Decorating Tips

Wood Furniture

Keeping a home organized and clutter-free is a challenge for families, whether they live in a spacious house or a small apartment. In fact, most homes require about twice as much storage space as people anticipate. The good news: storage options are not simply limited to closets and cupboards. Any empty space in your home can be used to create an ideal hideaway for your possessions.

Your bedroom, dining, living, and family room furniture offers affordable, functional and decorative storage options, from displaying treasured collectibles to housing towels, linens, clothes, and video equipment. Be creative. A china cabinet, traditionally used to store china, can also house a gallery of photos or your children's artwork.

Here, from the experts at Bernhardt Furniture, are tips for making the most of storage opportunities.

Taking Inventory

Do your belongings take up every inch of available space in your home? If so, it’s time to assess what you have and where you have to put it. Taking stock of the quantity and sizes of your items will be helpful as you tackle your storage needs. Consider these space-saving pointers:

• Canvas the entire house from attic to cellar, listing every possible household storage area. Room for storage can be found in the unlikeliest places, including under the stairway.

• Look for furniture that increases storage options. A drawer chest placed beside a sofa may be more practical than a side table, as it can hold many more things in the same amount of floor space.

• Don’t be a packrat. Old clothing and unused appliances take up precious square footage, so donate anything you no longer wear or use to charity or hold a garage sale.

Maximizing Bedroom Space

Bedrooms are one of the most popular places to keep clothing, linens and other personal belongings. Here are ideas for utilizing that space most efficiently:

• Think of the area under the bed as “deep storage” for infrequently used seasonal items: sports gear, linens, tablecloths and clothing. Plastic containers, long flat boxes, and special sweater/garment bags offer easy access to your possessions – and are much less expensive than built-in storage units or custom-designed closets. A bed skirt will keep stored items from view.

• Invest in an armoire, one of the most versatile pieces of furniture you’ll ever own. In addition to storing sweaters, blankets, pillows and other bulky items, armoires can be utilized as entertainment centers, accommodating TVs, VCRs, and stereo equipment. Does your bedroom double as a home office? Armoires can keep office supplies accessible, and computers, printers, and fax machines neatly out of sight.

• Use nightstands with drawers for concealed storage—and fill them with pens, note cards, tissues, reading material, eyeglasses, phone books or clothing. Place nightstands on both sides of the bed to organize items for two people.

• Hang tie racks, shoe shelves, and mirrors inside closet doors. Look for furniture with special features, like hooks placed on the inside of doors for hanging ties and belts.

• Store games, needlework, magazines and toys—even kitchen appliances or out-of-season handbags—in a trunk or a storage ottoman. Use the top of the trunk to display baskets, plants, bowls or a vase of flowers.

Small Space Solutions

If you live in a tiny apartment, and your closets are overflowing, finding ingenious ways to use space can often provide extra storage. For example:

• Store sports equipment in plain sight—hang bikes on a wall, place skis and poles above a bed, or suspend a surfboard from the ceiling.

• No room for your pots and pans? Hang designer cookware on a pot rack and show it off.

• Keep out-of-season clothing or holiday decorations inside stored luggage.

• Place shelves or cabinets high up on walls to hold items that are used infrequently.

• Use folding screens to hide clutter. They offer privacy as well as add personality to your living space.

Storing the Stuff of Life

Bernhardt's casegoods collections provide many beautiful, yet practical options for storage in bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms. The Park West collection's clean, contemporary lines combine with classical touches to reveal an uncluttered look with order, function and versatility for today.

Keep harmony in the dining room with the China Deck and Base featuring three wood framed beveled glass doors, six wood framed glass shelves with plate grooves, and three felt-lined drawers. Storage space abounds in the Park West bedroom, in chests, armoires, and night stands. And don't forget the living room, where the cocktail tables, side tables and console tables have multiple shelves and/or drawers. Don't forget the storage bench with three drawers and a stitched leather seat. It looks great in every room of the home and is a favorite with homeowners who demand practicality and have found treasured furniture from Bernhardt.