4 Creative Home Storage Methods

Do you feel like your home is cluttered? Before you go out and get a self storage unit or a dumpster, consider these creative methods to more efficiently make use of the space you already have. You'll be surprised how much space you can save in your home when you think outside of the box.

1. Our plugged in lives inevitably lead to a lot of cables all over the place. Make sure in all parts of your home you neatly organize cables. Using velcro straps, like the ones in the picture above, you can reduce the floor space that cables take up below desks. This means you clear up floor space to place shelves, cabinets or boxes.

2. This classic trick is made with simple materials. You super glue the top of a jar to the bottom of a table then fill the jars with tools, spices, whatever. When you need the item just unscrew the jar to gain access.

3. Who says curtains have to just be decorative? Using shower hooks you can attach organizers onto your curtain poles. You can put shoes, supplies, toys or anything you want in this extra space.

4. I've got to admit I'm a bit of a book hoarder, so this one seemed like a genius idea to me. Get bookshelves that have an open back then you can turn them out towards your room. This also serves as a good barrier if you want to have a sense of divided space between certain rooms. 

Simple tips to Start a Make Over for Your Home Office

Is the state of your small home office starting to drive you crazy? Maybe you are even considering getting a dumpster or hiring out self storage? One of the best ways to avoid needing to throw things away or hiring out self storage is by utilizing all the space that our homes has to offer. A fun way to approach this method of interior decor is by giving your home office a face lift! 

The following are some ways for normal people to approach a new home office set up to make the office pretty and useful at the same time. Not all of us are natural born Martha Stewarts, but that doesn't mean that we can't get professional home decorating results for our home offices with just a little bit of effort. 

Choose a Theme Color 

Choose one color to add stylish and attractive accents to your new home office design. Make sure not to overdo it, because a little bit of color goes a long way. Keep this color in mind when you are selecting home office furniture, paintings or anything else. You can even add an orange cat to the family if that happens to be your theme color, but that may just be the crazy cat lady in me coming out.  

Set a Budget 

Know how much time and money you are willing to spend to re-decorate your home office. This will give you guidelines to go by as you proceed through the marvelous/painful process of re-decorating. 

Brainstorm

One of my favorite places to brainstorm for any home decoration is at IKEA. There displays give viewers great idea on how to best make use of a space. Write down or draw out what you are envisioning your office to look like when you finish. Don't be afraid to alter course along the way. 

Paint Things Yourself 

Painting a Home Office Can Be a Fun Headache! 

Office storage, office furniture and even the walls can all benefit from a splash of color. Keep in mind if you plan to paint, how much time you are willing to dedicate to renovating your home office. Painting office shelves is a lot easier than painting an entire room!

Self Storage for Your Home Office 

One of the best ways to re-organize and expand the space of a room is by adding storage shelves, storage racks or storage cabinets. You can hunt for cheap versions of these at Ikea or even yard sales. Consider getting office storage in fun shapes or various sizes to give the room a simple touch of creativity and style. If you are feeling industrious, you can add a splash of color by buying color storage shelves. Or even paint the storage shelves yourself!

New Home Office Furniture 

If you need it, getting new home office furniture can amp up the style of your room. For those on a budget, you can search craigslist, Ikea or yard sales to get great deals. Make sure that every piece of home office furniture has a purpose, because too much furniture can add unnecessary clutter to a room.

Give Away, Sell or Donate Extra Stuff in Your Home Office 

If you have any excess junk in your office, it is time to let that stuff go. Many of us are closet hoarders, so it is time to make like a Buddhist monk and minimize the worthless junk in our lives. If you are not going to use an item in the foreseeable future, it is probably time to toss it. 

Take Your Time Re-Decorating Your Home Office 

As we speak, I am in the process of re-organizing and re-decorating my own home office. It has been one month now, but I still can't say that it is completely finished due to lack of budget and time. Be kind to yourself by allowing yourself plenty of time to complete the project. Beating yourself up for not instantly changing your home office around in one day like some version of Mary Poppins is not helpful. Even with a spoon full of sugar cough syrup tastes bad anyways Mary Poppins, so what does she know anyways!     

5 Tips to Maximize Your Home's Space

A home is a like a puzzle where we have to squeeze all the pieces together to make everything fit. Sometimes there just seems to be not enough space for all the stuff we have, and some people even consider self storage units as an option. Getting rid of stuff by putting it in self-storage, selling it, giving it away, etc., are all great ways to help us better manage the items we need, because we all tend to hold onto a lot of extra items. Before you consider the following tips, clearing out some of the junk may be an option to consider. 

Getting Organized Can Be a Creative Process

For the stuff you do have, creating minimal organization systems will help prevent piles, clutter and disorganization that can make home life feel a bit disorienting all of the time. Consider the following tips to help better use the space you have.  

1. Make Sure Every Item has a Place it Belongs: 

When we have floating items in our homes, they tend to create piles that are scattered all over our home. Make sure you can go around and put everything back where it belongs. 

2. Wall Storage: 

Wall shelves, hooks and racks give you extra space to store items in your home. Make sure that when you put items on wall storage they are organized, because it adds visual clutter when a mess is hanging up on wall.  

3. Go to Ikea for Ideas and Organization Furniture: 

Ikea is a store dedicated almost entirely to affordable items to organize tiny spaces in a way that is livable and even attractive. They offer many items that can help you organize items, minimize your amount of furniture and maximize your space.      

4. Create Multi-Purpose Rooms: 

If you do not have the right amount of rooms that you want for living space, make rooms have multiple purposes. Dining room/living room, family room/rec-room, kitchen/dining room, rec-room/library, bedroom/library, closet/reading nook or any combination seemingly adds space to your limited space. Get creative! 

5. Leave No Corner of Your Home Unused: 

If you have any space in your home you feel is not being used, considering giving it a makeover. You know that closet that nobody uses? It can turn into a reading nook for a child or an adult. That empty wall in the bedroom? Add shelves to store clothes, books or towels.