If you find yourself constantly searching for
places to put things or have many items that seem to have no home, a storage
renovation just might be in order.

Don’t feel guilty about being overwhelmed with belongings. Some homes
don’t include unfinished attics, basements, or garages you can devote
to storage space. Open-plan living has eliminated hallways and walls that
were once used for closets, shelves, or cabinets. We also seem to have
more belongings than earlier generations and less time to organize and
sort through them. It all adds up to more stuff and fewer places to stash
it.

Never fear. Storage help is on the way. The solution could be as simple
as putting up a few hooks and shelves. Or you might decide to add a more
complex built-in unit or an entire mudroom.

Interior designers suggest planning for more storage than you think you’ll
need. Heed their advice. New closets and bookcases may start off with
room to spare, but that extra space disappears amazingly fast!

It’s also important to take a good, honest look at yourself as well
as the other members of your household. Are you a shopaholic with an overflowing
bedroom closet, a sports enthusiast with lots of equipment, or a bibliophile
with piles of books and no place to put them? Are you good at paring down
your stuff, or do you tend to hang onto mementos like your old term papers?

If you feel overwhelmed by your possessions and want to change your habits,
there are plenty of books, as well as organizational consultants, with
sound advice. Otherwise, realistically assess your style and plan on storage
that will accommodate your needs.