Organizing your home is not only about the closets
Storage is not only about closets anymore. With the evolving trends taking over the building industry, there’s one in particular that seems to be growing beyond the use of attics and basements — unlimited storage space. For some, organizing comes easy, especially when there are large enough closets or there is adequate space for shelves, bins and decorative storage units. For others organizing is difficult as space and creativity can be limited.
Recently, closet organization has become a home improvement project. More and more homeowners are recreating their closets into dressing rooms with built in shelving and carefully placed bars for hanging gowns, dresses and pants. They are adding storage islands in larger closets, and customizing smaller ones to maximize every inch of space. They are using second hand dressers and building them into walls to provide a built-in look, then painting the drawer faces to match trim or other decorative items in their bedrooms.
As children move out, homeowners are using spare rooms to create master closets with dressing rooms. In new construction, built-ins are becoming more popular, providing additional storage anywhere there is available wall space, in any room of the house. With the range of storage and organization options, consumers are more readily able to fully realize the concept of a place for everything and everything in its place.
With the upswing in popularity of home renovation shows, do it yourself magazines and websites like Houzz and Pinterest, homeowners are learning that they can customize their homes to make it personal. In more cases than in the past, they are turning to designers, architects, craftsmen, and landscape organizers to identify how to make use of every inch of every room in their home. Consumers are becoming more aware that if properly organized, their home can be more functional.
For many that are making the transition to working from home, it is important they have an office space that functions well, which includes having a place for files, computer equipment and supplies. When there is room for a separate office, it is easy to set one up, but when space is limited a built-in desk and small shelving unit can help you get organized and create a better work environment.
Bookcases throughout the house have become more popular, and can be used with decorative slide in storage bins to store wires, game controls, DVDs, spare pillows and even blankets. Whether in a family room, living room or dining room, bookcases can be modified for the storage of almost anything, including decorative art, platters or family heirlooms. Smaller bookcases with a bench combination could also be tucked away in a nook of any room in the house to add a quiet space for reading.
Mudrooms have grown in popularity in recent years, creating an organized space for coats, shoes, hats, and winter gear. A mudroom can be furnished with cool lockers or with cabinetry to create a room that blends with the rest of the house. If you don’t have a separate room to spare, consider a piece of furniture for an entryway that is a combo storage bench, with or without room to hang jackets.
Hidden storage can be interesting and fun, like placed under a staircase, or placed behind a wall which pops open when you push it in so you are the only one that knows it exists. With the onslaught of creative storage containers, bins can be placed under beds to store winter/summer clothes during off seasons or placed in hard to reach areas that would otherwise go unused.
Over the years, kitchens have become the most important room of the house, providing a space for entertaining, working, cooking, and homework. Cabinet manufacturers have reacted positively to the needs of homeowners when it comes to creative storage. Corner cabinets are no longer wasted space. Creative and movable shelving with offsetting hardware provides use of every inch of space in cabinets. More options are available for the storage of small appliances, pantry items and spices. Keeping with the clean and uncluttered trend, more contractors are working with homeowners to include these solutions into the design of their kitchen, including thoughtfully placed electrical outlets.
Wall and base filler cabinets can be strategically placed to maximize storage in the kitchen. Pull out cabinets provide a space for garbage cans so they are tucked away nicely. Large drawers can be used to store oversized platters and bowls.
Don’t forget about the pantry, as storage space is also needed for dry goods and cans. Many homeowners have chosen to use a nearby closet off the kitchen or build a small walk in closet for this purpose, as it is less expensive than custom cabinetry. A pantry can also provide space for mixers, juicers, toasters and large kitchen gadgets instead of using up prime cabinet space.
Keeping the garage organized and capable of storing more than just the household vehicles is what it’s all about today. The garage has become another room of the home, and the space is looked at differently than in years past.
Research has shown within the past three or four years that creating ample garage storage is on the rise. Whether you add hooks to hang larger items on the wall, add shelving or place modular storage units on the floor on wheels, everything can have a place, no matter what the size.
In the past, people did not place a lot of emphasis on organization, feeling that there was no real solution to smaller homes or older homes designed without closets. However, educated consumers are now realizing that there are options and are reaching out for assistance from the professionals.
As the amount of our material possessions grow, it’s only a matter of time before homeowners will find it more difficult to thoughtfully store their items. In today’s busy world being organized provides a more effective way to manage time, and will not only declutter the appearance of your home, but will also declutter your mind.
Alex Filis, President A.F. Signature Home Renovations Corp.
(347) 952-1449
