Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Deep Thoughts
How deep is your storage? I think people don’t realize that storage isn’t just about volume (how much can I cram into that closet?) it’s also about access (how easily can I get what is in that closet?). Sometimes a client shows me a deep, pre-war closet packed to the gills, and they say, “I need to renovate it, so I can fit my [your stuff here] in.”
The problem is, that won’t solve your problem. The minute you “renovate” you start losing volume. Bring in a melamine box, lose an inch; add shelves, there go more inches. Fancy closet solutions are great for access, but bad for volume.
There’s no right answer here, but it’s an important consideration. When you’re organizing your storage, you need to think both about volume and access.
Today I had the pleasure of putting a CD collection on a clever little shelf built behind a door that was just deep enough to hold CDs. But that’s rare. More often I put a row of books or CDs on a shelf, leaving a lot of extra space in front. The problem is, if I fill that space, you can’t see the back row. Same goes for cans in your cupboards. Something has to be in the back, but if you don’t see the black beans, will you remember that you have black beans? (Of course, if you’ve been keeping up your inventory, you just might!)
For several clients, I’ve added shelves behind a rack of clothes that work to store out-of-season or rarely used items. Before I had my daughter’s closet redone, it had a lot of wasted space. It was deep, but there wasn’t room for two clothing rods, so we pulled the rod forward and put hooks for bags on the back wall. It’s not perfect, but it is better to have the clothes unobstructed, and she knows where the bags are when she needs them. (Whenever I do two layers of clothing rods, I try to make the one in the rear higher, so you don’t forget about what’s back there.)
I’m also a fan of stacking drawers in storage spaces, rather than lidded bins. If you have to move three Rubbermaid tubs to get to the one you need, you might not bother. It’s an obstacle. However, if you have drawers, the bottom one is just as easy to access as the top one.
So when you are thinking about storage, don’t ask: How much can I fit? Ask: Will I be able to get what I need easily. And remember, organizing is just like Hollywood, access is everything.