Maximize Your Home's Storage Space

Guess what? Your home has the potential to feel more spacious, and you don’t need to increase your square footage to make it so. By adding some extra storage to your attic, basement, garage, or even living space, you can free up more room to live in.

Here are a few easy storage solutions that you can accomplish as either quick contract jobs or, if you’re handy, weekend do-it-yourself projects. These ideas can be as simple or involved as you make them:

Store it where you sit. Seating options like benches and window seats lend themselves naturally to extra storage. Conceal a drawer or a cabinet within a bench – or consider investing in an ottoman with a storage feature.

Make the most of your garage. You don’t need to tear down your garage and start from scratch with a larger version. Instead, install shelving! It doesn’t have to be beautiful – it’s your garage, after all – but it can be an effective storage system for everything from gardening equipment to hand tools to old paint to cleaning products. Most big box home improvement stores offer a wide selection of shelving solutions, from stand-alone units to wall-mount varieties. Just make sure that the shelves lining the walls don’t interfere with your ability to park your car.

Install some cabinets. Like shelving, cabinets can be mounted on your walls or carved out of existing space – say, an underused kitchen island. You can even install recessed cabinets between the studs in your walls! And it doesn’t all have to be straightforward cabinetry. What are your needs and interests? Maybe your lifestyle lends itself to a wine rack or entertainment center. If you aren’t cut out for detail work or you’re uncertain about the location of electrical and plumbing fixtures within your walls, it might be worth hiring a contractor for this type of job – for a professional, it’s a breeze.

Utilize your wasted space. Do you have soaring ceilings and empty walls? Think about adding shelving for books, photos, artwork, and knickknacks above eye level. The result will still draw your eye upward, maintaining the spacious feel of a home with high ceilings. Make the most of your home’s unique angles by installing shelves or cabinets in unusual spaces.

Increasing your floor space by stowing some of your belongings can make your home seem larger than it really is. Think about it; when your house is cluttered, it feels small. When everything is put away, it gives the illusion of space and you almost feel like you can breathe more deeply.

Use your creativity to find clever storage options for crawl spaces, an unused fireplace, or even that wasted space beneath the stairs. The result will be an increase in living space and charm.

Interested to know more? Visit www.marklesses.com for more information.