Last week I told you I'd reveal some "secret" storage tips from my Dining Cabinet makeover.
- Plate Holders
- Hidden Storage
- Maximizing Vertical Space
Did you guess what any of them were? I'll give you some hints...
Plate Holders
The hutch did not have a groove near the back of the shelf for displaying plates, so I had to get creative.
These are Clear Command Clips that I typically use for holding cords in place behind furniture.
I used two clips for each plate that leans against the back of the hutch, one clip on each side at the base of the plate. Once the clips were in place, I wiggled the plates around to ensure that they wouldn't move easily and then sat some dishes in front of the plate to conceal the clips.
Hidden Storage
I love this painting that you see in both the before & after shots of my hutch. It was a yard sale find, painted by the homeowner, for $10. I think it made her day that I liked it and wanted it for my home.
The colors are just perfect for this room, and I love the raw edges of the canvas.
Of course, Mike thinks hanging a picture in front of a shelf is pretty odd. And I can understand, because you do typically want to be able to access the items on the shelf. But I loved the way it looked with that cabinet and wanted to find a way to make it work.
So again, Command Hooks come to the rescue.
This hook works great because it can be removed and won't damage the shelf. It also makes it simple to remove the canvas and access any items behind it.
After I hung the canvas, I realized there was another bonus - concealed storage behind the art. See the open shelf space!
So even though this is open shelving, I still have some space to stick some not-so-pretty items.
Maximizing Vertical Space
The round wooden container sitting atop the hutch is working hard too.
Inside this circular box are all of our chargers.
Chargers have a larger diameter than plates (I promise this is going somewhere besides a geometry lesson). Since the diameter is so large, fitting them into shelves and onto cabinets is not always feasible.
Also, we don't have lots of fancy, schmancy dinners to use them at anyway. I wanted them out of the way but accessible. The top of the hutch actually has additional space, compared to the shelves, due to the trim and space to the wall. So the box sits up there securely and doesn't take up any valuable shelf space.
On another note, this wooden box was only $2 at a yard sale. No, I'm not missing any zeros. They had two of them and I bought both. Didn't even have to think about it. Sold.
If you are looking for more hidden storage ideas, check out Erica's post last week.
I'm sure there are even more creative ways to utilize the storage in our hutch. What smart organizing tips do you have?
Labels: Dining Room, DIY, Organization, Sunroom
