Unless your townhome is unusually spacious, you know the pain of passing up something you would love to buy simply because there is nowhere to put it! You may be sharing your space with a pile of clutter that is slowly pushing you out of your own home. Living in a cluttered home can cause you to be severely stressed, which can lead to headaches, depression, insomnia, and low self-esteem, among other problems. Here are some ideas for adding storage space that will help de-clutter your townhome and give you peace of mind. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Prepare to Organize
1. Clean your home thoroughly to avoid stirring up any dust or dirt as you move items.
2. Go through each room and collect things that you do not need.
3. Donate any well-cared items and clothing to charity and throw away anything broken or in poor condition.
In the Living Room
4. Purchase pieces of furniture that can perform double-duty. Not just stylish and functional, many ottomans are available with a removable top that reveals storage space for books, magazines, and linens; some sofas now come with pull-out drawers along the bottom that are ideal for multiple remotes and lap blankets; and club chairs and recliners often have pockets or magazine racks on the side that can hold a knitting or sewing project.
5. Install floating shelves on the walls. Floor space is precious in a townhome, and bookcases often take up too much square footage. Floating shelves allow you to organize books, magazines, and knick-knacks without any footprint at all.
6. Use a trunk or an attractive storage bin as a side table or coffee table. These are ideal for holding Christmas decorations or seasonal clothing that you won't need to access frequently, and the flat surface provides usable space. Add a slipcover over the bin to make it less visible.
In the Kitchen
7. Purchase a pantry cabinet and install it. These pantries are not very deep, and will give you a place to store food, leaving valuable over-the-counter cabinets for dishes, glassware and pans.
8. Replace your portable appliances with small footprint options. A smaller microwave, toaster, or toaster oven can do the job just as well, but will create more counter space for cutting boards, cookie jars, and decorative pieces.
9. Install cabinet systems that supply additional shelves. A pull-down style for upper cabinets means that you will use even the top shelves that you couldn't reach before, and roll-out racks take advantage of side cabinet space and are perfect for storing cookie sheets and rolls of tinfoil or wax paper.
In the Bedroom
10. Buy a set of zip-up fabric storage drawers that slide under the bed. You can use them to hold extra sheets and blankets, pillows, sweaters, or an overflow of shoes.
11. Use a shelving system in the closet. While you might have a single rod on which to hang your clothes, shelves allow you to stack folded clothing and accessories for more storage. Or, you can use a shelving system for one half of the closet and expandable hangers in the other half for clothing that must be hung to avoid wrinkling. Each expandable hanger holds multiple pieces of clothing, rather than one or two.
12. Choose a stylish dressing screen to decorate a corner of your room. You can stash storage bins and large, bulky items behind it.
In the Bathroom
13. Purchase portable corner shower shelves at your local superstore or home improvement store. They're simple to install and bring an end to the frustration of constantly knocking the soap off of the edge of the tub.
14. If you do not have under-the-sink cabinets, you can slide a small bookcase underneath a hanging sink to hold towels and extra toiletries that you do not mind guests seeing.
15. Use an over-the-toilet medicine cabinet to hold smaller, personal items. This type of storage takes advantage of the usually wasted space above the toilet.
Tags: books magazines, clothing that, shelves allow, shelving system, that need, that will, your home
