How HGTV's Hilary Farr Turns Dead Spaces Into Storage For A Clutter-Free Home

As important as it is to get rid of the things you don't use, you also need to have the right storage solutions in place because they help you to organize what you do want to keep. This is because even a room that doesn't have a lot of stuff can still feel cluttered if those items are strewn about the place, utterly disorganized. You can never have too much storage, which is why one decluttering tip HGTV star Hilary Farr has is to turn dead spaces into storage spaces.

A dead space refers to an area in a room that is left bare typically because nothing can fit into it or because it is in a location that's tricky to use. Note that this isn't necessarily the same as a white space, which is an empty space that's necessary in design in order to appreciate the spaces that are filled. For example, a white space is the empty wall space between a sofa and a bookshelf while a dead space is more like an awkwardly sized wall that's hard to decorate.

The space tucked under the staircase is one big example of dead space that's commonly transformed to meet a need in the home and this versatile area can be easily used for storage as well. Install open shelves or cabinets with doors based on how much space there is and the look you prefer, and you can store items like books, documents, toys, heirlooms, tools, extra sheets, and blankets there. Tall walls and high ceilings in places like the bedroom, laundry room, and garage can also be used for storage. You can transform the space with floating shelves or other storage solutions like narrow ladder shelves and overhead ceiling racks based on what the best fit is.

During an episode of "Love It Or List It," co-host Hilary Farr even took advantage of the small space underneath a window in the living room. She placed a small, two-tier side table that could hold throw pillows and blankets on the bottom and then some simple decorations on the top. This approach demonstrates how easy it is to add extra storage in your home. Attics are another great example. You can get shelves fitted for the space or just place storage bins there instead. Bear in mind that not everything can or should be stored in the attic, though. Fragile and delicate items like paint, chemical products, leather items, and art pieces won't hold up well in that atmosphere.

When figuring out storage solutions for a dead space, you'll need to use the most versatile and creative solutions possible. In a hallway or entryway, for example, the main challenge is often space itself so you'll need narrow cabinets or shelves that take up more vertical than horizontal space. A good example of this is the $150 IKEA STÄLL shoe cabinet, which saves a lot of floor space by standing flush against the wall. You should also consider corner shelves and multipurpose racks that combine different types of storage. We like this $200 hall tree from Amazon because it has drawers, hanging hooks, shelves, a shoe rack, and a bench.

This is especially useful in the entry hallway to your home, where coats, shoes, scarves, keys, etc. tend to accumulate over time primarily due to laziness. Furthermore, if you find that a certain area can be a lot more than a storage space, do even more with that dead space and make it into an extra room. The attic can be made into a home theater or a playroom while the space under the stairs can be turned into a reading nook or even a mini office, always with the appropriate, smarter storage solutions included so you can declutter with ease.