Edmonton Real Estate Blog

Who doesn’t need more storage space in their home? From closets and attics to kitchens and laundry rooms, we’ll show you some innovative storage ideas that can help eliminate the clutter around your home. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get busy cleaning up that mess!

Closets

Closets are the first place to look when improving storage in your home. Replacing old hanging rods and shelves with adjustable metal shelving and wire baskets should be high on your priority list. It’s not that hard to do, and can make a great DIY project.

Here’s how to go about it:

• Start by cleaning everything out of the closet.
• Remove the old shelf and rod.
• Locate the wall studs and mark their position.
• Secure the horizontal track to the studs on the back wall near the top of the closet.
• Hang the vertical supports on the track and secure them to the wall.
• Cut the wire shelves to length with a hacksaw or reciprocating saw.
• Attach shelf supports to the vertical supports.
• Install hanging rods, shelves, and baskets.

Under Bed

A lot of good storage space can be found under your bed. To access the stored items, build one or more large open boxes that fit under your bed from plywood or medium density fiberboard (MDF).

 Install casters to the bottom of the box and a handle on the front to allow it to easily roll in and out.

Laundry Room

Your laundry room is another area of the house that can usually benefit from some serious organization. Some ideas for laundry room storage include:

• Add a store bought or built-in storage unit that has been sized to hold an individual laundry basket for each member of the family.
• Install shelving on your laundry room walls above the washer/dryer as well as along the area near the ceiling to store cleaning supplies and detergent, as well as tools and other items.
• A great DIY project that can make your laundry room more functional is to install a built-in ironing board, complete with an electrical outlet and storage for your iron, into the laundry room wall.

Attic

Attics are a great place to store items that aren’t damaged by extreme temperatures. To increase the storage space in your attic, consider building hanging shelves that are attached to the rafters.

Here’s how to go about it:

• Determine the pitch of your roof and the width you want your shelves.
• Using these measurements, build “L” shaped brackets cut from 2″x 4″ lumber to support the shelves.
• Use a chalk line to mark the position of the brackets on the rafters.
• Attach the brackets to the rafters with screws, making sure the shelf support is level.
• Slide 1″ thick shelving onto the brackets.

Kitchen

There are a number of ways, from lazy susans to sliding bins, to increase storage space in your kitchen. One simple way to free up a drawer and make the lids to your pots more accessible is to mount a bathroom towel rack to the inside of a cabinet door. Here’s how to go about it:

• Start by attaching one of the towel rack brackets to the cabinet door stile at the proper height.
• Next, hold the other bracket in place and measure the length of the towel rod.
• Cut the towel rod to length with a hacksaw.
• Insert the towel rod in the two brackets and screw the second bracket to door.
• Place lids on the towel rack with the handles facing out.

Bookcase

A DIY built-in bookcase in your living room or den makes the perfect place to store books or display memorabilia and photographs. Store bought models are also available.

To build a bookcase:

• Start by making a cutting list and cutting the stock (plywood, MDF, or solid wood) to size for the bookcase and shelves.
• Assemble the bookcase.
• Construct a separate recessed base below the bookcase.
• Assemble the bookcase and base.
• Attach a frame to the front of the bookcase.
• Prime and paint or stain and finish the bookcase and base.
• Install bookcase in room.

Bathroom

Bathrooms can always use some added storage space. There are a number of options available, including:

• Build or buy a shallow hanging cabinet to attach to the wall above the toilet for storing towels, soap, and toilet paper.
• Add a built-in window seat or a freestanding chest in your bathroom to serve as a place for clothes and to sit when dressing, as well as for storage space inside.
• Install a built-in, recessed medicine cabinet, such as Nutone’s locking bath cabinet on the wall above the sink in the space between two studs.

Charging Station

A recessed wall cabinet with an electrical outlet mounted inside is the perfect place to keep cell phones, iPods, and MP3 players while they’re charging. It also doubles as a convenient place to hang your keys.

 by Danny Lipford

Tags: Add new tag, de-clutter, Home Renovations, organization, storage, Tips