In real life, despite our best efforts, not all possessions can be aesthetically pleasing. Or, we need our homes to hold more possessions than are visually appealing altogether. If you have ever, like I, looked at a room, been overwhelmed by its current state (at least at first), and wondered how to guide it toward peace and beauty, rethinking your storage might be the place to start. Pleasing interiors are built on sturdy, well-imagined storage.
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Assessing how many possessions are in one space and how they are contained is one of the key first steps toward designing a space. In interior design, most of the work arises before ever putting a room together. Designers take measurements, make sketches and scaled drawings, and search products, but perhaps most importantly, they note the pre-existing elements of a space (like architecture, furniture, and frequent activities) and how these must integrate with the new so the room may function well.
We consider which items are necessary and determine the best, most beautiful way we can contain them. Some houses are blessed with many closets, but many still require free standing case pieces as supplemental storage. Selecting the right storage pieces—chests, armoires, credenzas, baskets, and the like—can make all the difference in creating an orderly and harmonious environment. The idea is to let closed doors simplify a person’s initial experience of the room. (Don’t mind the open door in the image below.)
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By “right” pieces, I don’t mean any one look or style necessarily, but rather those pieces that best answer the functional and stylistic needs of the space.
First, determine the things your storage pieces need to hold, depending on the room. Rooms that serve multiple purposes (dining and homework, for example; or play and prayer, as I’ve encountered in my home) can feel tricky, but again, this is where selecting a well-suited storage piece is heroic. Remember that the amount of storage should complement the size of the room. Too many will start to feel just as cluttered as too many things.
A perk to this step is the opportunity to assess the usefulness of things and purge accordingly. I recommend slimming down possessions at every chance to what is beautiful, meaningful, or used regularly.
Next, evaluate the size of the room so that you can scale your furniture properly. For example, a tall, narrow armoire may appear awkward against a long, low-ceilinged wall. Similarly, a credenza may be dwarfed along a tall, high-ceilinged wall. Either one could feel too large or too small depending on the floor space and height of the ceilings. Such distinctions are not always true, but they provide a helpful baseline for crafting well-scaled spaces. Trying to think more intuitively here rather than calculating might prove more helpful with the discernment.
Because of their visual weight and the potential investment they require, storage pieces also play a key role in the design itself. The paint color, wood tone, dimensions, and historical leaning all contribute to the harmony of a space, either confusing or elevating it. Storage pieces say things about the room; an armoire in the living room, for example, says, this is a playful living room; a buffet in the bathroom says this is an elegant bathroom.
I listed my favorite kinds of pieces above. Here are a few again with ideas for how they can be used in different spaces:
Credenzas: well-suited for children’s toys, games, extra linens, non-book school materials, art supplies, and other less visually appealing items. Look for ones with doors rather than drawers, and use baskets to hold things within them. Credenzas work well along lengthy walls under large pieces of art and gallery walls. They are great statement pieces in dining rooms and living/play rooms.
Armoires (upright door and drawer cabinets): well-suited for blankets, pillows, clothes, medicine, napkins, silverware, stationary, extra serving dishes. They work well in large entryways, living rooms with large walls, bedrooms, laundry rooms, and restrooms.
Chests/trunks and baskets: These are endlessly useful. Chests can make beautiful coffee tables, night stands, footboard seating, entry seating. Baskets provide visual order for toys, books, blankets, foods, and more. Keep an eye out at thrift stores for baskets especially, as they can get pricey new, but you might find a few at a bargain now and then.
Storage is foundational to a well-ordered room. In the blur of crafting multiple spaces or managing many responsibilities in addition to a house, however, we might overlook this simple and effective step toward beauty. Next time you’re finding yourself overwhelmed by a room, consider this: It may only take a box, a basket, or a bookshelf to make things right.
Your articles are always so helpful and thoughtful!
Such gorgeous photos full of inspiration!