Decorating
Think You Don’t Have Room For Extra Storage? Think Again...
Don’t underestimate how much better your home will function – and look – with this problem-solving approach to storage
Storage: can’t live without it. But storage furniture that sits on the floor – chests, shelving units, blanket boxes – has a space-stealing footprint that minimises its positive impact somewhat. By contrast, wall storage, carefully chosen, cunningly thought-out and cleverly planned, can be a whole other, much more beneficial, story.
No space for a dressing table?
This is where a bespoke wall storage combo comes in handy for stashing all those pieces of jewellery and make-up. Fix shelves just above head height to make the room’s footprint feel as big as possible and to leave space for rails with handy hooks beneath. Saying ‘bespoke’ makes it sound expensive, but you can DIY this whole look.
This is where a bespoke wall storage combo comes in handy for stashing all those pieces of jewellery and make-up. Fix shelves just above head height to make the room’s footprint feel as big as possible and to leave space for rails with handy hooks beneath. Saying ‘bespoke’ makes it sound expensive, but you can DIY this whole look.
No desire for wall cabinets?
You can keep the kitchen feeling open and spacious with a stack of shelving, tailored to cater to your exact storage needs.
Don’t waste an inch: use the underside of the shelves to suspend rails and hooks, and don’t plan to stand or stack anything that can be hung up instead (mugs and wine glasses, for example). Keep the whole area looking good by finding coordinating accessories to display.
You can keep the kitchen feeling open and spacious with a stack of shelving, tailored to cater to your exact storage needs.
Don’t waste an inch: use the underside of the shelves to suspend rails and hooks, and don’t plan to stand or stack anything that can be hung up instead (mugs and wine glasses, for example). Keep the whole area looking good by finding coordinating accessories to display.
No chance of storage and art?
In fact, you can have both if you pick wall storage that’s been designed for sculptural aesthetics as well as practicality. This type of clever idea has tons of hanging space. However, it obviously looks better slightly under-dressed than over-stuffed so, if budget allows, a row of three will satisfy your desire for both good storage and good looks.
You could create your own shapes with plain old hooks and knobs, too.
9 decorating dilemmas new homeowners will never understand
In fact, you can have both if you pick wall storage that’s been designed for sculptural aesthetics as well as practicality. This type of clever idea has tons of hanging space. However, it obviously looks better slightly under-dressed than over-stuffed so, if budget allows, a row of three will satisfy your desire for both good storage and good looks.
You could create your own shapes with plain old hooks and knobs, too.
9 decorating dilemmas new homeowners will never understand
No desk space for an in-tray?
You don’t really need one if you have a pinboard or a pegboard like this, just big enough to cope with a few bills, business cards and the odd reminder or two.
If you’d rather go large and cover a much bigger area, choose a colour for your board that matches the wall behind to make it subtly blend away. Or cover a padded pinboard in a bright, coordinating fabric.
You don’t really need one if you have a pinboard or a pegboard like this, just big enough to cope with a few bills, business cards and the odd reminder or two.
If you’d rather go large and cover a much bigger area, choose a colour for your board that matches the wall behind to make it subtly blend away. Or cover a padded pinboard in a bright, coordinating fabric.
No spare cupboards for pans?
Why bother when you can simply hang yours from hooks or a rail? Putting them on a wall is great; hanging them overhead from a pan rack is marvellous (if the kitchen has the ceiling height), but if you’re really short of space, consider fixing a rail across a window. It might block the light a little, but if your pans are made of sparkling stainless-steel, they’ll reflect lots back into the room, too.
Why bother when you can simply hang yours from hooks or a rail? Putting them on a wall is great; hanging them overhead from a pan rack is marvellous (if the kitchen has the ceiling height), but if you’re really short of space, consider fixing a rail across a window. It might block the light a little, but if your pans are made of sparkling stainless-steel, they’ll reflect lots back into the room, too.
No fan of standard shelving?
If this is the case, but you still need to stash, store and display everything from books to bits and bobs, consider box shelves, which turn even the plainest of combinations into an artful arrangement.
They work best in groups, and you can up the visual interest by creating a defined shape with them and by choosing frames in different, but complementary, colours.
If this is the case, but you still need to stash, store and display everything from books to bits and bobs, consider box shelves, which turn even the plainest of combinations into an artful arrangement.
They work best in groups, and you can up the visual interest by creating a defined shape with them and by choosing frames in different, but complementary, colours.
No holds barred on display?
Not a problem when you devote an entire wall to open shelving. What’s particularly fabulous about this wall of shelves is that: 1) it’s cleverly combined with a desk, and 2) what’s on the shelves is a good combination of attractive interiors accessories and practical home office wares, but because they’re dotted about and spaced out, they look stylish.
Want to create a beautiful display? See the one simple styling trick all of these homes have used
Not a problem when you devote an entire wall to open shelving. What’s particularly fabulous about this wall of shelves is that: 1) it’s cleverly combined with a desk, and 2) what’s on the shelves is a good combination of attractive interiors accessories and practical home office wares, but because they’re dotted about and spaced out, they look stylish.
Want to create a beautiful display? See the one simple styling trick all of these homes have used
No desire for pins in the wall?
Magnets to hold your paperwork in place will work just fine – and won’t ruin the paintwork and plaster. How does it work? This wall has been turned into a giant display board with magnetic plaster (yes, really), but you can achieve the same effect with magnetic paint – or just a very large magnetic board fixed to the wall.
Magnets to hold your paperwork in place will work just fine – and won’t ruin the paintwork and plaster. How does it work? This wall has been turned into a giant display board with magnetic plaster (yes, really), but you can achieve the same effect with magnetic paint – or just a very large magnetic board fixed to the wall.
No follower of fashion?
Nonetheless, you can’t have failed to notice that the 1970s and 1980s are back in fashion, both on the catwalk and in the home. So, stop back-combing that big hair or arranging your giant collars for a minute and take a look at this old favourite – a cork tile pinboard.
The tiles can be attached to your wall with adhesive, then stained, colour-washed or varnished to suit your scheme – and you’ll barely have spent a fiver.
Tell us…
How have you made use of hanging storage in your home – and which of these ideas do you like best? Share photos and tips in the Comments section.
Nonetheless, you can’t have failed to notice that the 1970s and 1980s are back in fashion, both on the catwalk and in the home. So, stop back-combing that big hair or arranging your giant collars for a minute and take a look at this old favourite – a cork tile pinboard.
The tiles can be attached to your wall with adhesive, then stained, colour-washed or varnished to suit your scheme – and you’ll barely have spent a fiver.
Tell us…
How have you made use of hanging storage in your home – and which of these ideas do you like best? Share photos and tips in the Comments section.
A pegrail running the length of your hallway will provide enough hanging space for the whole family’s coats.
Choose a rail with a shelf above to maximise hat and bag storage opportunities and squeeze in a narrow bench beneath, just the depth of the pegrail shelf, to keep shoes neat, too. Paint it all one colour to match the wall for a tidy finish.
Browse wall organisers in the Houzz Shop