Three organisation and storage ideas for the living room

In the blink of an eye, the festivities of Christmas will be over and the New Year will be upon us. It’s a time of year when the house can often feel in need of organisation. With this in mind, I’ve pulled together three ideas that show how you can incorporate storage into a living room in a stylish and practical way.

Alcove Storage

The first idea is great for families who might be doubling up their living room as a playroom for their little ones. Introducing curtains or drapes in front of alcove storage shelving is a great way to conceal clutter like toys, computer games and DVDs. Placing an armchair to one side not only creates a cosy reading corner for adults but also pulls the space together and makes the drapes part of the scheme. This approach is a great way to create a multi-purpose living room: when the drapes are closed space will have a stylish, grown-up and sophisticated feel; when the drapes are open the toys will be easily accessible and the room will feel more casual and relaxed.

Image Credit: Shelterness

Shelving

Approaching storage solutions can often feel like an uphill challenge because there appears to be no more space in the room. One way to overcome this, especially in open-plan living rooms where there aren’t many walls, is to look for ‘dead’ space. This open-plan living room utilises the ‘dead’ space behind the armchairs by introducing shelving from the floor all the way up the side of the stairs. This is the perfect organisation solution for space as some shelves can be used to display mementoes and objects, replacing the need for art, while others can be used for books and baskets to hide clutter.

Image Credit: Hemnet

Window

The final look is another solution that involves making use of an often under-used part of a living room – the window. If the space in front of the window allows, building a window seat brings two additions to the room: more seating and extra storage. For a rustic country look consider leaving the drawers empty so that you can place wicker baskets inside for storage; using drawers will create a more formal final look.

Title Image Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
Guest post from Will Taylor at Bright.Bazaar