A portable storage units Wong Chuk Hang apartment is known for its disarray: boxes stacked high, bicycles wedged beneath beds, and winter coats protruding from concealed kitchen appliances. As surprising as it may seem, there is a strategy that has successfully battled clutter—all by adopting a vertical mindset.
“Make do with what you have,” is a common piece of advice. What people in Wong Chuk Hang have done is even more extreme: they have hung shelves above each and every doorframe. Some of the things you can find there include a loaf of bread, a Sudoku book, toothpaste, and tennis balls coexisting peacefully. Despite their lack of style, these shelves serve their purpose. Your out-of-season footwear or that fondue set you said you’d use end up in a plastic box with a click-top cover.
There is no need to transform into Marie Kondo on a weekly basis. The key to making the most of limited square footage in a structure is to stake a claim on every inch, from the ceiling all the way to the skirting board. You thought the area up there was just for dust, right? Put a small shelf on top of it. Utilize window ledges to their full potential.
Their acquaintance made the remark that their living room was now a labyrinth of books. Adequately spaced magazines resting on small picture ledges, with candelabra resting atop for emphasis. Imagine disorder that has accepted a tea invitation and is now dressed in slippers if you find that description fitting. It is a planned lunacy.
The “mezzanine” shelf belongs to a particular cat who is someone’s pet. These furry occupants are as resourceful as they are imaginative when it comes to storage unit design. A fifth-floor balcony was the site of one friend’s cleverly constructed pulley basket. When questioned about the inspiration behind it, she said, “Desperation!” Not to mention YouTube.
Expansive residences aren’t in the dreams of the locals. Empty countertops are their nightmares.
It does require some trial and error, that much is true. Once, a neighbor who was very enthusiastic about putting a shelf over a bathroom door found out that her towels were falling on her head twice a day. She replaced it with hooks that attach to the inside of cabinet doors; now her towels stay put.
Take a cue from Wong Chuk Hang’s hoard of locally sourced knowledge: treat every inch like a treasure trove. Look up and sideways. Unoccupied spots behind doors, in strange nooks, and even on top of your refrigerator—all ready to be used.
You can’t buy your way out of clutter; that is not storage magic. Creativity and a good sense of humor are key. On occasion, all it takes is a casual inquiry as to how your next-door neighbor crammed a rolling toolbox under their couch. The secrets aren’t buried; they’re simply stashed in a high place.