Storage solutions

[TheDeuteragonist]

I am slowly but surely starting to get on top of my house...but my problem is storage.

The house is terraced, bathroom on ground floor at the back, galley kitchen, living room and reception room/dining room. 2 bedrooms upstairs.

There are no built in cupboards save for one between the bathroom and kitchen which we store towels and bedding in.

My house is overrun with DDs toys and other clutter like DPs golf clubs and my treadmill. DDs toys currently live in a set of plastic drawers in the dining, which frankly looks like crap! Then she has toys like prams and a ride on train that she uses often, so sit out in the dining room as nowhere to put them.

Ironing board has no place as it doesn't fit in any kitchen cupboard. Same with Hoover and steamer and clothes horse.

I'm at a loss as to what to do storage wise and the living room and dining room look forever cluttered. The bedrooms are small so finding places for things upstairs is just as hard.

Any ideas other than burning the house down and buying a new one? We aren't in a position to move just yet as the mortgage situation is complicated (a whole other thread) but I desperately need somewhere, anywhere to put things!

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Looking for advice on keeping things organised or making the most of a small space? Check out our round-up of Mumsnetters’ life-changing storage boxes, space-saving tips, and decluttering hacks. MNHQ.

Do you have outside space for a shed? Or you can get good, waterproof outside storage containers. Could you board out the loft and store things in there? Or store more of your DD's toys in her bedroom if it's big enough.

Ikea. Get to ikea and buy some Billy bookcases, boxes and lack(I think) wardrobes. You can get sliding doors that are a bit more expensive but these wardrobes hold a LOT of stuff.

Do you he dining/reception room? Accept it as a playroom and use something like this or this

*use the

We don't use the dining room as often as we should. I'd like to but it has become a bit of a dumping ground!

I'm considering getting rid of the dining room table altogether and having the space as a chill out space/playroom. Perhaps a folding table attached to the wall that can just be pulled out when we want to use it and put away when not in use. Folding chairs too? Again comes the issue of storage.

Love those Ikea cupboards though!

Ironing board lives in wardrobe!! Have you a cupboard under the stairs?

Don't buy any storage until you have sorted out the clutter. Buying more at this stage will not solve the problem.

I know, Brats - decluttering is my first job. Storage is always going to be a problem for hoover, mop and bucket, ironing board, steamer, etc. And they are things I use a lot of the time so I think I need to get a bit creative. It's a shame the dining room has fallen into being just a playroom as it has a lovely fireplace. It did used to be our living room but we redecorated quite hastily just before DD arrived.

I have tonnes of books that need to go to charity and we seem to have accumulated a tonne of stuff. As I say, I've culled a lot of toys but it's like they breed, especially when my parents insist on buying her presents like kitchens that come loads of fake food and shopping trollies that end up strewn everywhere!

I live in a very similar house to you and feel your pain! Can you get a wooden blanket/toy box for the foot of your bed or somewhere in your bedroom to store the linen and towels and use the linen cupboard for the other bits? I got a lovely old wooden blanket box from a Facebook selling page for £20 and painted it to match the bedroom.

You could get a drop leaf (I think that's what it's called?!) table for the dining room- the sides fold down/up and you can push it against the wall to create more space.

I think nowadays dining rooms are a bit outdated unless you do have a lot of dinner parties. We always eat at the table but luckily have a kitchen diner. I think you are better off using the dining room as a playroom with a folding table.

How about above door storage.
Depending on the height of your ceilings you could fit 2-3 storage boxes on a shelf.

That's a brilliant idea @mrsjellybum! (not sure if that's how you tag someone but hey!)

I have decluttered the bathroom and it looks heaps better, but I need somewhere for bits and bobs.

Also don't forget about all the wasted space behind doors.

Do you have any space on your landing for a cupboard? We've just had a floor to ceiling one built in in some dead space and it's given us loads more storage. I use it as an airing cupboard but it would equally for cleaning stuff etc.

That's good, too. I've also seen some magnetic racks that could go on the side of the fridge which I might try out.

Also we used to buy our bed with under storage or the ability to slide storage boxes underneath.

Ooh yes, mrsjellybum is right about storage behind doors. I have one of those racks for mop, sweeping brush, etc on the back of one of mine.

Also, re dining room, we just sort of gave up and accepted that it's a toy room. It'a not forever.

@Rainatnight - I really would like to just give up the ghost and have it as a playroom, but I'm conscious that it's the room that you walk into when you first walk into the house. It feels draining to walk into chaos everyday, and I would really like a space for dining, even if it is a bit of a compromise.

I've seen a snazzy folding table at Argos and the chairs fold up and fit inside of it, so when it's not in use it's like a sideboard. I might give that a whirl.

But first comes decluttering! Luckily, I'm off work on Thursday and Friday and I'm going to be ruthless in getting rid of stuff we don't use/need.

Find a narrow wardrobe on gumtree or similar - will hold all your tall cleaning things and with butchers hooks you can suspend your mop over your bucket so it gets a chance to dry out between uses.

Ironing board could go on the back of a door - you can get specific hangers for this, some of which will take the iron as well.

My house is the same as yours, but with just a lounge, kitchen and bathroom downstairs, no second reception room at all and I feel your pain with storage!

Firstly I have become ruthless with decluttering and try to have clear outs at least twice a year to keep on top of things. Secondly buy furniture with inbuilt storage wherever possible. Before you start deciding your storage needs I would get anything out of the house that you intend to donate/throw out so that you can see exactly what space you have to work with and only have to account for what needs to fit.

I did what a PP suggested and installed a shelf above the door of my bathroom for extra towels and have incorporated as much storage everywhere else in the bathroom as possible too. So I have a stand that goes over the top of the toilet cistern that has two shelves - top one has a nice decorative box that holds all the extra toiletries/bathroom stuff and the bottom one has a basket with extra loo roll and a couple of hand towels, I have a cupboard under the sink and a caddy in the shower so despite having a tiny bathroom with zero built in storage I don't have to give away prime real estate elsewhere in the house to house bathroom items.

I'd also move sheets etc to the bedrooms - both DD's single bed and my double bed have drawers in the bases which is where I store our extra sheets/blankets (you could get some underbed storage boxes to do the same duty) - that will free up the cupboard you have downstairs for all your cleaning supplies. I don't have room for an actual cupboard between my kitchen and bathroom due to the configuration of the floor plan but that corner is my "storage corner" and I have installed a corner shelf up high for things like the iron and the mop bucket to be stored out of the way and then I have hooks mounted on the wall to hang my mop/broom/dustpan and brush/ironing board/clothes airer etc. It's not the prettiest solution but you have a cupboard already you can just rejig the internal configurations to assign space for everything to fit in.

With your dining room I would invest in an Ikea cube bookcase - if you get a large one then you can use the bottom part for all of DD's toys in boxes so they are accessible but out of sight, and then you can use the top part for your own storage or as a way to display oraments etc to make it feel less like toy storage and more like a functional furniture piece that you can adapt as your needs change. With the bulkier toys I found that it was one of the things you just have to get used to with little kids - once they're older their toys can go in their bedroom but while they are little you just have to accept you will always have a few bulky toys out on show and try to restrict them to a specific area and get used to tidying them up regularly.

If you can invest in a folding table then that will help - that way the table will only need to take up space if it is in use and when it isn't being used you gain extra space your DD can use to play in

Vacuum pack winter clothes in summer and vice-versa. Also, consider an ottoman bed as you can store luggage etc in those

Could you have some kind of cupboards built in the dining room alcoves? Clutter behind a cupboard door ceases to exist when you shit the cupboard!

Something like this would hold a lot of stuff without using up much of the space in the room

Saw this and thought of you. 😬
I love love love storage and boxes can you tell hehe

I have this which works really well and keeps the ironing board off the floor. I have it in some dead space behind a door.

I'm definitely investing in the over door hanger for the iron and ironing board as that will free up some space.

Our bed has drawer storage but we got it second hand and most of the drawers have collapsed in on themselves and look a bit of a mess. I have thought of an ottoman bed for things like extra bedding.

I am also buying a dryer today so I can banish the clothes horse to the tip. We don't have a garden, more of a yard, and I don't like to hang anything out to dry so often the house looks like a laundry with clothes drying everywhere. Not anymore hopefully!