Storage approaches and concepts

Every page in the rest of this library answers "where do I put this?". The pages in this section answer a different question: "what kind of storage am I actually trying to build?" Hidden or open. Vertical or floor-based. Bought or built. Permanent or portable.

Deciding this first saves a lot of money. The same shelf can be the right answer and the wrong answer depending on whether you needed the contents on display or out of sight, reachable daily or twice a year. These are the strategy pages — useful before you buy anything.

For step-by-step planning walkthroughs rather than concepts, see our full-length storage guides.