Celebrity organisers, the Style Sisters, have launched their new Style with Attictude series to help the one in two Brits who are ‘desperate for space’ as they continue working from home

If there’s one positive thing many of us can take away from the past few months, it’s been the ability to work from home. No more long, stressful commutes. No more wasting time (and money) on overpriced and limp sandwiches at the office cafe. No more overbooked meeting rooms, loud office music, constant interruptions…

However, with many of us set to stay working from home until the end of the year, a whole host of new problems and irritations have arisen. From trying to share cramped home office space with a partner or kids, to struggling to adapt to the new norm of Zoom meetings and the pressure to be constantly available, a new study has revealed that our lack of space could be causing us more stress than we might realise.

The study, commissioned by Attic Self Storage, has revealed that over half (52%) of us are desperate for more space at home. Despite lockdown restrictions beginning to lift, 47% of office workers are set to continue working from home. Of those of us set to remain working remotely, 30% revealed that they are feeling stressed due to the lack of space and too much clutter at home, expressing that they felt their mental health has been negatively impacted.

We’re finding our homes so crowded and disorganised that over half (51%) of us have considered self-storage to help us cope with our clutter.

To help the nation get a handle on their homes, Attic Self Storage has teamed up with celebrity organisers, the Style Sisters, to help the nation tackle their biggest space challenges.

Amongst the top areas Brits want help included:

• 29% want to know how to create space to boost wellbeing
• 26% want to learn to organise and store seasonal wardrobe space
• 24% are looking for creative solutions to work from home
• 15% of parents are looking for guidance to organise their children’s space

Over a quarter (28%) of us have reported that our bosses see no point in returning to costly office spaces, while nearly one in five (19%) have already seen their offices shut for good. This has left many reporting feelings of loneliness and claustrophobia (19%), a negative impact on their eating or drinking habits (17%), or increased arguments with their partners (6%).

Despite our cramped spaces and likelihood to continue working from home for the foreseeable future, 63% of us are happy with our current homes. To help us make the most out of our space, the Style Sisters, Charlotte Reddington and Gemma Lilly, best known for their work with celebrity clients including Rita Ora, Amanda Holden, Kimberley Walsh, and more, share their top storage tips to help parents make the most of their space.

If you’re struggling to balance working from home whilst the kids are still around, these space-saving tips could help.

Top storage tips for parents

Use ziplock bags and label machine – “Ziplock bags are an amazing way to keep everything in one place. Try zip locking puzzles and games; art and crafts; books; pens and pencils; photos or schoolwork. The list is endless and they look gorgeous. Print out labels for each zip lock bag so you and your child can easily find things. Having things organised will help you feel mentally less stressed, especially when you open a cupboard draw.

“Once you have your zip lock bags sorted, now categorise and contain them further by creating storage units. These can be storage boxes or shelves with storage baskets. For our celebrity parents’ children’s’ bedrooms, we create different boxes, usually including arts and crafts; games; school; cars; toys; learn and play etc. Then we pop the relevant zip lock bags in each. We then use A4 sticky print paper to print out labels to match, and then stick them on the outside of each box. It looks great, and children find it fun to pack things up into the right boxes.”

Make use of wall space – “With lots of toys, a clever way to beautifully present these cherished items is with hanging baskets and teddy hammocks. The kids get really excited to see their favourite cuddly toys together which can bring comfort. They can also show them off to friends and family when they are allowed to visit. For parents, it helps keep things organised and stored in one place, and teaches children to become proud and want to keep their rooms in order.”

Create a bedtime box – “Having a bedtime routine is really helpful for children and it can prevent them from getting distracted by toys before bed. Creating a bedtime box adds an element of excitement and delight and gets them wanting to get ready for bed. Add in a book, teddy and blanket which helps them fall to sleep. Also, adding different books and mixing up their teddies keeps things interesting.”

Use self-storage to create space – “With space at a premium, an instant way to create more space for parents is to use self-storage. Consider storing toys so you can alternate them to keep your children entertained all year long. Also, any hand me downs you want for later on like cherished sentimental items; or even children’s seasonal clothes. Self-storage is an affordable solution instead of upsizing your property.”

For more information and tips on maximising your space at home, check out the Style Sisters or to find out more about self-storage and the recently commissioned study, visit Attic Storage.