Collaborative Post¦ Living rooms are often the most used space in the house, making them susceptible to clutter. If you have children, even more so, as toy storage can be a challenge. This is especially the case if like us, your youngest child’s bedroom is a box room. However, there are many ways you can make the most of your living room space and hide or display things that may otherwise make the room look cluttered.
1. Coffee table storage
One easily overlooked solution is the humble coffee table. Of course, many have a shelf underneath, probably most commonly used for books, newspapers and magazines. However, some utilise that space even better with doors to make a small cupboard. Depending on the size of the coffee table, they can store a surprising amount of stuff!
2. Display units
Display units are an excellent solution to storing things with ease. Whether you’re thinking traditional (like the wooden glass-fronted cabinets Gran displayed her fine china in) or more modern, living room display units suitable for any aesthetic exist. They allow for a stylish combination of organisation and display. They’re so versatile too – books, plants, ornaments and photos all look fantastic on them.
3. Under stair storage
Is the underneath of your stairs in your living room? Many people don’t use their under stair space, but it’s more room you can use for storage! If you have room, you could create a small home office area with lots of drawers to hold important paperwork. If you don’t have as much space as that, another great idea is to turn the lower under-stairs space into drawers. Excellent for storing things from shoes to school bags!
4. Low-line toy storage
I already mentioned that my 5 year old son has the box room – this results in many of his toys being stored in our living room. Currently, they’re kept in large plastic boxes against the wall. While this is a solution, it isn’t the prettiest or the most practical. He can only see what’s at the sides of each box and will rarely open them to go through them, choosing only to play with what he can see. This is where low-line cabinets are better. Not only do they look good, but your child is at the right level to open them and see everything in there. Toys suddenly become much more accessible to play with and are no longer giving the room a cluttered look. Win-win!
5. Ottomans
Never underestimate an ottoman! I love them, because not only do they provide another place to sit, they provide so much storage space. However, my top tip for ottomans is to not just dump a lot of clutter you don’t really need in them and then never open them again. Yep, I’m speaking from experience here! Don’t waste the space – if it’s limited anyway, make sure you’re not holding onto rubbish you don’t need. That way, you can use all the space you do have to its full potential.
6. Wicker baskets
They might not be to everyone’s taste, but I adore a wicker basket! They’re an eco-friendly, versatile and stylish way to store all kinds of things. They’re available in many shapes and sizes, allowing even the smallest spaces in your home to become useful for storage. They even look good stacked, allowing for vertical storage without the cluttered look.
7. Symmetrical storage
If you have a chimney breast in your living room, you can create some beautiful symmetrical storage either side of it. You could use the whole height of the wall to create a stylish storage space with a combination of closed cupboards and shelving. You could even add lighting on some or all of the shelves to elevate it. There are many stunning examples on Pinterest for inspiration!
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post with Shackletons. As always, all views and opinions are honest and my own.
Cover photo by Collov Home Design on Unsplash