Summer is really here and people are shedding their layers of clothing from the cooler months, now is a great time to reconfigure your closets, and maximize your storage. Before you toss the tools in a garage corner or stuff the down jackets into a box and toss it in the attic, why not evaluate your needs and make your storage both effective and attractive?
The first thing you should do is make a list of everything you want to store. Rick Dreiband of Grand Rapids Closet & Room Solutions says “We sit down with our clients and help them think through what really needs to be stored. We ask questions like: Do you have more long storage or short? Do you fold more cloths or hang them? Do you like to use drawers? What are you really looking to store?”
This list will both help you determine how much storage space you need and ensure that nothing gets lost once you start putting things away. Great storage design and organization allows you to easily see what you have and protect your wardrobe saving you time and money.
“Once we determine the type of things that need to be stored, we move on to the style,” Dreiband continues. “There are many options for people to customize their storage solutions, different textures, colors, styles from simple to ornate.”
A professional closet organizer can help you create storage solutions to fit your needs; they know the tricks of the trade and the options available. A well designed closet will not only add value to your home but also keep you sane.
Tips from the experts.
1. Divide and Conquer
People tend to pull everything out of their closets and then run out of time and push it all back in making it worse. Divide and conquer. One day tackle your shoes, the next day your slacks and so on. Breaking it up allows you to finish the task at had quicker leaving you with a sense of accomplishment.
2. Shelving
Shelving is one of the easiest ways to create more storage. It can be portable in the form of free-standing units, or permanent that is attached to your walls. Easy-to-install, heavy-duty shelving can be purchased at just about any major home supply store. Many of these units are designed so that you can leave as much room between the shelves as you like, making it easy to get larger and smaller items onto the same unit and saving you space.
3. Short on Space?
Look around your home for things that are going unused, that might be empty — like file drawers — and store things away in there. Check under the bed…under-the-bed storage containers come in a variety of sizes and styles, including ones with wheels for easy access and to protect hardwood floors from scratches when you pull them out. You can also buy simple risers that elevate your bed off the floor additional inches to create even more space.
4. Garage Storage
Garage storage has also gotten much more efficient. You can get built-in storage cabinets with doors so the space looks clean and orderly. There are also modular systems that enable you to choose what features are best for your needs; including hanging racks for sports equipment, hooks for tools, and more.
Most garages have pitched roofs to keep rainwater or snow from collecting on top, and this space is ideal for items you don’t use on a daily or weekly basis. Store these things on platforms or racks that lower and raise either electronically at the touch of a button, or with an easy-to-use pulley system.
5. Damp-Proof Storage
If you are lucky enough to have a basement for storage, help keep your winter clothes dry by putting pieces of chalk into a small cloth bag that you can pack with the clothes you’re storing. The chalk will absorb all the moisture, keeping your clothes protected.
6. The Drop Zone
We all have it; you come in the house and the stuff lands. Create built-in benches, hooks and bins to neatly tuck away boots, jackets, gardening equipment and other items your family uses frequently.
For more information about storage solutions talk to one of our Closet Organization Members. To find a company to help you get organized click here.
