Creating Storage Room Organization
Hi Friends, welcome back! Do you have an area or room in your home that is the catch all? Somehow all the stuff just ends up in this one space? We definitely do. It’s our storage room. But that’s the perfect place for all the stuff to be dumped right? WRONG! Yes, all our stuff was dropped in the right room, however it was lacking organization! Even though we had most of our stuff in labeled bins, we’d still have to dig through everything to find what we needed. It was so frustrating! I was in serious need of some storage room organization shelves! (Key word here, SHELVES!)
See for yourself! It should be noted, I’m embarrassed to share these pictures. I thought I had a fare amount of storage room organization happening here. Everything was in a labeled bin. Each of the bins were stacked in groups by holiday or other decor item. I knew where things were. Even so, it just wasn’t working!
At times I’d have to move multiple bins just to get in the one I needed. I’d inevitably end up knocking something over, breaking something, or getting hurt.
After years of this method I needed some help! This storage room organization (or lack thereof) needed one simple element…SHELVES!
Shelves for this room were clearly on the forefront of my mind when we built our home four years earlier. See this lovely pile of wood? We scavenged through the dumpster for these boards as our home was being built.
All of this was scrap or otherwise discarded by the builders and was being tossed out! Clearly, that wasn’t going to fly on my watch. In my mind, we’d already paid for this wood in the cost of our home, so it was technically ours anyway right? 😆
So, we made an arrangement with our superintendent, that allowed us to store all of this wood in the basement as the home was being built.
Even so, don’t ask why it took us nearly four years to finally get around to building these shelves! In the first, place we had the wood, I suppose we were lacking the time (at least we felt that way).
However, after building these in just one day, I kick myself for not getting it done sooner! They were quicker to build than I thought.
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Storage Room Organizational Shelves
Step 1: Measure & Plan
First we measured the space where we wanted the shelves to be. Next we sketched out a plan on paper. After visualizing the plan we were able to determine how many boards would be needed. Then we found enough 2×4’s in our scrap pile to get the job done!
Step 2: Measure & Cut
Finally we were able to get to work! All the boards were measured and cut at the same time. We used the chop saw for this and as a result, the building stage moved more smoothly and quickly.
Step 3: Assemble Shelves
The visual plan consisted of three shelves. Next my amazing Hubby gathered the pre-cut boards and was able to quickly construct the frames for the three shelves. At this time he pre-drilled a pilot hole with the cordless drill, then attached them together with 3″ wood screws. The remaining boards in the second picture were to be used for the upright legs of the shelves.
Step 4: Placement of shelves
After deciding the distance we wanted between each shelf we were able to mark their position on the upright boards. To do this we lined up each of the four boards and firmly held them together. Then we were able to easily mark all four boards at the same time by drawing a straight line using a speed square. This step was repeated for each of the three shelf heights.
PRO TIP: To determine the appropriate distance between the shelves, measure the height of the storage bin and add a couple inches on. This will allow you to easily remove and replace each bin while maximizing space!
Step 5: Mount Shelves Legs
Lay down the upright boards that will be the back legs of the shelves. Next, line up each of the shelf frames where the marks for shelf placement are and secure each into place using 3″ wood screws.
At this time, repeat this step on the right side back leg board. Now the back upright boards are securely in place. Then repeat this process to attach the front upright boards to the shelves.
Step 6: Attaching to Wall
Once the shelving unit had all of the legs attached, the storage room organization shelves were placed in an upright position and moved into place against the wall.
At this point we were able to easily secure the back horizontal boards to the studs of the wall.
Although, we implemented our thrifty measures by using our salvaged dumpster wood, we did need to buy a couple sheets of plywood for the shelf tops. But overall this was a pretty inexpensive way to add some much needed organization to this space!
Step 7: Attaching Shelves to Shelf Frame
Measure and cut each of the plywood sheets to size. A table saw works great for this, or you can have these cut to size at your local hardware store. Last but not least, lay down each of the plywood sheets for the shelf tops, then secure each into the 2×4’s below using wood screws. Screws were placed in each of the four corners as well as a few along each of the four sides of the shelf.
Finally the storage room organization shelves are finished! Overall it was a pretty basic design which allowed for simple and fairly quick assembly!
Awe…just look at that order! Now I can easily get into any bin I need without having to worry about other bins toppling over and creating a bigger mess!
These shelves have to be one of my top favorite finished projects in our home! Even though our storage room continues to be the dumping ground, it’s much easier to maintain order and cleanliness, not to mention (again) how much easier it is to access any bin I need! It’s amazing how much more storage space we now have simply because we have shelves!
Storage Room Organizational Shelves Step 8: Organizing
I decided to buy new bins for all of our stuff. Even though it was completely functional as it was, having matching bins creates a more unified and orderly appearance. Clear bins also makes it more convenient to see exactly what’s in each bin.
Then if I ever need to dig into any of the multiple home decor bins for example, I can quickly see what is in each bin, instead of opening each of them to find the right one.
I chose the Sterilite Latch Box bins. Not only are they nice and sturdy, but I also found them to be more affordable than other options. In addition, they are a little more perpendicular on the sides rather than angled. This allows more storage space in each bin.
Labeling is also a must! Even though the bins are clear, which allows you to see what’s inside, it’s helpful to label each bin to help maintain order.
Not only will this allow you to keep all like bins together, but if you ever send your kiddos downstairs to grab something from a bin, you can easily tell them which bin to look in. The labels don’t need to be anything too fancy.
I simply printed each label on a piece of paper and secured into place with tape.
We hope you found this tutorial helpful in getting started on your own storage room shelves! You’ll feel so much more at peace with order and organization! It will make you wonder how you ever got by without this order before!
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And as always here at Sunny Side Design
WE HOPE TO BRING YOUR HOME TO THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET!
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