Moving away from vertical storage ideas, we will now look at how tension rods can help you organise, and finding nooks in your home in which you can add storage.
Tension rods aren't even sold in New Zealand (I know!) - or not that I've been able to find anyway. But if you can get hold of them, they are useful for so much more than just hanging curtains. They are inexpensive (just search on eBay) and temporary - no need to drill holes in your walls or cabinets. Here are some ways they can help you organise.
They can turn any chest, blanket box or drawer into hanging file storage:
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A few tension rods behind a door provide storage for a scarf collection:
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The picture speaks for itself!
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Turn your tension rods vertically to divide shelf or cabinet space:
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Rather than adding an extra shelf just pop in a tension rod:
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Used in drawers:
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Used in the craft room for ribbon storage:
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And for paper storage:
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Add some tension rods and fabric underneath a table for hidden storage:
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Built in storage is great for maximising any little nook or cranny you can find. By built in I mean purpose made cupboards, simple shelves or pre-made cabinets that you install.
One of the places you'll find nooks is underneath a staircase. Here are some fabulous ideas utilising the space under stairs:
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Why not turn your entire staircase into a bookcase:
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Of course homes without stairs have all kinds of nooks too.
Look above your doors for some storage space. A single shelf can hold quite a lot, especially if you make use of pretty boxes or baskets. Or why not install an entire cabinet above a door or in an archway if it's high enough?
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These ceiling-hung cabinets not only provide storage but act as a room divider as well:
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What about the narrow spaces next to your oven or fridge? Here are some pull-out solutions:
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Turn your kitchen kickplate space into useful storage:
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Any litlte nook - even the space next to shelves - can become useful:
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Adapt the false drawer-front underneath your sink with some hinges and add a bit of storage:
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Moving into the bathroom, don't forget to maximise the space above your basin, end of the bath and toilet. You can add cabinets or shelves for storage.
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If you already have a mirror above your basin why not make it a mirrored cabinet?
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Even the space underneath the bath can be used:
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This homeowner has made use of dead space next to the toilet to add some shelves for storage and decoration:
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Look for dead spacesin corners or at the end of passageways:
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Even the spaces between joists in your walls can be utilised. This homeowner has cut into the drywall and installed a jewellery cabinet:
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Or add a spice rack:
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Or install storage in your bathroom:
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No nooks? A shelf added right up high doesn't take up any space in the room but still provides storage beneath the ceiling:
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The space in your eaves can be maximised with some clever shelves:
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I organised the space under the sink in a previous home with a tension rod to hang spray bottles from:
Instead of just a mirror we installed a large mirrored cabinet above the basin and toilet in a previous home:
And again in another home:
Part 1 - Logic for your life
Part 2 - Categorising your space
Part 3 - Go vertical
Part 4 - Hooks
Part 5 - Pegboard and towel rails
Part 6 - Doors
Part 7 - Magnets, ends and bottoms
Part 8 - Tension rods and nooks
Part 9 - Maximising cabinet space
Part 10 - Think outside the (storage) box
