In our last home, storage always felt like a puzzle well solved. Over time we had put our minds to organizing everything. We sorted and designated every thing that went into every drawer, cabinet, and shelf. Not only did I know where everything was (or could find it within minutes), but my husband, Matt could readily find most everything, too! Having a home this organized was a real luxury.
But in this new house, we aren't there yet. We're still figuring out the best place for these things and those things. Something is getting reassigned a spot fairly often. This is normal when moving to a new home. Every home is different and works differently. This is influenced by many things, namely layout and available storage.
Along with our focused reorganization of the previous home we also did a whole house hard purge. We got rid of 2,547 items! This fact alone meant that we not only fit nicely into the house we had, but there was room to spare!
Here is a glimpse from the previous house of the storage in the tiny master bathroom. This is actually how it looked on a daily basis. The three baskets held back up cosmetics for Matt, for me and for general use. If either of us needed something we just pulled the right basket.
Not only did the purge help tremendously with our move to the country, but something surprising happened: this house has even more storage. After letting go of more than three thousand items before the move, we found ourselves completely unpacked with empty drawers, shelves, and cabinets, left over! This is a very freeing feeling. We have options, and the things we store aren't crowded. And this, is a gift.
1. The Gift of Space
Extra space isn’t just practical; it feels light. I can open a cabinet and see bare wood. There’s no pressure to fill it, no lingering thought that something’s “missing.” I have no temptation to go shopping just to fill the space. Instead, the extra storage has given us mental space to think outside the "box" of the available storage.
The space I've focused on recently with excess storage, is in the master bedroom. For over eight years now Matt and I have worn capsule wardrobes year round. In our previous home we shared one small reach in closet, plus he had a small closet in the hall for his church clothes.
Here is the effect of the applying the capsule wardrobe method. The transformation from the fall/winter of 2017 to January of 2025 shows how our closets looked on a daily basis. My off season clothing is stored in those boxes you see on the upper shelves. Since we've maintained this minimal clothing lifestyle for so many years we both feel comfortable drastically rethinking the storage in our current bedroom.
To give you an idea of the storage in our new master suite, here is a photograph of the two larger reach-in closets.
Matt's clothes are stored on the left, and mine to the right. It has been wonderful to have the extra space to spread out and still have space left over! The cheap shelving unit is bowed and will have to be replaced at some point.
Here is a close-up of my side. This is my current winter capsule wardrobe and serves dressy occasions, like church, everyday routines, and casual outings. As you can see there is extra space, which if it were more efficiently laid out would hold my off season capsule wardrobe on some upper shelves.
Here are close-up shots of Matt's side. He has even more room and is able to keep both hampers on his side. His is really wonky!
Adjacent to the double closets is a massive floor-to-ceiling built-in storage unit with drawers and cabinets filling most of the wall.
But... in the entire built-in we are only using two drawers, one small cabinet, and this much of the large cabinets. The cloth bins are my off season capsule wardrobe, which if the closet were more efficiently shelved would easily fit there.
2. Rethinking Storage Altogether
With this new freedom of space, I’ve been asking different questions: "How do we want to live in this room? Does this configuration really serve us best? Is there a better use for this space vs bank after bank of drawers?" As we are rethinking the storage in this room, we are considering replacing the built-in with an English inspired wardrobe.
Photo credit: Pinterest
These wardrobes would be floor to ceiling, efficiently using the entire space, they would have the depth needed for hanging clothes, shelving for shoes, and off-season clothing. On the visual side, the gathered, printed fabric is a fabulous opportunity to add color and pattern. Once again, making a change like this is about knowing how you live.
"The English country house style has never been about perfection. It’s about living comfortably among the things you truly use and love."
3. Letting the Empty Spaces Stay
Still, we have also learned that it takes time to "learn" a new house and we don't plan to rush into a major remodel soon. Most likely, this project will be a ways down the road, but scheming along the way is helpful. Waiting, thinking, and research brings clarity. We have time to narrow down what matters to us the most. Another great benefit to rethinking the storage would be a better flow to the room as a whole. With two walls dedicated to built-in storage, and large picture windows on the other two walls, there is no option for bed placement except under a window... Our bed has been under a window for over ten years without a proper frame and headboard/foot board.
Via: Mark Anthony Fox
I would relish entering the grown-up world with a real bed frame and especially a pretty headboard! Or there's the lovely English half-tester that would beautifully frame a pretty headboard. This would be a fun DIY project!
4. The Beauty of Enough
Having more storage than we use feels like luxury, and it gives us options. It's nice to know, for now, there is more than enough room for everything and we have the option to change things up in the future according to what suits our family best. Moving gave us both less and more at once, fewer things, more breathing room. In this season, I’m learning that space itself can be a great mind clearer: uncluttered, quiet, and full of possibility.
"A home well appointed isn’t about how much we have, but how thoughtfully and efficiently it holds what we use."
Until next time, take care,
Rachel
