We can’t all have the perfect shoe storage in our walk in wardrobes:

 

Image: Living Etc

 

I like this idea for showing off a very stylish pair – not only are they a decorative feature but this cloche also keeps them dust free and you can admire them every day. I have one pair of very very high heels that I love but don’t wear very often (since I ended up crumpled on the pavement in them one night but hush, no bones broken!)

Image: Living Etc

 

Or some stylish card boxes with leather handles – if you are very organised you could take a photo of the special shoes and then you know exactly which pair are in which box:

Image: Living Etc

Or check out these shoe suitcases from here at Garrendenny Lane - perfect for shoes or other items.

Here’s some more Christmas gift ideas:

This one is for someone who has a new office or indeed an office which needs some smart storage as well as a bit of style.

A Black and Blum Ring Ring which is wallmounted and ideal for holding papers and magazines; a smart Black and Blum desk tidy as well as a Jimmy keyring and bottle opener; and a very smart business card holder – This hamper has all this for €66 with free gift wrap – now what could be easier?

The hamper below is perfect for a stylish gardener - it contains 4 gardening mugs in a lovely gift box, a gardening journal and a lantern for the patio, deck or conservatory.

It sounds really obvious but if you want kids to hang up their coats, you have to have hooks that they can reach (and then there just may be some hope!).  I like this photo from Living Etc.

I have to admit that I have just brought out the sticker charts again so that if they are really good and get lots of stickers, Santa will see them when he comes and maybe give them an extra surprise present.  So, there’s a sticker if they hang up their coats, if they eat breakfast when I’ve told them once, when they brush their teeth, brush hair etc etc. Amazing how it motivates them to get all of the normal activity things done and hopefully it will make brushing Kate’s hair less of a battle!

Maura (my wonderful website designer and good friend) asked me for some suggestions for their spare bedroom cum home office. As she and her husband are academics, they also work at home a lot and her husband Cyril, tends to ’spread’ his papers and files as much as possible.

This is something I totally empathise with.  When Brian was doing his PhD (yes, my farmer husband has a PhD is microbiology – the cows really appreciate it and are always nice to him in the milking parlour as a result!) and I was doing my MA, we had two desks (side by side – v romantic!) in our spare bedroom that was often used by guests.  I can also understand the ’spreading’ of papers – I much preferred to lay flat the box files.  I also had the terrible habit of dropping library books around my chair when I was finishing off essays and once the essay was handed in, I would come home to a messy study with papers all over the place and at least 15 books in a messy circle on the floor around my chair!

Regarding the bed first of all – it is a good idea to either have a single bed that extends into a double and can be used as a day bed, a comfortable sofa bed or else a bed with either divan drawers or room underneath for storage.

It’s a good idea to leave spaces between the books and box files and intersperse them with some ornaments to create a relaxed atmosphere and create an impression of spaciousness.  Strong box files won’t fall over. I always liked shelves right above my desk and these boxes mean that books won’t fall off the edge!  If the desk is positioned in an alcove, it is easy enough to just use shelves above the desk. See the contrast below.

The shelving units below show wall to wall shelving with an interesting mix of ornaments, files, wicker baskets, books which creates interest and creates feeling of space. Ensure there is a few inches of space above the tallest items on each shelf so they can be removed easily as well as preventing clutter.

Given Cyril’s penchant for ’spreading’ his papers in a horizontal fashion rather than vertically, I thought these storage boxes on shelves were a good idea – just have loads of shelves with a maximum of 2 storage boxes high on each one.  To minimise the appearance of clutter, use storage boxes that are the same colour or a similar hue to the wall colour so they blend in and are barely there.  Just use small labels for each box.  I would tend to use different coloured labels for different subject matters.

I’m sure the new Dublin Ikea will have a plethora of different types of storage boxes, I like the ones by a company called Bigso Box that I came across at Maison.

Now, if it is the case that there are just too many books and files and you just wish to hide them as best as possible, then I suggest either creating fitted cupboards/wardrobes like below:

Alternatively create fabric panels in front of either shelving in alcoves or shelving along one whole wall.  If the fabric in the panels matches the wallpaper, it will act extremely well as a camouflage and the panels can easily be swung aside to access files.  This solution also saves space in that the panels move sideways rather than having to have room in front of units to allow for the opening of doors.

Maura also stated that they needed units on which to place printers and copiers.  The modular units below may be too shallow but the idea is there and they can be used for storage inside the unit as well as on the surface.  Ikea, as usual, has a plethora of storage units, files, shelves etc and now that Ikea is open in Dublin, I’m sure there will be plenty of storage solutions available to purchase there.

 

My last suggestion is to incorporate an armchair with a small table and lamp beside it if there is room – creates a really nice relaxed atmosphere and sometimes it is nice to leave the desk and read while sitting in a comfortable armchair.

There’s quite a few different suggestions here for storage – depending on the storage requirements, size of room, and how ‘tidy’ a person tends to be but I hope these suggestions are useful.  Please feel free to add any suggestions or comments.

Next week: Decor for a study

Images from Ideal Home, Living Etc and House to Home

Mel from Design Heaven asked me to recommend some suggestions for improving storage in a small space. Now, Mel writes a fantastic interior design blog so I sort of feel like I’m telling my ‘grandmother how to suck eggs’ and hope I’m coming up with some good ideas for her and all of you.

One of the things I loved about living in Victorian houses were all the cubby holes and fabulous storage under stairs where one could stash away almost anything and I think it is important to use every inch of space under places such as the stairs or as shown below, build in shelves to optimise the space available.

 

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Image: Ideal Homes

 

Storage is so important in the hallway – to make it seem welcoming, prevent clutter and just to ensure that important items such as keys are close by as you rush out the door.

 

Image: Ideal Homes

 

Here a mirror with hooks below it is ideal for checking your appearance, hanging your bag and keys etc.  The narrow built in storage is great for stashing away items such as shoes and the couple of cushions suggest comfort and relaxation, even if you never actually sit on it!  A built in window-seat with a hinged lid are also great if you have a bay window in the living room.  Staying with the living room, ottomans are wonderful items of furniture being triple purpose: footstool, extra seating and great for storing items such as magazines and newspapers.  If the living room is quite small,  rather than an ottoman, low baskets that fit in under the sofa are convenient for storing magazines too and items such as the remote controls.  You can get sofas with drawers under them too. When choosing coffee tables or side tables, on the one hand, ones that have open space below them and have elegant legs, create more sense of space but ones with drawers will provide plenty of storage.

Open shelving maintains the sense of space, especially if a variety of objects (in terms of form, size and shape) are placed on them with some ‘white space’ between them.  You just have to ensure that they are kept tidy or the whole effect is lost.

Image: Ideal Homes

Black & Blum are one of my favourite companies that I stock, partly because so many of their items are great for being sleek and perfect for storage. Their ‘ring ring’ is wall-mounted and each one takes quite a few magazines and papers.  Once they start to fall out, you know it is time to bring some to the recycling!

 

The Black & Blum Flow is brilliant for storing wine, taking up some space on the wall but worth every inch as it looks so sleek and attractive, imitating the flow of liquid in its shape.

 

 

In the bedroom, the obvious points are ideas such as purchasing a bed with drawers within the divan or purchase storage tubs (with wheels) that will fit under the bed – ideal for out of season clothes, sports equipment, shoes, holiday decorations etc.  Add hooks to the inside of the wardrobe doors for items such as belts.  Remember to use your walls for storage too – shelves placed 30-50 cm below the ceiling will be ideal for displaying collectibles/ storing books / hats / decorative items / attractive box files – admittedly items placed on a high shelf will be more for items you love to look at but don’t use so often.  If getting a bookcase made, measure the height of your books, for example, if the space between the shelves are 34 cm and some books are only 12 cm high, you are effectively wasting almost 20 cm of space so have differently spaced shelves for the different sized books.

Strong, deep drawers in the kitchen mean that it is easier to access items that would ordinarily be stuck at the back of the cupboard as the drawers can pull out fully.  Simple items such as a Lazy susan plate to hold all your dried herbs etc means that a simple twirl of the plate will make each little container easily accessible. Pull-out larders and corner cupboards with pull-out shelves ensure that every inch of space is used.

I guess the ideal is ‘ a place for everything and everything in its place’, that is, to have attractive items on display and other items placed out of sight where you can find them easily. Now, this Fix-it Friday is going to turn into Saturday’s post if I don’t end now but please add more ideas in the comment box if you think of any.

 

Next Week: Window Treatments for a bathroom window – to maximise light yet ensure privacy