Renovating your bedroom? That’s the time to incorporate adequate storage space into your design – not as an afterthought when your room is all decorated and you can’t find a place to put anything.
Under-Bed Drawers or a Platform Frame
Most people tend to overlook the space under their bed, and end up using it for storing dusty old boxes and forgotten bits and bobs. Under-bed storage, however, can be so much more. Rather than having a multitude of deep storage spaces that can be a real pain to access, under-bed storage can be a series of deep drawers, each big enough to store a pile of bedding, out of season clothes or even a pair of shoes. There are also lots of great alternatives to traditional under-bed storage, including ottoman storage. These pieces of furniture look like an ordinary seat or sofa from the outside, but lift up on a gas strut to reveal a massive amount of space inside.
Floor-to-Ceiling Wardrobes
Standard wardrobes have a fixed height of around 30-40cm to the top of the shelf. By extending a fitted wardrobe up to the ceiling of a room, it is possible to recover a large amount of extra space. By incorporating slide-out racks for trousers, pull-down hanging rails and even space for loads of shoes, the extra height can be put to very good use.
A Window Seat With Lift-Up Storage
Turn bare walls or bay windows into storage and seating with a window seat. Incorporate a hinged lid so that you can lift up the seat to store items such as duvets or bedding. A comfortable seat height would be around 45-50cm deep and then pile with plenty of cushions to make a cosy reading nook. See also Bedroom Renovations.
Recessed Shelving Between Wall Studs
Recessed shelving is a great space saver as it is hidden away within the cavity of the wall between the studs. This type of shelving is perfect for storing items such as paper backs, toiletries, baskets etc. The standard stud gap is approximately 40cm wide, so recessed shelving is a great way to utilise this space without taking up any floor space. Please check if any internal alterations require building regulations approval before commencing any work, especially if you are cutting into any walls.
A Headboard With Integrated Storage
Even when we have got the bedroom floor space sorted, the wall space behind our bed is all too often an afterthought during a bedroom renovation. But a headboard with some storage in the form of some shelves or cabinets can be a godsend, holding all your books, your lamp, glasses, your mobile phone and the charger for it, your hair dryer, your straightening irons and so on – in fact, anything you might normally keep on a bedside table. And the best bit is, with a headboard like this, you don’t need any bedside tables at all – a perfect space-saver.
Good storage planning is better than after-thoughts.
