Spring clean: smart storage to organise your home

Get your house in order and maximise your available space with our round-up of clever storage solutions for kitchens, wardrobes, kids’ playrooms and more

In anticipation of a mammoth tidying session, many of us eagerly load up on storage and organisational tools, only for them to go unused and end up cluttering the space further. “Organisers won’t fix a clutter problem,” says Niki Bowman, who offers professional decluttering services at simplifyandsort.ie.

“The first step is always to declutter. I’ve dealt with so many clients where literally the organisers have become clutter themselves, because they’re not being used properly.”

Start by clearing out the area and figuring out what it is you want to organise — only then will you know what storage you need for the space. Make sure you take measurements to get the best use of the height, width and depth.

“A lot of times people just buy things because someone recommended it, and when they go to put it on a shelf, it doesn’t fit,” Niki adds.

To give you some guidelines, we asked professional organisers for their favourite storage solutions for each room of the home.

Kitchen

“I probably do kitchens more than any other room of the house. It’s definitely the one that causes the most amount of stress for people,” says Hazel Burton (@thehomereset.ie).

All of the organisers we spoke to recommended a lazy Susan for accessibility.

“You see all the time in people’s kitchens, they’ve got their jars, tins, oils or spices and everything is behind everything else. When you look in, all you can see is that first row.

“A lazy Susan will bring the back of your press to the front,” Hazel explains, naming Ikea’s wooden version (€8) as her favourite.

“It’s very difficult to beat Ikea’s price points, but also their quality is so good. It’s nice and big and fits what you would need in terms of a spice selection in your home.”

Sarah Reynolds, founder of organisedchaos. ie, likes the plastic one from iDesign (€16.99,

organisedstore.ie), which she calls “the top storage product I use”. “You could do a small one for your cooking oils, whereas a large one might go under the sink for all the cleaning and laundry products,” she adds.

“I also love using those in bathrooms for toiletries, and you can get ones that are divided, so they’re great for kids’ arts and crafts.”

Homestore & More’s clear plastic version, priced €9.99, has removable dividers.

Talathy O’Sullivan (supersorted.ie) warns against buying the cheapest one you can find. “You want to make sure they spin properly, I have had customers think, ‘Oh, I’ll get the cheaper version’, and it doesn’t spin. I find the ones from iDesign tend to last and are good.”

Another way to get a better view of what’s in your cupboards is with a shelf riser. Hazel mentions the three-tiered organiser from Dealz (€6) as her “absolute top favourite”, although she notes it is harder to find as the company rebrands to Pep & Co. She also likes the version from iDesign, but it’s nearly twice the price (€10.99, organisedstore.ie).

For chopping boards, baking trays, pot lids and casserole dishes, Niki highlights the expandable Variera organiser (€6, Ikea).

“That is really great to put in your cupboard and store things vertically, because you can then just pull out the one you want without the rest falling over,” she says.

Hazel recommends storage containers for dried goods, praising Irish brand Clossy’s glass jars (from €9.95, clossy.co) or for a more affordable option, Dunnes’ twist-lock system (from €3). “Some people don’t really understand decanting, they’re like, ‘why would I want to put my pasta into another jar?’ But it means I can see very clearly what’s running low and what needs to be replenished, and when I do my food shop, I don’t overbuy food.”

Wardrobe

The most recommended product was the Skubb set of drawer dividers (€6 for six, Ikea), including three different box sizes. They allow you to easily separate your belongings, for example, splitting up undergarments by bras, pants, socks and tights.

“Even the most unorganised person, if they open a drawer and it’s sectioned off with Skubbs, they’ll be able to keep it up,” says Kim Fitzgerald, who runs @a.sorted.affair with co-founder Lyn Luxford. “And they’re multi-use — you could put clothes in them, arts and crafts stuff, toys, whatever.”

Niki adds: “Drawers are much better than shelves. You get a lot more storage because you can store things vertically instead of in piles.”

She loves Ikea’s Pax wardrobe system (frames from €55), which can be adapted over time with different drawers, shelves and other inserts to meet your needs.

Make the most of hard-to-reach areas with Ikea’s Skubb storage cases (from €7), sold in two sizes. “It’s great for storing seasonal items or fancier things that you wouldn’t use as often, it keeps them dust-free and out of the way in that space right at the top of the wardrobe. It has got a handle so you can pull stuff down and get what you need,” Niki says.

Kim suggests a three-drawer storage tower (€34.99, choicestores.ie) for inside the wardrobe. “Underneath the rail, you usually just have a row of shoes and then a huge amount of dead space. This is one of the items we always have with us because we use them so much,” she explains.

“We have used these to store arts and craft supplies, utility room odds and ends, and even children’s uniforms or clothes organised a day a drawer.”

If you’re in the market for new hangers, Hazel loves the Svensson slimline style (€3.50 for five, Jysk). “What you’re trying to do is utilise the space,” she explains. “A little while back, people went mad on the craze of velvet hangers. I never use them in client’s homes because they aren’t that strong and sometimes the velvet can transfer onto clothing. Jysk has a lovely hanger, it’s very strong, I think all the professional organisers in Dublin are big fans. But it’s expensive, so the way I do it in my wardrobe is as things break, I’ll just buy one pack at a time.”

Small spaces

“A lot of times, people try to add more furniture and floor storage, but my tip would really be about using the wall space,” says Niki, praising Ikea’s Besta cabinet (from €60) as particularly useful.

“What’s really nice about this cabinet is it’s only 22cm deep. If you have a small space, especially in a bedroom where you’re trying to organise beauty products and perfumes, or kids’ little figurines, using walls is a great way to get stuff up off the floor and out of the way.

“It’s got doors on it, so you don’t see the stuff inside, it comes with a shelf that’s adjustable, and you can buy extra shelves.”

Talathy advises checking out the hooks, grippers and hangers from Command (€10.30 for six hooks, Amazon). “Use the backs of doors or the vertical space,” she says.

“Command has a huge range of different kinds of hooks and they’re great. If you’re renting, you can just pull them off the wall, they’re very easy to use.”

Her other suggestion is the three-tier caddy from Dunnes (€20), made from steel and available in black or silver. “I’ve used it in a few people’s houses for really small bathrooms and I have one in my own bathroom. It slots in really nicely because it’s so tiny,” she says.

“A client recently had it for grandkids as a paint set-up, with all the paints and the brushes and things in it.”

Hazel also recommends Ikea’s Variera shelf inserts (from €4.50) for making the most of the height in your cupboards, as well as Clossy’s stackable storage units (from €11.95, clossy.co).