Smart Storage Solutions for Every Home
As Toronto's premier design and renovation studio, we design custom, luxurious and functional interiors for busy professionals in Toronto and the GTA - and storage is always part of the conversation.
By Barbara Nyke · Barbara Nyke Interiors & Design
Smart Storage Solutions for Every Home
We all have stuff. And in many cases, we might have the space to put our stuff, but is it organized and easy to access what we're looking for at any given time? Likely not.
Organizing interiors of cabinets can happen in two ways: Custom or Do-It-Yourself. Kitchen cabinets in particular can have interior organizing accessories installed at the factory when they're manufactured, such as corner swing-out shelves and double interior drawers. They're impossible to install when the cabinets are already in your home. This would be a feature that you'd request when getting a custom-made kitchen.
Start With What You Don't Need Anymore
I just moved from a house to a condo - boy did I get rid of a lot of stuff! And I'm still not finished. The first place to start with creating an organized storage solution is to determine what you don't need anymore.
Pick one space, whether it's a cupboard, a closet or in your vanity. Only tackle one space at a time and make it manageable. Ask yourself how much time do I realistically have to start and finish this space to make it organized? This is an important step because you want to feel success during the process.
First determine, what items in the space you've selected have you not used in either six months, or a year? It's up to you what length of time will be the basis on which to remove them from your space - either way, you can recycle, donate items to a charity or a second-hand store, give away to another family or friends, or dispose of items that have run their course.
Organization Ideas
Unless you have a custom-designed kitchen with interior cabinet accessories that organizes all your kitchen tools, lids, pots, and more, you'll need alternative ways to organize things. Here are some ideas to get you started on a more organized, functional home.
Storage container lids: We all have these plastic lids which seem to have a mind of their own when they're not contained. They fall everywhere, get scattered in a cabinet and take up a lot of space. The solution: buy a food container lid organizer - they come in many styles.
The key to lasting organization is starting small, being realistic, and building on each success so your home stays functional and clutter-free.
