Storage solutions to get your home more organised

From the Resene decorating blog

A place for everything and everything in its place – well, that’s the goal. Unfortunately, it’s easy, when life gets busy, to drop the ball and before you know it, you can’t find that all-important school notice, favourite handbag or much-needed warm jacket.

No matter how many people live in your household, it’s helpful to be organised in order to stay on top of things. It means you’ll know where your car keys will be when you leave the house each day.

The beauty of using paint to be organised is that it’s fun. Brenda Ngatai, colour consultant with Resene says Resene FX Chalkboard Paint is a vibrant way to keep track of storage and comes in a range of colours. “Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen also works perfectly with chalk to write on,” she says. Scribble away on mini blackboard labels or have a large chalkboard in your living area that everyone can read. “Make use of Resene testpots, which come in all Resene colours. They’re also great to paint with on smaller containers or wicker or seagrass woven boxes,” Brenda says. “It’s an inexpensive way to make a great difference.” Start in one room and you’ll get into the mindset of being organised. This should have a flow-on effect to other rooms!

Line a set of shelves with containers and write on the front what belongs in each. You may have an art cabinet for the kids. Categorise the items – paint, crayons, brushes, glue – in each container. It’ll make art time fun for the kids as they’ll know where to find what they need. Cleaning up time will be easier too, with everything having a home.

Laura Heynike, director of Pocketspace Interiors, has noticed a greater need for better organisation in the home after the global pandemic set in. More family members are spending more time at home, so we can’t be around clutter every day. “Getting your home organised has mattered even more now as working and schooling from home has made us realise how many things don’t have suitable places to go!” she says. With more of us working from home, our homes need to be kept tidy and organised to make life easy for each other. “Use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen to easily transform old wooden boxes or crates into storage,” she says. By adding wheels, you can move them around easily and slide them into unused spaces.

“The ideal spaces for colour coding are your home office and children’s toy area,” Laura says. “Allow your children to pick out colours that they like – it may encourage them to put away their toys!” Laura also recommends using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen: “The surfaces are wipeable and durable, which are two functional must-haves when re-organising. If your pantry gets a bit out of hand, a great way to tidy the clutter is by labelling wire baskets or boxes with Resene FX Chalkboard Paint. That way if you rearrange and need the box for something else, you can wipe away and start again! Labelling containers is also ideal for linen cupboards or your garage, labelling tools or tracing your favourite garden tool with chalkboard paint.”

Colour coding can tie in with your home’s décor too. Think beautiful coat hooks in the hallway in royal blue and mustard, perfect set against a dusky blue backdrop. “If you have kids who hurl school bags and shoes in different directions when they get home, make them a storage area with personalised colours,” says Penny Fussell, interior designer at Home Creative. “You can also colour code wooden crates for shoes, get some metal hooks and paint them up in a different colour to match and a little personalised name tag for each child. Kids will be more interested in using a storage space if they have ownership over it.”

If your walls are pale neutral, paint shapes in bold colours on top. From here you can layer shelves in similar hues.

In your living area, colour a different cupboard door for each family member. Here they can keep their schoolbags, homework and other daily necessities, knowing where to find things and return things each day.

When it comes to children’s rooms consider colour coordinating Lego. Paint containers in the colour of the Lego pieces that will be kept in each box. Display their books in beautifully painted shelves on their bedroom walls. Have fun with a set of drawers in their bedrooms, painting a picture onto the face of the drawers themselves. Paint an old crate a beautiful hue, install wheels on the bottom to easily keep books and toys hidden away inside and rolled out whenever suits. Outdoors, paint a large wooden box with a lid and use it as a place to store tennis racquets, balls and skipping ropes.

Apply a gorgeous colour to the utility area of your home, making it an attractive feature where kids will know they’ll find their jackets, gumboots and hats. Paint a ladder in a hue that will tie in with your décor and use it as a towel rack in your bathroom. In your linen cupboard, use painted baskets with clothes for each family member. It’ll encourage them to put their clothes away themselves.

Many of these storage ideas don’t just serve a practical purpose – they can be presented in a fun-loving, welcoming way that ultimately enhances your home.

October 31, 2020

For help getting started with your decorating project, ask a Resene expert at your local Resene ColorShop or on the Resene website with the free Resene Ask a Colour Expert service or the free Resene Ask a Tech Expert service.

Book a colour consult | Ask a Colour Expert | Ask a Paint Expert

Resene's decorating blog

Paint your home beautiful! Discover the latest decorating trends, tips and colour news.