Organize With Shelving: Great Looking Fixes For A Utility Room

Utility rooms vary from small spaces housing a stackable washer/dryer unit to large mudroom/laundry room combinations that allow you to nurture a gardening hobby while you do a load of wash. But nearly any size utility room can gain extra storage and efficiency through the use of shelving to organize and neatly store essentials. Here are some tips on how to customize a shelving system that is as good looking as it is hard working.

Shelving does not have to be ugly.

Let us face it, metal utility-shelving units are ugly, and plastic units are not much more attractive. Plus the plastic units tend to sag over time and neither system makes the best use of available space; the height between shelves may not work with what you need to store. Typically, there is too much head room above each shelf and space is wasted.

But if you already own a set of ugly shelves, take heart! You can customize them: Buy another matching set so you steal parts from the new set to add extra shelves and change the configuration to fit your needs.

With metal shelving you can add extra diagonal supports and shelves from the new set to supplement the old. With plastic shelves, you can cut the round upright supports so that some shelves are 12-14" apart instead of the usual 18-24". Consider first what you will be storing and leave your deepest shelf at the bottom of the unit. Lighter, smaller items can be stored on the customized upper shelves.

Once your spacing issues are resolved, use quality epoxy spray paint to add a little color to drab gray metal shelves. If the metal is scratched, sand the rust away and use a primer coat first. For plastic shelves, choose a paint that is specifically formulated for plastic.

If you are starting from scratch and installing new shelves, slot shelf and bracket systems are the most economical choice. The tracks come in 48", 63" and 78" lengths with decorative brackets in your choice of 8-1/2", 10-1/2", 12-1/2", or 14-1/2"depths. Appropriately sized shelves are simply cut to length and slid into the brackets.

Create eye-catching or themed storage boxes

Your local thrift store and grocery market are the next suppliers in your quest for stylish utility storage. Browse through the rolls of discount wall paper at the thrift store and select several rolls that reflect a hobby or interest: From gardening to biking or sailing and antique collecting, you will find a design that will accent your utility room.

Pick up a couple of rolls and head off to the grocery store and tell the produce manager that you are looking for some boxes. Grapes and peaches come in shallow boxes that are ideal for smaller items; choose a variety of boxes to fit various items you wish to store, keeping in mind that your goal is to collect boxes that don't need to be cut down as well as boxes without holes in the bottom. It may take several weeks to collect all the boxes you need and the produce manager can tell you what days are best for finding boxes, based on scheduled deliveries.

Test a sample piece of wallpaper to see if it will securely adhere to the boxes. Purchase Aleenes Tacky(R) or Sobo(R) if you find that the wallpaper is not holding fast. Pay attention to directional wallpaper prints so that the finished decoration is right side up. Have fun with simple striped or geometric wall paper patterns by laying some strips on a diagonal or around the box as well as up and down.

Vinyl papers are easy to wipe clean but if you choose paper, seal them with
Krylon(R) after the glue is completely dry. This will make it easier to keep them clean. Finish by adding printed or handwritten shipping labels on the front of each box or print a related picture from computer clip art, such as a garden tool for garden supplies or a dog or cat for pet supplies. Now just organize your stuff into boxes, stack it and enjoy your clutter-free utility room.