Tuesday's Tip

Vertical storage is a divine gift. It just takes a little thought reordering to put it to practical use! I have come to believe mightily in getting things off of horizontal surfaces as much as possible. The temptation to stack, the collection of dust, and the ongoing need to create more horizontal (read table, desk, bookshelf) space is never ending. The solution? Hang it on the wall.

Hooks (for those of you who have been with me for a while know my already obsessive passion for hooks) are an incredible invention. Keys, towels, purses, jackets, backscratchers, backpacks, bathrobes, and aprons are a start for what can be managed with hooks. Towel bars take up a lot more space, and require you to fold your towels in order to utilize the space for more than one bath towel. Hooks allow your towels to dry without being folded, and you can hang several in the space it would take to position one towel bar. And don't just think of standard hooks, but dual sided screws make using cute drawer pulls another option for this space saving technique.

Baskets are another useful device, especially when hung - and not just for decoration. Incoming mail can be dropped in a basket hung by the office door rather than collecting in a heaping stack on the kitchen counter. Another basket hung on the wall above your desk can hold sorted bills awaiting payment. A large basket hung on the wall in the bathroom can covertly hide hair dyers, curling irons, and brushes, freeing up drawer space. Baskets come in more than just woven woods, including canvas and metal.

Lastly, shelves (a nod to horizontal space) can be hung on the wall in specific locations where a few containers are needed without an entire bookshelf. A small shelf hung right inside the front door can be a home for wallet and change that's' above the reach of little fingers. A floating glass shelf can show off a ceramic, house a collection of small knick-knacks, or hold a bud vase with a sprig of seasonal blooms without cluttering your coffee table!