House Tour: Storage & Organization for a Small Home

Creative storage solutions keep this home organized and provide a place for everything. Collections, such as the homeowner's scores of colorful books, can be used as decorative elements while still staying organized with built-in shelves. A blue-gray and warm orange palette keeps the space visually cohesive and feeling fresh.

Open, organized space is a necessity for the homeowner, who runs a business from her home. The largest room in the house had been underused but was remade into a work space and family art room. The open area and windows provide a spacious and bright work area, and three large industrial tables allow enough room to spread out projects.

The work space gained an extra dimension when the closet's bifold doors were removed to create an office nook. Outfitted with a desk, file cabinet, and shelves, the space has been maximized to its full storage potential. Colorful containers provide decoration on the shelves and also help reduce clutter from building up on the desk.

In a home that's short on storage space, these white metal file drawers are staple organizational tools. The multiple-drawer cabinets are perfect places to stow away toys and media gadgets, and they work well for keeping art supplies organized in the office.

Once used as storage for office supplies in the work space, these shelves were repurposed in a toddler's room and now feature a rotating display of wooden toys, pinecones gathered on nature walks, and paintings made with artist parents. The hooks and open shelves make a growing collection of objects simple to display and keep organized.

On another wall in the bedroom, wooden cubbies are hung for displaying knickknack items. Colorful fabric swatches used as backing make bright accents against the wall. The boxes can be easily rearranged and added to over time.

In the dining room, a low shelf was converted into extra storage space by removing the sliding doors and mounting it on the wall. Perfect for children's books, this shelf also provides a ledge to display and organize objects without taking up floor space.

Rein in reading material with a stylish magazine rack. This little item is a big help in keeping areas that are short on space neatly organized. Compact enough for small spaces, this magazine rack conveniently fits on the ledge created by the wall shelf and helps keep floor space clear.

The house includes plenty of storage at a toddler's level so the homeowners' daughter can help tidy her own things. That includes the kitchen, where a low drawer designated for dishes has dividers to keep it organized. Her parents hope to teach her -- by example -- how easy it can be to keep things nice and neat.

Shelves in the kitchen provide easy access to dishes. And without having to arrange them inside a cupboard, organization is simple. An orange accent piece carries over the color scheme from the rest of the home and ties all the areas together.

Cozy nooks are all around the house. Storage space is maximized by using furniture with lots of drawers such as the white metal filing cabinet. A wicker basket doubles as decoration and storage. The nesting tables barely take up any space but can be perfect footrests or work space when pulled apart.

While big open spaces are important in the office, little nooks to cozy up in define the rest of the house. Bookcases serve as open dividers between rooms while still providing those comfy nooks with lots of shelf space for storage. Organizing books by color adds an interesting decorative touch.