A clean room is a clear mind.

There is plenty of scientific evidence that mess causes stress – not that we needed proof – and finding a permanent place for all of your bits and bobs is proven to reduce anxiety and assuage psychological unease.

Good news. But there’s a problem. And the problem is space. We in the UK have some of the smallest homes in Europe, which can make it very difficult to neatly house all of our stuff.

In the world of today, it can be all too easy to accumulate clutter. Gadgets, devices, appliances, clothes, books, foodstuffs, cutlery, crockery, documents, etc. can all build up, get forgotten, and eventually make a home for themselves in the least convenient places.

But that doesn’t mean we have to accept a life full of disorder and chaos. It just means we have to find ever more creative and innovative storage solutions.

Luckily, we have some great vintage furniture storage solutions that will help you recover your home’s sense of balance and transform your house back into the calm, organised, and clutter-free place you always intended it to be.

Benches with Storage

One fantastic way to magic up extra storage space in a room is to double up the function of existing pieces of furniture – to make them into a storage space without compromising their original function.

One popular and attractive approach is to add storage space to benches.

Benches are bulky, space-hogging items. And so it just makes sense to make them justify the space they take up by giving them an additional purpose.

Usually, the storage space consists of an open shelf positioned directly below the seat of the bench. This way, the extra storage space such a solution provides is near enough equivalent in length and depth to the bench itself.

And, because the shelf is usually left uncovered and open, it is a great place to store attractive items – such as books, records, etc. – in a neat, effective way. Or, place one of these in your hallway as a place to store shoes.

These benches look great in both domestic and business settings, and should absolutely be a consideration for anyone looking to revamp their kitchen or living room as well as anyone currently undertaking a café refurbishment project or similar.

Blanket Boxes

Blanket boxes – or ottomans – are a favourite piece of vintage furniture in the UK. And it’s not hard to see why.

Blanket boxes can add a touch elegance to any room, and a whole lot of storage space to boot!

Stylish and efficient, blanket boxes are often used in bedrooms as a place to store linens, clothes, or, really, anything else you can think of. And they also provide a great place for you to sit and put on your slippers in the morning.

But they also work very well in living rooms and even kitchens. The storage space they confer can de indispensable, and, since it is covered, can be a great place to keep less attractive or more mundane items – such as tablecloths, kitchen appliances, electronics, and documents.

Sideboards

Sturdy and attractive, sideboards are as beautiful as they are efficient.

Almost all of a sideboard can be used as storage, meaning sideboards are an incredibly effective use of space.

Suitable for larger kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms, sideboards are often used as a work surface as well as a place to store crockery, cutlery, cumbersome kitchen appliances, and cooking equipment, as well as supporting televisions, books, and ornaments on the top.

They can also (as above) be fitted with an open wine rack, providing a great solution to the “bottle problem”.

Increasingly, we’ve seen many café refurbishment projects incorporate sideboards as a way to make diners feel more at home as well as to provide often much needed storage space.

At the Vintage Furniture Company, we create beautiful, bespoke sideboards. This means you can get exactly the sideboard you want (any size and shape; any combination of drawers and cupboards) with no compromises!

Custom Storage

Storage solutions are often most effective when created for a specific space.

Customised mug racks and shelving, for example, can turn any unused wall space or alcove into a useful area, clearing space elsewhere to making rooms more efficient. Not only do they create more space, but, so long as the shelf or rack is of a high enough quality, they also make a room more attractive.

At the Vintage Furniture Company, we create beautiful, durable custom storage solutions for almost any purpose.

We hope you enjoyed this post. We’re passionate about great furniture. And we’re also passionate about using great furniture to create great spaces.

All of the storage solutions mentioned in this post are available now. So feel free to get in touch if you’d like to find out more or have any questions.