6 tips to storage mastery

1) Declutter before you organise

Clutter takes up more space than you realise, so items that you have no use for or no longer want shouldn’t crowd your home.

“Prepare at least four large bags to sort out your possessions: Keep, Donate, Trash, and Miscellaneous,” says Alex Chan from Kalm Organise.

“You shouldn’t feel pressured to make immediate decisions about what to keep, throw and donate. If you’re unsure about an item, it can go into the Keep bag if it has sentimental value or the Miscellaneous bag so that you can decide what to do with it later.”

Once the Donate and Trash bags have been removed from your home, you’ll be in a better position to tackle the Miscellaneous bag, Alex adds.

2) “Hide” things

Never underestimate the usefulness of furniture items like bed frames with drawers, and ottomans, footstools and benches with storage. These are great if you need extra space for books, blankets, chargers and photo albums, for example.

3) Get your possessions in order

Even after decluttering, you may still have more items than you have space for. In this case, you may want to organise your possessions according to category, such as Clothes, Books and Documents, Toiletries and so on.

“It’s important to sort by category and not by location, as this allows you to see everything you own in the category you are tidying and lets you make better decisions on what to keep and discard,” says Clara Chew, Konmari Consultant & Professional Organiser, and Founder of Reglow Living.

“First, decide on the category of items you want to tidy. Then, gather everything belonging to that category and lay them all out. This gives you a clear picture of what you own. Finally, decide what to keep by asking yourself if you like the item or not, and whether it ‘sparks joy’ in you. Is it something you want in your life?”

4) Optimise the space

Look at your cabinets, cupboards and shelving units and ask yourself if you’re making good use of the space. For instance, instead of cramming everything into a cupboard, store them in stackable boxes, so you can fit moreinto the existing space.

Making effective use of a space means items are easier to retrieve, says Alex.

“You should be able to retrieve items with minimum effort – to this end, it’s a good idea to invest in space maximisers like two-tier turntables, shelf inserts, pot organisers (to keep pots and lids separated), and so on.”

With wardrobes that only have shelves, Clara recommends buying ready-made plastic drawers or rectangular baskets. This allows clothes to be folded and placed in a row instead of being stacked.

“The problem with stacks is that the items at the bottom tend to be difficult to reach and you end up not using them,” she adds.

Clara prefers magazine stands for keeping papers and magazines tidy, and foldable shelves to create more space, such as in cupboards below the sink, for example.

5) Keep it simple

Clara advises against devising complex storage methods.

“Storage should ideally be kept simple,” she explains.

“Storage methods work best when things can be easily retrieved and returned after use. This ensures your home will be tidy, as items will always be where they belong.”

6) Buy the right type of storage

Decide how you want to store and organise your possessions, and then invest in the correct containers or organisers. Large tubs, for instance, are perfect for toys; stackable containers help to keep tools, stationery and craft supplies neatly separated; shelf inserts are useful for creating more space in your pantry; and wire baskets help keep a T-shirt collection tidy.

Finally, opt for clear containers so that you can see what’s inside easily and quickly.