Storage Space Suggestions

[melwynnd]

Hello all


Since we are rebuilding our 14x70 mobile home and will only have 980 square feet(I know that's palatial in some places, but we have all the typical American's "stuff"), I am really conscentrating on storage space in the house.  

I've completely redone the floor plan, only leaving the center wall and the water and drains in the same spots.  Right now I'm planning on alcove beds in the bedrooms with large drawers underneath and storage for blankets above.  The closets will be redone for maximum space utilization.  I'm putting in two window seats and some built in seating in front of the woodstove.  Those will have storage under the cushions.  I am also putting in a built in dining nook with storage under the seat.

Any other good ideas?  I've been looking at camper trailers and stuff for inspiration since they're usually pretty good at finding storage spaces.

I'll get the revised floorplans on my website this weekend.

Sherry

[trish2]

My two favorite space savers are
1. Trones--we did a thread on that a while back.  They're found at Ikea for about $15 each.  They mount on a wall, are 6 inches deep, 21 wide.  Great for socks, underware, and pjs.

2.  We built 4-inch high drawers into our kick plates of our kitchen cabinets.  Gives quite a bit more storage and you'd be surpised what you can put in that shallow spaces.

If you have children, try to find space so that each can have their own desk.  The desk doesn't have to be large; just enough to hold a open text book and notebook.  In small living quarters having a space to call their own helps in the lowering of tension department and aids in the education department.  

[melwynnd]

Trish,

Thanks for the great ideas.  I especially like the kickplate idea.  I never really thought about how much space is wasted there..........what a great place to put napkins, table linens, candles etc.

We just have one child, so she has her own room.  We are leaning toward putting in a lot of built-in furniture.  I know you can't change things around then, but in a small home there isn't much you can change anyway.

Cheers,

Sherry

[Guest]

Put in 1 foot high, 10"-12" deep wall cabinets or shelves around the perimeter of each 8' high room--acts like a coved ceiling effect with storage around the room (or shelving for books).  Won't interfere with headroom to walk.   (For bathrooms, can make a larger/deeper wall unit above the entire shower/tub area, above the toilet, over the whole bathroom with hatch access; same with any hallways.)

Put in wall shelving along one wall (boxing in the windows for a nice effect)--or do as a freestanding room divider.

Kitchen cabinets should go all the way to the ceiling (save on dusting the top plus more storage).  Bottom cabinets should be mostly drawers to access the most space.

If hot water heater is inside, consider moving outside the home in a built-in shed (cheap metal ones at Home Depot) or replacing with an on-demand hot water heater (expensive but mounts on wall in very little space).    If in warm weather climate, also consider moving washer/dryer outside too in a lean-to shed against house--easier to hang clothes outside to dry, don't have to worry about leaks (if in community which allows, easier to use graywater watering).  If must keep washer/dryer inside, get a combo stacking unit to save space (or the European type washer and dryer in the same space unit but they're really small inside).    

Elevate one room's entire floor for storage underneath (either by picking up the floorboards or a door).  Or maybe a stepped floor in a small bedroom (enter the door, one level, then another level up for desk area & chair, then last level is the built-in bed alcove--storage under the levels.

Similar to captain's bed, put all beds on storage units.  Can hang hammocks above beds for light storage (stuffed animals).

Any door should also serve as a storage container (by putting shallow racks on it for towels, magazines, ties, etc.).

Make sure closet doors are 8' full-height (so can use full-height of closet space).  Alternatively, go to old-style built-in closets with full-depth drawers on bottom of closet, sliding closet doors, then another set of closet doors on top for more storage.  

Or skip the idea of separate built-in closets and get those IKEA freestanding closet units (that way, save space on the 2x4 closet walls).   As you've cleared out the walls, find a thinner replacement than 2x4 walls (e.g., back to back bookcases/entertainment center, freestanding closets/armoires, etc., which serve as walls but without the extra 2x4 wall space)

If any attic space, use for storage (put things on rolling tracks).  For any crawl space under house, use sealed plastic containers for items which can take temperature differentials (or wall-in some part of the crawl space and put an access hatch in the floor above--like kitchen for additional seasonal storage of Xmas decorations, extra canned goods, etc.).   As house is 14 feet wide, crawl space should be fairly easily accessible if put huge rolling drawers underneath (like storage compartments under buses).  If any blank outside walls, add bunch of lean-to wall sheds for storage.  

Check out library/store for those books on built-in storage and storage ideas.  There are a bunch of them.

[Amanda_931]

Hmm.  I was going to mention Azby Brown--American architect living in Japan who's written a couple of books on small houses there.

But a whole lot of what he says our guest has just mentioned!  Good work.  

I'm planning shelving around the perimeter of the room up high.  But I'm afraid that will literally be a cat walk, and woe to anyone who sticks something up there.  

I do have cabinets over the head of the bed in the trailer, they work as my dresser.

[keyholefarmhouse]

I was just in a building the other day.  It  had floor cabinets on the entire perimeter of two walls.  The cabinets were a little higher then a bed or chair but served as both.  They were topped with four inch thick covered cushions.  It looked surprisingly nice, with a ton of storage.  

[Daddymem]

In my house, there are 6 windows across the front and 2 windows down each side in our "living room."  Because the house is small, there is very little wall space left for pictures or bookcases, tables, etc to hold pictures and "things."  I mounted boards over the tops of the windows with brackets and put our photos and "things" up there.  They almost look like boxes over the curtains which gave me the idea that you could make boxes with the strength to be shelves.

I mounted a huge cabinet over our toilet.  People said it would be in the way, you would hit your head when you get up off the throne...people were wrong.  We use baskets to organize things and manage to fit almost as much as you would in a closet.

We have no linen closet in our house.  I mounted 10by to the walls over the bathroom door.  We roll up our towels and keep them up there.

I mounted my closet poles up as high as possible (I am tall).  This leaves the bottom of the closets open for rolling bins to store unmentionables, shoes, sweaters etc.

Doors...have as few as possible.  Use pocket doors, bifolds, and curtains as much as you can, you don't have to leave room for door swings.

We have a pop up trailer permanently up during the summer for guests to stay in since we don't have any room in the house for them.  People say they like it because it is much more private than a guest bedroom.  It also provides a private retreat to get work done, read a book, or just get away.  We use our patio to eat since we don't have room for a table in our house....TV trays when we don't have company.