Multitasking Your Home Décor
In our ongoing quest of keeping life simple, one of the best ways we can do this in our homes is by incorporating organizing solutions into our everyday furnishings!
Here are some of our favorite, creative ways to help you make the most of your home’s square footage, while still allowing your personal style to shine through.
Go Vertical
Underused wall space is just asking for an upgrade! Make it a win-win by choosing furnishings that double as storage space. Start with shelving, which can be as simple as using bookshelves that hold both books and pretty woven bins, where toys and games can be stashed. A coat rack that includes a shoe rack is also a winner!
Over-the-door racks can be added almost everywhere: shoe/hat holders for bedrooms, for toiletries in the bathrooms, cleaning supplies in the laundry room, even small ones under the kitchen sink for sponges and towels.
Hang a mail/key rack next to your front door so everyone’s keys stay corralled and easy to find during the morning rush. Bonus points for nearby hooks for purses and hats, and small floating shelves for wallets and spare change.
Pegboards can look great all over the house! In kids’ bedrooms, it can hold books, jackets and toys. Hang one next to your home gym to keep your workout equipment off the floor. And pegboards are magical in the garage, especially for tools and gardening supplies.
Add Stylish Storage Containers
Storage benches at the ends of beds look elegant, give us a place to sit while getting ready, and are a perfect place to store out-of-season clothing and extra blankets and pillows.
Not only are woven or patterned bins great for bookshelves, placing them in simple cube units instantly upgrades your space. They also give you (or the kids!) easily accessible areas to stow regularly-used items, and the units can go from two-cube dimensions to up to 10, or more!
And let’s not forget those storage stalwarts—ottomans! They have been a great go-to for decades when it comes to stylish places to stash our stuff, while also providing horizontal surfaces for remotes and drinking glasses.
Think Outside the Box
Sometimes we need to get creative in our storage solutions! Take a look around your home and see where else you can tuck away more of your household items.
Back in the day, media stands needed room for DVD/VCR players and a plethora of DVDs and videocassette tapes. Many of us mostly stream now, which means those underused cabinets and shelves can be repurposed! Add bins in a matching color to stash anything from seasonal décor to pet toys to board games.
Perhaps your kitchen island is holding appliances and utensils you rarely, if ever, use. Yep, we’re looking at you, ice cream makers, sandwich presses, and sous vide machines! Give yourself permission to part ways with these items (or ask that friend who’s always had an eye on it if she’d like to take it on—and if you can then borrow it at times!). Then see how this extra space can serve your own organizational purposes.
Bonus Level
Take a quick peek at your summer calendar. Is there a day here or there where the kids are off at camp? Do you have an open vacation day that hasn’t yet been claimed?
If so, schedule yourself a Catch-up Day, and add the following to your storage solutions:
Space under the beds is priceless, let’s use it for good! Declutter under each one, and toss or donate whatever you can. Purchase long shallow bins (they can even come with wheels!) for keepsakes, school papers, and seasonal items and clothing.
Tops of closets are next: add plastic milk crates for easy and instant storage solutions. Or check out your linen closet; perhaps you can donate some of your more threadbare towels to the local animal shelter, which helps you make room for more storage.
You’re doing great, so make sure to add some down time at the end of your Catch-up Day—binge a show, read that fun book, call a friend—whatever fills your heart!
Storage solutions are our specialty—contact us below to help you reclaim your space and enjoy a more beautiful, peaceful home.
Cheers!
Your MHS Team
