There’s an old misconception that to clean your home, you have to put everything away and stow it out of sight. While leaving things lying around would definitely look messy (and create a tripping hazard), having things tucked away doesn’t always look clean – sometimes it just looks empty. Instead of hiding your belongings, turn them into home decor, by storing cooking utensils, books, and even crafts supplies out in the open. Check out these 9 plain-sight storage ideas from Hometalk bloggers, so that next time you have to clean up, you won’t put things away – you’ll just put them out of the way.
1. Reading nook tree shelf
Image: Erik/Better When Built
Your books let people know a little bit about your taste and the things that interest you. Keeping them hidden in a closet of chest means that they’re tougher to get to, and that they can’t be appreciated. Instead, keep your books on a custom bookshelf that looks amazing no matter how many books it’s holding. (See the full project here)
2. Wall Hanging Wine Rack
Image: Cara/Build It Craft It Love It
Show off your wine collection without filling your counter top with bottles, with a unique wall rack that displays your entire selection, and keeps the wine at a proper storage-savvy angle. It’s even better than the store-bought model that inspired it! (Check out the tutorial here)
3. Double Duty Bookshelf Door
Image: Huthbert/Ginger and the Huth
Display shelves are an excellent way to show-and-stow, but there’s only so much space in your house for display shelves – that is, of course, unless you maximize the wasted space behind your closet doors by turning them into mini display cases! With each shelf stretching about a foot deep, your showy storage options are endless. (See the directions here)
4. Hanging Pot Storage
Image: Sarah/Little Red Brick House
Hang a rustic ladder from your kitchen ceiling, to hold pots and pans when they’re not in use. Not only will this DIY add a sweet country kitchen glamour to your home, but it solves the age-old issue of where (and how?) to store your pots and pans. (Here’s how to make your own)
5. Bathroom Window Boxes
Image: Carmel/Our Fifth House
Hang window boxes against your bathroom wall, for a cute spot to keep toiletries and toilet paper. These woven baskets are lightweight, so they won’t damage the wall, and they’re easy to label with tags to help you keep organized. (See the rest of the bathroom here)
6. Craft Paint Dividers
Image: Jessica/Mad in Crafts
This paint storage idea is flat out brilliant, not to mention budget-friendly. Simply stack to checkerboard style wire shelves on top of each other, attach them to the wall, and enjoy never having to move bottles out of the way to find the right color again! Bonus: the assortment of colors makes for an interesting piece of art. (Here’s how to customize your own)
7. Pegboard wall
Image: Christina/The DIY Mommy
A pegboard wall is an ideal addition to any room in need of easier storage. In a tight laundry room like this one, a pegboard wall creates ample hanging space for cleaning supplies, laundry bins, shelves, and even pictures and houseplants. And by storing bold red accents on the wall instead of in cupboards or closets, this room gets a fresh style update, too. (See the difference here)
8. Toy Car Ledges
Image: Samantha/Little Bits of Home
Give your child a place to park his toy cars that doubles as display, so that he can keep an eye on his collection even when he’s not playing with it. These easy picture ledges are great for all sorts of small knickknacks, and adding a sign above the shelf gives you a chance to flavor your display with some additional pizzazz! (See the full project here)
9. Statue Display for Jewelry
Image: Carrie/Making Lemonade
Your jewelry already works wonderfully as body decoration, so why not use it for decor in your bedroom, too! Arrange a small display of vases, bowls, and pretty figures or statues on a nightstand or vanity tabletop to showcase your glitziest pieces of jewelry and add some sparkle to your bedroom. (Check out the full set up here)
For more great storage inspirations and ideas, check out the storage ideas page on Hometalk!
