Neat Storage Ideas

Perfectly organized and arranged open shelves can look beautiful in photos, but open shelves can be hard to keep looking good in real life. In the living room, it helps to have a mix of open and closed storage so you can hide away messier-looking items instead of stressing about keeping the shelves presentable. But having some open storage is good too — just choose what you keep on your open shelves with intention. Books, framed photos and decorative objects are good choices; everything else can go in drawers or behind doors. The more items you want to be able to stash away, the more closed storage you should aim for.

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Instead of trying to snake cords along the wall, hire a pro to get your entire media center set up in a way that hides what you want to hide, effortlessly. This farmhouse-style media center is a great example of how to do just that: Electronics are concealed in built-in cabinets below the TV, and all cords are hidden behind the wall.

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Take a cue from this chic living room window seat, which includes a sunny reading spot, tabletop surface and open storage.

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Built-in benches provide roomy storage beneath the seats in this living room . You can use large drawers like these to store board games, toys, guest bedding or just about anything else you can’t find a home for.

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If your kitchen is short on cabinet space, make the most of what’s available with a riser or two. These handy organizers allow you to stack up the plates, cups and bowls without compromising accessibility.

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Deep cabinets can be tricky to get things in and out of. Do less reaching by installing a set of sturdy sliding shelves. This is a time it pays to measure carefully — the goal should be to avoid wasted cabinet space.

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Build one of these inside our wardrobe & save hanger space !

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A sliding panel behind the stove that reveals hidden spice storage.

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This large drawer front actually conceals two drawers.

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Every inch counts in a compact kitchen. Creating a shallow niche in the wall not only provides room for the herbs but also turns them into a stylish composition

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This artistic wall combines cute wooden racks, nice matching herb and spice containers and chalkboard paint. Writing the names in chalk on the wall adds to the charm.

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This solution is extra slick. A pocket door covered in tile that matches the backsplash conceals the fact that there are spices here.

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Range alcoves help emphasize the area as a focal point and provide plenty of clever ways to stash the herbs, spices and oils. In this kitchen, recesses in the limestone surround keep ingredients handy.

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This design for growing herbs is so ingenious - a copper herb bin that drains directly into the sink drain. The plants receive much-needed natural light, can be watered with the sprayer and there’s no mess.

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This fun final idea isn’t commonly seen, but it certainly adds a unique twist to a home and makes smart use of space too. Instead of a typical door, a deeper door with built-in shelving steals a little extra storage.

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This broom closet is really a fully equipped laundry station, complete with a washer and a dryer. Mop, broom and cleaning supplies are stored in doors with built-in shelving and hooks. This is really the ultimate space saver, as there is no need for either a stand-alone broom closet or a separate laundry room — this laundry niche does it all.

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This pullout broom closet takes up relatively little width, but its depth is sufficient to contain a broom, mop, bucket and a host of cleaning bottles. The closet’s kitchen location offers ready access to supplies.

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Here’s a more refined take on my refrigerator broom spot: a pullout for that area, with a cabinet front that helps frame the appliance when closed. (Concept only, don't like the finishes)

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This broom cabinet shares the concept with the prior photo but has greater depth. The upper shelves have sufficient vertical space to hold cleaning bottles and supplies.

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This unobtrusive, shallow cabinet makes use of the paneled space at the end of the oven bay that is often purely decorative. No real estate is lost, and the kitchen broom gains a discreet hiding place.

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