How to Sneak Custom Storage Into Every Single Room of Your House
CHRISTOPHER TESTANI
In most homes, storage is an afterthought. We can spend weeks picking out paint colors and wait months for the right furniture, only afterwards realizing that we haven't worked organization into the home design plan. Belongings get shoved into cabinets and stuffed into closets.
Don't worry, it's not too late to sneak some customizable storage into your home's decor. From faux built-in bookcases to tailored-for-you closets and on-the-wall organizers, these ideas will provide valuable storage without sacrificing the style of your space. Here are five clever custom storage ideas, all spotted in the 2021 Real Simple Home.
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DIY Pinboard
To bring your Pinterest board to life, DIY your own IRL version. By stretching fabric over a piece of foam board (cut to the desired dimensions) and stapling it to the back, designer Ryia Jose crafted the pinboard shown here. You can select any fabric you like, but a plaid pattern serves as a helpful guide for keeping the fabric straight.
Wall Organizer
In the small mudroom at the Real Simple Home, a slim, wall-mounted organizer tucks much-needed storage space behind the door. The Maddox Wall Organizer from California Closets lets you select from four different metal finishes, three leather options, and two sizes, so you can customize the organizer to fit your space and style.
Custom Closets
The benefit of a custom closet is not only that it's built to fit your specific space and wardrobe, but also that it can be personalized to match your decor style. Gold drawer pulls and closet rods, paired with navy blue drawer fronts, make this closet feel more like a boutique. The sliding storage tray for jewelry only adds to the effect.
California Closets lets you select everything from the number of drawers, to shoe racks, to shelf space—plus the color, finish, and hardware option that complements your decor.
Open Shelving
In the laundry room, empty wall space above the washer and dryer calls for open shelving. The shelves hold the essentials—folded towels, dryer balls—as well as decorative accents, like plants and family photos. By affixing LED strips to the underside of the shelves, senior home editor Leslie Corona helped illuminate the workspace below.
To introduce counter space for folding clothes, as well as provide a spot to store scrub brushes and detergent, two pieces of plywood transform into a trendy waterfall countertop atop the washer and dryer.
Built-in Bookcases
Yes, you can still fake the architectural interest of built-ins, even if you weren't blessed by the real estate gods with the real deal. By building shelves around a window, installing molding on the top and bottom, and painting the unit to camouflage with the ceiling above, this vibrant bookcase blends right in.
