Using Clever Storage for a Better, Smarter Family Home

Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Today’s guest post is full of clever storage tips to help you get it under control – enjoy!

Keeping the house tidy is a never-ending challenge, especially when there are kids about. It doesn’t matter whether they’re toddlers or teens, they seem to have an inbuilt ability to leave a trail of chaos. If you’re forever picking up after the family, there are ways to make storage work harder.

Create Activity Zones

Activity zones don’t need anything fancy to make them work. The goal is to earmark areas of the house where certain things happen.

Dining: Whether you have a dining room, a table in the kitchen, or a breakfast bar, make sure that’s where people eat. You may have to nag a little at first, but eventually the trail of used crockery will get shorter.

Homework or computer work: If you have a desk, keep the printer close by. Store paper, pens, staples, rulers, notebooks and everything else in the computer zone. This makes getting on with work easier, as everything is to hand.

Play zone: This could be a corner in a bedroom, an area in the living room, or anywhere else. Make sure toys stay in that area, especially ones that tend to spread out such as building bricks or crayons. Install shelving where you can stow plastic storage tubs for small items, or a cupboard or toy chest for activity items.

Choose Storage Furniture

Wherever possible, swap standard furnishings for those with built-in storage. Examples include shelves under occasional tables, or drawers in coffee tables. Stowing games controllers, TV remotes or charging cables here keeps surfaces clutter free.

In bedrooms, install extra drawer space in existing closets or wardrobes. At a pinch, the plastic drawer units that are widely available work well. They provide extra space for clothing, as well as clever storage for odds and ends like household documents or hobby and craft supplies.

Captain and cabin-style beds are great for kids’ rooms. Their small footprint leaves more floor space free, but still provides plenty of cupboard, desk or drawer space, depending on the style you choose.

Reclaim House Space

When possessions overrun the available space at home, consider self storage for the overflow. We may not constantly use an item, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want it. Seasonal clothing or sports equipment, summer garden swings and climbing frames are all well suited to self storage.

The things we don’t use year round will stay in better condition for longer if they’re properly stored. Self storage spaces come in many different sizes, making them practical for most people with storage needs.

You can rent a space from a week onwards, and from locker-sized upwards. And by moving things you don’t use out of the house, you have loads more room for the things you do use. Another plus is that toys seem new and exciting again when kids haven’t seen them for a few weeks or months.

Staying on top of household clutter is an ongoing challenge. But with a bit of creative thinking it’s possible to carve some calm from the chaos. What are your tips for clever storage in a family home?