Skip to content

Top Navigation

Real Simple Logo Real Simple Logo
  • Food
  • Home
  • Life
  • Health
  • Money
  • Style and Beauty
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • News
  • Shop

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • My Account
  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Real Simple

Real Simple Logo Real Simple Logo
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 12 Good Books to Read in Winter

      As the days get chillier and snow starts falling, curl up with one of these good books to read in winter. Read More Next
    • 10 Virtual Games to Play When You Can't Be Together

      Close the distance with fun games you can play from the comfort of separate homes. Read More Next
    • A Guide for How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home

      There are three common ways you can measure your ring size right at home so you can finally get your ring measurement right, for good. Read More Next
  • Food

    Food

    See all Food

    13 Air Fryer Recipes That Are *Almost* Too Good to Be True

    • Recipes
    • Real Simple Cooking School
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping and Storing
    • Kitchen Tools and Products
  • Home

    Home

    See all Home

    Easy Homemade Carpet Cleaners to Tackle Every Stain

    Made with products you probably have on hand
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Gardening
    • Home Improvement
    • Quick Fix
    • Real Simple Home
  • Life

    Life

    See all Life

    10 Creative Ways to Have Fun in the Snow

    Bundle up and head outside (or stay toasty inside)—either way, everyone in the family will love these snow day ideas.
    • Family
    • Entertainment
    • Technology
    • Wedding Planning
    • Travel Ideas
    • Adulting
    • Get It Done
    • Waste Less, Live Better
  • Health

    Health

    See all Health

    30 Healthiest Foods to Eat Every Day

    • Preventive Health
    • Mental Health
    • Health Coach
    • Crisis Coping
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Sleep
    • Healthy Eating
  • Money

    Money

    See all Money

    The Ultimate Guide to Tipping Etiquette in Every Situation, From Restaurants to Hair Salons

    How much should you tip your hairdresser? What about your food-delivery person? Here's when to tip, when to skip, and how much to tip in any situation (even the confusing ones).
    • Saving Money
    • Money Made Simple
    • Spending
    • Money Etiquette
  • Style and Beauty

    Style and Beauty

    See all Style and Beauty

    9 Hair Color Trends Experts Predict for 2021

    • Clothing
    • Skincare
    • Shoes
    • Hair
    • Clothing Care
    • Makeup
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See all Holidays & Entertaining

    PowerPoint Parties Are the Socially Distant Party Trend You Have to Try: Here’s How to Host One

    Presenting a new way to party together—virtually.
    • All Holidays
    • Entertaining
    • Christmas
    • Home for the Holidays
    • Gifts
    • Hanukkah
    • Come Together
    • Thanksgiving
    • Easter
    • Father’s Day
    • Mother’s Day
    • Halloween
  • News
  • Shop

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • My Account
  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow us

  1. Real Simple
  2. Home Organizing
  3. Organizing
  4. 7 Stylish Storage Solutions for Your Home

7 Stylish Storage Solutions for Your Home

By Heather Summerville
Updated July 22, 2014
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Credit: David Meredith
Does the mere mention of organizing sound exhausting (and a little boring)? Not anymore. Bright colors and punchy patterns can live with smart and stylish ideas. See for yourself.
Start Slideshow

1 of 7

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Hideaway Home Office

Credit: David Meredith

The best thing to happen to workstations since the laptop, this impressive setup is nestled inside an old-timey leather steamer trunk. There’s a foldout desk and assorted drawers—and the trunk’s backing functions as a bulletin board. When you’re done for the day, close it up and roll it into a corner. Tell guests it’s a relic from your seafaring past. Restoration Hardware Mayfair steamer secretary-trunk in vintage cigar leather, $3,295, rh.com.

Hunting for something a little less grand but equally out of sight? Check out the super-compact Intimo Secretary Desk from CB2 ($399, cb2.com). Or the Vika Veine tabletop from Ikea, with a sunken compartment for storage ($99 without legs, ikea.com). For aesthetes in small spaces, there’s the sleek, minimalist Ledge from Urbancase, which mounts to the wall and hides a glide-out desktop ($1,500, urbancase.com).

1 of 7

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 7

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Self-Styling Bookcase

Credit: David Meredith

Does the disarray of your shelves send you into despair? This wall-mounted organizing tool makes piles pretty, with artful compartments that help you divvy up contents by size and shape. Whether used solely for books or to display a mix of objects, it guarantees a striking “shelfscape.” In fact, two units side by side (or above and below) can solve myriad storage woes while creating a stunning focal point for a room. Industrial-metal wall-mounted bookcase, $299, cb2.com.

Prefer to make over the shelves you’ve got? First take a look at what you need to stash. If books are not a storage challenge in your home, recast your bookcases for other uses: Lighten the load on jam-packed cupboards by moving everyday glassware into a bookcase. Use one in the basement as a spare pantry (cans won’t go missing on shallow shelves). Devote a small bookcase to your kids’ collection du jour (Pokémon, ponies, Transformers), and earmark the bottom shelf for critical projects in progress, like Lego sculptures.

2 of 7

3 of 7

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Smart Cart

Credit: David Meredith

A quiet hero in the quest for order, the rolling cart exploits vertical space and is nimble enough to work in tight quarters. For the bathroom, fill one with towels, shower essentials, and toiletries (no more slippery sprints from tub to linen closet). This ultra-affordable metal version has a smooth ride, high sides to keep items from tipping over, and shelves that are perforated on the bottom, to allow damp items to dry. Råskog kitchen cart, $50, ikea.com. Longing for more roll-away storage ideas? For summer, keep a cart stocked with outdoor-entertaining staples and wheel it onto the patio for a pop-up party. In the garage, fill one with maintenance supplies (motor oil, wiper fluid, car-wash cloths). Use another as an easy-to-stash crafting station. If you don’t have a cart, an out-of-rotation children’s wagon is a sweet rustic alternative.

3 of 7

Advertisement

4 of 7

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Console Concealment

Credit: David Meredith

Bulky cable boxes and tangles of cords have nearly beaten us all into submission. But don’t give up the fight: This genius console has got your ugly tech stuff covered—literally. See the holes in front? They’re strategically sized and spaced to allow your remote’s gamma rays (or whatever) to penetrate. Inside, your cable box, Blu-ray player, and movie-streaming device can hide out, with cords neatly threaded through precut holes in back. TOO by Blu Dot console, $300, target.com.

Not in the market for a new console? Taming wires can vastly improve your media station. The quickest fix is Velcro cord strips ($5 for five, amazon.com), which neatly wrap and cinch excess cables—meaning no more dusty coils on the floor. Pair them with the Pivot Power Strip ($30, momastore.org), a sleek, adjustable unit that snakes around to hide in tight spaces and accommodate oversize plugs. Or mask the whole mess with the Plug Hub by Quirky ($25, quirky.com), which conceals coiled cords and a power strip in a small box that nestles in a corner or under furniture.

4 of 7

5 of 7

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Nice Rack (for the Kitchen)

Credit: David Meredith

If wrestling your favorite pots and utensils from cluttered cabinets is part of your dinner routine, liberate yourself (and your go-to tools) with a piece as artful as it is functional. Made of powder-coated steel, this branchy pot rack can be mounted to a wall or the ceiling. But don’t let its wispy beauty fool you. It’s sturdy enough to hold multiple cast-iron pots. Merkled wall-mounted pot rack, $375, merkledstore.com.

Are you a DIY-er? Create your own hanging rack with a copper towel bar ($61 for an 18-inch version, wayfair.com) and some S-hooks from the hardware store. Mount the bar to the wall and it will accommodate pans or small pots (nothing too deep). Be sure to leave at least two feet between the bar and the counter so there’s room for the pots to hang. If you’re really handy, you can aim higher, suspending a beautiful piece of found wood (say, a driftwood branch) from the ceiling with rope, as an overhead rack. You might even consider creating a wall grid for pots using chicken wire. The pot-abilities are endless.

5 of 7

6 of 7

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Dressed-up Ladder

Credit: David Meredith

A stylish remedy for an overflowing clothes closet, the decorative ladder is especially friendly to heels. Place your shoes sole to sole (as shown) and they’ll stay put. Use high rungs for scarves or men’s ties; you can even dangle some necklaces from the tip-tops, if you like. But don’t overload: The charm comes from showing plenty of ladder, too. Whitewashed teak ladder, $98, serenaandlily.com.

Want a new spin on ladder storage? Hang one horizontally and use it as a display shelf for framed pictures and small objects. You’ll need a ladder with flat side beams (Rustic ladder, $179, potterybarn.com) that’s a consistent width from top to bottom.

6 of 7

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 7

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Convertible Coffee Table

Credit: David Meredith

If your living-room table is your de facto hearth—the center of bill paying, homework, and the occasional meal—you might want to consider one that adapts to the action. This sleek, multifunctional wonder has two adjustable wood panels. They act as trays when up (for laptops or plates of food) and conceal storage when down (perfect for a vast collection of remotes or magazines). This table can even serve as a party station, enticing guests to circulate away from the buffet. Occa functional coffee table with storage, $1,195, boconcept.us for stores.

Looking for a multitalented coffee table that's less of an investment? If you're a modernist, you might love the Nexera Allure coffee table ($255, hayneedle.com), a sleek cube that sits low and pulls apart at the center to reveal a cavern for stashing. A folksier option: the Napa Style Wine-Bar Treasure Trunk ($649, napastyle.com), with small drawers and deep compartments—including one with a grid sized for wine bottles.

7 of 7

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Heather Summerville

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 7 Hideaway Home Office
2 of 7 Self-Styling Bookcase
3 of 7 Smart Cart
4 of 7 Console Concealment
5 of 7 Nice Rack (for the Kitchen)
6 of 7 Dressed-up Ladder
7 of 7 Convertible Coffee Table

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Shop | Real Simple Logo

  • Closet Systems
  • Hanging Storage
  • Drawer Organizers
  • Clothes Racks
  • Storage Bins
  • Shoe Organizers
  • Pantry Organizers
  • Shower Caddies
  • Jewelry Organizers
  • Cabinet Organizers
  • Shop More Next

Real Simple may receive compensation when you click through and purchase from links contained on this website.

Real Simple Logo

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Media Kit
  • Content Licensing
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
All products and services featured are selected by our editors. Real Simple may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Real Simple is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.realsimple.com

View image

7 Stylish Storage Solutions for Your Home
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.