Hasta La Ideas

No matter how few possessions a person has, there are always things we want to keep that we don’t want out on display. Underwear, out-of-season coats and jackets, not-current holiday decorations, cleaning supplies, and Band-aids instantly come to mind as things I don’t really want other people to see when they come into my home.

The items you decide to store should be well labeled and organized for simple and efficient retrieval. Additionally, the items should be reasonably protected so that they aren’t damaged or destroyed in the storage process. I’m also of the opinion that stored objects should be the exception, not the rule — meaning that very little of what you own should be stored out of sight in your home. Many people use storage as a way to ignore clutter, and experience has taught me that ignoring clutter doesn’t make it go away.

The company Hollinger Metal Edge has recently won my favor because of their vast supply of detailed and quality storage solutions. Whether you need a long-term storage solution for photographic slides or comic books, you can find it here. The storage supplies are predominantly archival grade, which helps to protect you materials, and usually has an area designated for labeling. (In the “troubling” and “bizarre” realm, they even have storage solutions for human remains. I’m really hoping these are only purchased by archeologists and scientists.)

What are you currently storing? Is it labeled and organized? Are you storing clutter in hopes that it magically disappears? Is what you’re storing contained in such a way as to best protect it for the future? Are you monitoring the quality of your storage space? What steps can you take to ensure that your storage areas are clutter free and the items you have in storage are protected and organized?