Storage & Organization In Unsuspecting Areas

 

 

Our linen closet was busting out of the seams. Filled with hygiene items, medications, bed sheets, blankets and other items. My husband and I would organize it every few months but it just would get trashed again. Most of the time I couldn’t find what I was looking for. With 7 of us living in a smaller home we need to utilize the space we have but where? Up, up, up!

 

 

cabinet storage stairs xx

Our home has an open staircase and for years my husband tried to convince me to add cabinets there and I was dead set against it. Seemed like an awkward place.  I mean how on earth was I going to be able to get anything out of these cabinets being that there is not flooring near due to the open space. How was I to reach across?  Finally i caved. We headed to Ikea and purchased several cabinets so that there would be 2 rows (one on top of the other).  

 

My husband installed them himself which made me nervous because  he had the ladder on the stairs. 

storage cabinets

 Once we cleared out our linen closet which was a daunting task……………….

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  It was time to sort through what was going in our cabinets. We decided to place items we do not use on a regular basis in the top cabinets because they were harder to reach and we wouldn’t be using them very much so it didn’t matter. Then I used what I had to organize the children’s medicines, adult medicines, toothbrushes, etc. placing them in shoe boxes or other plastic containers and labeling them.  What I like best about this whole cabinet idea other than the extra space but all medications our kids cannot reach because they are not able to reach over the ledge to open the cabinets. Too  many times you hear about children getting into medicines with unfortunate results.

storage

So are you asking how do they get to these cabinets to pull out what they need? It’s actually very easy. I can reach over the ledge and open any of the bottom cabinet doors and pull out what I need however, for the higher cabinets I use a step stool and reach across and get what I need.  I hate to say it but I wished I would have listend to my husband sooner, yeah I know I just said that but shhhhhhh do not tell him! 

 

How about you where in your home are you not utilizing prime storage area?  Look around you maybe surprised!

 

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Comments

  1. wow i never thought o that!! our ceilings are too low (old home) but that is a great idea

  2. I have a great linen closet that I am not utilizing properly. I really need to clean it out and adjust the shelving in there so I can make better use of the space.

  3. I am always trying to find ways to get more organized and find new ways to stuff things somewhere! Our house was built in 1959 and there really isn’t any storage space. Our closets are small and our kitchen cabinets are embarrassing…we are getting a new IKEA soon, they just started building one. As soon as it opens, I am going to go shopping for shelving and stuff!

  4. Great idea! We were actually talking about this yesterday. We were thinking of actually taking out some dry wall and putting cabinets into the walls.

  5. Such a brilliant idea, I love this! I’m moving soon and will definitely be considering something like this. Thanks for sharing!

  6. That is a fabulous storage idea and it sounds like the cabinets are easy to access. No really unique spaces like that in our home, but we have a basement so that helps for storing items.

  7. Sounds like a wonderful idea for extra storage! Unfortunately we have a closed in staircase. I always wish ours was open, here’s one more reason!

  8. Love your ideas! Never thought of some of these places! Thank you for sharing it! I can’t wait to reorganize some of my rooms!

  9. I LOVE this! You’re like the solution queen for maximizing space! Great job, mama! <3

  10. That’s a great solution. I want to make a storage room with cabinets like that when we finally redo our basement.

  11. Melissa Smith says:

    I would have never thought of that. but it is a great idea! I would have thought I would never be able to get anything out, but actually seeing them up, they make perfect sense. And I bet you feel much better without everything else being so cluttered.

  12. I know I could find more storage options if I were more organized. it’s something that I’m trying to work on a little bit each week.

  13. That’s a great solution for utilizing usually wasted space! I’m so afraid of heights, I’m not so sure I could lean though! lol

  14. What a great use of empty space! We have a cupboard in our dining room wall that goes into the dead space above the stairwell. I’ve been trying to convince my husband that he should make himself a garage cabinet on the other side.

  15. I need more storage in my old but wonderful home. This house has been added on and added on, but no storage – I like your idea.

  16. Confession, I have never been inside an IKEA store. I need to make my way to one soon! I love these cabinets, they would look great in my laundry room.

  17. Great idea but I’d be afraid I’d whack my head on it every time. I’m 6′ but it’s a great solution and idea for higher ceilings.

  18. This is a really good way to utilize the space you have effectively! We have just moved into a new house and I’m thrilled with all the closet space I have, but I really need to rethink the laundry area. I need some kind of shelving, storage set up for sure. Thanks for the encouragement that I can do this DIY!

  19. That looks really scary! I am glad it is very convenient for you though! My kids would hurt themselves trying to copy me LOL.

  20. These are great! It is so important to keep your baby and kids stimulated at all times!

  21. What a great idea! The is a great use of space that normally would not be used!

  22. That is an awesome use of space. I am considering all the ways to use space right now because I need a solution. Iโ€™m working on some things that I will be sharing soon, as soon as I figure them out. Youโ€™ve come up with a very creative way to maximize some extra space. Awesome.

  23. Looking at the pictures, I was going to say, how on earth do you open those! That’s great you can reach them from the ledge area. A very great use of unused space.

  24. This is such a clever use of space and a great storage solution.

  25. I love this idea. I would love to do something like this in my garage!

  26. Don’t you hate it when it turns out your husband was right! I know I always have a hard time admitting that! I agree yours was right in this situation.

  27. Alaina Bullock says:

    What a great idea! I wouldv’e been against it at first too because it does seem like an awkward place for cabinets, but it worked out wonderfully! I’d love to have all of that space! Right now we are still in an apartment with no pantry and i small cabinet in the bathroom for everything..it is driving me nuts! I have to be as creative as possible to find places for all of our stuff. Tell hubby, great job!

  28. I have so many spaces I need to utilize better. lol Sometimes, our hubbies can actually be right. lol

  29. This is a great way to get some extra storage! It inspires me to do the same in my home too! I know we have extra space around here that we could use!

  30. What a great idea! I would have never thought to put cabinets there.

  31. Such a great idea for more storage! Now you have me thinking where can we try that in our house!

  32. That is super smart! I think I need to start looking for extra storage in my home!

  33. Cabinets above the stairs…nice!

  34. It is spring and I definitely need to start cleaning and organizing. Great idea here!

  35. I love your cabinets! How smart to utilize that space! We have pretty good storage here but there’s one area I want to put cabinets–just need to find someone to do it!

  36. What a creative idea for a storage space. Your husband had a brilliant idea and I would have fought it for a long time as well. I hate when they have an idea that I don’t want to do and it works out perfect.

  37. Sounds like a great idea. We just put new shelving in our walk in closet and in our daughter’s room.

  38. Storage is such an issue at my house! I don’t think I can ever have enough storage! Great way to make more storage!

  39. Great idea! We have the exact same empty wall on the side of the stairs. Not sure I can fit full-sized cabinets there, but maybe some very shallow cabinets? Absolutely love this very creative use of space. Wonderful job.

  40. I need to find more storage space too, and actually build one hehe. We live with the parents for a while and it’s a big mess and less and less space. Thanks for the tips, Nicole.

  41. Oh that is awesome, we need more storage so this post is perfect for me.

  42. I would never think to do that. I am lucky to have a kitchen with a ton of storage, but other places in the house are lacking. This is a great idea. I love utilizing space you wouldn’t think of.

  43. Ooooooh…..I just love organization! This looks super and I love the way you labeled everything!!! What a great way to use that space!!

  44. Great idea and I love that the kids don’t have access to these cabinets! You could store all sorts of things in them!

  45. What a clever idea but aren’t you afraid you will drop something down the stairs or fall?

  46. What an awesome idea… I have a small house and have to utilize every nook and granny I can find… this is something I woudl SOOO do if I had higher ceilings, thanks for sharing

  47. We have an open stair case like that – I haven’t ever thought of what a great space for cabinets…but I’m warming up to the idea. We need the extra space and that is certainly “wasted” area right now. Cool idea!

  48. Great idea!!!! We need to get creative with storage here, too. Our house is not big and clutter accumulates quickly!

  49. I love the hidden storage! It rocks!

  50. I need more cabinets in my house so I can be more organized.

  51. That is a fantastic idea for storage. Wish I knew of this when we had an upstairs.

  52. What an awesome idea. My last house had a banister area like this… My banister now is picketed… Love finding use for a space.

  53. That is brilliant! We have an open staircase like this too! And this would offer us so much more space!

  54. We just went to Ikea and bought organzing bins for the playroom. The results were awesome! I love storage and being organized. If everything has a place then the house doesn’t get so messy!

  55. That is a great idea. WE don’t have any stairs but if we did, I would certainly utilize them!

  56. I ALWAYS need more storage space. This is such a great idea.

  57. That’s such a smart idea. I have to look at doing this in our laundry area. Lot of extra space there

  58. This is such a neat idea! A great way to utilize space.

  59. This is great, I would have never thought of this! I need to start thinking outside of the box when it comes to storage space.

  60. Totally the laundry room! I really need to make all of the space in there count… that is once I can get everything cleaned out to even get to all that space ๐Ÿ™‚

  61. What a clever use of space! Thanks for sharing!

  62. That’s such a great storage idea. Look at all that extra space you have now too!

  63. That is such an amazing idea, I would’ve never thought to put cabinets there! Great storage idea!

  64. Such an awesome idea. All of our storage is busting at the seams, too. I have no place to do something like this though. Wish I did!

  65. Oh that is interesting. I actually had to look at the pictures again to see what was going on. I would have never thought to put cabinets there. What a great use of ordinarily wasted space.

  66. I’d kill for more storage, so I’m glad you had the space where you could add some. Great idea!

  67. And I Thought I Was Creative In Finding Storage Space This Is Awesome!!

  68. It is interesting that many of us only think of traditional storage areas We ignore ceilings and elevated locations!

  69. I’m moving into a smaller apartment in a better area and I had never thought of this! Thanks for sharing!

    xx Kait

  70. What a fantastic idea! I am short so I wonder if this would work for us.

  71. Wow your husband did an awesome job! It’s got me dreaming of all the places in my house I could add extra storage ๐Ÿ™‚

  72. Great idea to get more storage space! There are never enough closets in a house. I don’t know where to put my linen and rest of the stuff either.

  73. I like to buy storage bins to help me with my problems. But it’s funny because buying plastic bins doesn’t actually make the mess go away. UGH! It’s a battle here. Good work.

  74. I think I’m dense but isn’t it a little dangerous to have it high up where someone might try to climb up there? Perhaps I didn’t understand. Looks like he did a really great job and I guess whatever works, right? Men are not always right … lol!

  75. That is really quite savvy! I would never have thought of that.
    ๐Ÿ™‚
    Traci

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