Storage suggestions

[way2serious]

I am trying to get myself more organised in each room. What storage tips can you give me and what sort of boxes / containers do you use? If you can give me some links that would be great. I want to try and achieve something tasteful but that doesn't cost a fortune. Need to tackle main areas like the kitchen, bathrooms and study / office areas. Thank you.

Can you specify the items that you are trying to organise?

Clothes? Recipe books? Wrapping paper?

I have ideas but don't know what you are looking for.

If you are on FB, search 'Useful Tips'.

Some astonishing ideas like bath panels that pull down, revealing storage for shampoo etc

Sorry don't use FB.

Much of it is paperwork both personal and work related but also all those odds and ends - medicines, batteries, pencils, small screw drivers, scissors, etc. hope that makes sense.

Our paperwork is, mostly, in an A4 plastic pocket presentation folder iyswim. One of those one that cost a couple of quid. As each bill or whatever comes in I file the new one on top of the old one. Keep them for a year or so and then go through them and shred as appropriate. It is also where we keep M.O.T. certificates or whatever.

The paperwork is kept in open box files beside the recipe books.

Batteries - in an old take away container in one of those drawers that is always a bit of a muddle. Small screw drivers are in a wee tool kit in the airing cupboard. Scissors are in the cutlery drawer.

Homebase has good containers of various sizes. You can take them back if you find they don't fit the space.

Big tin lockable box file with places for certificates etc.

Does that help? I am sure I have more ideas if you give me more clues what for.

For small bits, like pens, colouring pencils, screws and drawing pins, makeup, medicines etc. I don't think you can beat small chests of drawers (eg: ikea moppe). I've got several of these kinds of things shut in cupboards to make them tidier still! Or, if you've got a full-sized chest of drawers on hand, use inserts to separate it out into compartments. Either way, you can group like with like AND you don't have to move everything to find something at the bottom of the pile.

For paperwork, if you're anything like me you just don't sort everything as it comes in, however much it would make life easier in the long run. I use a big expanding file, with a compartment for each month. Open mail, make sure it's not about to explode, then file under current month. Then at the end of the year (when you have 12 compartments full) you do one, big sort out. Is it something to keep for longer? Then file it in a long term folder, according to its kind (mortgage stuff, births/deaths/marriages, guarantees...). Otherwise shred it.