Saving space
Make the most of the space within your home with Latest Interiors’ guide to storing smartly
Do your drawers overflow? Are your cupboards fit to burst? If clutter is making your life a misery, and the quieter market has (temporarily) scuppered your plans to up-size, help is at hand. Latest Interiors’ resolution for 2008 is to help you make the most of the space you’ve got, and make it all the better to sell on – and move on up – when the time is right. In need of some sensible storage solutions? Read on…
Richard Hill Interiors
01273 415991
07970 274626 www.richardhillinteriors.com
Living space & kitchens
Look up: are you making the most of your high ceilings? Utilise this space with fabulous floor-to-ceiling shelves or cupboards. A mixture of open shelves and closed boxes or units works best: things you like or need to access can be left ‘on show’, while the rest is shut tidily away. Transform difficult corner kitchen units with pop-out concertina shelves.
Bedrooms and bathrooms
Separating sleeping and wardrobe space is a great idea – walk-in wardrobes really appeal to buyers. Think about your space and whether there is room for a partition wall, to create a bijou ‘dressing room’. If not, use fitted wardrobes with a sensible combination of hanging and shelves (women tend to need more hanging space, men more shelving. If you’re sharing, make sure there’s a good mix of both!). Under-the-bed space can be utilised with drawers or boxes. Headboards can be custom-made to include fitted storage, and a trunk at the end of the bed can be both useful and stylish.
A wall of mirrored cupboards creates the illusion of space in smaller bathrooms. Maximise under-sink space with a boxed-in unit and fitted shelving. Creating a ‘false wall’ behind the toilet or bath to conceal plumbing also provides an opportunity for clever storage and concealed shelves.
Hallways, stairs and landings
Oft-neglected, these areas add valuable storage. Under-the-stairs cupboards can be fitted out with mix-and-match storage units to maximise space. A pull-out drawer for shoes,
a tall cupboard for clothes or cleaning equipment, smaller drawers and even a low unit for stowing the hoover away can be fitted beneath most stairs. Wide hallways can also accommodate fitted shelves – possibly even running the full length, giving the impression of greater space – and over-door shelves or units are discreet and useful.
A place for everything
Give everything a permanent storage ‘home’, so it can be easily put away. Prioritise storage: place things that you use regularly within easy reach, and things you don’t use often deeper in the cupboard. If you still can’t see the wood for the trees, call in the professionals. A space therapist or professional property ‘stylist’ will perform small miracles with your possessions, pruning away unwanted stuff and reorganising you. If there’s still not enough room, outsource it. Placing unused furniture and possessions in storage is an inexpensive and sensible solution – ideal for couples moving in together, or when you’re planning on moving up the property ladder at some point and don’t want to throw things away. And if you’re still not sitting comfortably? Well, there’s always a loft conversion…
