5 Things People Regret Not Making Space for in Renovations

Planning a home renovation is no easy feat. With countless decisions to make and endless inspiration to sift through, it can be easy to find yourself feeling overwhelmed and thus more liable to fall for silly mistakes. And, so often, our home storage is the first place we slip up.

It may not feel like the most crucial aspect of your design, overshadowed by the other, more glamorous features, but in reality, good home storage is the backbone of a well-designed home. You can spend as much time as you like designing the most flawless, luxurious home, but without the proper storage space, you’ll struggle to make it look like anything other than a cluttered mess. Storage goes far beyond your kitchen cabinets and bedroom wardrobes; it should be a consistent aspect across your entire home, with different storage solutions woven into every room.

If this is all making you feel even more overwhelmed than you were to start with, it may be time to take some notes from our experts. They’ve told us the five storage mistakes they see the most often in home renovation projects, so you know exactly what to avoid in your own home.

1. Space For Necessities

a laundry room with dog beds built in — For pet-owners, try to plot out a section of storage to dedicate solely to your four-legged friends.

So often, when designing a new home, people get too distracted by the lives they want to lead that they forget about the ones they actually live. Thinking about boring practicalities can feel like a dampener on the creative process of a renovation, but in doing this, you run the risk of leaving yourself with a home with no space to store the things you really need. Which, in turn, will result in a cluttered mess of a house.

This is something Kevin Kaminski and Alexis Pew, of Kaminski + Pew, have encountered a fair few times in their time as interior designers. “When we start a design project, people often get carried away trying to maximize every square inch but quickly forget about all of the ‘stuff’: skis, strollers, golf clubs, holiday decorations, cleaning supplies, and more.” These seemingly insignificant bits will end up adding up pretty quickly, and without the dedicated space to store them, they’ll end up spilling out into your entryway and hallways, cluttering up your space.

While there’s an element of the personal regarding what items get left behind, there are a few common culprits that pop up time and time again. “The most common things people forget when planning for storage are dedicated spaces for cleaning tools — including brooms, mops, and vacuums, as well as pet-related items like dog bowls, beds, and crates,” shares Catherine Balding, from Balding Design Build.

Considering how dedicated people are to their pups, you’d be shocked at the lack of consideration for pet-friendly interior design when renovating.

To prevent this, take a thorough inventory of your possessions before renovating, and try to find a way to account for all these items within your final design. “We always make sure there’s dedicated space for the trash cans, bikes, and cleaning supplies,” says Kevin and Alexis, “It’s not the sexiest part of the design, but it’s critical for stress-free living.”

Kevin Kaminski and Alexis Pew

Husband and wife design duo, Alexis and Kevin, set up their own studio, Kaminski + Pew, bringing together their backgrounds in architecture and interior design to create beautiful, custom designs across Philadelphia.

2. A Dedicated Mudroom

a modern mud room design — Just because they are practical doesn’t mean they can’t also be stylish, this checkerboard tiled mudroom with wooden cabinets feels elevated and chic.

“The year-round functionality of a mudroom is often overlooked for the everyday practicality, and aesthetic is prioritized over real-life necessity,” argues Leah Hook, founder of Gray Oak Studio.

For homes with the luxury of space, a dedicated mudroom can be one of the most beneficial additions you can make, providing you with an entire room with the sole purpose of storing your everyday essentials, meaning the rest of your house can remain clutter-free.

As the name suggests, these spaces are perfect for keeping mud-soaked shoes off your lovely tiled kitchen floors, but their responsibilities stretch far beyond that, often acting as home to “homework piles, dog leashes, and sports equipment for some families, plus the accoutrements, like picnic blankets and umbrellas,” lists Leah.

“One room is burdened with so much. A well-designed mudroom should have a balance of open storage and hidden storage, such as a row of hooks for today’s coat and the closet for next season’s coat. The basket under a bench for the chosen shoes that suit this week’s weather, and the cubbies in a tall cabinet for the other nine months of rain boots and cleats,” she says.

So long as you have the space for it, a mudroom is a room every home could benefit from having.

3. Room For Memories

Bright narrow living room in a townhouse with shelves and a glossy green painted arch — A mix of open and closed storage can work well for storing sentimental pieces.

One thing very few of us account for when planning our home storage is all the things we hold on to solely for sentimental reasons. There may be an element of denial behind this, refusing to admit to yourself just how many old letters and children’s artworks you have kept hidden away for a rainy day. But there’s nothing wrong with holding on to things for the memories, so long as you plan out a place to store these memories in your home.

Many people may think of a renovation as a time for a complete declutter challenge, and will include these sentimental items in the list of things that need to go, but as Gail Bignell from Sharps says, “Children’s artwork, memory boxes, old photographs and clothes they are not ready to part with may not be used every day, but that does not make them clutter, and a renovation is the right time to decide where those belongings should live rather than designing storage only around what needs to be reached each morning.”

Instead of forcing yourself to part with things you aren’t necessarily ready to say goodbye to, include these items in your home organization planning from the start. “It is worth creating a proper place for the things people keep because they mean something. Memory boxes, photographs, and children’s artwork often end up mixed in with everyday belongings, simply because nowhere has been planned for them,” says Gail. “The internal layout should allow for the actual size of those boxes, with enough depth and a shelf position that keeps them protected without taking up the most accessible storage.”

4. Clutter Clearance

entryway storage with big built in cabinets and a bench within — Plenty of closed, easily accessible storage in your entryway is the best way to protect yourself against clutter build-up.

“One of the most useful things to plan for is the belongings that never seem to have a permanent home,” says Gail. This can look slightly different from home to home, but it will be present in some form nonetheless. “School bags are left by the door, clothes that have been worn once are collected on a chair, and parcels waiting to be returned move around the house.” The problem with items of this nature is that they’ll typically be needed again by the next day, so putting them away completely can feel redundant. However, this means they’ll often end up living out in plain sight at all times.

This is exactly why so many designers swear by adding a drop station to every home. As the name suggests, this is a place designed to hold all those everyday items that quickly turn into clutter. In most cases, this will end up occurring naturally, typically on the counter of an entryway table, or confined to one single junk drawer. “Every family has one, whether they plan it or not. It’s where keys, backpacks, shoes, sunglasses, and Amazon boxes magically appear,” agrees Alexis Vitale, from Vitale Design. The key is, however, bringing intention into this inevitable storage space: “Design it on purpose instead of pretending it won’t happen,” says Alexis. “We all know it does, so really be practical. Old habits are hard to break without a plan.”

The entryway is the most logical place to create this zone. “There’s so much that is carried into the first point of entry into the home: packages, mail, and handbags, to name a few,” says Leah. “In the same way that I love diverse storage for the classics — coats, shoes, and backpacks —I love diverse storage for the smaller, everyday items. A drawer for keys and wallets, a basket for sunblock, or a shelf for sunglasses. I also love a bonus outlet in a tall cabinet or closet to plug in a vacuum.” It’s these little extras that can ensure your space looks well-kept at all times.

Alexis Vitale

From concept to creation, Alexis works closely with her clients at every step of the process, ensuring each and every home she designs feels truly reflective of the people living within it. Her approach is all about following her clients lead, leaving them with a home that feels super personal.

5. The Hidden Things

A woody hotel lobby with curated collectibles on shelves, warm lighting, red moroccan rugs, velvety furniture, and beige curtains. — Keep your open shelves solely for stylish, decor pieces, and hide the rest of your essentials in your closed storage.

In the debate of open vs closed shelving and storage, people will often position open shelving as the more design-y, chic choice. And while it certainly has its benefits, if you go too hard on the open storage, you may end up regretting it.

The problem is, you likely only have so much practical and stylish shelf decor to display, and much of the rest of your necessities would likely be better hidden away, rather than on full view. “At times, people can overestimate the amount of open storage that will work for them, and there becomes a pressure to acquire and fill space with objects they either don’t own yet, or are just placing because a space exists,” comments interior designer Mindy Kelson O’Connor.

Opting for a good mix of open shelving and closed cabinetry is usually the best course of action, offering you enough space to hide away all those ugly necessities, so you’re left only with your most chic items to display.

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Before you even begin thinking about your renovation plans, make sure you set a week aside for a full, deep declutter of your home. If you don’t know where to begin, though, these Japanese decluttering methods are a great starting point. And for more ideas and inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter.