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Your home is the place where you keep everything important that matters to you. Naturally, it is important that each item has a designated place so that you can organise what matters right. This is where storage solutions can help by being both effective and efficient.
Increasing urbanisation has led to a serious space crunch, be it in residential units or workplace. With decreasing size of residential spaces, organising all those bits and bobs lying around the house, including the items that are no longer in use but too dear to discard is a major challenge.
Multipurpose items
Neerav Jain, founder and CEO, CityFurnish.com, has some suggestions for starters. “A smart way of storage is to use an item that not only serves its basic utility but also helps declutter the chaos strewn around. One can use space-saving modular storage options along with the flexibility of utility and type/range of storage. Under-bed storage makes for a great storage solution, and depending on the items to be organised, one can go for either a single or queen bed. The same can also accommodate a sliding dog bed for your furry mates.”
He adds, “Side tables for storing regular items along with drawer space for wallet, mobile, books and so on; chest of drawers for storing clothes, accessories and other standard stuff are other options for convenient storage. A storage ottoman is another great option with multiple uses: serving as extra seating, a foot rest, or even a coffee table when required. Wall-hung cabinets for storing electronic appliances, including television and other entertainment units also save space and help organise all electronic items at one place.”
A lot of innovation in space management is being used now to accommodate the same stuff in lesser space. The biggest trend is the rise of multifaceted furniture which double up as storage solutions, sliding shelf that also functions as a room separator, corner carousels or swing trays that aptly utilise the tricky corners of your kitchens.
Storage solutions can be created in almost all rooms in a home. To add more storage, you need to use clever designs. If you get creative, you can maximise even the most minuscule sliver of space. Anushka Anand, interior architect, House of Oya, says, “The wasted space under the bed can be converted to drawers to add storage. This can double as shoe drawers in the house. The space behind a full-length mirror can be utilised to store jewellery. Tuck a skinny shelf into any unused bathroom space or use it like a jar and spice tray in a kitchen. Ottomans can have storage space inside them while still serving their purpose of a seat.”
Every room and space in your home is a place where you can create varied storage solutions. Shubhra Chadda, co-founder, Chumbak, says, “Choose storage solutions can be placed in kitchens to store dry items, on dressers to store jewellery, on office desks, or even in living rooms to ramp up the look of these spaces with these unique designs.”
Get creative
“With a creative designer, right hardware solution and, of course, money, the possibilities are endless. The space below stairways is the most common space which can be smartly used for storage. Other than this, tall units can be designed in a manner that they use minimum space horizontally, and give easy access to storage units through the use of right hardware. Similarly, interior (room) doors that can also conceal shelves behind it, or shelves that cover the space between the wall, and awkwardly placed pillars are other interesting options one may opt for,” says Shyam Motwani, executive vice president and head of business, Godrej Locking Solutions and Systems.
Study desks can be really unsightly and when it comes to smaller apartments, make sure you keep it neat and tidy. Else, opt for a hidden study that won’t interfere with the rest of the room’s decor and neatly closes itself as a cupboard. “Add to it all the storage elements that you get and you have the perfect solution for your tiny apartment. Cover an entire wall with a bookshelf or display cabinets to take care of your collectables. Open racks take lesser space than covered ones but need tidying up more often,” says architect Ateet Vengurlekar, Blue Arch Architects.
Minnie Bhatt, interior designer, Minnie Bhatt Design, adds, “Smartly chosen furniture for all properly planned areas can accommodate a good amount of storage. Even coffee tables and side tables in a living room space can have storage drawers. Wall-panelling with some depth can be created to house miscellaneous things. Camouflaging a nook in the wall with panelling and creating a storage space is one such idea. Decorative chests can also be used for storage while also serving as a decorative piece in a space.”
Hidden spaces
Typically a 2.5 to 3 feet space on the wall behind any room door is left unused. This is an interesting and clever space to create storage solutions. “Building horizontal metal/wooden racks behind the door allows for easy storage of magazines, newspaper, leaflets, etc. It also saves space from having to stack magazines in drawers or cupboards. Dining tables, by themselves, are fascinating pieces of furniture to store cutlery and linen. Thin pull-out drawers on the dining table allow for storage of daily use linen and cutlery,” advises Mrinmayee Kundaliya, founder & owner, TUNI Tales.
Shezaan Bhojani, CEO, Design Cafe, adds, “Have a dresser unit with storage and electrical points within them. You can also have a mirror on the inner surface of a wardrobe shutter with electrical points inside for better usage.
Cutlery-hanging hooks on the inner surface of a shutter, chopping board within a drawer with a telescopic channel, ironing board within a drawer, and laundry baskets within the drawers are good ways to store your stuff.”
So, if you were wondering how and where to organise your things, well help is here — get ready to get organised!
• Use vertical spaces.
• Scale down shelves according to their function.
•.Get an expert’s help if needed.
• Think in inches, not feet.
• Use expandable units.
• Always utilise the corners, install shelves that make good use of the nooks and corners.
• Use multifunctional furniture.
• Remember to go minimalistic.
• Use expandable units.
• Install shelves that make good use of the nooks and corners.