Maximize Your Space, a Guide to Storage Design
One of the biggest reasons to remodel your home is storage. Over the years of collecting things and your family grows, you quickly begin to run out of space. Then you’re challenged to find creative ways to unclutter the junk drawers, slim down the linen closets, and all those miscellanous tools and toys and things that just don’t seem to have a home. So, how do you maximize your storage space as you’re begining to design your remodel?
Easy… Every area in your home has a function. The laundry room for instance. When you think about maximizing your storage, first think about how you use that space. What is your laundry routine? What items are essential for you to get the laundry done. Start there. Your storage design starts with how you use your space and how you flow from task to task. What do you need quickly or frequently? Items you use on a daily or weekly basis require quick and easy access. Using laundry rooms as an example, having simple selves for the important stuff provides that quick and easy access. Cabinets can be added as well to store all the other stuff like cleaning supplies.
Another challenge we find our clients having is where to put all the coats, shoes, umbrellas, bags, hats and things when you come home. If you have children, this can be a really really big challenge. Coat closets just don’t seem to have the storage they used to, or maybe we just like to have a good selection of jackets to wear. Either way, incorporating cubbies, shelves, hooks and hanges can provide just what you need to keep all of those items organized in one place. Addiditional shevles and drawers can provide more storage for your accessories.
When you start thinking about the storage you need and the room you’re preparing to remodel, be creative. People sometime throw their hands up and start browsing the web for a quick solution. Maybe you can buy something that will help you store your things. But, honestly, that’s just another item you’re bringing into your home that in a few years will end up being clutter.
Don’t settle for the quick fix. Do your homework. The internet is filled with design ideas for every space your can image. We’ve always made it part of our process to sit down with clients and help educate them about the options they may have available to them, but just haven’t thought about. For example, kitchens are on of the biggest space in need of creative storage design.
If you think about the flow of your kitchen and what you use most, designing the storage around how you use that space can be a game changer. Adding additional shelving for quick access items like coffee cups, spices, and basic utencils to help you move quickly with your day to day tasks. Adding big storage space to an island under the stools for items you don’t use as frequently can free up space in your cabinets for the day to day stuff.
Clutter doesn’t have to be a concern. Taking the time to consider your storage design can free up the clutter and maximize your space so that you can enjoy an organized home. And Kennedy Nichols Construction is always available to talk through your design needs and help bring those designs to life for your home.