You May Have Never Thought of This Unexpected Storage Spot in Your Home, but You Should Be Using It
As holiday hosting season approaches, you might be searching for ways to reorganize a few things within your rooms or upgrade your at-home bar situation for entertaining. If you’re not interested in a traditional rack for your wine collection or don’t have space for one, there’s an unexpected spot in your home you may not have considered for bottle storage but definitely should, and it’s hidden in plain sight in your kitchen, atop of an appliance you almost certainly have. Homeowneer Stephanie Inman took advantage of this area, and you can, too.
Inman and her husband, John Tsourmas, live in a 2,700-square-foot house in Boise, Idaho, that they’ve lived in for three years. A graphic designer and artist, Inman also uses their home as studio to create and display her work. Like her art, Inman design’s style skews very clean and modern with clear Scandinavian influence, but she’s warmed up her home with pops of color and fun details. “I guess I would say I strive for eclectic elegance,” Inman says in her house tour. “I love color and want our home to be joyful, welcoming, and unique to us.”
I find the most unique pieces around Inman’s home to be her handmade sculptures, particularly a collection of miniature wooden buildings, houses, and barns that she’s created. On top of the refrigerator, Inman has placed her childhood dollhouse as a nod to her miniature-building passion. Also on the fridge though, you’ll find a more practical piece: a wine rack, which is a super-smart and sneaky-good solution for storing and displaying her favorite bottles.
Whether you collect wine casually, entertain a lot, or you’re just on of those people who tends to buy a new bottle before finishing an old one, you probably know that bottles can pile up quickly. Because of their size, it can be hard to find a place put them, so this over-the-fridge idea is a great way of reclaiming dead storage space in a visually appealing, organized fashion.
The storage rack in Inman’s home appears to be built-in above the fridge in the same color and material to match the cabinetry. If you’re renting or don’t have the money for a custom storage system like this though, you still have options. Take the measurements of your fridge, and buy a free-standing rack that’ll fit this spot. Placing your wine rack above your refrigerator (versus on the floor or wall) not only saves precious square footage, but it also allows you to house bottles in a safe and convenient place, completely out of the way of kids and pets. It’s definitely a win-win, and if you’re not a wine drinker, you can definitely find some other way to reclaim the spot over the fridge in a clutter-free, organized way, too. You just have to get a little creative with this area.