Almost every homeowner wishes they had more storage. I have never heard anyone say "This house would be perfect if it had less storage..it is a waste of space". The best way of making sure you have enough storage is to include it in your plans before your home is built. However, some of the following tips may give you ideas, even if your home is finished.
- Taller Ceilings - If you can't go out, try going up! Tall ceilings can be used to carve out more storage in several rooms. Your wardrobe can benefit from taller ceilings. Several rows of higher shelves can be placed above your normal rod for items that are out of season. Kitchens and Great Rooms can also benefit with higher shelves and taller cabinets that can house anything from baskets to speakers.
- Stairs - If you have stairs, putting deep drawers or cabinet style doors on the side can help you get the most use out of an otherwise waste of space. Note - Please check with your local building department on located anything under your stairs, some codes do not allow this area to be used without making special provisions.
- The Attic - If you are going to have a steep roof, take advantage of this extra storage space. ONE TIP - If you install "real" stairs as opposed to pull down stairs, getting that Christmas tree down every year will be so much easier!
- Built-in Seating - A mud room is the perfect place for built-in seating. If you build the seating with a hinged top or deep drawers, you get the perfect place to store your shoes. In a bedroom you have the perfect place to read a book and hide extra blankets at the same time.
- The Garage - With the popularity of SUV's it is very important you make sure your new garage will be big enough to hold the family car. For example the GMC Yukon has a length of 198.9" and the Yukon XL has a length of 219.3". If you plan on walking around it after you park, that garage better be deeper than 20'-0"
Although we didn't cover a lot of areas, I hope a few of these ideas will be just the thing that will help you plan extra storage in your dream home.
Debra is recognized as a Certified Professional Building Designer through the National Council of Building Designer Certification. She has won several national awards for her custom house plans.
