Turn to the Wall for Space-Saving Storage
Storage: You can’t live without it. But storage furniture that sits on the floor, such as chests and bookcases, has a space-stealing footprint that lessens its effectiveness. With these clever wall-focused solutions to common dilemmas, however, you can have your storage and floor space too.
No room for a coat closet? A coat rack running the length of your hallway can provide enough hanging space for the family’s outerwear.
Choose one with a shelf above to maximize hat and bag storage, and squeeze in a narrow bench (even just the depth of the shelf) beneath to keep shoes neat too. Paint it all to match the wall for a tidy finish.
No space for a dressing table? Custom wall storage comes in handy for stashing jewelry and makeup. Install shelves just above head height to make the room’s footprint feel as big as possible and to leave space for rails with handy hooks beneath. “Custom” makes it sound expensive, but you can DIY this look.
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Don’t like wall cabinets? You can keep the kitchen feeling spacious with open shelving tailored to your storage needs.
Don’t waste an inch: Use the underside of the shelves to suspend rails and hooks, and don’t plan to stand or stack anything that can hang instead (mugs and wineglasses, for example). Keep the whole area looking good by finding coordinating accessories to display.
Want storage and art? Look for wall storage designed for practicality and sculptural aesthetics. This piece has tons of hanging space. Because it obviously looks better slightly underdressed than overstuffed, however, consider a row of three if the budget allows.
You could create your own shapes with plain old hooks and knobs too.
No desk space for an inbox?
You don’t need an inbox if you have a pin board or pegboard. This one is just big enough for a few bills, business cards and the odd reminder or two.
If you’d rather cover a bigger area, choose a color for your board that matches the wall behind to help it blend in. Or cover a padded pin board in a bright coordinating fabric.
Not enough cabinets for cookware? When closed kitchen storage is lacking, you can simply hang your pots and pans from hooks or a rail. Putting them on a wall is great; suspending them overhead is marvelous (if the kitchen has the ceiling height).
But if you’re really short on space, consider putting a rod or two across a window. This may block a little light, but if your cookware is made of sparkling stainless steel, it’ll reflect light back into the room too.
Don’t like standard shelving?
Modular cubes can turn your displays of books and knickknacks into an artful arrangement.
They work best in groups, and you can up the visual interest by creating a defined shape with them and by choosing ones in different but complementary colors.
Have tons to display? Devoting an entire wall to open shelving like this cleverly incorporates a desk and stylishly combines attractive interiors accessories with practical home office wares.
Making Spaces
Want to avoid pinholes in the wall? Magnets hold your paperwork in place without ruining the wall. This works here because the wall is made of magnetic plaster, but you can achieve the same effect with magnetic paint or a large magnetic board attached to the wall.
Pinching pennies? The 1970s and ’80s are back in fashion, both on the catwalk and in the home. Stop back-combing your big hair and arranging your giant collars for a minute and take a look at this old favorite: a cork-tile bulletin board.
You can attach the tiles to the wall with adhesive and then stain, color-wash or varnish them to suit your design for hardly any dough.