3 easy storage fixes for tight spotsfeatured
In a tight spot? You’re not alone.
Our fixer-upper house (a.k.a the Money Pit) was bought almost nine years ago. And before the ink even dried, two things became crystal clear:
1- Our new home had a pretty great amount of (mostly broken) space.
2- All that space? Was segmented into really odd, exquisitely abnormal areas. Lots of tight corners, and many, many stressful storage situations.
Since we didn’t have the buckets of cash available to blast the thing to the ground and rebuild (which was definitely my first choice), we had to make do with what we had (which was around my fifteenth choice).
Kitchen cabinet shoe (and hat and umbrella…) shelf
This past summer, we finally saved up enough to have a door punched through the back of the house and with it, added a back deck which allowed easy access to our yard and garage for the very first time. (It’s a long story.) While this project was game-changing, it unearthed a new problem: since the back door led directly into a very long, very narrow, very full kitchen, we now had zero space for shoes and outerwear short of throwing them on the floor (which, believe you me, was strongly considered).
The good news: My newfound knack for intense decluttering opened up a great deal of cabinet space. So, once I moved the kitchen necessities around, the lower cabinet right next to the back door became ready real estate. Now- ideally- when the hordes troop in, my family has a spot for the shoes we use most, plus baskets and storage for any type of weather Chicago can throw at us.
(They still have to walk their coats to the hall closet like pilgrims on a long journey. Sorry, family.)
Skinny closet storage
This house has a lot going for it. Closets that fit things are not among them. And, especially in the case of my youngest kid’s room, bulky, heavy furniture is not a smart option. (Even though I’m generally opposed to excessive energy, I seem to have raised at least two crazy climbers.)
Jasper, being four, also needs access to the stuff he dirties on the hour (pants, socks, soap) without upending everything in his sight. Enter: two stackable under-bed drawers (not shown) from the Container Store to hold his clothing and jammies, and the IKEA Fabler Groda Frog Prince* (now discontinued, but available all over eBay) hanging bag, which lets him get his own underwear and socks with a minimum of craziness.
In theory.
(*The frog option is best for the very young/very whimsical, but there are plenty of terrific “neutral” options as well. I love Bed Bath & Beyond’s hanging sweater organizers– which could also hold a basket or two. But if you dig the frog action, I will never, ever judge you.)
Creative desk shelving
My “office” is shoved into our dining room closet (which was originally a first floor master bedroom closet, but that’s a much bigger post). Today, I want to focus on the corner shelving that was inspired by a Real Simple article from probably about ten years ago. While traditional shelving didn’t fit into this odd, ridiculously tight space, bathroom towel shelving did.
We hung these two shelves about 18 inches apart (after measuring and re-measuring), and added my absolute favorite detail: mason jars attached via screw to the underside of the top shelf. (Yeah, you’re going to want to triple measure the spacing of those jars, too.) And now when I need a craft or office supply? Twist the jar, take it down, the lid stays put- and I’m always reminded to put the jar back immediately.
Next up? Find some boxes you dig, some containers that work for the actual products you’d like to contain, and edit and reassess constantly. (In between batting family members away from your glue sticks and the “good” scissors.)
Pretty/smart, right?
Chime in- what items do you need help wrangling?
Comment below!
