One of the key principles of good interior design that most people violate is simplicity. They either have too many design elements per room, or they overwhelm the design by having too many belongings out in the open. To create and maintain good interior design, you should follow the adage, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” We all own items, necessary or convenient to our lifestyle, that don’t necessarily need to be out on display. Other items could serve as design elements, if they are displayed in a creative way. Here are some ideas for practical or clever storage, to make your home look its very best.
Entryway
The entryway to your home is the first impression that sets the tone for the design of the rest of the house. If it is cluttered or has dirt from shoes, the rest of the home design will not be appreciated as well. Use a decorative coat rack to hang coats and umbrellas. If you have a “no shoes” house, provide a little bench for people to sit on, to remove their shoes. Provide a shoe rack or use a bench with storage, to keep the shoes out of sight.
Kitchen
Many people struggle with cabinet storage space and clutter up the counters with small appliances or items they want to keep close at hand. Here are a few ways to ease the storage strain. Use rotating lazy susans inside of cabinets, to be able to find and get to small items, like spices or small plates or food containers. Use a baker’s rack or sturdy wire rack to store small appliances or matching sets of china. Use a dedicated wine rack, to display wine bottles. Kohl’s has quite a few stylish ones that will be a design element in and of themselves. Add extra shelves in your pantry, by going upwards, all the way to the ceiling. Use a folding step ladder to get to items above your head.
Adult Bedrooms
If you have space underneath your bed, use it for storage. Adding a dust ruffle or folding panel beneath the bed will make this area invisible. You can then get slide plastic storage containers underneath, which can store things such as off-season clothing, bulky coats, or extra linens. Outfit your closets with extra shelves or closet organizer products.
Childrens Bedrooms
Organizing toys not only keeps a room clean, it helps in brain development of a young mind. Avoid large multi-purpose toy boxes that kids will be tempted to shove everything into, when you say it is time to clean their room. The older a child is, the more separate containers they will be able to manage. For example, if your 3 yr old plays with Legos, have lego time, then put the blocks away out of reach. When they are a bit older, you can have categorized bins or boxes, where each category of toy is put away in its own place.
Living room or Den
Use book and magazine racks to keep tables and couches clear. Use ottomans with built in storage to store remote controls and small electronics.
Garage
Line the walls with shelving or cabinets. Use storage boxes to organize shelves, but be sure to label them, so you know where things are in the boxes. Keep like items together. Use an umbrella rack in a closet, for long tall items like snow skis, camera tripods, umbrellas or any oddball long items that don’t have their own place. If the garage is climate controlled, use garage shelves to hold bulk sized or extra items from the pantry.
You will find, that with proper storage and organization, your house will not only have a more cohesive sense of design, but it will feel cleaner and even larger. The new space and openness may even feel as if you bought a new house.
Article Submitted by A Community Writer
