Storage up for the cold months ahead
WE all seem to be huddling in for the cold months ahead, and confined to the den for longer periods, that storage crisis you ran away from all summer is now unbearable. Hit things head-on with some storage home truths and retail inspirations.
Having culled the unwanted and honestly unused (six months for clothes), calculate how much space you still need. Look at what’s left and likely to arrive and then add 15% in storage volume.
When setting up home for the first time, it’s very common to completely underestimate just how much room everyday life demands, and our inherent hoarding habits.
JML Vac Packs. A perennial favourite for protecting, storing and reducing the volume out of season clothes and bedding by 75%. Two large from €13.50, Littlewoods.
The ornamental, attractive and occasionally used are the best contender for nakedly on-show.Objects such as stacked books, integral baskets and containers can be placed neatly in place even in a hurry.
Rolled towels on a bathroom shelf (an interior decorating fantasy), everyday utensils in the kitchen, and God forbid, clothes- an ounce of hurry and it’s simply a mess revealed. One thing on one dedicated shelf — say your magnificent new lime green coffee grinder that adds punch to the kitchen — not a problem.
Hygena Storage Tubs. With three sliders left open for view when wanted. A restyle of a metal 70s classic the Componobili, ideal for children’s bedrooms. €97.99. Argos.
Most rooms look best with a mixture of open and closed storage. Too much cabinetry with blind doors has a cold, locker room sterility. In the kitchen be wary of terracing closed cabinets up the walls on every side in a suffocating canyon.
Base cabinets are not only the most practical in terms of reach, but in a smaller space anchor the arrangement allowing you to use open shelving, glazed cabinets and well considered closed presses for an airy arrangement.
Black smoked glass Jutis doors for upper cabinets on Metod kitchens by IKEA. On trend, reflective with a glimpse of the contents. From €26 for 20x80cm.
We all need internal shelving in our cabinets and wardrobes, but how well behaved are your drawers? Nothing invites the quick sling of an object like a large drawer without internal partitions and thrashing around the depths of a deep tangled cupboard. Simple cutlery dividers, wood dowelling for dishes, carousels, baskets and boxes —there’s a solution for every unit and budget. Be aware that in system furniture the price of internal fittings can push up prices by as much as 20%. Shop around for generic products you can build on.
Waste Recycling Drawer insert for sink cabinets (3 12l boxes, 3 trays and base) in 80cm or 100cm, from €46.74. www.kitchencomponantsdirect.ie.
It might sound obvious, but trace your habits and needs through the day and store things as close to where they are needed as possible. Dining ware should be a lift from cabinetry to the table at which you eat. A small trug of cleaning products slipped into the base of a freestanding storage piece will encourage a lightening clean of the bathroom when needed.
Ghost Buster Dresser by Starck for Kartell in black (around €722 from Kartell stockists including Caseys and Ambiente Direct)
Some of the most dynamic and interesting pieces of design are disguise and staging pieces. Starting on a budget, celebrate versatility with the Mode Flexible Tall Shelves in walnut, a clever hinged room divider or wall unit that can fold into shape.
Height 172cm, € 447, Next Direct. Kit out a dressing area in Faux Suede Storage baskets and boxes from Dunnes, starting at just €6.
The neat, classy Albany round footstool in red has an integral flip to a tray lid, €140, Meadows & Byrne. Moving up in price, Zeitraum shelving units feature a strong but ultra thin shelf construction. Ideal for behind a low sofa, it’s highly architectural at €1,275. Minima, Waterford.
1970s-80s sideboards in teak, rosewood and oak. Priced from €100, choose solid wood or real veneers. Consider any painted improvements to better examples. Source through DoneDeal, Adverts.ie or local auctions (listed at Collect Ireland).
Thrust up the wall where floor space is at a premium. Going up in profile also fools the eye, forcing a ceiling back and making the room appear larger.
Ensure any tall unit is secured to the wall if it doesn’t feature a weighty base to hold it safely to the floor. Place any contents where they will be within easy reach for everyday use. Glass fronts to upper cabinets will save you a lot of dusting.
To recess your storage while still going as large as you like consider the darling solution of many designers — a false wall framed out at the sides and set with shelves and closed presses to suit your highly individual collections and lifestyle.
You can build an office, a bookcase or a whole kitchen from string® system shelving. String® Works is my current favourite but you’ll find your own.
Launched in 1949 by Nils Strinning, explore the Scandinavian classic at string.se, and order through Lostweekend.ie.
