The Lure of Storage

I’ll admit that on many occasions I have been convinced that storage would be the answer to all my problems.  Well, maybe not all my problems, but those that relate to the mess and chaos in my home.  If only I had more storage everything would be organised, tidy, ordered – things would be so much simpler.  A place for everything, and everything in its place.

It seems surprising, but it really didn't occur to me that removing some of the excess might be a better solution.  When struggling to maintain some order over all those possessions, how can adding more items help?  Drawer units, cupboards, chests, boxes, crates… whatever form the storage takes, it is using up valuable space in our homes.  It also becomes something else to maintain.

In my experience having more storage doesn't very often solve the problem either.  It starts off well – contents neatly positioned and tidy.  Then, over time, those neat ordered contents seem to breed and throw a messy old party in there!  (Tell me it’s not just me!)  I've found that no matter how much storage I have, I manage to fill it to bursting anyway.  We spread to fill (and overflow!) the space we have.

I'm not saying that we don’t need storage, but that we should get to the crux of the problem before running out for more.  If we donate, throw out, or sell some of the items that we don’t even use, then we might find that we've got more than enough storage already and that it’s a lot easier to keep things organised.

I still believe that you should have a place for everything, and everything in its place.  However, that’s a lot simpler to maintain if you have less clutter and junk to find a place for.  Before defaulting to ‘more storage’, I try to think it through first.  What am I trying to store?  Do I use it?  Do I need it?  Is there another option?

There is no reason not to keep hold of the things you love, use, enjoy.  The important thing is making space for them by removing those items you don’t.