Storage is one area of your home that, while unseen, can save you a ton of stress… and build a solid amount of equity. Homeowners that have built in storage areas tend to sell their houses for a lot more than those who don’t have areas for storage, as long as the keep it organized when selling the home.

If clutter is taking over your home (and life), these tips will leave you feeling serene and your spaces super organized. Whether it’s taking advantage of those under-used areas or creating new alcoves and built-ins that become part of your interior design, here are some great storage solutions to get you organized.

Disappearing act

A neat storage wall can magically de-clutter your living room. A functional system can be a great solution for not knowing what to do with a wall, and fits in perfectly with modern and Scandinavian design. This example uses invisible push fixings to create a very clean, minimalist look:

Use nooks and crannies

Part of good storage design is simply finding effective ways to those nooks and crannies that often go to waste. This has been especially necessary in tiny homes, where any amount of lost space can be a major downturn. Classic examples are the space below the stairs, which can be used as cupboard areas, or alternatively become a real design feature that houses shelves and even a TV or sound system, like this:

Similarly, the upper portion of a wall is commonly left empty when it can actually be used for shelving. This leaves the eye-height part of the wall free for pictures, furnishings, or doors, like this example:

Photo by Wicker Paradise – blog.wickerparadise.com on flickr [CC BY 2.0]

Do drawers

Drawers are friends of anyone seeking to hide clutter, and can slot perfectly into many furniture pieces where there would normally be unused space. Here’s a great example with some very spacious drawers slotted into a coffee table and below seating.

A close relative of the drawer is the slide-out cupboard, and this thinner version works especially well in a kitchen and can be used for utensils, kitchen towels, or even rows of herbs and spices.

Categorize your clutter

Divide and conquer clutter by categorizing your drawer spaces, which will make your life instantly simpler (if you can be strict enough to put things back in the right place.) Here is a very efficient drawer layout:

Photo by Kotivalo, from Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0]

Alcoves

Non-structural or dividing walls or furniture are perfect for carving out alcoves that can be used for extra storage. Used a bookshelves and picture placements, these usual eye-sores can go a long way in being able to store some of your knick knacks. Check out this bathroom:

Objects as art

Sizeable, but often-used items such as musical instruments and bicycles don’t have to be hidden away or left blocking halls and doorways. Instead, try using them as a feature by installing hooks or rails to display them, like this:

In the details

Clutter comes in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes the smaller it is, the more difficult it is to keep tidy. This pegboard is a great solution: you can hang tools or stationery in a neat and ordered manner, making everything easier to find.