How to Find and Create Unique Storage Space in Your Home and Garage

Do you have a room or space that is small in size, but seems to be used as if it were a warehouse? It could be an office, or the small sitting area you meant to be the tv area, or even a bedroom that just seems to be the spot that catches everything. Wherever the spot, you can find unique ways to help organize and store those items that seem to multiply faster than rabbits.

Books are an ideal example. Any avid reader knows that it is hard to get rid of books. You always think you might want to re-read it or maybe it will become a collector's edition. Or, maybe you're like me and you just love having your books around. Before you know it, books are everywhere. You may even end up stacking them on the floor. That's when it's time to come up with a place your beloved books can call home.

I'm a firm believer that everything, as well as every person, should have a home. Every item in your home should belong somewhere. It might be in the junk drawer in the kitchen or it could be hanging on a hook in the garage. As long as there is a place that is designated for that item. This simple idea can make life so much easier. Imagine if you just piled everything up or threw it down anywhere. How would you ever find that item the next time you needed it? By designating a specific spot for each item, you know exactly where to look each time you need that item.

Oh, I know that things don't always get put away as soon as they are used, but sooner or later, they will get back to their rightful place, if they have a place. It might be during the weekly cleaning spree or even spring cleaning, but eventually, if an item has a specific spot, it will get put back. So the problem is making sure that each and every item has a home.

To begin locating homes for all those items, sit down and take a good look around the area. Do you have room for a bookcase or shelves? Do you have room for a storage cabinet? Look for extra space for storage in unusual places. Are there windows in the room? Could you build shelves over the windows? In fact, that's where I found a home for many of my books and some framed photographs. I simply purchased wooden shelf brackets, painted them white and placed the tops of them even with the top of the window facing. I then cut a six inch wide, one inch thick board to the length I needed to go across the top of the windows. If you want to hang curtains, you can also drill out an opening in the sides of the brackets and insert dowel rods or curtain rods. You will be surprised at how much extra storage space this can give you while adding character or style to the room.

Do you have a staircase in the room? If so, there is lots of unused space undeneath that set of stairs. Open it up or install a small doorway if you want to store things out of sight. Do you have a small closet that isn't used for anything? Try adding shelves and putting seldom used items there. Be sure to label the outside of boxes with whatever is stored inside. This will help save time when searching for that item.

The attic is often forgotten about as a great place for items that are used maybe once a year. Holiday decorations are a prime example. Be sure to label the boxes or storage bins clearly and place them in one general area. If you are afraid of mice or birds getting into the boxes, use the plastic type of storage.

If you need extra storage in your garage, get creative there also. Shelves can also be put over the garage doors. Use hooks to suspend shelves from the ceiling or purchase storage units that attach to the ceiling. You can even use pulleys and chains in order to lower the shelf to the floor for loading and unloading. Apply pegboard to the walls instead of drywall. If the walls are already finished, add small strips of wood to the drywall every sixteen inches and attach the pegboard over the drywall. Hang tools, sporting equipment, and gardening supplies in easy to spot locations.

Store things that are related to each other together. For example, store things used for the automobile together. Cleaning and waxing materials, the oil filter wrench, extra oil, brake fluid, and window washer fluid are a few examples. Sporting equipment could be stored in another section. Camping equipment could be in another. Designate specific areas by marking them and then go even further by labeling where certain things belong. This makes it much easier to get everything returned to its rightful home. This is especially true if you enlist the help of someone who is not familiar with where each thing should go. If it is clearly marked, it will save you a lot of pointing and directing. For example, if you have a spot for a creeper, you could label that spot. Use big enough letters so that anyone searching can locate the spot easily. Another idea is to draw an outline around the tool or object. Many people do this in garages to make it easier to put tools back. Of course, you could do both. Labeling items makes it easier for someone to locate a particular item if they are not sure what it is. Take for instance, you send your ten year old son into the garage to get a twelve inch pipewrench. Although he has no idea what a pipewrench is, he can read the labels and locate the right one. So you could look upon labeling items as a teaching tool also.

You will be surprised by how much storage space you create by simply organizing the space you have. So find a home for all the items that fill your home. Just don't forget to save a space for all the stuff you're going to give to charity or to your favorite organizer, the garbage man. And empty those spaces frequently.