We received a little message of sorts the other day from Alice, that went like this:
…I know that when you guys started out, your fixer upper house was much smaller. You have definitely made a lot of great changes and added on to your home. We live in an older house. I was wondering if you could give me any advice on what made a big difference for storage in your home? Any tips for creating storage in your home?…
We’re thrilled to jump into this topic, because we’re passionate about great design that works hard, not only in our home, but our clients’ homes as well.
Older homes have the charm that the newer ones don’t hold a candle to, but newer homes are definitely killing it in the storage department. Lives were just simpler when our home was built, and while we’ve pared down, we also know that our growing family needs a little modern day space. For that, we were on the struggle bus when it came to storage, and letting our home evolve with us.
For those of you that aren’t familiar, we’ve taken on our home in stages, with full on renovations and adding on, from there. So in a way, it was like starting with a fresh slate, but smart planning and changes to meet our needs, all within the existing blueprints. So without further ado, {while we still have a bit of a list waiting in the wings with future projects} we’re covering the things that were game changers in our home: Creating storage in your home.
1. Creating storage in your home: The closets.
It started with the closets. We knew from the beginning that in 1700 square feet of space {this is what we started with} the closets wouldn’t work.
So this may seem like the obvious space to start. And I’d have to say more than just a good organization system, sometimes it takes an entirely new positioning to just make a house work.
We knocked through this wall, which was cutting off both closets in both rooms. And we were able to give the room space, so that all three kiddos could share this closet. In the future, we’ll spread out a little more, but this set up made a big difference in giving more storage to an otherwise limiting space.
We also added barn doors, because it made more sense to open it up as wide as possible, and as a result, open up the entire room.
In our bedroom, we took on the same thing. We were able to add more to the space by changing up the closet and get it organized. By knocking out these walls, we were able to make the bathroom a tad bit larger, and the closet became a walkthrough system. The plan is that eventually, our daughter will inherit this bedroom and bath, while the boys will share the connecting closets and shared bath in the hallway. But it’s also functioned just perfectly for us in this in-the-meantime phase. We truly love that it’s worked either way.
Vertical shelving and baskets allowed us to fit more clothes in a tight space, while also staying organized.
It also helped to make everything bright and happy, of course.
So when it comes to renovating an older home, reconfiguring the closets to really work for you, are a big deal with all things storage.
2. Creating storage in your home: The entryway.
We know, because we lived without one for over a year. So when we redid the basement in phase two, we knew it was time to add some functionality to our main entryway. Five kiddos and two huge dogs and school and activities and working from home and and and… just like everyone else and the ins and outs of every day lives… it warranted a space to corral all the things.
You don’t have to build one. You can even purchase locker systems them online for a simple addition. Just add something to that entryway to gather all the shoes and backpacks and school projects and yoga mats and outdoor toys that seem to wander inside. This space works really hard in the colder months, because it holds all our coats. But it was a great game changer when it came to creating space from literally nothing.
Which leads me to…
3. Creating storage in your home: bookshelves.
This one room in particular works really hard for us: TV area for family movie night, sleeper sofas for sleepovers, bookshelves for toy and book storage, and so much more. This is the place where the kiddos come to hang when the adults stay upstairs. So it meant a lot to have a space to round up all the toys and more. They’re out of their giant toy stage, and mostly into games and crafts now, and these bookshelves definitely work hard in this room.
I also ended up adding more bookshelves on the other side of these barn doors, in my office/studio area.
We had a bit of a tricky configuration with the crawlspace and sub panel that were definitely killing our vibe on this wall. Another example of working within your limitations and all things remodeling. We knew we needed all the storage we could get, and were thrilled to build a bookshelf around it all, to not only conceal, but make an otherwise challenging wall, functional again.
Underneath holds samples, supplies, and more. You can see all the details for this little space, here.
4. Creating storage in your home: create room.
Which leads me to a bit of an offshoot of that… the create room system. Lots of different versions for a ton of different needs. I needed something to hold all our crazy supplies. This was a great solution, especially for someone who may not have the ability to take on an entire overhaul.
It’s also an amazing problem solver for apartments, and tiny spaces.
We’ve been really happy with the options this piece offers, and love that it holds and organizes so much.
We actually keep it on the side wall now, up and out of the way until we need it.
But it’s a game changer for putting in small closets in tight spaces. Check out all the options here.
5. Creating storage in your home: Look for opportunities.
Sometimes, it’s not the obvious places in a home.
We shared a little more of this room refresh recently, and getting organized in our pool room.
When we built this addition, {I guess you could call this phase 4, in between the outside revamp + the basement overhaul} we knew we not only needed to keep it open for lots of opportunity for light, but also add space for good storage around the room.
This room consists of a place to entertain guests and dining, and a place to gather around a warm fireplace in the winter. We also needed plenty of storage, and decided to do just that, in two small bookshelves and the unexpected: these window seats. They open to hold all the things. Which has been just perfect for us.
We also added another window seat in our kitchen, which holds lesser used things like our crockpot, and more.
So there are always opportunities for storage in ways you may not have thought of before!
Our projects this spring will be storage in and outside the cabana, and a really big project we’re kind of waiting on with baited breath that we hope to share with you soon.
As we’ve always said, a home is always evolving, and it’s fun to decide what you really need as it grows with you.
We hope this helped with some of your questions, or for anyone else who may be wondering what on earth helps when it comes to making changes for space in an older home.
As always, let us know if you have any questions.
Have an inspired day!
Maria says
Thanks for showing us how you conquered your storage needs! Not only functional but good looking too:)
ashley @ the handmade home says
thank you so much! Slowly but surely we’re getting there. ;} It’s always a process.
Ivory says
Wow, beautiful and thought provoking ideas. I NEVER thought about seeing ways to use even the smallest spaces in our homes and turn it into a useful space/spot. Excellent idea!
Bonnie says
Ashley and Jamin, thanks so much for this post. I love the beautiful pictures and all of the progress that you have made on your home. Your home is so “you” and full of color. I love it and it is truly inspiring. I have been following your blog for a long time. I know that you did have 3 children but in this post, you stated that you have 5 kids. Have you recently adopted or fostering?