At this time of year, and with the build up to spring cleaning season just around the corner, many people seek to revamp their home’s décor and tidy the clutter that collects over time in a busy household.

There are several ‘quick fixes’, with cheap plastic tubs and boxes readily available, but often these solutions can leave a lot to be desired from an aesthetic viewpoint. Many people exhibit the tendency to decorate their homes to a beautiful standard but then fall short of completing the look by smattering unsightly plastic boxes around their home. Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with these practical solutions, the difference that can be made by integrating storage into décor can be significant. Below is a selection of storage solutions that break free of the common storage conventions we succumb to, perhaps unconsciously, on a daily basis.

It is easy to lose the use of a drawer or two in a wardrobe through storing your bed linens or towels. Sometimes the lesser used items may sit unused at the bottom of the drawers for months. A great way of freeing up space in regularly used places is to use multifunctional trunks and chests to store these items, and gain a practical bonus from a décor enhancing addition.

This rattan storage trunk, perfectly proportioned to sit at the end of a bed, is a great example of how storage can become a feature. Its sizable volume has the potential to hold the surplus and seldom used in your drawers and then some! Imagine freeing up your chest of drawers from all the bulky winter clothing during the warmer months. Pieces such as this come with an added multifunctional element in that their flat lid can be used as a table like surface. In this way trunks can also intermittently become seating or coffee tables. This piece is fashioned from Rattan, a material of Indonesian origin that is made by interweaving palm fronds. This material possesses a surprising amount of strength, and certainly enough to support a sitting person’s weight.

This chest is a solid piece with a Chinese influence, and features distressed brass-work that is designed to connote an air of authenticity and age – especially when combined with the weathered woodwork. Again, we see a multifunctional piece that combines attractive aesthetics with practicality to form a useful and beautiful object. The distressing of this chest, as well as its striking colour, makes it an item of interest and certainly a potential focal point in a room. In this way we see storage providing crucial input into a room’s décor, rather than dominating it because of its incongruity.

Fashioned from reclaimed wood, this trunk is similar to the above but with a more rustic styling. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it would look out of place in a contemporary décor, as its intriguing construction and clean lines could easily add an element of whimsy to such themes. In this sense, the piece is incredibly versatile, but its versatility is also notable in a functional sense. There are a plethora of potential uses for such an item, whether it is as a sofa-side table for storing magazines, snacks and the like or perhaps as hallway storage for items such as shoes. Due to its smaller nature, three of these items can be used as a feature in a stacked pyramid in an otherwise plain corner, contributing to a homely atmosphere and an effective décor.

In the same way that shelving can add precious storage space to a room, cupboards can offer a similar degree of storage space but with the added bonus of being covered. This leaves the items inside protected from the dust that may collect on a shelving unit, as well as providing a shield from harsh sunlight, which can discolour some materials. Due to their bulky profile, cupboards and dressers can have a dominating presence within a room and on its décor, which should be utilised instead of being shied away from.

Storage can be more than just a practical solution – it can be a valid and valued addition to your home’s look and feel. Implementing some attractive storage solutions in your home can also allow you to reorganise what is and isn’t on show in terms of ornaments and clutter. This allows you to pick and choose the objects that you feel contribute to you décor and tidy away the superfluous details.

This post was written on behalf of OKA Direct by Matt Chappell. Matt regularly blogs about interior design and furniture, recently his main interest has been traditional furniture construction techniques.