No matter where you live and how large or small your home is, storage is a major concern for homeowners.

Generally speaking, storage can be found in the most unlikely of places. Think of built-ins under stairs, floor to ceiling bookshelves along narrow hallways, full-height storage cabinets in nooks, or drawers or open shelves under beds.

In his Manual of Dwelling, Kevin McCloud even suggests to lower a bathroom ceiling to create extra overhead storage space.

When you start planning your rooms, incorporate adequate storage solutions in your room layout. Think about what you want to keep in a certain space and work out how you can store or display your belongings. Depending on this analysis, start looking for appropriate storage units.

Compare customised built-in solutions with standard options available in the mainstream retail outlets. Take the time to do your research, as storage doesn’t have to be boring. Luckily, there are great solutions out there proving that function and style can go hand in hand.

Hall/Entrance

A chest of drawers or a hall table with drawers can do wonders in hiding all the things you need on a daily basis: keys, glasses, phones, camera, notes, pens etc. Allocate a dedicated place for each item. Depending on the size of the drawers, buy drawer organisers to keep things sorted.

Be creative and transform antique pieces into storage units. An old wardrobe is a perfect place for hiding jackets, coats, bags and hats. This keeps the entrance clutter-free and at the same time works as a focal point in this space. If you can’t fit in a wardrobe, use a stylish hallstand or wall hooks to hang your jackets and bags.

Under stair storage is a great solution to find a home for shoes, suitcases and bags. Consider a custom-made built-in solution to keep your entrance tidy.

Dining Area

Apart from the kitchen cupboards and drawers, consider a sideboard with closed and open storage options in your dining area for keeping additional china and crockery and to display interesting objects. Keep treasured collections or antique books behind glass doors in a gorgeous display cabinet. Share collections with friends and make your display a conversation starter while entertaining your guests.

Living Room

A multifunctional storage system can make a big difference in a living room. The trick here is to surround yourself with the things you love and hide all the stuff you don’t want to see.

Wall-hung storage units are available in many different shapes, depths and lengths and can turn organisation into personal expression. With various types of finishes for doors and open-shelf modular designs, you can create your individual and distinctive wall piece. And remember, everything that is lifted from the floor will make your floor space look larger.

For media equipment, consider a closed solution to hide the TV and DVD player when not used. Cleverly designed coffee or side tables with storage underneath the tabletops make it easy to hide the living room essentials.

Bedroom

To get a good night’s sleep, keep your sanctuary free of clutter and mess. Stylish storage can start with your bed. There are designs with under bed drawers or open shelves to store your things or display your books. Again, a sideboard is an elegant storage option for a bedroom. Bedside tables or built-in shelves behind the bed will help keep a bedroom organised.

If there is no space for a bedside table, substitute a recessed wall niche for bedside storage.

If you don’t have a built-in or walk-in wardrobe, go for a highly modular wardrobe system to find a home for all your clothes, shoes and accessories.

Study/Guest Bedroom

Use a versatile sleek console table with drawers to transform your desk into a dressing table for your guests.

A chest of drawers will keep your study essentials handy, but keep the first two drawers free for you guests’ belongings.

Use an open shelf for books, magazines and folders. Put all the little things in decorative storage boxes placed on the shelf. A tidy shelf radiates a sense of style and order in your space.

Bathroom

Use the space in your under-sink vanity for hiding stuff you don’t want to see: toilet paper, cleaning products or your hairdryer.

Tackle your drawer dilemmas with drawer organisers to keep all your little things and cosmetics sorted and easy to find. Use small and medium-sized storage baskets or stacks of little drawers for creating order inside your cabinet — label all the baskets and drawers so you can easily find everything. Tiny items can be stored inside cabinet doors by fixing small plastic containers on the door panel.

Freestanding storage units like a drawer cabinet trolley or a storage ladder for towels can be a useful addition. You can change the position of these units as you like. Make them blend in with your bathroom colour scheme or use an accent colour to create a bathroom feature.

Use free wall space for narrow shelving to keep small towels, soap or other bathroom accessories. Use different compartments and small baskets to keep various items in an organised manner. A collection of coloured glass jars is not only decorative but can also hold little things like cotton swabs, makeup brushes, lipstick and other small items you use on a daily basis.

Create the ultimate relaxation zone with an open-shelf solution where you can display your towels, store your cosmetics in gorgeous storage baskets and display all the beautiful things you use every day. Add a small vase with a single stem flower to make you feel happy in the morning!