As the sun shines over Georgia and the mercury begins its slow ascent in the coming weeks, thoughts start turning to Spring and all the beneficial changes it brings. The gardens will begin to bloom once more, lawns will shift from shades of gold to hues of green, the happy chirping of birds will begin to fill the air, and magazine covers bearing the latest Spring fashions and organizational tips will begin to line the shelves of grocery and book stores all over town. As you start jotting down items on your wish list of Spring projects to tackle around the house, consider what a relief it would be to incorporate more storage space in your home. The latest fashion trends in home décor have begun to lean toward refreshingly austere, luxuriously simplified spaces marked by splashes of color, bold artwork and uncluttered appearances. If you dream of having a home that could grace the pages of a coffee table book or interior design magazine, but is still practical and livable for your very REAL family – perhaps the provision of ample storage is the best place to start.
Book Cases: Built-in bookcases have long served as a benefit when selling a home, conveying both a sense of luxury and practicality. Perfectly placed throughout your home, built-ins can not only be aesthetically pleasing but can also serve as additional storage space for your books, photo frames and knick-knacks on the shelves above and your less eye-catching items behind closed doors down below. Store items that you wish to be readily accessible (such as board games, coloring books, DVDs, video games, etc…) here – within easy reach but out of sight. They can also help define a space – an unused corner by the stairs – into a charming book nook.
Window Seats: Often chosen for the beautiful view beyond, a large picture window can also serve as a great excuse to add more storage space. The construction of a window seat with storage not only provides an area to store books, toys, linens or whatever you wish – it can also transform a window into a beloved “me time” space where you can curl up with a favorite book or a glass of wine and enjoy the view. When incorporated in a kitchen space, it could actually add more seating around your dining table.
Walk-in Closets: If one of your biggest issues with your home is lack of closet space, you can pretty much guarantee that the same will be said by potential buyers when it comes time to sell your house. Seek the advice of a structural engineer to find out what your options might be – knocking out a non-load-bearing wall may just equate to double your current closet space – for many fashionistas and shopaholics, the closest thing to Heaven on Earth. While you’re doing that, you may want to look into having the contractor install a special closet system for smart storage of everything from your delicates to your ski boots.
Converted Attics: If you find that there’s no way to increase your closet space by knocking out a wall, you may have a last resort – the attic. Through the addition of drywall, lighting, hanging bars and shelving – you may have the perfect space for a seasonal closet, a place where you store your off-season clothing for part of the year cutting the need for hanging space in your ACTUAL closet in half. If your attic is easily accessible, you may be able to use it as a daily closet/changing room. Depending on the size, you could even convert it to an additional guest bedroom – if the “storage” of guests is a concern.
Tech Centers: With more and more people trading the commute for the “tele”commute and working from their homes, the need for dedicated office space in the home is growing. If you’re short on space and don’t have an actual room to devote to a home office – a corner of the kitchen, a loft by the stairs or a large hallway can be converted to a “tech” center complete with electronic wiring, phone jacks, appropriate lighting, and cabinetry/countertops for a stylish homegrown cubicle that flows with the rest of the house rather than sticks out like a sore thumb. Ample shelving and cabinet space with plenty of doors for hiding unsightly paperwork is KEY to making this addition appear stylish, uncluttered and organized.
Garages: Appropriate storage in the garage can not only help you organize the items you’d rather NOT store indoors, but can add an element of safety to this extension of your home. Toxic and flammable products can be stored behind cabinets out of a child’s reach, and shelves can be SECURELY attached to walls in the event that Jr. decides to play Spider Man and start climbing one afternoon. By choosing to add storage that makes sense in the garage, it’ll be that much easier to find the allen wrench or the garden shears when you need them without having to dig in cob-filled corners. Choose to make your garage an outdoor space that you enjoy rather than viewing as an eye-sore where you happen to park your car.
Room Additions: In the event that you find that you have utilized every nook and cranny of your home to their fullest potential, it may be time to consider a room addition. This is another area where both a structural engineer and a good design-build firm come in super handy. It just so happens that we offer it ALL at Highlight Homes! Our structural engineer can take a look at your home to evaluate the best and most efficient placement of a room addition plus work out the logistics behind it, while our design-build team can create the space on paper then bring it to life for you and your family to enjoy to the fullest. You simply need to decide the best use of that space – freeing up another room in the house for storage. OR, if you wish to incorporate a sunroom filled with beautiful picture windows, covering the majority of the space under them with window seats offering storage could be beautiful AND practical!
Highlight Homes, Atlanta’s premier custom builder and renovator is a design-build firm that welcomes the opportunity to help you utilize your home to its maximum benefit. With families of our own, we are well aware that life can get messy – but with proper storage, no one need ever know JUST how messy it can get. We invite you to contact us TODAY to discuss possible storage solutions in your own home. Call our talented team of designers and builders at 678.873.9234, e-mail us at info@highlighthomesga.com, or fill out our convenient online contact form and someone will be in touch with you shortly.
