Suggestions For Storage
Design tip from The Collected Home by Darryl Carter (Clarkson Potter, 2012)
This hardcover, lavishly illustrated book provides hands-on advice for approaching home design. Author Darryl Carter reveals how to choose interesting objects, how to look for items that can serve multiple purposes as one’s needs evolve, how to select paint colors and use them to connect rooms in the home and more.
As you plan to renovate your existing home or to buy or build a new home, here are some thoughts to capitalize on storage, of which you can never have too much:
Consider how frequently you use items. This can help determine your storage needs and placement concerns. If you use an item once a year, it can logically be stored in a less accessible area than an item that you use once a week.
Is space in a mudroom needed for more than coats and hats? Will you need to store sports equipment such as hockey bags, golf clubs, bicycles or skis?
Consider having a dedicated location for mail, keys and bags.
Exploit cavities under stairs for storage.
Consider how you will use your closet or dressing room:
Do you prefer your clothes folded in drawers or hanging in a closet?
Do you want to be able to see all of your clothes at once, or do you prefer to conceal clothing behind doors?
Will you move clothes seasonally?
Where will you store shoes?
Will you need a concealed stepstool or perhaps a rolling library stair that can travel the room’s perimeter on a graceful track to reach upper shelves?
Do you need easy access to your suitcases?
Do you want an easily accessible iron and ironing board, a full-length or three-way mirror?
Consider mounting rod heights based on your actual pant/dress lengths instead of the standard heights.
Do you hang pants on a clip hanger or fold them over the hanger? The answer will dictate how much long hanging space you will need.
If you would like a safe, the size of the safe unit raises the question of whether additional structural support is needed. Because large safes can be very heavy, determining the placement and any structural needs ahead of time is important.
