Storage
Sturdy shelving is a must for bin and box storage. “We suggest building heavy framed shelving with 2-by-4 studs and paintable plywood,” says Simone. “Measure the items you plan to store to ensure you have appropriate clearance and depth. Never place large or heavy storage items above 5 feet high; you risk injury when trying to get them down.”
Consider creating a gear closet. Murphy suggests creating a dedicated sports or gear closet out of a room accessed directly from the garage. “These spaces are simply a larger closet with shelves and open storage, which works great for unloading kids’ sports items right from a vehicle into a room where it doesn’t matter if it becomes wet or dirty,” he says. “This room is typically heated the same as the house.”
A magnetic knife strip. A wall-mounted knife rack can do so much more than keep your knives neat and out of the way (though it's great for that, too). Use it to organize spices in the kitchen, tools in the garage, keys by the front door and scissors and other necessities near your desk or crafts area.
Hooks It's the first rule of organizing: All the items that clutter your surfaces (purses, bookbags, hats, coats, scarves) need a place to live. Solve the problem by installing hooks for hanging items. These days, you don't even have to pull out a drill — check out this Command 3M hook in brushed nickel. It won't damage your walls when you remove it, and it's a cinch to mount.
Mail Drop There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to mail. I actually prefer to take mine right to the home office and open it there. Others might find that presorted mail slots work better. The system is up to you — just make sure to have one. Favorite mail containers: • Clear wall pockets found at any office supply store • Pottery Barn's Wire Mesh Wall-Mount Magazine Rack • Lettro Wall-Mounted Organizer by Umbra
Outfit high shelves with bins. Items on high shelves have a tendency to teeter and topple. Keep things looking neat and make retrieval a breeze by lining top shelves with matching bins. Tip: Labels are a must for storage on high shelves, since you don't want to have to pull each bin down to see what's in it.
Build in extra storage around your bed. Fill in blank wall space around and above your bed and you’ll multiply your storage options exponentially. Tall, narrow cupboards on either side of the bed can hold hanging clothes, while a cabinet above the headboard is the perfect spot for stashing books or off-season accessories. For safety, be sure that anything you hang over your bed is extremely secure.
Linda Burnside came up with a cool solution for this built-in cabinet. She added an outlet to the wall, then used a pigtail cord that runs through the unit and into this drawer for charging phones and iPads. If you already have an outlet located behind a cabinet like this, setting this up would cost about $50. Hiring an electrician to install an outlet might run another $100.
shoe rack near garage door entrance
The clever mail station includes spots for mail, newspapers, school papers, keys and restaurant menus. “The client was in need of a command center, and since I have created many for previous clients, I knew the kitchen was the ideal place,” says Burger.
hidden under steps
hidden under steps
http://bookriot.com/2012/12/19/10-drool-worthy-secret-passage-bookshelves/
Exploit pegs and hooks. Make the most of your wall space by using hooks and pegs to hang handbags, scarves, ties and hats. Hooks and pegs can be drilled into the wall, attached to a door hanger slotted over the closet door or mounted with the help of strong adhesive pads.
DIY idea: Bookcase as closet storage. Why: A simple bookcase with adjustable shelves is often just the right size for holding shoes, boots, bags and more. Extras: To use your bookcase as storage for sweaters, add shelf dividers to keep piles from toppling over. If you keep your shoes in their boxes, label the outside with a photo of the shoes so you can tell what’s what at a glance.
Design idea: Sliding shoe shelves. Why: This smart space saver can pack dozens of pairs of shoes into a relatively small space. How: Many cabinets and closet systems can be customized with sliding shelves. If you already have a closet system, purchase components from the same manufacturer to ensure that they fit. If you are creating a closet from scratch, work with a closet designer to get exactly the shoe storage you need. Planning tips: Note the measurements of the shoe shelves you will be purchasing, and tape out the dimensions on your floor. Then fill the space with shoes you want to store — this will allow you to know precisely how many pairs each shelf will fit. Pay attention to the height of the shoes you want to store, too — flats and sneakers can go on shelves positioned closer together; heels and boots need more space.
Nicholson Builders SaveEmail Design idea: Subdivided cabinet. Why: If you have the space, a tall cabinet with a partition in the center is a great way to store a lot while keeping everything in its place — vacuums and sweepers on one side, cleaning products on the other. Extras: A tall, slim basket unit with pullout drawers is a good way to organize supplies. Install a few hooks in the cabinet or on the inside of the cabinet doors to hang a step stool, dusters and other tools. If you use a cordless stick vacuum, having an outlet installed inside the cabinet will make it easy to charge it between uses.
More ideas for extras: A vacuum hose guide is a worthwhile (and sanity-saving) investment that wrangles that unwieldy hose. In a smaller cabinet, wall-mounted wire baskets are a good option for keeping small items at hand. Cost: Around $550 to $1,500 for a tall cabinet with a single partition; more for a custom design. If you want to add an electrical outlet inside the cabinet, you may need a permit. Wall-mounted basket units and vacuum hose guides cost around $10 and up each; a basket unit with pullout drawers costs $100 and up.
Store glassware upside down on nonslip rubber drawer liners, sold in kitchen and cookware shops, to cushion rims and prevent sliding. Silky smooth soft-touch drawers are best for storing glassware, especially stemmed wineglasses, which may tip.
Make a go-to multipurpose drawer close to your prep surface. Keep frequently used herbs and spices and, if you bake, items like a flour sifter alongside everyday implements like vegetable peelers, can openers and tongs in side compartments.
The message center opens to reveal a charging station, Wi-Fi equipment, a corkboard for pinning messages and all the switches for the home’s lighting system. “When you have lots of layers of light in a kitchen and surrounding areas, you need a big bank of switches,” Buckborough says. “A big switch bank would be really ugly in this kitchen, and this allowed us to conceal it.”
Organized Spaces SaveEmail Walk-in closets have long been favored for their spacious accommodation of extensive wardrobes. If clothes will hang on both sides, ideally the width should be 7 feet. This will allow a 3-foot path down the center of the closet for moving around. Resist the temptation to line the back wall with rods, which tends to take away from space, because the rods have to overlap in the corners.
counter over washer dryer
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