15+ ways to use open storage to organize your home

This post is part of a series – “5 weeks to an Organized Home.”  You can see all the posts in this series by clicking here.  And to make sure you don’t miss any posts you can sign up to have every post sent to your email or follow me on facebook.

Many of you are probably like me and lack enough or adequate store space in your home.  I have figured out some ways to organize and store things in plain sight that still allow for them to be accessed frequently, but allow my home/room to remain neat looking as well.

Here’s some ideas from around my home on ways you can organize things by making use of baskets, containers, bins and more and keep them right out in the open.

1. Use a large basket to store extra blankets and pillows in the living room. 

Oh, these used to drive me crazy!  My husband and I both love to have a blanket in the evenings year round.  But when they weren’t in use I didn’t have a great place to keep them folded and they always made the entire room look messy!  I found this huge, cute basket at TJMaxx for $12 a year or so ago and it has been great to just throw extra blankets and pillows in keeping them within reach and the room neat!

 

2. Store magazines or books in baskets. 

 

3. Create storage under coffee tables or end tables with baskets or bins. 

I keep 3 matching baskets under my refinished $3 yard sale coffee table.  They look neat and tidy and unless you look close you would never know what it stored inside. 

I actually keep kids toys in them right now.  I used to babysit from my home so this was an easy way to keep them stored but yet completely out of sight.  And when we have friends over to visit that have kids I can direct them right to those baskets and they can play while we visit with our friends.

 

4. Use canisters to store/display frequently used baking ingredients right on your counter.  I have a plan to dress up these glass canisters but for now they are perfectly functional, allow me easy access to my baking ingredients, and allow me to see when they are getting low too.

 

5.  Use a Lazy Susan or trays to organize things on your counter.  I had this cute metal Lazy Susan tucked away in a cabinet and found it when I was cleaning out my kitchen last week.  It makes the perfect way to corral my canister of k-cups, coffee mugs, and a small sugar bowl right next to the Keurig!

 

6. Put snack items or breakfast items in a pretty tiered bin or basket for easy access.  This makes it super simple for my husband to grab an oatmeal pack or granola bar as he is headed out the door to work.  Plus I know when I need to buy more when it is getting empty too.

 

7. Store jewelry on your dresser in pretty bowls or dishes.  I LOVE my yard sale milk glass collection.  And I love using little bowls or dishes around the house as décor or to help organize things. 

 

8.  Put a bin or basket for shoes by the door.  If organizing shoes is a problem in your house find a bin or basket and keep it by the door to store everyday shoes. 

 

9.  Display and organize your jewelry by making aDIY jewelry organizer from an old picture frame or bulletin board.    Full instructions for this project can be found here.

 

10. Store toilet paper or towels in a basket in your bathroom.  Makes it easy for guests to find and easy for you to keep stocked.

And here’s some more ideas I found from Pinterest…

11. Create a “mudroom” or entryway organizer to organize bags, coats, scarves.  I LOVE how small this one is as I don’t have a big entryway or a separate mudroom.  All you need is some space behind a door  – add some DIY shelves and hooks and it is pretty and functional.  There are TONS of ideas around blogland and on Pinterest for creating and organizing a entryway.  Here’s some entryway ideas I pinned on Pinterest. 

 

12. Use a pegboard to organize craft supplies, tools, and much more.

Rhoda just organized her frequently used tools on a pegboard and shows you how to create your own.

 

13. Use baskets and clipboards/white boards to add storage and function to a room without losing the beauty of the room.

Of course BHG never disappoints with their images.  This kitchen is lovely… but look at all the “in plain sight storage” they have going one.  Baskets up above the cabinets, baskets on the shelf below, a bulletin board  for recipes or notes, apples piled in a basket, a crock of utensils on the counter, a tray on the counter with pens, a plant, and maybe mail or something, and then a chalkboard or white board that could be used for a  calendar, grocery lists or reminders.  LOVE it!  And without even realizing it, I am doing almost all of these in my home too. 

 

14. Hang your pots and pans.  Another beautiful image from BHG that shows several open storage ideas.  They store and display their dishes at the same time on open shelves. 

 

15.  Store cookbooks in baskets or baskets for chips/bread on top of your fridge.

For those of you that joined in on the top of fridge decorating post on facebook, here’s what BHG shows stored on top of a fridge.  Cookbooks, serving bowls or cake plates, and a basket.  I like!

Any of these ideas that you could use in your home?  And I am sure you have many other ideas that you use in your home – share them in the comments!