Designing useful storage: check what happens behind the doors

Start with a cupboard you already dislike

Open an awkward cupboard in your current home and take a photograph before tidying it. Pick out what causes the trouble: small things disappearing behind bigger things, a tall item lying across a shelf, or a stack that has to be dismantled whenever you want the bottom piece.

Then make a short inventory of what you actually intend to keep. Include bulky and easily overlooked items such as spare bedding, sports equipment and luggage. A new home should have room for your life, but I would question whether it needs bespoke cabinetry for things you no longer want.

• Record the item's size and how often you use it.
• Note whether it hangs, stands, folds or needs to stay assembled.
• Identify who needs to reach it and who should not have access.

Match the interior to the contents

MBIE's room-by-room guidance connects storage needs with activities such as play, hobbies and working from home. I would take that a step further by naming the contents on the drawing. 'Craft supplies in shallow drawers' gives the designer more to work with than 'lots of storage'.

In a hypothetical linen cupboard, deep shelves might suit spare duvets but leave small pillowcase stacks difficult to find. Different shelf depths or a combination of shelves and drawers are worth exploring. My preference is to be able to see what belongs where without unpacking everything.

• Separate frequently used items from occasional ones.
• Choose which belongings you want on display.
• Discuss secure storage for cleaners and hazardous household items, as MBIE recommends.

Check the opening as well as the space inside

Ask for the clear internal dimensions after shelves, drawer boxes and fittings are allowed for. Then check the actual opening. A cupboard can be wide inside while its door arrangement makes a bulky object awkward to remove.

Draw the doors and drawers open, with someone standing in front. Consider whether that person can lift the item out, turn and carry it away. For shelving intended for heavy collections, ask the designer or cabinetmaker to confirm suitable support and load capacity.

• Can you reach the back comfortably?
• Does an open drawer conflict with a neighbouring door?
• Can the largest item be removed on its own?

Give awkward spaces a specific job

An under-stair void is not automatically useful storage. Its sloping shape might suit some things beautifully and be a nuisance for others. Decide what belongs there before choosing how to access it.

The Alpine Retreat project in Ben Lomond includes a custom wine rack beneath the stair. What interests me about that detail is the match between a particular collection and an otherwise awkward space. It is a useful prompt for your own brief, rather than a feature every home needs.

Turn your inventory into a drawing request

Choose your most troublesome cupboard and sketch its proposed shelves, drawers and hanging spaces from the front. Add the awkward belongings and their measurements. You do not need to solve the joinery yourself; the exercise exposes what needs an answer.

Ask who will design the interiors and whether shelves, drawers and fittings are included in the proposal and pricing. Consider which parts could be adjustable as your belongings change.

If you are planning a new home, bring that photograph and sketch to a conversation. I am happy to help turn the storage frustrations into a clearer design brief.