The Good Design Journal
Home Storage Solutions for the Places That Keep Getting Messy
A home can have plenty of storage and still feel cluttered. Often, the issue is where that storage sits in relation to everyday routines. When the place for something is too far from where it is used or removed, it tends to collect nearby instead.
The same clutter often returns to the same few places. Those repeat drop zones can tell you where storage is actually needed.
This guide looks at eight storage pieces for those everyday points around the home, chosen around where things naturally tend to gather.
At the door
The area by the front door is usually one of the easiest places to spot a storage problem because the routine is so consistent. Shoes come off. Coats and bags get put down. If there isn’t storage close by, those things tend to stay exactly where they land.
In a narrow entry, it helps to divide the job between floor-level and wall-mounted storage. Keep everyday footwear low, then use the wall for the things you take off or put down as you come inside.
DESIGNSTUFF FORMA Shoe Rack
If daily pairs are already gathering near the door, start there. The FORMA Shoe Rack has two open tiers and holds up to eight pairs, keeping the shoes you wear most visible and easy to return after use. At 80cm wide and 35cm deep, it is also simple to measure against an entry, hallway or wardrobe before ordering.
ZONE DENMARK A-Rack Coat/Towel Rack
For coats and bags, wall storage keeps the same routine close to the door. The 40cm A-Rack mounts directly to the wall, creating a fixed place for the pieces you remove or put down when you arrive home. Its powder-coated steel profile also keeps the floor below free.
In the bathroom
Bathrooms are usually working with less space, which makes placement more important. The most useful storage sits close to the routine it belongs to, while making better use of walls and smaller gaps around the room.For this part of the home, think in terms of where something is used. Shower products need storage inside the wet area. Towels need a place close enough to reach after use. Even a small bin works better when it sits where everyday bathroom waste is actually created.
DESIGNSTUFF CURV Shower Caddy
Shower products are easiest to manage when they stay inside the shower. The CURV Shower Caddy has three compartments, with space for larger bottles as well as smaller items such as razors, brushes or soap. It attaches to smooth tile or glass with waterproof 3M tape, creating dedicated storage exactly where those products are used.
EKTA LIVING Towel Rack
Towels need storage between uses as much as they do when freshly folded. The wall-mounted EKTA LIVING Towel Rack uses vertical space to keep them accessible while taking up very little room within the bathroom itself. It’s particularly useful when floor space is limited but a clear section of wall is available.
DESIGNSTUFF ARC Pedal Bin
A bathroom bin is most useful when it’s positioned close to the area creating the waste. The compact 4.3L ARC Pedal Bin can sit beside a vanity or toilet, with a foot pedal for hands-free use and a soft-close lid. Its removable inner bucket also makes emptying and cleaning straightforward.
Laundry route
Laundry is one of the few storage problems that moves through the house. Clothes collect where they’re removed, then need to make their way to the washing machine and back again once they’re clean.
It helps to treat collection and transport as two separate jobs. Give dirty laundry a fixed place to wait, then use a basket that’s easy to carry when it’s time to move a load.
RECOLLECTOR Laundry Box
For clothes waiting to be washed, the RECOLLECTOR Laundry Box gives them a fixed place to collect. It mounts to the wall, keeping the floor below clear, while the front opens with a push-lock for access to the internal laundry bag. The top can also be used as a small shelf.
HAY Washing Laundry Basket
For the moving part of the routine, the HAY Washing Laundry Basket has a low, open form that makes it easy to load and carry between rooms. At 57.5cm long and 37.5cm wide, there’s room for larger loads, while the plastic construction keeps the basket light enough to move through the house.
Small things
Small items can create a surprising amount of clutter because they’re easy to scatter across drawers, cupboards and bags. The simplest way to contain them is to group the things you use together and give each repeat category one place to return to.
For smaller items, think about the category before the container. Pantry packets, toiletries, charging cables or travel essentials are easier to keep together when each group has its own dedicated storage.
ENKEL STUDIO Keep Pouch
The 1.5L ENKEL STUDIO Keep Pouch gives loose items a flexible place to collect. It stands upright when full and folds flat when empty, with a clear front panel that makes the contents easy to identify. Made from food-grade silicone with a secure zip seal, it can move between the pantry, fridge, drawer or travel bag depending on what you’re grouping.
Storage questions
I have plenty of storage, so why does my house still feel cluttered?
Look at where the clutter is appearing rather than how much storage you already own. If the same things keep collecting in one spot, their current storage may be too far away from where they’re actually used or put down. Moving storage closer to that routine can be more useful than adding more somewhere else.
What do you do with shoes when you barely have an entryway?
Start with the pairs you wear most. A shallow shoe rack keeps everyday footwear together without asking for much floor space. If the entry is particularly narrow, use the wall for coats and bags so one small area isn’t trying to accommodate everything.
My bathroom is tiny. Where am I supposed to add storage?
Look at the walls before the floor. Shower caddies, towel racks and other wall-mounted storage can use space that would otherwise be empty, while keeping the things you reach for close to where you use them. This is especially useful around the shower and vanity, where smaller bathrooms tend to fill up quickly.
Where do people actually keep their laundry hamper?
Wherever you usually get changed is a good place to start. For some homes that’s the bedroom, for others it’s the bathroom. If the washing machine is somewhere else, keep a collection point where clothes come off and use a separate basket to carry each load to and from the laundry.
What do I do with all the random little stuff that doesn’t have a home?
Don’t start by buying another container. Work out what the items have in common first. Group things by use, then give each repeat category its own pouch, tray, box or basket. It’s much easier to put something away when you already know what group it belongs to.
Follow the mess
More storage isn’t always the answer. If the same things keep turning up in the same place, there’s usually something useful in that pattern.
Look at where an item is used, where it gets left and how far it currently has to travel to be put away. The best storage decisions often come from shortening that distance.
