Given: an ordinary Moscow family of three (parents and child), a standard two-room apartment (bedroom, nursery, kitchen, etc.) and just completed general cleaning. We note the time: how long will the ideal order last after cleaning? The correct answer is 1.5 minutes.
This is exactly how long it will take until you pour cappuccino into your favorite cup (of course, so that you can forget it in the sink), and your child pulls all the pillows off the sofa to make himself an Indian wigwam. Conclusion: there is no ideal order that lasts more than two minutes!
Is it possible to save the perfectionist within you who is drowning? Yes! We suggest taking apart each corner of the apartment on shelves to understand how you can make storing things convenient, practical, and most importantly - cozy and stylish. Order is a temporary thing, but convenience should be permanent.
Why is everything so complicated (not really)
The most common problem when organizing storage of things in the house is the quantity: different clothes, small items, toys, household appliances and devices.
The secret to properly organizing your household items is to separate them into groups and find the right place for them. For example, it is better to immediately put all household supplies and household chemicals in the bathroom, because in the kitchen you use them less often. And it’s easier to store books and gadgets in one place - in a relaxation and entertainment area, for example, in the living room.
Even within one kitchen cabinet, you can organize a small order: a shelf for spices, a shelf for cereals, etc. Dishes will take up less space if you sort them by size and put one inside another, for example, pots. And you can simply hang the pans above the stove. These and other tips are in our longread about storing things at home.
Tips for arrangement
Creating a dressing room should begin with making a drawing and a plan for the location of all its zones. You should take care of insulation, waterproofing, lighting and ventilation.
A wardrobe in the attic should have an excellent ventilation and airing system to eliminate musty and unpleasant smells that can ruin clothes. However, open windows through which sunlight enters will not benefit such a room, so they should be tightly curtained.
In conditions of roof slopes, open shelves are used. Pockets formed by the roof slopes are ideal for cabinets. For small rooms, doors with a sliding mechanism are used. The surest and most correct solution for arranging this room would be to make all the furniture to order in accordance with the individual characteristics of the architecture of your attic.
One of the main tasks in the arrangement is high-quality lighting. Artificial light sources should complement natural light. Particularly good lighting is required in the areas where mirrors are located. It is preferable to install full-length mirrors on walls and doors.
The interior decoration of the dressing room can be varied. It uses wallpaper, paint, plastic panels, tiles, or other materials. The room should be decorated in light shades, which will give it visually greater volume and not be overloaded with unnecessary interior details.
Storage systems for wardrobes, chests of drawers and cabinets
And your closet may be a little smaller than Carrie Bradshaw's, but there are probably just as many dresses! What to do? Call Marie Kondo for help: vertical storage is a reliable way out of any “clothing” situation. Place all the basic sets in the chest of drawers vertically, and leave only holiday outfits, shirts and anything that wrinkles easily on the hangers. Multi-level hangers and additional hooks on the door are an inconspicuous move that will increase the capacity of the closet by at least 1.5 times.
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Everything is under the bed!
The storage system for beds has changed slightly with the advent of new styles - the New York style has come into fashion, where a multifunctional bed contains drawers not only for linen, but also for clothes, household appliances and various small items. In the nursery, you can organize the storage of toys in baskets on wheels, which the child can easily get out.
Learn Swedish
If you were asked to name any word after hearing “rack”, we are sure you would name BILLY, CALLAX or even FREDLEV. You can assume that you almost know Swedish, because who else but Ikea taught us to love shelving. They can be used for any purpose: books, equipment and gadgets, clothes, shoes, children's toys.
Desk storage system
The most ordinary drawers in desks can hold more if you use dividers. You can even make them yourself.
Pantry
All owners of apartments in new buildings are now, of course, smiling. After all, they know what we are talking about! Storerooms. They are gaining popularity, and a storage room is not only a basement room in a house, it can be right in your apartment. This is usually a very modest sized room without a window. In the design studio you can order a personal storage system, or you can measure the pantry yourself and purchase rails, boxes and hangers. What is the main advantage of the pantry: it is hidden from view, which means you can show your imagination and do whatever your heart desires.
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How to best position
Due to the special shape of the attic interior, namely its roof slopes, the correct placement of the dressing room is of great importance. In this case, it is worth separating the concept of a wardrobe and a dressing room, since the arrangement of the first or second depends on which wall of the upper floor will become the basis for this type of furniture:
- Often the dressing room in the attic area is located under the slope of the roof. Both blank walls are used for the dressing room, and a long horizontal wardrobe is located under the windows. A similar solution is possible if the height of the attic wall is sufficient for hanging outerwear. You can place a full-fledged dressing room under the roof slope, if the width of the room allows it. Basically, the use of an attic wall for this is explained by the desire to occupy space not used due to the low roof;
- The attic gable is suitable for placing a large dressing room. The storage of things will occupy the entire space between the attic walls. This placement method will preserve the general concept of the attic. This will be a full-fledged dressing room, the cabinets of which will be located on the sides under the roof slopes;
- It is worth remembering about corner dressing rooms. This is a complex design that requires careful design, as well as considerable skill during installation, but it will help make the most of the free space in the attic;
- if the attic is bright and large enough, you can sacrifice a window for the dressing room. It will be useful in a room where you often have to choose or put on clothes.
The darkest place in the apartment
The hallway has the least light and the least space. The storage system for the hallway most often comes down to one completely banal and boring solution: a huge wardrobe. But often such furniture eats up all the space. There is a lot of practicality, but no style and buzz from the design. Unload the floor as much as possible and provide bright lighting. Better now, right? Mix the functionality of items: the seat can also be a shoe rack, and behind the mirror there can be a mini-cabinet for storing small items.
It smelled like something was fried.
This is where half of the salary is sent, something is constantly bought here, and how it’s all stored - you can close your eyes in fear and horror. We're in the kitchen! Almost every day we buy groceries, try new recipes and try to unravel the secret - how to store things in the kitchen so that it is convenient? How to find balance on this kitchen wheel of vegetables, grains, spices, dishes and household supplies. The main life hack, of course, is storage boxes and containers. If you have tall drawers, make practical use of the space with tiered containers. The more drawers you have in your kitchen storage system, the easier it is. Here are some interesting ideas.
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Bottle organizer
Such a holder will be useful for needlewomen for storing threads and buttons, craftsmen for tools and hardware, gardeners for seeds and gloves. It’s easy to make by taking several identical plastic containers and sawing a couple of boards.
To make the organizer look neat, draw a paper stencil and cut out “pockets” along it. Sand the edges of the parts with sandpaper. Protect the prepared board with paint or stain. To make the pockets removable, use hooks.
Welcome to the bedroom
The simplest room in terms of storage is the bedroom. Bed, bedside table, wardrobe with clothes. What else is needed? But even a spacious closet sometimes does not accommodate all the necessary things. The storage system in the bedroom can be organized using drawers on wheels that slide under the bed, and you can also use the ceiling - namely hanging hangers. Look how comfortably you can fit in literally three square meters!
Location options
The location of the dressing room depends on the size and type of room. In a sloping attic, the dressing room can be located either along the lowest or along the highest wall. With the latter, you can build a dressing room combined with the bedroom, and this will be a more complete dressing room than one placed against a low wall.
According to their structure, attics are divided into the following: rectangular, triangular and asymmetrical. Based on the structural features of your attic, you should approach the design of a dressing room in it.
A corner dressing room will help you rationally use the attic space. But it is difficult to design and install.
Bathroom storage system
You most likely know about organizers, wicker baskets, and mirror cabinets. We would advise you to take a closer look at glass - it is transparent materials that allow you to increase the space that is so often lacking in the bathroom. Transparent boxes for storing household cleaning products and glass shelves are the best ideas for the bathroom. Secret: just like in the kitchen, you can hang a magnetic panel in the bathroom, on which it will be convenient to store scissors, files, jewelry and other small items.
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Felt or leather box
Dense felt is a material that holds its shape well, does not crumble and is easy to process. You can make a nice textile box out of it, spending about 15 minutes.
1. Create a pattern, observing the proportions, and transfer it to felt or leather. We cut out the future basket and sew the handles with thread.
2. Make slits where the dotted lines are marked.
3. Bend the sides and fold the box, threading the handles through the slots.
The basket turns out to be durable and stylish, and if desired, it can be folded and put away. We talk about how to make boxes from various materials here.
Balconies and loggias
Everything that usually doesn’t fit in the rooms goes onto the balcony, turning it into a cluttered warehouse. Things deteriorate and become damp, and you pretend that this balcony is not yours at all, and you also don’t know who littered it. Stop being ashamed! Turn a balcony or glassed-in loggia into a chill-out area - a wicker chair or beskar furniture, a portable speaker, a houseplant and a shelf with your favorite books. There is only one conclusion - the balcony is not a place for storing things.
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Solution
To summarize, the most important rule of smart storage is that all the things in the apartment are used. And here comes the question: what to do with your favorite mountain bike in winter? Or: “I’m 30 years old, but I can’t part with my collection of childhood drawings and photographs—where should I put them?” And it also happens: “I think I heard that keeping car tires at home is harmful, but I don’t have a balcony or a garage!”
Calmly. You don't have to spend the night hugging tires, stepping over your bike in the hallway, or throwing away memorabilia.
Use a cloud storage service to store your items and put them in a warm warehouse. The attic is ready to store seasonal items, snowboards, skis, furniture, clothes or household appliances.
Do you know who the most popular inhabitant of our warehouse is? Books! If information from books was transmitted telepathically, our storekeepers would already become doctors of science!
Storing in the Attic is simple: movers come to your home, pack your things and take them to the warehouse. As soon as you need something, we will bring it back right away. Storing household items will become easier when you only have items in your home that you use regularly.
Rules for organizing space
Don't fill empty space with unnecessary things. Something will have to be thrown away, something moved. Think about where you can place bulky items. Choose the most suitable locations for everything, regardless of shape and size. One of the tips that experienced housewives give is to empty your home of empty containers: containers, jars, boxes, baskets. They may come in handy in the future, but if they currently take up too much space and serve no practical purpose, get rid of them. The same should be done with faulty household appliances and their components. Outdated things will also get in the way; technology and fashion do not stand still, and it makes no sense to store something that is no longer relevant. Many people keep old newspapers and magazines, but never re-read them - don't follow their example. Closets need to be emptied of old clothes - most likely they will no longer be used. There are several ways to organize space. The first of them is buying new furniture.
But there are more economical options:
- use of homemade shelves;
- storage in a folding bed box;
- increasing the usable volume inside the furniture.
