From Coral Nafie,
Your Guide to Interior Decorating.
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"A place for everything and everything in its place." Wouldn't that be ideal? In the perfect home you'd have a place to put everything where it would either look beautiful or be out of sight until you needed it.

If you have more "things" than you have space you'll find some great storage ideas here. You'll get suggestions for making the most of the space you have and find ways to create storage areas where you might not have thought.

Instead of opening a cupboard and finding a pile of things that do not go there, you can be so organized in your home that you could open a cupboard or door and find exactly what you're looking for. When you're finished using the item, you would be able to open the door again and put the item back. Case closed! Storage should be easy. Is it easy in your home?

Or are you just waiting to move into the more perfect home that will have more closets, a bigger garage or attic, or perfect built-in storage?

Don't wait for a day that may never come. Use some of our storage tips and strategies right now to get your things in order.

You should start your storage project by deciding what you really need in each room.

Everything that you don't need should be moved out of the room. Either throw it away, give it away, or move it into the garage or basement, out of sight.

Once you've decided what you really want and need in each room, look around the room for areas of storage. Is there any open, empty space? Don't just look on tables or closets. Look up, look down, under, and next to - your furniture, your bed, your closets, your cupboards. Any open space can be potential storage space for you.

For example, do you see an open space in a china cabinet, under a sofa table, or under an entry table? Use this space to stack wooden chests, beautifully covered cardboard boxes, or lidded baskets to store memorabilia, magazines, family photos, games, videos or computer disks.

Read on to find more ideas for finding storage space in your living space.

• Look Up
  There is probably nothing higher than 5 feet in your room, but there's lots of space above. Install shelves 12" to 18" below the ceiling to display collectibles, plants, hats, or photos. (Note: You can buy ready-made shelves and mounting brackets at any building supply store. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, be sure to use a sticky wax product to hold your collectibles in place.)

• Over the Window
  Mount a shelf above the windows of the room for displaying things you don't use but love to look at.

• Wall Space
  Find standard open wall shelves of any size at a home improvement center for an inexpensive storage solution for books and decorative objects. A structured wall unit or entertainment center can house books and electronic equipment and provides space for decorative displays. If you're going to stay in your home for a while, you might want to invest in custom-made shelves or cabinets. Any of these solutions gives lots of storage space without protruding too much into the living area.

• Behind Closed Doors
  It's ideal not to have to look at the things you're storing, unless they're decorative. Increase available storage space by enclosing shelves and cupboards behind doors. Instead of using an open one, choose a bookcase with doors. A 12" deep shelving unit gives great storage without taking up much floor space. Choose a table for the end of a sofa or beside a bed that has a closed base with drawers or shelves rather than spindly open legs. Find a knee-hole desk with drawers for files and office items rather than an open writing desk.

Next: Select Furniture for Storage