Ask anyone if they are completely happy with how organized their home is. Chances are, even the most scrupulously clutter-free person you know will admit that there are some areas in their house that get away from them.
Truth is, we’re creatures of habit, and we tend to have spots around the home where we keep things out. No shame - it’s practical. It’s easier to have your keys and grocery bags right there where you can grab them - or drop them off.
In your kitchen, there are so many things that get used often, or that don’t have a good spot to land. Spices, fresh fruit, paper towels, cookbooks - all of these things tend to land on a counter-top, or get pushed behind something else on a deep pantry shelf.
Speaking of pantries - does yours really work for you, or do you find yourself muttering and searching with a flashlight whenever you need something? They are one of the most popular kitchen storage features, but they often just don’t have the organization that they should.
The way to solve a lot of clutter without hiding everything away or changing your entire daily routine is shelving. There’s no need to add a lot of extra steps to how you keep things organized - shelving will help you keep your activities where they need to be, and declutter your work spaces.
Here are a few areas in your home that can be improved with a little bit of thoughtful shelf placement.
Entry Halls and Mud Rooms
No matter how you usually enter your home, there’s one spot that will centralize the things you need to get in and out. It may be your front entry, or you may have a mud room or utility area that handles most of the traffic.
Anyone who is struggling to keep their life organized and things on schedule knows that there should be designated areas for things like sunglasses, gloves, dog leashes, keys and other must-haves. You need to see them, and you need to be able to grab them while you’re on the move.
Adding a shelf or two at a convenient level will help. It’s an effective way to get those items out of the way, without hiding them. It’s also a lot easier to organize, when the time comes. There are no drawers to absorb things into the back corners, and no rummaging.
Kitchens
Just like we said - pantries don’t always live up to the hype. There’s probably some underutilized wall space that could accommodate the items that you use often. Consider adding in some stainless steel wall shelves for a project like this. They can handle everything from cans to spice jars, and it’s easy to keep clean, should there be a spill.
How about those counter lurkers? We always start out with a vision of lots of open counter top real estate - just waiting for us to spread out our ingredients and implements, and to get to work. Unfortunately, counters are like the beaches of every home - everything just seems to land there. It’s pretty easy to just leave out the roll of paper towels, because you’ll be using them again soon. And don’t bananas just live on kitchen counters?
The answer here is to add in some extra shelving under your cabinets and over your sink. You’ll be able to move things up and off the counter tops, without putting them out of reach.
Our stainless steel floating shelves are perfect for spots where you’re sneaking in additional storage space. Their design avoids the use of wall brackets, and mounts directly to the wall. No extra space is needed for the brackets.
You’ll find out that these extra shelves are perfect for stashing away everything from drinking glasses to your cookbook. They won’t be affected by water or steam, and they’re easy to clean and disinfect.
Kid’s Rooms
Everything in kid’s rooms seems to migrate downward. Legos, socks, crayons, toys - they all end up on the floor, and it’s a constant battle to pick things up. In addition to the battle against gravity - kids are tough on their furniture. There’s lots of banging, coloring, scratching and life that goes on in their rooms.
If you’ve never considered stainless steel shelving for a child’s room - think about it now. It can withstand the roughest treatment, and will stay looking great up until they leave for college - and beyond. You’ll never have to worry about repainting these shelves - and they’ll hold up to spilled juice boxes, a million slides of storage boxes, and even soccer cleats.
They’ll help you defy gravity and move all those toys on the floor up and away from the vacuum cleaner and still allow you to locate someone’s favorite stuffed toy that’s gone missing. Miraculous!
Conclusion
Not all clutter needs to be hidden away. A lot of it is used frequently, and just needs a better spot to hang out. Adding wall shelves around your home will keep things off the floors and counters, and still keep items where you can see them. They’re the perfect solution to that “essential clutter” that we all have in our lives.
