Creative (& Beautiful) Storage Solutions

I’m a bit of an “outy” when it comes to stuff. In other words, I’m not into the minimal clean look, I like a lot of nicnacs and I like to display them. And so, over the years I’ve been collecting. I can’t resist a good sale, so if it’s cute and the price is right, it’s mine.

The problem is that late last year we moved from a five bedroom home to a two bedroom one. Two living rooms down to one, two dining rooms down to one, four bathrooms down to two… Once I moved all of my boxes, the big question was where will I put it all?

Thankfully I’ve also been collecting creative units. I always keep my eyes out for a good bookcase or hutch, and this year they came in handy. Let me show you…

With a kitchen almost half the size of my last one, I needed to free up cupboard space, and so I got to thinking, what do I have? I happened upon this little storage shelf that was sitting on our tool bench in the garage. Voila–perfect for spices!

I still felt like our kitchen was a little too tight, especially when it came to drawer space, and so I went down the basement to see what I could find. Lucky for me, my daughter left behind a little dresser when she moved out. Bingo! Add a cookie jar and a plant, and it fit right into my kitchen. What used to be a dresser is now holding my tea towels and dish rags.

One thing I always try to look for when I’m out and about are things that are both pretty and functional. The good thing about picking up things at second hand stores is that a) they’re affordable b) I feel free to paint or alter them c) they’re a little more unique than the stuff you’ll find at a department store.

Another thing I do is that I go often. I’m usually looking for sales, and so I have to be there at the right time if I want the good stuff. Besides that, shopping is one of my favorite things to do.

I remember seeing a little blue wooden caddy that was perfect for all of my pens and Bible highlighters. I absolutely loved but it wasn’t until about the fourth time I went into the store that it was finally on sale.

Now, for a few ideas outside of my home. Both my daughter and I always store our aprons on hooks. After all they are way too pretty to keep in a drawer!

Baskets are super expensive these days so keep your eyes out for great sales. I have been collecting them over the years and never let a good basket get by me. When my grandson was born this year my daughter asked me for a few. They are awesome for storing diapers, small toys, extra baby clothes, women’s scarves, etc.