Home Removal Services Blog

Have you ever thought about how much storage space you really need in your next new house? It’s understandable that it’s not the first thing on your mind when you are figuring floor plans and where the home entertainment center should go. But designing your closet storage in your new home should be almost as important as any other area.

Let me help you with some inventive ideas for realizing how important your closet storage design really is. A properly designed system for keeping your things organized and easily accessible is the key to a happy home.

These days, closets are much more than a simple square box with a clothes rod and shelf overhead. Closets now have turned into specialized storage spaces, with shelves and boxes and hangers specially suited to the objects they will house. The trend towards walk-in closets has also continued, so much more though needs to be given to the effective and efficient use of these larger storage areas.

So the first big question when designing each of your storage areas is whether it should be a walk-in or not. The biggest factor for most people will be the space (and therefore cost) that a walk-in closet requires. If that’s not a concern for you, then the second question should be “do I really need a walk-in closet”? Remember, if you have too much storage space, it will typically be used, and the danger of clutter is just as much a concern as if you have too little room to store your items.

You may decide that you just don’t have room in your new house to dedicate to a walk-in closet. In this case you have to make sure that you allocate enough room in your house design to the old standby – reach in closets. Be sure to pay attention to the design of your closet, however big or small. Access is the most important part of a closet – you must be able to easily access the contents in your closet, so make sure not to stick a tiny door on a wide closet and not be able to get to the corners in your closet.

Whether your closet is large or small, it will be essential to install good lighting, which will light all corners of the closet. There is nothing worse than not having enough lighting so that you can’t see what is at the back of shelves or under ledges. Make sure that the lighting you install is positioned in a way that the shelving and objects stored don’t block the light, and also keep in mind the shadow you will cast when you are looking for something in your closet.

Finally you want to think about the shelving itself, whether it will be built-in or freestanding, if you need boxes or drawers, and if you are going to use hangers and a rod, or hooks. A little research into modern closets will reveal a huge advancement with inovative storage systems. Designing closet space so you have a tidy space for all your everyday as well as seasonal belongings is less of a chore when you install storage units specially designed for the items you want to store.

Properly designed closets make life better. I think that good closet design is the unsung hero in any home. Put some time and effort into designing your new closets and you will be handsomely rewarded.

Storage cabinets are the forgotten little brother in comparison to real closet storage. Although they seem to play second fiddle, when it comes to your organization scheme as a whole, storage cabinets serve a valuable role in keeping each room in your house organized.

There are many different types of storage cabinets. Some are built into the structure of your house. Others are free standing and are not integral to your house. Of the built in storage cabinets, some are flush with your walls while others are attached to the wall and stick out into the room. Although I have preferences amongst the different types of storage cabinets, all provide benefits and the use of them should be optimized.

One thing to remember if you are using storage cabinets for your belongings is that since they are typically have less room than closet storage, you tend to stack things up in cabinets, resulting in the possibility of musty items, and even worse, mold or mildew if moisture is able to reach your belongings. Make sure to use cabinet storage only for items that are rotated on a regular basis. You should generally follow the rule that, other than for keepsake items, if you are leaving items in storage for longer than one year, you should seriously consider whether you really need to store it, or whether it would be best to just give it away to charity and free up that extra space for more often used items.

If I had to use an example for cabinets that are generally under-utilized, I would have to say that bathroom storage is often the most in-efficiently used storage space in your house. This is because most bathrooms contain medicine cabinets that are packed full of old half used and expired items that you will probably never use again. If you were to go through your cabinets and get rid of anything that you don’t use on a daily or weekly basis (excluding up to date medicines), you would most likely find that you could free up over half the storage space you have available. Remember that freeing up inefficiently used space is like adding new storage space.

It has always saddened and confused me that there are houses in which storage space simply does not exist. I know this may seem like an over reaction, but clutter and disorganization really has a negative impact on my life. I didn’t realize that until fairly recently, but once you discover the difference that organization can have, you will understand too. In these cases where there is just no storage space available, cabinets become the perfect solution. Try looking for some large armoires for clothes and large items, and trunks which can double as furniture. Choosing ‘furniture’ pieces as storage also allows you to really enhance your decor with your particular theme. Whether that is rustic, modern, or antique, finding storage cabinets that complete your house decor is one of the most satisfying things I think I have done in my house.

If you organize your storage systems, I guarantee that your house will quickly look less cluttered. Not only will your house be less cluttered but it will feel lighter. Organization systems are easy to put in place but first you must purge and rid yourself of old unused items. Use your cabinet storage wisely and you will be happy that you did.