Storing things

Someone recently asked me where I put everything. The challenge with having a large property is to not fill it to the brim with stuff.

I tend to organize by categories. Some people organize alphabetically or by color or project. But it’s easier for me to focus on the object~~looking for scissors? Go to the scissor drawer vs. scissors could be with the sewing stuff or craft supplies or junk drawer.

Since I just finished putting all holiday decorations away, I thought I would show you where I store them.

Basements are rare in Arizona. Basements are common back east, but for some reason, it is unique to have one here. Ours is not a full basement, but a partial one below the dining room, butler’s pantry, kitchen and breakfast room.

Our basement is comprised of three rooms~~the wine cellar (see post here), the Christmas storage room and a center room between the two. We refer to it as the Christmas Room, however, it also serves as a utility room, where we have our water heaters, reverse osmosis water system and a heating/AC unit.

Years ago, I painted the concrete floor large with checkerboard pattern of cheerful red and green with gold squares. Placing the pattern on a diagonal makes the room feel bigger. Even though there are 3 transom-like windows in this room, the northern exposure doesn’t allow for much natural light. Fluorescent ceiling lights are the reason for the sub-par photos.

Since this room has flooded in the past (burst water heater), everything is on rolling racks or above the ground. The walls are the original plaster or brick. When you first walk in the door, you see this.

There are 6 rolling racks filled with tubs of holiday decorations. These are stacked against each other and are easily moved when I need to access the boxes.

*Note: I purchased these rolling racks from Costco and quickly assembled them. I wish I had considered the size of the tubs prior to installing the shelves. I also wish I had been consistent in the tub size since some tubs don’t easily fit on the shelves.

On the adjacent wall is a single rolling rack. Here I store kitchen items that I don’t use every day~~bundt pans, large roasting pan, cake molds, apple peelers, bread machine, ice cream machine, pressure cooker, etc.

Though the main gift wrapping area is in our mudroom, I keep extra supplies of tissue paper, bags and tags here.

On another wall, there is a wooden book shelf that holds signed cookbooks, large stock pots, small electrical appliances, and oversized trays.

All my Christmas artwork is stored in large moving boxes on a platform nearby. Since the basement temperatures tend to be cooler than the garage or barn, most of our cherished Christmas items are safely stored here.

I hope to share more storage ideas with you. I am always inspired when I see someone’s organizational style or skill. Please feel free to send me any tips you have!