Creative storage solutions

One of my favorite parts of organizing is helping to find creative solutions to storage challenges. A big part of this is learning what you love. Most of us own some things that we rarely, if ever, use. I have hats that I wear on occasion, a few bags I rotate through, books that may take me years to read, and art supplies I need about twice a year. However, I find a lot of beauty in my collection of hats, used copies of Les Miserables (my favorite book) in different stacks around the house, and a mess of acrylic paints stacked in a small tin. These are things that make my space feel like home. I love them and I want them here, out in the open of my life.

So when you’re beginning to think about storage, think first about what you want your space to look and feel like. What could add beauty to your walls and space? And what are you okay with putting away in a closet or garage?

Victor hugo wrote, “The beautiful is as useful as the useful, perhaps more so.”

• Look Up: Walls, ceilings, and empty areas can hold some awesome storage or display options for you

  • Display your hats on a blank wall

  • Store books on a floating shelf and create a fun display

• Useful Decor: What could you bring out that you love? Could you use them in a new way?

  • I worked at a Viking Cooking Store after college and bought a 90lb cake stand that doesn’t fit in any of our cabinets. I have used it to decorate maybe two cakes in 20 years but now it creates a 2nd-tier of storage/display in our tiny kitchen, frees up counter space, and spins to make it easier to grab what we need.

• Making Cuts: If you’re not happy to have something out in the open, do you really want it? Do you find beauty in it? If not, maybe it could bring someone else joy in their life or home.