp or two. Choosing a ladder and lights in the same colour, as here, will make them feel more of a feature. This solution means you don’t have to chase in any permanent electrical cables if the room is likely to change function or layout a few years down the line.

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7. Order your jewellery If you find yourself constantly untangling your necklaces, then a jewellery hook or two might be the solution. Stylish wall hooks like these twig designs offer a 21st-century spin on the good old-fashioned ring tree. With multiple prongs, they offer the perfect storage for rings, bracelets and necklaces, and they’re decorative in their own right.

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7. Designate a bin for your ‘worn-once’ clothes Flat surfaces in the bedroom (the bed, floor, dresser top and chair) tend to become receptacles for articles of clothing you’ve worn once but plan to wear again before washing. (Jumpers often fall into this category.) Rather than dump these items onto the nearest surface, give them a home. An open-top basket or bin is a good solution, because tossing the item there is just as easy as tossing it on a chair. If you have a closet system, clear out one basket or drawer to use for this purpose; otherwise, a second laundry basket can corral the items.

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8. Me and my caddy A small, cheap and often overlooked means of freeing up floor space is the caddy. Not only does it score you more floor space for bigger items, but you can keep benches clear of fruit bowls, herb pots, cloths and utensils. Bench ends are a perfect spot for these catch-all containers. TIP: Caddy potatoes and onions – they don’t need refrigeration and a caddy keeps air circulating.

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