Your top storage ideas

[Jason]

Spring might be the time for cleaning, but January is the time that many people get organised for the new year. 

Sales of items like storage tubs, tool chests and garage shelving increase dramatically at this time of year. 

What are your tricks and clever storage ideas to combat clutter and stay organised?

Jason

[Kermit]

Best thing we did in our first home - a really small Victorian - was to install a roof space ladder in the hallway so we could use the attic as storage. 

I would love to install one again but I fear it would encourage my hoarding instincts. Better to regularly send unwanted items to the op shop or ebay. 

[ProjectPete]

I'm a fan of "if it hasn't been used in past 6 months then it goes". Obviously I make some exceptions thanks to my hoarding tendencies and optimistic views of always needing something one day.

Unwanted items then get donated, handed down and sometimes sold.

[KingStreetReno]

I agree with @ProjectPete - I'm a huge fan or purging unwanted items.

I go room-by-room and remove items that I no longer use or want and either donate or sell on eBay or Gumtree. As a general rule, if you haven't used it for 12mths it's gone. 

Marie Kondo's new 'The life-changing magic of tidying up' seems to be gaining huge momentum at the moment if anyone is interested in tidying up their life vs creating storage in the new year!

Another great duo to look out for are 'The Minimalists.'

My top tips for storage are:

- Use velvet clothes hangers as they are super-thin and don't take up much room in your wardrobe (also great for keeping your clothes in good condition).

- Another wardrobe tip, is to store all of your off-season clothes. I put mine in suitcases under my bed. Storage tubs would also work.

- Re-use pretty candle jars for make-up brushes, pens, art supplies etc.

- K-mart has a great (cheap) range of storage baskets at the moment. I bought quite a few of the matte black wire baskets to store bits and pieces on wardrobe my shelves. The wire ensues you can still see what you're looking for and they look great

- At the moment, I am storing excess kitchen items in large plastic tubs in a wardrobe. Once we renovate, I'll clear out what I can continue to live without and the rest will finally have a place to live with our bigger kitchen.

[Hay]

I love hooks!

I have hooks on the backs of our study door to hang things on.  This door is always open against the wall so the stuff is hidden.  If we have a guest stay in this room, I can move the stuff elsewhere temporarily and these hooks are used for their towels. 

Our bedroom door is also pretty much always open, so I have over door hooks here where I hang hats and scarves.  This doubles as a decor item as hats and scarves are pretty. 

We have a small laundry, so I've utilised some small wall areas and walls inside the cupboard by adding hooks.  Good for hanging umbrellas, the dust pan, first aid kit, shopping bags etc. 

Storage is key in a small apartment, so I will be staying tuned to this thread for ideas!

[Kermit]

Apparently today is "Organise Your Home Day". Looks like I forgot to buy my wife a greeting card for it.

This article mentions mud rooms, something I've never heard of. After Googling, apparently it is an American thang...

Many suburban American houses have a mud room, a casual, generally secondary entryway intended as an area to remove and store footwear, outerwear, and wet clothing before entering the main house. As well as providing storage space, a mud room serves to increase the cleanliness of a house proper.

[Mon_16]

I'm a big fan of vacuum sealed storage bags. I bought them in bulk and they are great to store out of season clothing items, spare doonas and pillows for guests. I live in a small apartment with limited space so these things have helped me a lot in clearing up space as they store everything to almost flat.

[Annette]

My Hubby's favourite saying is "But it might come in handy one day". My answer is "But we shouldn't have to keep it for the next 30 years!"

[Annette]

Another American "thang" is to have a cellar or basement which is very practical as an extra room or storage area. I would love to see more houses in Australia with basements to minimise the actual house footprint on what are becoming smaller and smaller residential blocks. These days huge houses are taking up the majority of a block with little or no space for kids to play or even to have a decent garden.

[Isobel]

@Kermit

I just read this article on mud rooms and wondered whether anyone on Workshop had talked about them before. They are a great idea.