Restore order with stylish storage - as seen in Living Etc

After all the excesses of the festive season you’ll be more than ready to de-clutter and get organised for the year ahead. Clever storage solutions shouldn’t be overlooked – every room in the house could be improved with stylish storage, helping you to function better in daily life.

Here are some ideas for clever storage that you might not have thought of!

We are delighted to be featured in the January issue of Living Etc ~ ‘Design Dossier: Storage.’

As they say, “Just because it’s functional, doesn’t mean it can’t be eye catching.”

Hallway headspace

Keeping your hallway clear and organised can have a knock on effect in the rest of your home. Dedicated areas for keys, shoes, coats and post can help you keep a clear head on a day to day basis and avoids your hallway becoming a dumping ground. All we can say is pegs, pegs, pegs! Estimate how many coat hooks you think you’ll need....then double it!

In this well trodden thorough fair, wall panelling below waist height is ideal for protecting walls and a slim-line bench is useful for putting on shoes and wellies.

Landing Love

Are you making the most of your landing?

Hire a joiner to build in some simple shelving below waist height that can be used as banquette seating with room for books and storage below. Alternatively, bookshelves that run right to the ceiling can make an impactful design statement - just don’t forget the space over the doorway, another niche that can be used for display.

Access those top shelves with the help of a hook over or rolling ladders, available in bespoke sizes and delivered prepared but unfinished, so you can paint it whatever colour you like!

Image credit: Barnes of Ashburton

Quiet corners

Every home should have a quiet corner.

Pick a corner that is dark and unloved and turn it into a reading spot. Floor to ceiling shelving in a simple design can transform the corner into a mini library, with a soft reading lamp, side table and drinks trolley. Suddenly it’s a haven for peaceful contemplation. Add a simple hook over library ladder for additional class and maximising storage space.

Image credit: David L Douglas

Walk in wardrobes, dressing rooms and built in cupboards

Dressing rooms sound grand, but can actually be created quite easily with a simple stud wall, with or without a door opening. Our sliding barn door kits offer a brilliant design opportunity saving on the floor area normally required for swing doors.

Fit your dressing room with ready to fit shelving or go for an investment bespoke option. Did you know.... the average person wears 20% of the contents of their wardrobe 80% of the time? Often the reason for this is down to poor storage design.

Depending on the space you have available, consider all the storage possibilities available from shoe carousels, racks, height of shelves for bedding, pull-down hanging rails and using the full height of the room with shelving. In this case, the addition of a library ladder is both fun, stylish and practical. Our rolling or hook over ladders are available in bespoke heights to work in any interior.

Image credit: Lara Clark Interiors

Hidden spaces

There are plenty of hidden and awkward spaces that are under-utilised in every house.

Identify your storage requirements and find a clever space in which to create storage. For example, plinth drawers are great for storing shallow items in kitchens, banquette seating with lift up lids is great for hiding all manner of objects and wall recesses under the stairs areas are ideal for built in desks and coat cupboards.

Buying a new bed? Choose one with drawers underneath for neatly storing away bedding. Our clever Invisidoor kits make it possible for your bookcase to conceal a doorway and add a quirky style statement.

Cupboard Love

No matter how relaxed you are about organisation, everyone feels a glowing sense of satisfaction with organised cupboards.

This extends to every room in the house, but particularly in the kitchen. Similarly to only 20% of our clothes being worn throughout the year, roughly the same percentage of crockery is used – meaning most of our possessions stay hidden at the back of shelves and cupboards most of the time.

Make the most of high ceilings and build cupboards right up to the top – these can be easily accessed by a full rolling or swivel corner library ladder that can be placed upright and out of the way when not in use.

Orderley Office

Having an organised office space can improve productivity, so there’s no excuse not to invest a little time and effort in your working environment.

No more files on the floor, uncomfortable chair or hard to find documents. Tall free-standing bookcases help you to achieve a library effect, with a library ladder injecting a bit of practical class without taking up too much floor space.

Paint your ladder in a bold colour for impact. Consider adding a paint effect or bold colour inside your shelving for an unexpected pop of colour, or paint it into the rest of the scheme. Coupled with wall panelling, you could give your office a gentleman’s club makeover for relatively little extra cost. With all the hours we’re spending working at home, it’s an investment that will pay off.

Image credit: Harvey McLean Custom Joinery

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