Let me ask you a simple question first. Has at least one day passed by in your life when you have never searched for a simple thing in your home? Though the home is big and sufficient with enough storage space, it’s not possible for at least a few persons to arrange things in an orderly and disciplined manner. When you place an object in its right place, it chances the total look of your home and you may wonder and ask yourself, “Is it my home?” Storage space makes a home beautiful. Also it helps to arrange things in a proper manner, save a lot of space to freely walk through, make cleaning process easy and above all, it influences the mood of every member of the home. When we see orderly packed things around us in our home, it makes as self-disciplined people too, who puts everything neat and tidy.
Before I continue this article, let me give you three questions that you can ask yourself every time. When you spend money to purchase a new product ask yourself, “Is my home enough spacious to accommodate this new equipment?” Before you put an object in storage, ask yourself, “Actually is it needed? Throw it away if you get the answer, “I don’t need it for the next few years”. Before you leave the room throwing a few dried clothes in the bed, ask yourself, “Why can’t I neatly fold it now and place it in almarah? It takes less than 10 minutes if I do it now”.
Living room
Living room is like an exhibition stall to guests and visitors. It can accommodate a little storage space too. TV stand + storage showcase is the most common storage space, if you are not using wall fixed LED monitors. It is the place to arrange CDs and music system too. In some homes, television has got promotion to dining halls. In other cases, in a common man’s home, TV stand can be used to store old books, magazines and newspapers. You can place commonly used tools also, in a drawer. A CD rack can be fitted to place CDs in an orderly manner. To make living room more efficient, let me give you a few more tips.
- If your living room is small you can use corner TV stand.
- If you arrange shoe rack on either sides of TV stand you can save a lot of space. It’s most suited for limited area spaces like flats and apartments. By doing so, you can place your television near your main door.
- It’s also possible to construct storage spaces above paintings of your living rooms. If it’s decorated in an artistic way, it gives new look to your interior.
Bedroom
It’s the private room of house members and it’s the place where most valuable and secret things are placed. As it never catches the guest’s eyes easily, it’s the room where we throw away things most. When we clean all other rooms and do all kitchen work to return back to bedroom at night, we may be tired. So, we often leave our bedroom in a non-disciplined manner full of clothes, books and untidy bed covers. So, let me give you a few tips.
- It’s the bedroom that needs maximum storage spaces. Construct wardrobes from floor and it should touch the ceiling. In normal cases, wardrobes are built in 7 feet height. Instead you can place a few drawers above to make the space fully utilized. If so, you can place less used travel bags, suit cases, clothes, pillows and blankets there.
- If you fix pullout drawers beneath your bed, it’s the best place to keep bed sheets and pillow covers.
- You can place side tables with drawers on either side of your bed. In addition to bed lamp, you can place medicine boxes and alarm there. You can place your favourite books to read also. If you place your ornaments and watch there, you need not search the whole home to find them later.
- Place a jar filled with water and a few books also, to give a simple look to your bedroom.
- Normally hangers are placed in the uppermost shelf of wardrobes. Instead place a few shelves there and build the place for hangers 1.5 meter high from ground.
- Fix a pullout beneath wardrobe so that you can throw your used clothes there, instead of placing them in your bedroom here and there.
- Unused clothes for the past one year can be given to any institution or your maid. Make use of this space to store useful things.
- If your bedroom is spacious, you can place a table and a chair at one corner. Thus you can convert this space to a ‘working space’.
- If your bedroom is small, you may be confused to find a suitable space for your dressing table. You can fix a big mirror on the door of your wardrobe and place a small table near it, with a few drawers. Your dressing table is ready. You can place all your cosmetics and decorative items in the drawers of this small table.
- If you keep lipstick, eye liner, hair bands, clips etc in separate transparent plastic boxes and place in the drawer of your dressing table, it’s a nice idea.
- If you fix a hanger in the back side of your wardrobe, you can hand your belts and similar items there. Use a separate drawer to keep undergarments, ties, handkerchiefs etc.
Kids’ room
- You can place colourful plastic boxes in your kid’s room to put toys. If a 3-layer stand is placed you can save a lot of space too.
- Crayons, toys, pencils, colouring books and building blocks – keep separate boxes for each category and teach them to arrange everything to keep their room neat and tidy.
- A shelf with doors, of less height is sufficient to keep their school bag, books, pencil boxes etc. their uniform can also be neatly placed here.
- Double Decker beds suit your kid’s room most. It saves a lot of space too.
Dining room
Cupboards are best storage media for dining room. Special plates and glasses that can be used for serving guests can be placed in these cupboards. If given glass doors, it serves the purpose of good display too. Less used plates should be placed in these cupboards. Let me give a few more suggestions.
- Normally dining hall is the passage space between living room and kitchen. If less-high table is constructed with a few open cabinets, it serves you in two ways. It can be used as a pantry as well as a storage space. If you give a plug point near that table it can be used as ironing table too.
- Beneath the dining table you can place a few drawers to keep pickles, salt, pepper etc.
Office room
Now home has turned to an office too. In many homes, an office room is also constructed and computer, laptop, computer table etc have become a part of this office room. This room requires concentration and everything is needed to be placed tidy and neat to avoid disturbances. In addition to a computer table, an office table is also needed here. Let me give a few suggestions.
- Bring filing system to everything. Certificates, medical bills, banking papers, bills etc can be stored according to date in respective files and placed in drawers of the office table. It’s better to write on the file, to which category it belongs to.
- Never throw a lot of files and papers on your office table. Such visuals can make your mood off. Just keep a few things on the top of your table – a pen stand, a few pens, a writing board, writing pad, diary, paper weight and if needed, a glass of plain water. You can place a tray on your table top to place non-filed papers. A table-top calendar is most required on an office table.
Kitchen
Wall hanging accessories are best to save space of your kitchen counter top. Let me give a few more suggestions to keep your kitchen in a well-disciplined manner.
- If 3-tier shelves are used in your kitchen, you can place a lot of items in this arrangement.
- While constructing kitchen shelves, a drawer is most needed. Guarantee cards for your kitchen accessories, written manuals and instructions etc can be filed and placed in this drawer. You can place knives and other cutting materials too.
- If you fix a bottle rack beneath the sink, you can place detergent, dish bars, cleaning brushes, scrubber and lotions here. If so, your counter top, near the kitchen sink will be neat and dry.
- Inside kitchen cabinet, multipurpose racks, corner unit, knife holder, spoon holder and tissue paper stand can be placed. Plate stand, vegetable basket, fruit basket and glass holder are most essential for a lively kitchen. If all these things are available in kitchen, a house wife can easily arrange things and keep the kitchen clean.
Each accessory should be placed where
When you are arranging things of your home, always remember that things are to be stored as per use. If so, things can be categorized into four units – daily use, normal use, once in a while and rare use. When you arrange each unit of your home, think for a moment, to which category it belongs to. For example, car key and office purse are needed most frequently and they are important too. So, place them in an easy available place, easy reachable. Traveller bags, sweaters, less used tools taking a lot of space can be stored in upper spaces. You can store less used books, toys and clothes also in the same manner. Also never hesitate to throw a thing out, if you feel that it’s not needed for a long period.
Conclusion
Through this article I have given a few tips to arrange things in an effective manner and maximum utility of your storage space. While constructing home also, give importance to storage spaces taking into account, the accessories of your home. No doubt, storage plays a double role in your home. It serves as the purpose of storing things as well as hide things from everyone’s eyes to give neatness to your interior. Make full use of it so that you can dream of a pleasant home, filled with a lot of space and positive energy.
When you enter your home, all things should be orderly placed. Then only it gives a positive energy to your minds and thoughts. If so, your house will be turned to a home for sure - the heaven where everyone loves to stay!