A 10-year-old mountain bike, a mammoth DVD collection, an electric guitar… let’s face it, men have stuff. And as much as you adore him, living with all that stuff can get a bit tricky at times. After all, no-one wants to trip over a set of skis in the middle of the night. Here’s how to store his favourite things in a way that will keep him happy and give you your space back.
His magazines
If you’re getting sick of falling over back issues of GQ (those suckers are slippery), you need to get organised. Collect all his mags and put them in the one spot. As always, opt for a storage option that’s aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. We love this industrial-style Gatsby Magazine Box from Milan Direct (milandirect.com.au, $59). Or if you’re after a more modern look, go for the bukan magazine rack from top 3 by design (top3.com.au, $450).
His sporting memorabilia
Make a gallery wall with his collection of framed soccer jerseys and signed team photos. Not only will he love the gesture, but displaying all his memorabilia together will look far better than having it scattered around your home. And don’t limit yourself to things that are already framed — you can also frame things yourself, like loose tickets from important matches. We like the look of these wood gallery multiple opening frames from Pottery Barn (potterybarn.com.au, $28).
Hint
To design your gallery wall, follow these steps:
- On big sheets of paper (you can use the back of old wrapping paper for this), trace around the edges of your frames so you have an outline.
- Cut out the outlines of your frames.
- Blu Tack the cut-outs onto your wall and start playing with the layout. Blu Tack is a better option than sticky tape as there’s less chance of it ripping off your paint. If you find you have a lot of similar-sized pieces, a good trick is to write on the paper what the images in the corresponding frames are (e.g. Socceroos team photo).
- Once you’ve decided on your layout, mount your frames.
His sports equipment
Soccer balls, golf clubs, gym kit — all this stuff can take up a lot of room. And since not all of us are blessed with a garage, a space-efficient storage system is the order of the day. Here are our picks:
- These Elfa Basic storage baskets from Howards Storage World (hsw.com.au, $139) are really handy. Not only can you store a lot in them, but you can put them in almost any cupboard. Separate out his soccer boots, gym shoes and clothing to keep things organised.
- Try investing in a single door wardrobe just for his sports stuff. We like the PAX wardrobe from IKEA (ikea.com, $220). These come in a great variety of colours and you can purchase shelves separately. Place the shelves at varying heights to accommodate “tall” equipment like hockey sticks.
His DVD collection
You know the teetering stacks of DVDs he has lying around? Well, it’s officially time to declutter. Grab some storage boxes and start packing (um, why is The Notebook in here?!). We love these cloth-covered CD storage boxes from kikki.K (kikki-k.com, $15). The boxes are super-attractive and come in a range of colours, so they’re great to display in your TV unit shelving or bookcase.
Hint
For easy access, organise the DVDs by genre and label the boxes accordingly.
His miscellaneous
Out of sight, out of mind is the best policy when it comes to his various key rings, travel brochures, childhood figurines and other manly knick-knacks. These kinds of items can create a lot of unwanted clutter, but that doesn’t mean you need to bury them in an ugly plastic storage box in the garage. We’re seriously coveting these coloured stripe lacquer boxes from West Elm (westelm.com.au, $29–$49).
HINT
If there’s anything in his pile of knick-knacks that has sentimental value, think about how it can be displayed. For example, you can frame 3D objects like model cars using a box frame for added depth.
More on decluttering your home
10 tips: Remove clutter and refresh your home for spring
Declutter! One room at a time
Best clothing storage solutions
Leave a Comment