While this book isn't really for those seeking quick-fix ideas, anyone thinking of making built-ins, or of redesigning their living spaces, should love this book. This book has a lot of grand ideas - all beautifully presented - sure to get anyone excited about storage.
They refer to the search for compatible storage as a spiritual quest for modern man, and I would tend to agree. In a time when we take classes to reduce our clutter, clear our 'sacred spaces', and find the best Feng Shui for our possessions, figuring out how to handle our accummulated stuff has become a crucial de-stress point. As the book states, "Good storage will ease the pressure and calm the mayhem: life is too short for chaos." Amen.
Smart Storage divides solutions by room: bathroom, bedroom, home office, living room, kitchen, media center - even the laundry room gets a makeover.
It's a fun read and makes a decent coffee-table book for as long as it takes you to determine where the heck to store all the things in your life.
Some tips from the book:
- If you are lucky enough to be designing your home from scratch, plan first for your storage needs. Thinking about your possessions will be a great help in planning out your real needs in terms of light, space and furniture.
- Gorgeous storage items like wooden and carved trunks can double as furniture, and always look good. Try keeping your excess linens in those. Vintage suitcases, stacked, are another cool decorative idea, and can easily store video tapes, CDs, or household receipts.
- Don't be afraid to set things aside for thrift shops, garage sales or even the trash. Sometimes we have psychological attachments to having stuff- try to make sure everything you keep is either beautful or useful. Lose the rest.
- Make use of your vertical space for storage. Think about setting shelves above doorways, or in place of crown molding. Use the entire closet too, even up by the ceiling, with installed hooks of shelving.
- Collections of things can become display items themselves, with a little thought about how to show off the collection in question. Plates can be hung on walls, old albums can be stacked inside wooden crates, pretty shoes can be displayed in a bedroom hutch. Don't be afraid to take your favorite things and make them part of your decor.
- Try carving into your walls to create book shelves and art nooks. Built-ins generally look good.
- Food storage is another home element that can be incorporated into decor. Try finding interesting containers for spices, pasta, nuts and wines. Stainless steel utensils, or copper pots and pans look great hanging, too.
- Consider adding a loft space for a home office or spare bedroom.
Smart Storage: Stylish Solutions for every room in your home, by Joanna Copestick and Meryl Lloyd, 2002, Ryland, Peters and Small.
Jill Florio, August 2003
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