Archive for the ‘Storage Tips’ Category

Aug
17
2009

Some Ideas for Better Bedroom Storage

Monday, August 17th, 2009

make the most of storage space under the bed

Your bedroom should be the one place in the home you can go to rest and unwind – a haven away from the chaos and stress that life has to throw at us. However, a cluttered bedroom leads to a cluttered mind so here’s a few more handy storage hints hints of how to make the most of your bedroom:

TIP 1
Invest in storage boxes and containers to make sure everything has its place. There’s nothing that makes a small bedroom feel cramped more than having too much stuff. A cluttered bedroom = a smaller room.

TIP 2
Get rid of anything that you consider to be outdated, faded, broken, un-wearable or unusable. If you don’t want it – bin or recycle it straight away. You’ll be freeing up your precious space….and your mind!

TIP 3
For items you use daily such as hair straighteners, jewellery, make-up etc. it’s really not a problem to have them on display or readily available for frequent use BUT for other items – like out of season clothes – invest in suitable storage boxes or vacuum storage bags and pop them out of the way (on a top shelf or under the bed) until they’re needed.

TIP 4
Make the most of those spaces under the bed. Even if it’s just a few inches of space, it still offers good storage potential. It’s an ideal place to store unused clothing and extra bedding. There are plenty of long, flat plastic, card and even leather under bed storage boxes on the market to keep everything organised, clean and tidy. Our hardwearing fibreboard Underbed Boxes at just £21 for a set of two are a must for any stylish de-clutterer.

Watch this space for more bedroom storage ideas!

Jul
15
2009

Top Storage Tips – Decluttering the Lounge

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Giant lidded cubes make great side table lamp; have plenty of storage inside to hide away toys or newspapers etc.

The lounge is one of the most frequently used rooms in the house and a focal point for family activity – but it can also be a magnet for clutter. Here are my six top tips to bring order back to your chaotic living room:

1. Decluttering your lounge can be a daunting task, so focus on one small space at a time.

2. Each item in your lounge is another object to clean, so if you’re not using it, get rid of it. Items such as old books, out of date magazines and old videos or DVDs should be the first to go.

3. Give everything in your lounge a suitable home. For example, use deep storage spaces for bulky items, and group items by association.

4. Start to containerise, finding space-saving storage solutions for living room items, such as magazine racks, media units, remote control tidies and baskets.

5.  When buying new furniture, consider items that encompass storage capabilities, such as coffee tables that incorporate shelving or storage cubes that can be used as side-tables. (Check out our range of shelving including elfa)

6.  Once you have turned your lounge into a clutter-free oasis, it is important to keep it that way. Take a few minutes each day to clear any clutter, and schedule larger clear-outs a few times a year to throw out any unwanted CDs, books or DVDs.

Jul
15
2009

Top Storage Tips – Organising the Family Wash

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

-When it comes to wash day, organisation is the key. Make your life simpler and start separating your darks from lights on a daily basis by investing in a laundry sorter. Our Triple Laundry Sorter at £35.00 is back in stock and makes for a really good storage solution.

Organising Wash Day

-Avoid getting to the washing machine and finding out that you’ve got no detergent left by using a simple clear plastic container so you’ll always remember when you need to shop for more. Our Washing Powder Storage Jar costs just £5.00 but is real life saver.

-Britain has on average 180 days of rain every year so remember to have a PRACTICAL in-door clothes dryer at hand. We’ve several clothes airers and clothes horses online so take your pick!

-If you’re lucky enough to have a utility room, organising your space with a modular wall mounted solution is a great idea.  Our elfa Utility Room storage solution costs £337 but we’re always happy to adapt our elfa designs for your specific storage space

-After the washings done it’s time for the dreaded ironing and if you hate the ironing, there are a number of handy storage gadgets on the market to make storing all those freshly pressed clothes a little more manageable. Consider our Hangover Valet Rail which is a great over door storage solution available in the Hooks section of our website or our space saving fold down valet hook. Our range of ironing board and iron storage hooks are also worth a look.

Jun
01
2009

Bedroom Storage Ideas

Monday, June 1st, 2009

double your wardrobe storage space with this handy hanger

Helen in our Chester store always suggests that customers organise their clothes storage by like-for-like items (coats, shirts, skirts etc.) and according to colour. Her theory is that if you hang shorter items at one end of your wardrobe, graduating to longer pieces at the other end, you’ll create space underneath the shorter clothes for shoe storage or maybe even a small cupboard or one of our elfa basket drawer tower in which to store folded items like t-shirts and bedding.

A bed is the functional heart of a bedroom but it also harbours the most overlooked source of hidden storage – the space underneath it. A tucked away under bed storage box keeps a lot of clutter neatly out of site but also close to hand.

You can boost storage inside the wardorbe with hanging  organisers that fit into what would otherwise be empty gaps. Hanging organisers with pockets for sweaters can convert unused vertical wardrobe storage space into places for jumpers, scarves and handbags and better still they’re cheap!

At the end of the bed, an open fronted unit is useful for storing books and bits – and the TV can sit on top. Chests, trunks and storage boxes are decorative and have plenty of room inside for storing away bulky blankets and out of season clothes.

May
24
2009

Utility Room Storage

Sunday, May 24th, 2009

I’ve just spoken to a customer who wants to sort out the storage in her utility room.  I’m sure she won’t mind me sharing my ideas to make the best use of her space with you…

To make the laundry less of a chore, put up open shelves and racks on the walls. Clips or pegs mounted over the washing machine can hold stray socks, keys and clothing care labels. Decant detergents and softeners into sturdy, clear containers that are small enough to handle and pour with ease. Apothecary bottles or vintage-style jars are perfect for the job and add colour and style. Enamel flower buckets stand up to the humid atmosphere and are attractive organisers for spray starch, distilled water and dryer sheets etc.

Apr
15
2009

Top Tips – General Guidelines for Home Organisation

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

A customer asked our Saltney shop manager the other for her top tips to make the best use of space in their home. Always keen to here my colleagues organisational tips I listened in and here’s my summary

1. Whether you’re intending to spend the entire weekend tacking a room full of clutter or simply wanting to organise your shoe collection, start your de-cluttering in bit sized chunks so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Don’t try and re-organise the entire house in one go but concentrate your efforts in one area trying not to “zig-zig de-clutter” by moving things from one area to another creating even more mess!

2. Think vertically when it comes to storage. If space is tight use the walls. Stacking recycle bins for example can free up precious floor space and help with better kitchen storage and bathroom caddies can keep surfaces clear of clutter in a small bathroom where storage space may be at a premium

3. When thinking about how you use your space at home also consider multi-functional storage products. E.g. a leather storage box or cube that could double as a side table and allow you to clear the clutter by throwing kids toys or newspapers and magazines inside

4. Clever storage products won’t just help you make the most of your space, it’s all about organising your live and saving time too. Something as simple is a key rack in the hallway to store you bunch of keys with say a shelf above for your phone and wallet is going to help you get ready faster in the morning without the normal “where are my keys / phone” etc. conversation.

5. Finally, doing something practical to de-clutter your space is going to make you feel a whole lot better about yourself too but if you’re not the kind of person who’s going to keep things super-tidy then don’t present you are. Instead make sure you’ve effective ways of managing the clutter your create. Something as simple as a small plastic storage box or container to manage the daily post is a great example

Mar
26
2009

Declutter your home – The basics

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

Decluttering isn’t about throwing everything away. It’d about losing what’s useless and ugly in order to have space for things that are useful and beautiful.

Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Tackle a single drawer or shelf at a time. Set a timer for 20 minutes and stop when the alarm goes off. You’ll be amazed at what you can get done!

To get over that mental block that prevents you from organising your life, tidy up first thing in the morning. Once the chore is done, you’re free to do what you want for the rest of the day.

Perhaps I shouldn’t say this (!) but always start to declutter before buying storage boxes, sheving etc. otherwise you’re shooting in the dark. If you don’t know how much you own, how can you buy the right solution for your needs?

Get rid of broken appliances, computers or sporting equipment. If you haven’t fixed them by now, you never will.

The nightmare of cable clutter! Do you really still need all those obsolete chargers?

Creating a sense of order can be an imaginative process, so think laterally. Wicker trunks, woven baskets, seagrass drawers and antique valises work just as well as more conventional storage boxes or files.

Feb
16
2009

Bedroom Storage Ideas

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Here’s a few more quick-fire tips for better bedroom storage and organisation:

1. Helen in our Chester store always suggests that customers should organise their clothes storage by “like-for-like” items (coats, shirts, skirts etc.) and according to colour. Her theory is that if you hang shorter items at one end of your wardrobe, graduating to longer pieces at the other end, you’ll create space underneath the shorter clothes for shoe or bag storage etc. or maybe even a small cupboard or one of our elfa basket drawer tower in which to store folded items like t-shirts and bedding.

2. A bed is the functional heart of a bedroom but it also harbours the most overlooked source of hidden storage – the space underneath it. A tucked away under bed storage box keeps a lot of clutter neatly out of site but also close to hand.

3. You can boost storage inside the wardorbe with hanging  organisers that fit into what would otherwise be empty gaps. Hanging organisers with pockets for sweaters can convert unused vertical wardrobe storage space into places for jumpers, scarves and handbags and better still they’re cheap!

4. At the end of the bed, an open fronted unit is useful for storing books and bits – and the TV can sit on top. Chests and trunks are decorative and have plenty of room inside for storing away bulky blankets and out of season clothes.