Timber & Textiles » Storage

5 Ways to Shop for a Gun Cabinet

Phil Riklis — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 05:10:08 +0000

Buying a gun cabinet can be a daunting task. There are so many different brands and models to chose from. They each have different features and add-ons. You can spend from $100 to$1000 on a cabinet that essentially does the same thing (holds your guns). So how do you shop for a gun cabinet?

First decide on what type of cabinet that you need and what features you are looking for. Are you storing just long guns or do you plan to store pistols in this cabinet also? How many guns will go into this cabinet? Do you want drawers, lights, locks, security systems?
By searching for Gun Cabinets on the internet, write down all the different gun cabinets for sale that you find and like the look of and meet your above criteria. Then use Google to search out customer reviews for each of those manufacturers and models. See what other people are saying about them that actually own that particular cabinet. Do they love it or hate it? Maybe they love it, except for one item. This is important to know about and decide if that affects your use. Cross off any cabinets on your list that get many negative reports.
Take your reduced list and Google each one of the products. Write down what retailers (both off and online) that sell these brands. If possible, note the price for each. You may find some that are only sold online. If this is your first gun cabinet, you should buy a unit that you can actually see and look at in person instead of online.
Visit the stores that have each of these gun cabinets if possible. Take a look at the construction. Does the cabinet look well made? Does it look the same size in person as it does on the internet (probably not). Will the color work in your home decor? You may find that some of the less expensive brands feel very shaky and flimsy when you open the door. This is a sign of a inferior product that you will probably be disappointed with.
Once you have narrowed your search to just a couple gun cabinets, go back onto the internet and again search down the best price for the model you want. Make your selection and pull the trigger (on the purchase).

Buying a gun cabinet can be intimidating unless you take it systematically and do your research.

Clean Up Clutter With A Shoe Storage Bench

Phil Riklis — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:58:58 +0000

A shoe storage bench smartly placed near a home‘s entrance may be an extremely useful piece of furniture to consider for your home. In addition to being practical, it allows you to neatly organize your footwear in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The benefits of selecting the most appropriate storage bench include quick access to your shoes and boots, a seating area to put on and remove footwear, and a way to reduce tracked-in dirt from being left on your flooring.

Whether shopping online or in a retail setting, there are numerous varieties of shoe benches to choose from. Many styles are composed of a simple bench with one or two racks beneath the seating area for shoe storage. Typically these racks have the capacity to hold from six to ten pairs of footwear. In addition to being economical and functional, they may also work as a complementary piece of home decor, depending upon which style or design you choose.

A variation on the aforementioned basic bench for storing shoes is what is referred to as a shoe shelf. This variety of bench also has a rack beneath the seat, but the shelves may be pulled out, making it easier to remove or replace them. This style of bench may make accessing your most-worn footwear even easier.

As opposed to housing your shoes on a type of rack, a cubby system may be the optimal choice for your particular entryway. These shoe storage models are usually between forty-two and sixty inches in length, and the price range is dependent upon the particulars acquainted with the bench, such as leather-padded seating, for example. Many of these varieties are composed of wood, with exposed cubbies, allowing you to see and retrieve your shoes at a glance.

If having your footwear visible is not particularly appealing, there are shoe storage benches with doors that may work well in your entryway. Many storage benches are fashioned with sliding doors, so as to keep the shoes out of view, but nearby. Be sure to look for styles where the doors are designed to slide to both sides, which will make storing and retrieving shoes as easy as possible. In addition, some models are equipped with little drawers that may be used to store additional items, such as scarves, gloves, or keys. As with the previously mentioned models, these useful benches are available with padded seating areas as well.

Another option for entryway storage includes a storage rack or bench with an attached coat rack. Often available in attractive wood finishes, these styles may have a seating area with a place to store footwear once the top is lifted. Along with hooks to hang up outerwear, there is often a top shelf to store other items as needed. With the many options available to neatly and conveniently store necessary items near your home’s entrance, finding the right storage bench should be a consideration for any homeowner.

A Cube Organizer Gets Your Home Organized Fast

Phil Riklis — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:23:04 +0000

Keeping your home tidy and organized has never been an easy thing for most of us. Closest are the most common storage systems, but they are not easy to organize and the efficiency rate of the closet is only around 30%. If you are having problems organizing the closets at home and struggles to find a way to help you do so, a cube organizer might be the perfect solution for you. Its square shape makes it stackable and easy to put together in an organized manner. Also it can handle weight very well, so you don’t need to worry about your stuff, as they are made of sturdy materials like metal and wood.

Lots of closet organizer systems in the market are actually only sets consisting cube organizers that you can arrange to fit your closet or other storage space as you like it. Cube organizers usually come 2’ X 2’ in size, although there are many different sizes of cube organizers available. This makes it easy for you to arrange them in your closet and use the others to store items like towel, blankets, pillows, and even shoes.

Surely, there are many other things you need to organize apart from your closet. Design magazines have come up with a bunch of creative ideas for using storage cubes. One of them is for keeping your studio apartment organized, which is perfect as a studio apartment usually lacks enough storage space. What you need to do is buy a couple cube organizers and make a wall of stacked cubes to give you extra storage space for your books, games or DVDs, and at the same time create a tough wall divider for separating one room from another.

Another way to use cube organizers is to use some small ones to organize your books and nick-knacks on your shelves. This way you can also do a color coding and organize them in your cubes, creating a visual treat in your small space, while getting the storage you need for your stuff. Coordinated colors from your book spines will make a perfect center piece of the home that will definitely catch your visitors’ eyes and amaze your guests.

There are still many other great benefits from cube organizers and to find ones that match your preferred style will not be very hard. There are modular storage cubes made of unfinished wood that you can coat in your favorite color. Either it’s walnut, cherry or oak, customized cube organizers will surely be able to bring the style of your dream to your home.

How Moms Can Make The Most Of Plastic Storage Boxes

GuestPoster — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:08:03 +0000

For a stay at home mom it is so hard to keep track of things and items when you are taking care of the kids. Thank goodness for plastic storage boxes. With these boxes, you can now take care of organizing big or small items in a snap. Here are a few ways you can make the most out of your storage boxes.

Small items like underwear, bras, and socks should be tucked away neatly using small plastic cabinets that fit inside your closet. Plastic cabinets vary in color and size so you can’t go wrong when choosing the right shape and decoration for your room.
For an office mom’s important papers and documents, you can buy a plastic storage box for filing and storage. Such filing boxes will help protect your papers from water, folding and other damage. Plus they can be placed on top of cabinets so that they are out of the reach of your kids.
Plastic boxes are also great for holiday and winter clothing storage. After the winter, you can store your clothes in an inexpensive plastic box. You can be sure that your clothes are safe because these boxes usually have better seals than wooden cabinets. They are also easily stackable so also save some space in your room.
The art supplies of your kids can be very messy if left on the floor unattended. Who knows if someone will step on them and ruin the carpet? Fortunately, there are plastic boxes that can easily store and organize art supplies. These boxes are easy to clean just in case of spillage or leakage of paint and other stuff that can cause staining.
Your sewing supplies can be very dangerous when left in the open. Accidents can happen when kids play with scissors or pins. The best way for you to tidy up your sewing supplies is to use little plastic sewing containers. They have cute little drawers where you can store your threads and pins. The boxes also have big drawers where you can store bigger items like scissors.

As a mom, there are a lot of ways that you can organize and save space in your home. Plastic storage boxes will allow you a little flexibility while spending a little less. Storage boxes are more convenient and cheaper than their alternatives. Plus, they are easier to clean and they can last longer than most other containers.

The Benefits Of Using Modular Storage Cubes

GuestPoster — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:52:05 +0000

The beauty of modular storage cubes lies in their simplicity and the superb storage performance that they can provide. If you’re interested in modern interior design, you’ll be happy to know that these cubes are a clean solution for all your storage problems. While it is not a magic want that puts your clothes away and empties your wardrobe, it certainly helps a lot to make the room look like it’s taken care of.

The sheer simplicity of these cubes give them a minimalists and clean look, but don’t let that make you think they don’t provide much functionality. One of its biggest strength of storage cubes is their flexibility. If you’ve ever played with Lego or Mega blocks, you’ll have no problem knowing how these cubes work as they operate in similar ways. You can easily stack them in any dimensions to create a unique storage systems that fit into the constraint your living space. These cubes are created in 15 to 30″ on all edges, so they are easy to work with. If you are on a budget, you can always start out slow and small, putting just three blocks next to each other. When you finally get some more money, or need extra storage space, you can always go back and purchase three more to add another story.

Another benefits they provide is that they are can be enhanced easily as you can add extra functions and features to all, or some of the cubes. There are shelves, different color and material doors, curtains and another dozen things you can use to further customize the storage cubes. However, it’s not advised to fully cover up a cube when they’re used as a wall in a fairly large room, because it ruins the whole idea. It’s all up to your creativity and sense of interior design to make the most of them.

A third benefit is the range of materials that are available for home owners to choose from. For example, there are leather, wood, plastic and acrylic storage cubes available in the market. Each of these materials are suited for different places in the home. A plastic or metal storage cube is better for wet areas such as the kitchen or bathroom while a wooden cube might be better placed in the living or bed rooms.

Storage cubes that are modular can be a godsend to those who always fight with space problems, but don’t like other sorts of cupboards and wardrobes for various reasons. If you have a cube-wall in your room, you can be sure that it looks the way you wish it to.

Stylish Storage Cube: Find A Trendy Storage Cube

GuestPoster — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 01:42:05 +0000

Cube storage is the answer to all your problems– at least your organizational ones. How do I know you have organizational problems? Simple. Clutter is a universal problem nowadays, and there’s no reason to think that you’re an exception to the rule.

There has always been a tendency to hang onto things for various different reasons, sometimes a bit too long. In some cases it is sentimental, in some nostalgic, and in others simply on the outside chance that the item will be of need again down the line somewhere. There are as many reasons for collecting and keeping these things as there are people doing it. And in today’s world where someone always knows of someone else who made a lot of money perhaps selling these type items on the internet or using other venues, the thought has developed even further, that if I hang on to this stuff, one day it will fund my retirement. Of course, probably none of these things are true but the thought process takes over and we tend to simply accumulate and keep more stuff than ever before. Now the question becomes what to do with it and how best to organize and showcase it. Welcome to the world of the space-saving, fashionable, attractive and functional storage cube.

The plethora of styles, types and colors available today when discussing the storage cube market will astonish almost everyone. Whatever the need and requirement to be filled, there will something attractive and functional to fill it. Many cube storage items on the market these days will offer additional seating options and also serving ones in addition to their primary function. Another important point to note is that storage cubes and related items which are available in today’s market are items that will not look out of place in any room in the house from the living room to the basement. There truly is something to fit any need posed.

One of the cleverest ideas that has gained tremendous popularity as an attractive, comfortable and practical addition is the upholstered storage ottoman. These items are available in a wide variety of styles and materials certain to enhance and compliment any decor, and they offer two great services. First, of course, the person using it gets to enjoy the comfort and leisurely pleasure it provides, and the age-old problem of what best to do with that always present conglomeration of newspapers, magazines and other assorted eyesores is conveniently and neatly resolved. This same concept is also available in various configurations with regard to serving options. Frequently used items that are necessary in this area are comfortably hidden out of sight until the need for their use arrives.

As with almost everything in today’s modern world, the easiest and best place to begin the search for these items is to go on-line. There will be a plethora of valuable information available to answer any questions one may have, as well as helpful directions to guide them to the places they wish to go.

A Corner Audio Tower Just Make Sense

GuestPoster — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:04:04 +0000

a guest post by Guy Pahl

Have you recently installed a home theater or decided to upgrade your existing one? If so, then you may want to pay close attention to the following article. A large part of setting up a home theater or music room is paying close attention to the type of furniture you select. Though most people think of furniture purely for aesthetic purposes, there are some other reasons to take your time in choosing the right pieces for your home. This is particularly true when selecting furniture for a specific application, which in this case involves audio/video. There are advantages to selecting a quality audio tower including the ability to safely house your components. Buying a high quality piece also assures you that you will have it for many years to come.

In looking specifically at audio towers, there are a few different types to choose from depending on the size of your space, your budget and the number of components you own. If you happen to be limited when it comes to your available space, the best option many be to purchase a corner audio tower. Unlike traditional towers that are meant to be installed along a flat wall, these towers are designed to take up a corner in your home. This can be useful for people that have already used up the flat sections of their room, or for those that simply want to spread out their furniture a bit.

Fortunately, buying a quality corner audio tower is fairly straightforward by simply heading online and searching through retailers that cater to this type of application. Purchasing through a high-end retailer is surefire way to guarantee that what you’re buying is intended for audio/video applications. For example, you may want to buy a Bush audio tower. They have a wide variety of towers in different styles and sizes, so you’ll be sure to find one that fits into your home in terms of both space and decor. And judging from the number of satisfied customers they have, it definitely seems like a safe bet. You can also take advantage of units that feature integrated power and cable management systems.

Alternatively, you can also search for audio cabinets by heading to a high-end furniture retailer like Ethan Allen. Though you may end up paying quite a bit more for a quality piece of furniture on the front end, you won’t have to worry about replacing it a couple years down the road.

Considering DVD Storage Cabinets

GuestPoster — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 04:15:11 +0000

a guest post by Dean Schoonmaker

DVD storage cabinets are highly useful, but often overlooked items. Think about it. Do you have stacks of CDs and DVDs sitting next to your DVD player? Maybe you just have a cardboard box that you store all of your movies in. Have you ever had trouble finding the case to that movie you just watched? If you answered yes to any of these questions, maybe you should consider buying a DVD storage cabinet. With so many options, here are some key tips to finding one that is just right for you.

Most important is to figure out how many DVDs, CDs, and VHS tapes you own and then how many you are planning to hold in a DVD cabinet. Plan to purchase a unit that is double the size that you need today. This will give you ample room to organize your various movies and music discs, but also have space for future growth. DVD stands can be purchased for as little as 10 DVDs all the way to over 1500 DVDs on one DVD shelf unit.
Decide where this unit will be placed; both which room and where in the room. Measure the amount of space you will be dedicating to the cabinet to insure you do not buy something that wont fit.

What is the decor of the room that you are going to put the DVD storage cabinet into? Is all the other furniture wood? Maybe an oak DVD cabinet would fit well. If there does not seem to be a perfect fit, consider a glass or black cabinet as those can typically fit into any room decor.
Think about the other features you may want or need in a cabinet. Does your CD DVD storage cabinet need to have locking doors to keep children out? Do you want movable shelves so you can change the layout as your collection evolves? How about a light in the cabinet to see what you are searching for?

Thinking about all these different features and options will help you make the best decision you can when you purchase your DVD media storage cabinet.

Storage Ottomans Make Easy Living Fun

Linda Harris — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:25:52 +0000

There is virtually no end to the delight that home designers find in convenient and inconspicuous storage. Secret underbed compartments, mirrors, cabinets with hidden pullout drawers, even the futon bed, are common examples. A marvelous piece that you may not have thought of are storage ottomans! Ottomans are fun as foot rests or extra seating, but the space they consume could be put to better use. Furniture designers have thought of it. Lift up your ottoman cushion, and voila! Storage at your service.

The ottoman has evolved even further. Some cushions lift up on hinges; safe and simple. Other cushions actually turn over and offer you a great serving tray, as well! The storage ottoman tray is attached to the underside of your ottoman “lid,” or cushion. Solid, stylish, and rests easily on your now empty ottoman. To top off the features, your storage ottoman bench or cube might come with a second ottoman, fit right inside the first one! Talk about good, clean, adult fun.

So now all you have to do is choose an ottoman design. Classic styles are a black or brown leather storage ottoman. Dark leather is easy to clean and looks great for ages. Brown is great for a room designed in creams, burgundies, coppers, and other browns. For a more dramatic color scheme, the black leather storage ottoman may be best. If you want something even more maintenance free, consider faux leather. It’s less expensive, too. Leather storage ottomans range from $120 into the $400 range, depending on the size and storage design you look for. Trays add to the cost, obviously. Faux leather might be as little as $80! A microfiber storage ottoman should cost even less.

You have a selection for shape, as well! Rectangular ottomans, or ottoman benches, are great for the added seating and added storage. If you buy a design that includes trays, you have a truly multi functional piece: coffee table, bench, ottoman, bench, and storage! The square storage ottoman is classic, simple, and unobtrusive. With a square, it’s hard to go wrong. A round storage ottoman works beautifully to soften the edges of an angular room.

If you shop at the right retailer (or wholesale, if you’re up for the adventure), you should be able to sample a tremendous variety of size, color, material, and cost. Enjoy the discovery. Finding the combination that works best for you will significantly up the class and style of your living or rec room.

Bed Risers Rise To The Occasion

Paul Michaels — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:51:46 +0000

Everyone can use more storage space, so we buy storage closets, shelves, and sheds, but they don’t fit everything. There never seems to be enough space to hide the extra stuff that makes the house too cluttered. When you get some of your own bed risers, you’ll marvel at this ingenious idea, and put them to good use right away.

When the cleaning lady comes, she always comments on the clutter and gets to work throwing things away. The problem is, she doesn’t only throw toss the junk, important papers also wind up in the trash bin. The only place she wont think to look is under the beds. That’s why you need a bed riser. You can place everything neatly in bins under the bed, and cover the edges with decorative dust ruffle, and viola, your stuff is safe. Bed risers can be placed under the legs of the bed, or you could get bed frame risers, which are attached to the frame itself, and raises the bed that way

Plastic bed risers can be found all over, and they are pretty inexpensive, just make sure they are strong, because you don’t want them cracking. Metal bed risers and wood bed risers may cost a bit more, but they are both strong and recommended options. A convenient make is the adjustable bed riser- you can make your bed the height you want, allowing you to have as much space as you need. When you send your kids away for school, make sure they pack dorm bed risers, because dorm closet space is notoriously limited. This way you’ll know they’ll have enough space to store all of their things under their beds, in plastic containers or the like.

Another benefit of these bed risers is not so known. When patients suffer from heartburn, or other gastronomic ailments, doctors recommend to sleep with the head elevated. One easy way to do this is to simply attach a bed frame riser to both sides of the head of the bed, and your head is perfectly elevated. This is sure to give you a good night’s sleep.

When you run out of closet space, you now know that you don’t have to worry about where you’ll put the rest your things. Neatly pack the old clothes or bills into storage containers and place them under your bed, so they’ll be out of sight and out of mind until you need them next.