by Alden Smith
George Carlin said it all – “your house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.” Clearing clutter from as home is hard enough – searching for an item you need through all the clutter is maddening. You don’t have to be anal retentive to be well organized in your home. Reducing clutter and organizing items is really a priority, especially with young children in the home. Here, we offer tips and suggestions for storage options for the home.
Buy Or Build?
According to Consumer Reports, Americans spent more than $2 billion in 2004 to organize their closets and garages. Almost any box store you go in to, you see a myriad of closet, garage and basement organizers. They range in price as well as efficiency, and there is something to fit every need. Some of the more popular ones are Closet Maid and Rubber Maid. Each of these systems is highly customizable, allowing you to design the storage area to meet any need. You can begin with something as simple as a behind the door shoe organizer that holds 12 pairs of shoes, plus socks and belts. Most of these organizers have hooks that hang over doors, making them idea for the frequent traveler. All wire shelving units are the best buy for the thrifty home owner, and come in so many different configurations that it will fit any need. Drawers, sweater shelves, and shoe racks are incorporated into these designs.
Don’t just jump out and buy the first thing you see. A lot of the organizer sites have interactive guides to help you make the perfect design for your own needs. Closets To Go is an online closet provider that has a very good interactive design program that is highly customizable and offers many solutions for every type of closet shape and size. When you are able to see the different design options, you may change your mind on what way to go.
Some Options
If wire arm shelving units just aren’t for you, there are many different combinations of customizable wood units available in different types of woods to match your home décor. Research shows them in black, white and cherry. Many of these units are made from thermal-fused melamine panels. The composition consists of a melamine resin, thermally fused to industrial grade particle board, making for a very strong unit. Much like their wire frame cousins, they can be configured in a lot of different ways for any space.
Building Your Own
Anyone good with tools can build excellent closet organizers. Doing so gives you the freedom of mixing and matching materials, and using the type of wood or finish you desire to match the home interior. Keep in mind however, that doing so with the types and configurations pre-made today, it is often cheaper to buy off the shelf units and install them yourself. Keep an eye out for bargains at the big box stores – they are often on sale.
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