Bedroom Storage

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Ideas & Solutions

Use The Corners
In general, most storage units come in standard shapes and sizes. However if you shop around you can find design solutions for the most unusual places. Something as simple as corner shelves can reclaim a lot of unused space.

Efficient Furniture
Why buy one piece of furniture when you can have two? Look for things that contain built in storage space - for example a bedside cabinet instead of a table, or a dual purpose storage bench.

Storing things under the bed is an ancient tradition, however it can lead to dust and make things hard to get at. Many beds today come with built in drawers. Just make sure you have enough space to open them! (Yes, I've made that mistake myself...)

Storage on Wheels
If you already have a bed or furniture with wasted space underneath, consider buying some purpose built storage units. These are plastic boxes fitted with wheels and handles and designed to be slipped into small spaces.

Space Saving Beds
If you're designing a bedroom from scratch you could consider going for a space saving bed, for example a modern Murphy bed.

Organise Closets and Wardrobes
Many of us have wardrobes that are dreadfully wasteful of space. Fortunately there are a number of products on the market that will help make them more efficient. For example, shelves on legs to divide up storage space. Or drawer organisers help you to keep things better arranged. There are also numerous clever gadgets you can buy to optimise the hanging capacity of a wardrobe. See also: armoires.

Storage In Storage
What happens to your luggage when you're not using it? Why not use the space in those suitcases to store seldom used clothes and bedding? If you store things high up be very careful not to make them dangerously heavy. Always store heavy things low down.

Vacuum Storage
This is something I'm really keen to try myself. You can now buy special systems designed for "vacuum packing" bedding and infrequently used clothes. Bulky items are stored in the special bags and then the air sucked out of them with a vacuum cleaner. The result is a massive reduction in the amount of storage space required.

Declutter
At the end of the day one of the best - and cheapest! - ways to make the most of your space is to have less to store. How many clothes do you have that you haven't worn for years? Could you even fit into them today? When did you last use that psychedelic 1970s quilt? Is that kaftan really you? Having a good cleanout can benefit both you and your local charities.