The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Shannon at AKA Design.
Whether you live in an urban condo or a country farmhouse (or somewhere in between), finding a place to put all the STUFF that seems to be a part of life can be tricky.
The never-ending stream of papers, the ever -present toy pile (anyone ever step on a Lego?) and all the read and unread books and magazines can take over your space.
But only if you don’t take control.
Double duty furniture (like Laura’s “How Many Uses” pieces) can provide stylish solutions, giving you a place in every room to stash all that often-necessary clutter out of site, no matter how big or how small your space is.
5 Double (or Triple) Duty Pieces for Easy Home Organization
Chest Coffee Tables
A chest coffee table can be literally an old chest or it could be something more modern. Basically it is a big decorative box with a hinged lid. Chest coffee tables come in many styles from vintage (like an old steamer chest) to country (like the one shown). The best part of these tables is that you can store almost anything inside them – board games, magazines, toys, kids finished artwork (um, hello there’s never enough room for all the finished artwork my girls crank out!) – while still using the surface area as a coffee table.
Day Beds with Drawers
Day beds with drawers built-in underneath are great options for spare rooms, home offices (that often double as a guest room) or kid’s rooms. Topped with plenty of cushions, day beds serve as sofas during the day (hence the day part) and beds at night (the bed part). When a day bed has pull out drawers as well, they can store off-season clothes, extra office supplies or small toys, literally doubling the usefulness of the same area of square footage.
Vintage Cabinets and Armoires
Vintage cabinets and armoires are one of my favorite types of hidden storage. They look so beautiful (the stories those old pieces could tell if they could talk!) and can be used to store everything from towels and clothing to TV paraphernalia. And they can be placed in just about any room in your house – bathrooms, bedrooms, basements, dens, even kitchens.
Banquettes
Banquettes are basically really large storage benches. They can provide ample seating in a dining room or they can be placed under a window with a padded seat and cushions to provide a cozy place to curl up and read a book. But regardless of where you put them, they are full of storage possibilities. Seldom used small appliances, chargers, and even tablecloths are perfect candidates to be stored in a dining room banquette. A banquette elsewhere in your home could store large quilts and blankets when not in use.
Storage Ottomans
Storage Ottomans are actually triple duty pieces; they can be used as additional seating when company comes, a side table for a cup of tea and a good book with the addition of a simple tray and a place to stash magazines, kids’ artwork, or your crafting supplies while you’re not using them. Storage Ottomans can be found in just about every style, shape and colour imaginable too.
The next time you find yourself scratching your head trying to tidy up all those clutter-inducing, but absolutely necessary things, why not find yourself a double duty piece of furniture instead?
Shannon Acheson is a passionate interior decorator, frugal DIYer, sometime graphic designer, wannabe writer, homeschooling momma and adoring wife. She is the co-owner (with hubster) of AKA Design and the main writer/designer for the blog of the same name. Shannon recently moved from a war-era bungalow to a cozy backsplit in Oshawa, Ontario with her husband and their three children, and during spare moments can be found scouring local shops for decor bargains, rearranging the furniture again, or scrubbing paint off her hands.
Delane says
Super great tips! I am such a sucker for organization!
Thank you!
Boulder Water Damage
Shannon aka design says
Me too!!!