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This is the cheapest, simplest and most versatile storage. Check that the wall you want to put shelves on is sound and solid, and doesn’t have any pipes or cables hidden in it. Measure the weight and size of what you want to put on them. If the contents on your shelves are going to remain the same you won’t need adjustable shelving just brackets attached directly to the wall. Otherwise you’ll need wall mounted up rights, with tracks or lots of sockets for movable brackets. The heavier the load, the more supports you’ll need. Shelves come in a variety of materials and in standard widths to fit brackets. DIY shops will often cut them to any length you want. Light plastic drawers with their own runners can be fixed to the underside of a shelf. You can make your own shelving with planks supported on bricks arranged in double rows, 90 cm apart. Whitewood book shelves or stacking bins are other alternatives.

Freestanding Storage

Freestanding storage, like wardrobes and chests, tends to be less efficient than the built-in type. If you’re in rented accommodation, you’ll probably have to rely on it. Old tin and wicker trunks can be a godsend too. A basket by the kitchen door for slippers, a bag hanging on the back of a child’s door for dirty clothes, metal rails on castors a simple and inexpensive idea can often help. In an old cupboard with deep shelves that are wide apart, you could fix a narrow shelf between two old ones.

Building in

When you’re short of space in the bedroom or spare room perhaps it may be best to devote an entire wall to storage and have very little furniture. You will have to give careful consideration to the space needed. Decide what you’ve got to store and which type of doors would be best. Sliding doors save space but there will always be a section inside the cupboard that you can’t reach. Wide, hinged doors need a lot of clearance. Narrow, hinged doors will make it more expensive because you will need more of them. Hinged concertina doors will need a slightly deeper cupboard a fold into.

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