Clearing your home's clutter can free up time, space and energy. Here are some storage tips and ideas to help you achieve that in communal areas such as lounges, dining rooms and offices.

Surround yourself

Turn your clutter into an interesting feature with cool storage options like a groovy old filing cabinet for paperwork or floor to ceiling shelves for books, DVDs and ornaments.

Memory lane

Put your memories on show in creative ways. Buy op shop frames, paint them if you don't like the colour and photocopy your images to fit. Place your pictures on a coffee table in photo albums made with acid-free paper. Or pop them in little wooden crates that your loved ones can flick through like boxes of old postcards.

Beauty school

Can't afford custom made furniture? Invest in good looking storage containers. This is ideal for study spaces particularly if they're in high traffic areas so on show, like hallways or under the stairs. The lovelier the container, the more likely you are to clear away the clutter to show it off.

Wicker man

Give old wicker baskets a new lease on life by spray painting them white or a colour that works in the space.

Inside out

Put beautiful possessions on display. That cool old box housing your grandma's silver cutlery set can be placed on the cabinet next to the dining table.

Hook up

Insert hooks in the wall to hang coats, hats, scarves or objects you love that have been hidden away in a cupboard.

Book worm

A box shelf in a difficult spot like behind the sofa is perfect to stack ornaments and books on. Or pile books on top of each other against the wall. Create an indoor rainbow by grouping novels with the same coloured spine. Just remember to keep it balanced and don't even think about it if you have kids young enough to delight in yanking the bottom books out!

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