Maximising The Use Of Space With Sliding Partitions

 

Modern living can often seem overcrowded, cluttered and on occasion downright messy, and we all seem to accumulate a lot of ‘stuff’ over time. Unfortunately that stuff can all too quickly become a blight on our lives if we let it get out of hand. That is until we take control of the situation and find a place for that stuff other than the living room floor or an overflowing cupboard. There’s only so many times you can do the ‘open, stuff, close really quickly whilst holding everything in with one hand but without trapping your arm in the door’ routine before the ‘bits and bobs’ cupboard turns into a Tsunami waiting to happen.

Shelving is a simple yet incredibly effective solution for tidying up your life, organising your stuff and reclaiming your space. Here are just a few ways that shelves can be used to your advantage.

Bookshelves

E-books may be on the rise, but for many people they still can’t replace the sense of satisfaction that comes from owning an actual library of real books. Bookshelves aren’t just a way of keeping your books tidy in a corner of the room. They can also turn into a feature and a way of displaying your much-loved hardbacks and paperbacks. In addition to making individual volumes easier to find, particularly useful for reference books, bookcases can add a touch of sophistication to a room.

Shelving for DVDs/ Blu-rays

If you’re a movie buff then you’ve undoubtedly accumulated an extensive collection of DVDs and/or Blu-rays (and perhaps even a dusty assortment of VHS tapes). A shelving unit or a number of independent shelves is a far better way of storing these than in a box or a pile on the floor. Aside from helping to keep the cases in prime condition, shelving your film collection makes it far easier to browse when you feel like watching something but you’re not quite sure what.

Entertainment unit

The modern living room is as much a place for electronic entertainment as it is for sitting with a nice cup of tea. Specially built shelving can be used to tidily house all your devices in one place, from your widescreen TV and your hi-fi to your wireless router and your iPad.

Ornamental display

Shelving doesn’t just have to be for storage, it can be a means of displaying the things that are important to you and keeping them on show. For some this might be a collection of ornamental figurines or mugs, while others might like to dedicate a shelf for trophies or awards. Of course you could just add some flavour to your room by displaying a range of photographs and other objects. Don’t go for ‘generic’ shelves, though. There’s no reason why your shelves can’t become a feature in themselves, so look for unusual, quirky or bespoke designs available from specialist suppliers.

Kitchen tidy

If you’re a keen foodie then you’ve undoubtedly got a bewildering array of sauces, oils, herbs, spices and other elements of culinary creation. Dedicating a number of shelves to them will make it easier to find what you’re looking for next time you’re knocking together a curry or preparing a stew. It will also make it more convenient to keep track of expiration dates.

About the author – Paul S. Sutton is a freelance writer who is always on the lookout for elegant solutions for modern living and often uses www.shelfstore.co.uk for research. He tried making his own shelves once. Only once, though…