Maximizing Space: 5 Storage Ideas We Use at the Studio That You Can Bring to Your Home!
A retail candle display reimagined as a thread organizer in our Studio. Creativity and upcycling, what’s not to love?
Spring has sprung here at the Studio, and as many renewal-minded people often do around this time of year, we find ourselves thinking about the best ways to free up space and simplify the storage in our lives. In fact, since we founded Edgington Studio last year, we have striven to make the most of every square foot available to us while avoiding the clutter that can add up over time. In the spirit of this season's focus on organizing, today we will be discussing five great ways to maximize your use of space, be it in your living room, home office, or anywhere else the urge to arrange strikes you!
1) Load up on vertical storage.
When in doubt, go up! There is never a shortage of available space when you're willing to put the exteriors and interiors of vertical surfaces to work. A combination of hooks and adhesives will help you make the most of these spots, especially on kitchen cabinets, hanging shelves, doors, and walls. At the Studio, we like to use vertical spaces like this to hang tools, inventory lists, and lighter notions like zippers. A bonus fact: "file folding" of clothes and fabrics is taking advantage of the vertical, even in spaces as small as drawers. Fold each item such that it takes up as much vertical "real estate" as possible, and with this orientation you will still be able to see everything you have in the drawer. Embrace the vertical today and you'll be surprised how much space you gain with it!
2) Make the most of multi-use tables and seating.
Seats and tables are an often overlooked opportunity to take back valuable square footage, so look around your spaces and ask yourself a few key questions: could I put an organizer on the back of this work chair? Would this table benefit from easy-to-install pull-out baskets? Am I really maximizing my use of the seats I already have available? Remember: every item tactfully placed underneath or behind a table is one less thing that needs to go on top of it, leaving it clean and open. We have taken this to heart with one of the centerpieces of our Studio: the cutting table. It serves not only as an essential surface to conduct our work, though it also has a long flat "sub-table" underneath it to store active projects and essential tools. Avoid falling victim to the Horizontal Surface curse: keep those spots free of everyday items so that they can actually be put to use when you need them later!
3) Let unconventional containers work for you.
There's no better conversation piece than a clever use of something unusual to serve your needs. Whether it's using old school lockers to store clothing, a glass soda bottle as a bracelet organizer, or even a used (but clean!) juice jug as a plastic bag dispenser, there is no shortage of creative ways to add character AND space to your home at the same time. When we were shopping for storage for the Studio, we came across some very cool secondhand see-through candy drums with self-serve lids. We immediately put them to use as our our button containers, and they have been a unique and admired part of our workspace ever since. The same goes for our snazzy thread holder, formerly a storefront display for candles (pictured above). Don't be afraid to try out new combinations like this, as you can always replace it with something more "conventional" later if you really need to!
4) Seeing is believing: keep the good stuff visible!
You can have everything you need in life but what good is any of it if you can't find it when you need it? Visibility matters, so try to use as many clear containers as possible for those items that would otherwise look appealing if left out in the open. Mason jars, open cabinets, glass display cases, and transparent storage boxes are excellent for keeping everything readily available for you while still keeping it compact and out of the way. We display our favorite sewing and fashion books in the clear glass partition of our standing secretary desk, so they stay safe while adding to the fashion-feel of our space!
5) Concealment: block the bulky with the pretty!
Let's face it, sometimes we have things to store that just aren't very attractive. Trash cans, household cleaning chemicals, electronic cords, and many more everyday necessities stand ready for our use but often at the cost of the visual appeal of our spaces. While we all hide these eyesores to some extent, it helps even more if we actively seek to make them beautiful with the help of colorful tablecloths, cheerful festoons, or pieces of art. At the Studio, we use long table covers (sporting our "Studio Blue" color, of course!) to conceal the storage beneath, especially our shipping table where cardboard boxes can wait safely for use without taking away from the fun, friendly, and functional workspace we have worked hard to create and maintain.
The possibilities are limitless when it comes to getting the most out of your living and working areas. Like any large project, it's all about incremental improvement, so don't be afraid to pick just one area of your home or one specific type of storage you need to work on just to keep things manageable and achievable. We are all making ourselves and our rooms a little bit better every day, and with the "organize everything" movement gaining steam, there are so many new ideas to learn from and be inspired by. In any case, we wish you the best with bringing grace back to your space!
