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SPACE INVADERS
Its time to pack all that clutter away! We sort out storage solutions to transform rooms.
The reality is that few people can claim to have enough space in their home, and the pressures on it just grow as our lives move on – whether its a growing family, entertaining, or the need for a home office.
Julie Savill, former editor of Good Homes magazine, recommends getting sorted out now: A good tidy up is the starting point and its quite eye-opening just how much more roomy a place can seem if the floor and furniture are clear of clutter.
Of course clutter can be the result of a lack of storage, leaving no permanent home for belongings, and this should be the next step. Creating a place for everything is the only way youll ever persuade the family to put things in their place.
Julies gathered some top tips for her book, Good Homes 101 Ways To Make More Space, that could leave you feeling as if your house has expanded.
JULIES TIPS
:: Choose dual purpose furniture like sofa beds or trunks that double as
coffee tables. Sofa Workshop has a Charlie storage footstool in Subtle
Aubergine, £159 or a Jamie large storage footstool, Wicker Duck Egg
£189.
:: A dress rail isnt just for one night, it even makes itself useful when
the visitors have gone home! Its far less bulky than a traditional
wooden wardrobe. A steel Ultra Garment rack, £135, which folds flat and
be stored under a bed, from the Holding Company.
:: A neat box-pleated balance makes a bed look tidy and with the
addition of a few pockets stitched on, can give great hidey-holes for
shoes, books, newspapers.
:: Dont clutter up a room with a large table, instead have a large
sheet of MDF or plywood which can be laid over the top of a compact
table to give you a bigger surface. Simply cover with a pretty cloth to
disguise it.
:: Fit shelves into an alcove under the stairs, and paint them the same
colour as the wall so they disappear into the background.
:: A bamboo ladder used as a towel rail provides masses of space for
towels, or can be used for extra hanging space in a spare room. Okas
towel ladder, £85.00, or Marks & Spencers oak ladder incorporating
three shelves and two rails, £199.
:: Boxing in the area under a bay window can provide bags of space
(think caravans and how much stuff gets stowed away under the seats) as
long as you build in lift-up lids. Or build a shaped seat with shelving
area underneath for books and games. |
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