How to Create Elegant Storage

An Elegant Armoire

• When having an entire room dedicated as a home office isn't an option, using an armoire to create a compact work station is a wonderful alternative. Armoires come in all shapes and sizes, giving you plenty of design choices. Choose one boasting luxurious details such as wood carvings or inlaid mirrors. These upscale features give the piece an elegant, stately feel. Add a pull-out keyboard drawer or a couple of extra shelves to hold all your office supplies and you have a beautiful, functional storage solution. When the work day is through, simply close the doors to your "office."

Luxurious Ottomans

• Storage ottomans crafted of rich leather or upholstered in sumptuous fabrics are a space-saving dream. Elegant when placed at the foot of the guestroom bed, a storage ottoman is a convenient place to store extra blankets or towels. Try a handsome leather ottoman in the family room to keep magazines and newspapers neatly tucked away. A tufted ottoman in a rich brocade or velvet looks glamorous in the master suite and provides a place for all those odds and ends you want to keep out of sight.

Delicate Glass and Crystal

• Finding elegant bathroom storage for all the potions and products that end up scattered on the countertop can be tricky. Try decanting products into luxurious bottles and containers crafted from blown glass, crystal or china. A collection of crystal bottles and boxes artfully arranged on an elegant tray takes your bathroom countertop from cluttered to classy.

Entryway Elegance

• When entryways become strewn with shoes, hats, keys and mittens, it's time for a storage solution that keeps the chaos at bay. A small dresser or chest is an ideal way to organize all those items you need access to. Choose a piece with elegant, high-end finishes such as mirror, gloss black or metallic to bring a dose of luxury as well as function to your space.

Bookcase Beauty

• A collection of boxes displayed on bookcases is an elegant way to hide all those little bits and pieces that otherwise clutter table space. Porcelain boxes, hand-painted miniature chests, or a vintage hatbox collection can all do double duty by holding tiny treasures as they lend design detail to your shelves.