Do you find you never ever have enough storage?
It is a challenge I find most of us have, unless you are one of the really organised non hoarder types of people who can emotionally & financially easily detach from items previously purchased. I don’t mean to be sexist hear but I do find men can normally do this easier than us woman. However, it does tend to be us women who organise the home… maybe this is so be can hang onto more of the items we aren’t ready to dispose of!
In this blog I am not going to talk about how to declutter & emotionally detach from objects you have no use for anymore, but somehow can’t let go of… I will leave that subject for another day!!
I am going to share some of my favourite storage solutions with you.
Clever storage is one of my favourite topics, however as this is a blog not a novel I will try and keep this brief. Just to give you some ideas to how you can store items away to keep you house looking clutter free.
‘𝕋𝕚𝕕𝕪 𝕙𝕠𝕞𝕖, 𝕋𝕚𝕕𝕪 𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕕’!
Being inventive with your storage solutions, doesn't always mean it is going to cost you a fortune and you need to employ a cabinet maker. Sometimes being creative with 'off the shelf' storage is all that is required.
For example, the image on left shows a simple IKEA unit with tan leather pull outs, really useful for children's toys or magazines & books, doubling up as a window seat. All this needs is a chunky piece of foam, covered in some upholstery fabric that compliments the room it is going in to. Dress with some varying sized cushions & straight away you have a dual functional storage solution.
This particular Kallax unit from Ikea has so many variations & a few different colours, its so versatile because of the size of the openings, IKEA offer a variety of simple and more decorative pull outs, depending on where you are proposing to put it. Easily fitting magazines & files, perfect for offices.
Introducing the fitted Kallax shelving. Now this does require a joiner and a plasterer to build out the wall to accommodate the depth of the unit. But once its in situ it is so useful. This is a home office space, cleverly designed on a budget, one of the great benefits about these units is if you get bored with the look of them you can easily give it a make over using different fillers, such as the BULLIG bamboo box, bringing some texture into and natural colour into the mix. This combination uses the drawers just £17 each. Lexman white boxes & white files, all from clever IKEA. If you love the cork board as much as us, this is from Cork Store.
Lastly for the Kallax IKEA unit. Use in the alcove or build out your TV wall. All TV's on the wall in my opinion should be recessed in to hide the wires, but also if its recessed into the wall slightly I think it looks less impossing. However if you don't want to recess, be brave and paint the wall in a chalky black to disguise the TV (like pictured below) This is a clients family room, if like many mums with young children you want somewhere to tidy all the small toys & crafts away, this is a great solution. No parent wants to repeat that feeling of stepping on lego or flying across the floor on a felt tip pen while graffitiing the floor as you head to the settee to relax for the evening!
If you want to personalise these units we recommend using Frenchic paint, little priming is required and enables you to paint on almost any surface (even leather!) It is also Eco friendly which is important!
Now, for the more bespoke cabinetry. This is makes my heart sing, but also I'm not going to lie, also makes my pocket hurt slightly. Be aware, if going for bespoke joinery always use a reputable company, the cheapest quote is not always the most cost effective. That old saying is true, buy cheap buy twice!
While panelling is very much on trend & has been for sometime now, but also it is a classic style so has no signs of going out of fashion any time soon. Utilising the look while incorporating clever storage, like pictured, is so streamline, this is design at the next level. This has no handles, so when closed it doesn't even look like there is a cupboard there. Just a little push and it will open. Genius!
-Photo credit-Pinterest
Another fine example of bespoke storage is this wall of units, not trying to be secret storage, instead creating beautiful filled wall of panelled doors & drawers with stunning gold handles . I love the addition of drawers at the bottom, all beautifully designed, using this putty grey paint colour evokes an elegant timeless solution.
Amazing design by Dublin designer Kingston Lafferty
Simplistic elegance. For me there is something so beautiful about the above. Created by a designer and bespoke cabinet maker. A storage solution can be something that is simple and hardly seen. Stylish design doesn't always need to be something that is obvious. The above is what we call a sophisticated storage solution. Simple panels to hide whatever you don't want to be on show, having lots of items on show, even books ( if not styled) can look messy and disorganised, putting behind plain doors can actually look so effective and creates a feeling of calm.
The above colour is the very popular Cashmere. Warm and timeless.
If you need any helping designing your clever storage solution for your home, please get in touch and one of our talented designers will help you create the best options for your space and budget.
By for now!
Kate x
Cole & Fox Interior Design
info@coleandfox.com
Look out for our next blog...
How to declutter your home ready for 2021.... make way for new things & let go of items that no longer serve you!