Living Home Storage Space Revealed

Can we ever have too much storage space? I don’t believe so. Usually we find ourselves scrambling to find a place for everything so we can put everything in its place. While you’re in the process of building or remodeling take advantage of storage space that might just be lurking in the shadows waiting to be revealed. Here are a few ideas for gaining storage space without increasing square footage.

Hidden Attic Storage Space:

Sometimes a portion of the trusses of your home can be configured to provide storage in areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. The picture to the right shows such an area. By configuring the trusses in the manner shown and providing an access door the homeowner was able to gain an additional storage area. Ask your architect if there are any areas of your home where you could incorporate this idea.

Garage Ceiling Storage:

The trusses above the garage can also be configured to provide additional storage as shown to the right. I’ve seen kayaks stored in this overhead design or the installation of platform storage that can be raised or lowered. Just be sure there will be enough room above open garage doors for whatever you plan to store. If you have 10 foot high or higher ceilings in your garage, platform storage might work without incorporating the cofferred truss design. This will depend upon the height of your garage doors, the height of the ceiling, and the size of the items you wish to store.

The platform system shown to the left is called Heavy Lift™ and is available through many different stores on the web.

Under Stairs Storage Solutions:

Utilizing the space under the stairs is another opportunity to gain functional space.

The area under the stairs in the picture to the right has been opened up to provide a great location for a built-in desk.

Although there wasn’t a huge amount of space available under these stairs, the area was perfect for a refuge for the dog.

Additional ideas for making use of the space includes a location for wine storage under the stairs, under stairs pantry shelving, coat closet, or a music storage solution.