One of the best things about having your own custom home built is that you have the flexibility to amend the floor plans and layout to suit your unique needs. Many homeowners are looking for more storage space, whether it be for off-season clothing or hobby gear. When you have a custom home built, you can incorporate extra storage space from the get-go, so you're never left searching for an extra corner or shelf.
There are so many ways to incorporate extra storage space into your custom home plans. Here are some ideas for both hidden and exposed storage.
Specialized Closet Systems
Instead of building a closet that's just an empty box with a few shelves, consider including a specialized closet system in your custom home plans. Put a system of drawers along one wall, open shelves along the tops of the walls, and a few hanging bars within recesses in the walls. When summer hits Nashville, you can stash your warmer clothing away in the drawers, where it's out of sight, and keep your more seasonally appropriate pieces on the shelves and racks. When winter comes again, you can swap the clothing.
You will fit a lot more into a closet that's designed with organization in mind. Plus, you won't have to spend a fortune on totes, boxes, and roll-away clothing racks.
Storage Under the Stairs
The space underneath stairways is often wasted, but in your custom home plans, you can make use of this area as storage space. If you need more open storage for items like books or collectibles, you can have a series of floating shelves installed on the wall underneath the stairway. If you prefer closed storage to keep things out of sight, have the area walled off and design a little door for access. This type of hidden storage area is perfect for items like camping gear and hiking equipment, which you want to have on hand but don't really want to display.
Recessed Cabinets
Do you wish your kitchen had more cabinet space, though you don't want to sacrifice floor space for more storage? Recessed cabinets, which are built into the wall, are a great solution. The cabinet door sits flush with the wall, so your floor space is not reduced, and the storage space is created within your wall space -- between the wall joists. Recessed cabinets are generally shallow, but they work well for storing spices, extra kitchen gadgets, and the like.
A Loft
You can create a whole extra level of storage in a bedroom by including a loft in your custom home plans. This works incredibly well for a child's bedroom, especially. Place dressers, a shelving unit or two, or maybe even a chest up on the loft, and you have a convenient place to store off-season clothing without reducing the open floor space within the bedroom. Keep in mind that a loft does not have to be large. A small, 4 x 4-foot loft with a few stairs leading up the side looks modern and still adds a lot of storage area to your Nashville home.
Entryway Pull-Out Bins
The entryway is one area where you can never have enough storage for items like hats, gloves, and umbrellas. Instead of letting these items pile up messily on shelves, include a few pull-out bins in your custom home plans. These bins are like drawers built into the wall. Pull on a handle, and the bin slides out, allowing you to place anything you need to store inside.
Hidden In-Floor Storage
A compartment between the floor boards is the perfect hidden storage space for semi-valuable items. Your home builder can create a little box between two floor boards. You can access the box by pulling up on a "lid." Hide the compartment under a rug, and use it to stash items like your passport and financial documents. Nobody will know that it's there except for you!
Above-Cabinet Shelving
This idea works well in kitchens and bathrooms. Instead of having your cabinets built all of the way up to the ceiling, leave a foot or so of space between the cabinet and the ceiling. Have shelves installed in that space, and use them to store items you don't mind displaying, like extra dishes and your wine collection.
The beauty of designing your own custom home is that you can incorporate as many of these storage ideas as you wish. Create the home that suits your lifestyle and satisfies your dreams.