Why storage is the key to great design....

Whatever stage of life you find yourself in, storage or rather clever storage is important in every home. Storage expert and author of ‘Making Your Small Home Bigger’ by Lu Wei believes in the 2:8 concept. Which in layman’s terms means putting 80% of your belongings out of view and leaving a select 20% on show. This maybe a bit much for a lot of people, the key idea is to have intuitive and easily accessible storage dotted around your house. Nothing annoys me more as an interior designer than a poorly designed home with a lack of storage. Every home, whether you live alone or have six kids, should have some form of storage as you enter your house. Whether it be a built-in closet or a row of hooks, you need to by able to hang up coats, hats, umbrellas etc and store away shoes. Storage should then be placed strategically around the home perfectly close to the flow of traffic. Avoid open storage in direct eye line (particularly if you have kids) and if you opt for closed storage, make sure it’s functional. We often find that drawers are more handy than cupboards, so you can see the items inside clearly. Invisible storage solutions are also brilliant in any house. For example an ottoman with hidden storage for blankets and pillows is wonderful multi-functioning piece of furniture. Nowadays many sofas and beds also have hatches to store bedding or sheets. Last but not least, you can easily incorporate storage in furniture selection. Statement shelves or a vintage sideboard can be not only functional, but also fit with your interior decor too.