WHETHER YOU’RE MOVING into a newly built home, embarking on a renovation, or just need to freshen up your space, one of the most important considerations in any home design is storage.
Storage can make or break a room and can completely determine the vibe you want to achieve – even more than almost any other feature.
First, you have to decide your personal storage style – are you an open shelf kind of person who will spend time curating a fabulous collection of obscure holiday finds and colour-coding your books? Or do you want a sleek Scandi vibe with everything hidden away behind a wall of clean birch panelling?
Are you a throw-everything-in-a-basket in a ‘my home floweth over’ sort of way? And just how do you incorporate all your child’s toys into the slick Californian cabin vibe you’ve been planning for months?
Spending a few hours on design sites should help you discern your personal storage style quickly: if your aversion to dust starts to make you feel itchy as you scroll through pictures of exposed shelving on Pinterest, that’s a strong sign you’ll want a closed-off option.
When it comes to storage, the Swedes know their stuff, which you’ll know if you’ve ever taken a trip to IKEA. The place is awash with shelving, wardrobes and drawer units of every shape and size.
We asked five of our favourite interior designers to tell us one storage solution they always go for when shopping for clients (or themselves) in the Swedish superstore.
1. BEKVAM kitchen trolley (€45); Anne Marie Hamill of Hamilton Interior Designs
“The BEKVAM kitchen trolley is my favourite little find. It can be used for additional storage in a smaller kitchen but has a dual function that it can double as additional worktop space. It also has the advantage that because it’s on wheels, it can be moved around and popped into any little corner. The birch is solid and hygienic, but a similar idea is available in chrome, stainless steel and grey.”
2. BESTA storage system (range of prices and sizes starting from €15); Carol-Anne Leyden of CA Design
“BESTA storage units are a brilliant storage solution which can be used in every room in the house and in lots of different ways – as a TV unit, shoe storage in a hallway, or even mounted to the wall as an alternative to a sideboard. They are available in lots of different colours and finishes and can be configured in so many different ways, making them a go-to for interior design projects.”
3. SVALNAS wall-mounted bamboo shelves (from €20); Eilish Rickard of Eilish Rickard Interiors
“I have lined my office walls with the SVALNAS wall-mounted bamboo shelves (from €20). This design is perfect for all my files, books and boxes of swatches. What I love about this shelving system is that you can keep adding on (and on, and on) and the shelves can be fitted at all different heights to suit you. I have plants and pieces of art dotted through my essential work items so it looks good and it’s perfectly functional.”
4. EKET cabinet combination with legs (€85); Cathy McGovern of Carrow Lane Designs
“I really like this EKET cabinet combination because it’s versatile, stylish and has options for different finishes and adding storage boxes. It can be used in pretty much any room in your home from the toy room to the bathroom. A smart modular design, it can easily be added to and moved around to suit the changing needs of your home. “
5. RISATORP baskets (€12); Carla Benedetti of Carla Benedetti Interiors
“These RISATORP baskets have a real Scandi vibe— just simple and stylish. They are equally as handy in a kitchen pantry for fruit or veg, a kid’s room to hold toys, or a hallway for shoes, keys and bits and bobs. I love the mix of birch and steel, and the simple bolt holding the two together — it’s just a great, stylish offering at Ikea’s unbeatable prices.”
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