Storage

As city living becomes more popular I am finding storage more and more of a problem, so it?s necessary to look for additional storage areas in previously unexpected places of the house. You?d be surprised what little nooks and crannies you can find.

Wasted areas such as under the stairs, where a cupboard at the high end can be built and some form of a wheeled drawer at the lower end of the slope, is a perfect storage location. Often this area is used for coats but a better ventilated space perhaps close to a small utility room, would be better. It?s surprising how much dampness and moist air comes off wet or damp coats and so they should be hung in a well-ventilated area to allow them to dry out.

Therefore if you are thinking of utilising the space under the stairs use it for dry storage and if you have to remove any panelling take care not to remove timbers that support the stair - if in doubt, leave it alone.

Another useful area is behind the bath panelling. After removing the panel it is possible to build small boxes to act as shelves that would just fit between the bath and the panel. It is important be able to remove these shelves in case it is necessary to gain access to the underside of the bath at any time, but it provides a large amount of storage space for loo rolls, soap, shampoo etc. I suggest solid doors on the front, small enough not to intrude too much into the bathroom, hinged on one side and made of fairly light material. Speak with a member of staff at Focus to get advise on the best timber to use, however something like a 10 millimetre marine ply that can be painted and stencilled gives a good finish.

While we?re talking about the bathroom, modern bathroom shelves are far more attractive than they used to be. There is a good range of glass shelving with various designs of brackets, which the shelving fits into. These add quite a strong feature to the bathroom and may provide a theme for the rest of the decor.

The vast array of shelves and shelf brackets are easy to fix for the average DIY fan. First thing to do is check what the wall is made with. If it is a solid block or brick wall then ordinary wall plugs can be used. The problem starts if you are fixing shelves that will carry heavy items, like books, to a plasterboard wall. My advice here would be to fix to the wooden studs that support the wall and not to rely on the plasterboard to carry the weight of the items on the shelves. You must also take care, when drilling into a wall, not to damage any pipes or cable buried under the plaster.

There is also a growing trend for a 'Home Office'. However a computer and accessories can take up a vast amount of space. To overcome this, set your computer into a corner so that the back of the monitor fits neatly into the space and have the keyboard on a pull out shelf to save even more space. This means that the Home Office protrudes less into the room than it otherwise would. Check out your local Focus store for a stylish range of office furniture.

Finding or creating new areas of storage can be quite satisfying. However, if you are thinking of storage for clothes, shoes, linen, etc. please ensure that the area is well ventilated - it is surprising how quickly mildew or fungus will build up in unventilated spaces. However, once you start looking there are lots of hidden areas and plenty of simple DIY jobs that can be done to utilise your space.