It’s decluttering season—is your storage game up to the challenge? From chests and cabinets to bookshelves and baskets, the options for restoring order in your abode run the gamut. Still, many of us feel at war with storage that’s a bore. Boxy at its best and downright bleak at its worst, storage furniture lacks the wow factor of seating and tables. (Hence the reason it freefalls to the bottom of most homeowners’ shopping lists.) It doesn’t have to, though. While it’s true that storage furniture does require a certain pragmaticism, it’s high time to debunk the myth that storage has to be clunky, unwieldy, or assertively utilitarian. Here, we outline inventive storage ideas for every room. From unique standalone furniture like hall racks to oft-overlooked pieces like armoires, these are the storage pieces that unabashedly break out of the box.
What are the Best Storage Options for an Entry?
Hall Rack
Console tables are often the default in entries where storage is appreciated, but not necessarily needed. If you need more from your entry org piece than a few humble drawers, however, consider pairing it with a coat rack or opting for a hall rack. Hall racks, which were in vogue around the end of the 19th century, are towering pieces, generally made of wood, that typically incorporate some variation of a mirror, hooks, table ledge, or seating. Like consoles, their profile is slim, making them a boon in even the most shotgun of entries. Many also feature cut-outs of some kind, which makes a case for backing them with something showy like statement wallpaper or paint.
Dresser
Emancipated from the bedroom, dressers prove their storing powers extend far beyond stockpiling sweaters. In the entry, dressers adroitly take on storage handling tasks. Spring for a three-drawer dresser or four-drawer dresser and allot a drawer for every person in your family. Or, opt for a six-drawer or nine-drawer dresser and dedicate individual drawers to outgoing and incoming mail, dog walking accessories, rain or snow gear, or reusable shopping bags. Part of the appeal of large storage furniture like dressers is that they’re readily available in a wide range of styles. So whether you’re looking for a storage piece to fit a modernist or traditional setting, you’re sure to find an on-point option.
Cabinet
If the organizational zeal of a dresser feels too overbearing for you, consider a small storage furniture piece such as a cabinet. Whereas a dresser’s small drawers encourage classifying, grouping, and filling, cabinets allow your belongings to cohabitate without barriers. Generally, small storage furniture like cabinets tend to be less decorative than storage pieces like dressers. Take this opportunity to play with color. A colored cabinet can set the stage for a showstopping vignette. Top one with a piece of tall art, a lamp, and a small storage option like a box to create a lively scene that speaks to the essence of your home’s personality. Don’t just consider cabinets for entries, either. There’s also merit to using one of these workhorses in a stairwell, hallway, or even a powder room.
What are Unique Storage Options for a Bedroom?
Armoire
The closest thing to a closet short of hiring a contractor, an armoire is ideal for those who are on the hunt for bedroom furniture with lots of storage. If an armoire hasn’t been on your radar simply because of its antiquated overtones, you may want to reconsider. An armoire doesn’t have to be a historic heavyweight. In fact, these days armoires are routinely cast in silhouettes that feel modern and minimal. If your bedroom lacks a closet, an armoire boards your threads with aplomb, but that’s far from their only shtick. Load them up with big-time clutter offenders like TVs, with baskets for corralling easy-to-lose electronics like remotes and chargers. To make an armoire look even more intentional, consider flanking one with sconces, either wired or candle-powered.
Storage Trunk
Especially in bedrooms, you don’t always have an entire wall to devote to storage. In these scenarios, storage chest furniture can be a saving grace. Bumper a storage chest up to the foot of a bed and you’ve created stash space out of thin air. Alternatively, storage trunks can be stacked or turned vertically to create nightstands. While wood hope chests are fairly style-agnostic, steamer chests can lend captivating historical character to a room. Use them to juxtapose more polished finishes and introduce an adventurous aura that feels especially germane in kids’ rooms. Since trunks don’t offer much in the way of sectioning, they’re best reserved for foldable or soft items like blankets and stuffed animals.
What are some Non-Furniture Storage Ideas?
Baskets
From blankets to board games to books, there’s nothing a storage basket can’t contain. Even if casual wicker or seagrass baskets feel a bit outside your stylistic wheelhouse, chances are there are enclosed areas in your home that could benefit from their organizational powers. Use them in a pantry to rehome snack packets and juice cartons. They can also corral mini seltzers, small condiments jars, and packages of beans and grains. One benefit of using baskets in a pantry is that they can be slid out to survey contents—grab what you need and slide them back in. Set up a similar organization system beneath bathroom sinks and in kids’ playrooms. Explore shapes beyond cubes and rectangles, too. Figural animal baskets can enliven kids’ rooms, nurseries, and entries.
Boxes
There are conflicting opinions on whether decorative boxes account as storage or decorative objects. Some argue that decorative boxes are just as much clutter as the contents they’re designed to hold. While it’s true most boxes won’t hold much more than a pair of earbuds or some loose change—things you can easily stash in a desk drawer or nightstand—boxes add undeniable polish to a room. Especially when stacked atop a pile of books, a box can make a vignette look finished. And by all means, use them to stockpile lilliputian novelties if you have them! Everything from stamps to rings to an arsenal of allergy pills are nice to have at the ready without the visual mayhem of them taking up residence on your desk or nightstand.
Lead image courtesy of HSH Interiors
