Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Find Hidden Storage Areas in Your House
You might think that finding usable storage space in your house is as unlikely as discovering a winning lottery ticket. It's just not going to happen. Worldly fortunes aside, most houses have overlooked space where you can squirrel away your stuff. Take a detective's-eye tour around the house and you'll be amazed at its hidden storage potential.

We've put together 10 hot-spots, areas in a typical house that are often overlooked for stowaways. As obvious as some of these areas might seem they are often overlooked. In some instances you need to do some carpentry work (or have it done) to utilize these areas. In others, all that's needed is to bolt-on or screw in place a inexpensive ready made storage system designed for do-it-yourself installation.

1. Under stair space is often sealed off and unused. This wedge-shaped area can be opened for storage. If the stairs open into a room, why not make the storage part of the room? Open the space under the stairs and finish it off as a library alcove or built-in shelving unit.

Enclose the space beneath a basement stairway and use it for basic storage needs by installing brackets and plywood shelving and either sliding or hinged doors. For convenience sake tuck away seldom-used items like Christmas decorations in the far reaches of the low wedged corners.

2. Even in the tiniest bathroom the wall area over a toilet offers storage potential. Simple enclosed shelf units are sold that install easily with spring loaded tension poles that run from the floor to the ceiling. The back of the entrance door can do double-duty when fitted with an coated wire or plastic over-the-door rack. The unit is designed hang over the top of the door and has towel bars and racks for toiletries.

3. Many kitchen have soffits to enclose the space between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling. Look at your kitchen cabinets, if they are hung on a soffit you can open the soffit and reclaim this space if it is free of pipes and heating ducts. Install sliding doors for access, then use this space for specialty dishware and bulky cookware.

The doors can go undetected when painted or wallpapered to match the walls or they can be played up as and architectural detail. (In the bathroom try this in a soffit over a bathtub, too.).

Utilized the space above wall-hung cabinets without soffits with easy to cut hardboard cabinet tops. Often the top of these cabinets are recessed and uneven, whatever you store up there must sit in a shallow cavity. Cap the cabinets with a thin sheet of 1/4-in. hardboard cut to size. This will provide a level surface and allow you to take advantage of unused space to display decorative or seldom used items.

4. Most of us must admit that sometime or other we resorted to an instant bedroom cleanup by stashing stuff under the bed in an emergency. It's that very place that's just waiting to be used, but in an orderly fashion. You can buy low profile zippered plastic bags or particle board drawers with wheels. Better yet, make your own for free using cardboard boxes. Measure the distance between the bottom of the bed and floor. Cut down cardboard boxes to fit in this area. Cover them with contact paper for a more finished look.

5. If you're lucky enough to have a bay window with wall space below it take advantage of that space by building in a window seat. It gives a room architectural interest as well as concealed storage space that you can access either from cabinet doors below the seat or from a hinged lift-top seat.

6. Get optimum use of cabinets and closets using various plastic-coated wire rack systems and space-saver items designed for these interior spaces. A visit to a local home center or browsing through specialty catalogs boggles the mind and imagination.

7. While it's not the most attractive thing to look at, an unfinished basement ceilings is good for something. Use the deep long space between floor joists to store lumber, snow skis, anything that's long and lightweight. Make simple braces of 1x4 lumber to hold items safely in place.

8. An unfinished attic is another bonus for storing stuff. Even though you can't stand in the low wedge-shaped area under the roof rafters around the perimeter of the attic, it's good for storage. Built in utility shelving made of 2x4 braces and particle board shelving. Also mount closet poles between rafters for hanging garment bags.

9. In many utility rooms storm windows and screens fit snugly behind a hot water heater but what about the unused space above it? It's these odd-shaped, difficult to reach areas that are ideal for storing change of season items like ice chests and bicycle helmets. Don't forget the space over a washer and dryer. There are ready made suspension pole shelving units designed to fit the width of a standard washer and dryer that snap together quite easily.

You can make your own shelving unit with inexpensive stamped steel brackets that come in a variety of shelf sizes and plywood shelving. Extend the shelves all the way to the ceiling using wider shelves at the top for boxes and bulky items.

10. Just cleaning out the garage unearths amazing storage potential. The best way to keep it organized is to make it easy to put things away. Some inexpensive ideas: Use long galvanized nails (they won't rust) driven into wall studs to hold long-handled items like garden tools and snow shovels. Just drive a nail on each side of a shovel or rake handle. Install heavy-duty hook and loop fasteners attached to the wall and hang all sizes of garden equipment.

Store lightweight objects like soccer balls and sports equipment in a hammocks suspended across the rafters. Suspend bicycles upside-down from their wheels with plastic-coated hooks that screw directly into the garage rafters or wall studs.


written by Gene and Katie Hamilton

Copyright HouseNet, Inc.

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