If the hassle of taking down seasonal decorations leaves you wondering why you bothered in the first place, custom cabinets can smooth the process.

If you’re like me, as the holidays wind to a close, it’s only a matter of time before you’re dying to take down all your seasonal décor and bundle it out of sight. Those of you who live in Northern Virginia are in luck since the large basements in this area tend to make for the perfect storage location. But even if you live in a basement-less DC townhome, cabinetry in your spare closet is still a good option—and I’ve known a number of clients who made creative use of extra garage space.

Regardless of the area you choose, though, holiday décor is tricky. There are so many oddly shaped pieces that need a holding spot, which is why custom storage cabinets are often your best bet. A personalized design lets you work around items that can seem impossible to store otherwise. Here are a handful of my favorite options.

• Soft-close drawers for delicate glass ornaments. All those Swarovski crystals you’ve been gifted require proper handling if you want them to last. I’ve found storing them in drawers is the best way to keep them safe—and with a soft-close design, it’s basically impossible to slam your drawers shut. If you’ve got ornaments particularly dear to you, I’d even suggest treating these drawers like jewelry cases and adding divided trays with black velvet lining.

• Shelves for small items that don’t fit into bins. Long, pointy Christmas trees, menorahs, porcelain elves—these are just a few of the things that tend to get destroyed or bent when you pack them away. Instead, try storing them on adjustable shelving behind closed cabinet doors. You won’t have to worry about dust, and you’ll probably find that being able to see all your items just by opening up your doors makes holiday decorating much easier next year.

• Deep shelves for plastic storage bins. Items like lights and garlands still tend to work best when packed into plastic storage bins. The question, of course, is what to do with those bins. Installing shelves at least twenty-four inches deep gives you the ability to turn them sideways so that they’re fully out of the way and don’t take up any more space than absolutely necessary

• Chrome baskets for holiday linens. Tablecloths, cloth napkins, placemats, and tree skirts really ought to be stored in breathable containers. Slide-out chrome baskets are great for this, helping prevent items from getting musty. And for occasions where you may need to dip into the holiday linen pile (red cloth napkins on Valentine’s Day or green placemats for St. Patrick’s Day), it’s still easy to see everything and grab what you need.  

• Chrome hooks for wreath storage. Wreaths are so gorgeous that, if you have the space for them, they’re worth displaying in your storage area (who said your closet or garage can’t be pretty, too?). But there are also practical reasons for hanging them—it prevents decorations from getting smashed down and means you don’t have to spend as much time sprucing everything back up next year. So I often suggest adding chrome hooks to the sides of your seasonal storage cabinets. (This also tends to be an efficient use of often-overlooked wall space.)

• Vertical cabinet slots for artificial trees. If you have kids at home, you might have a few smaller artificial trees for their rooms.  These need a home, too. Adding tall, vertical storage spaces to your cabinet unit gives each tree its own slot so that it can easily slide in and out.  Bases can be stored in the same compartment or in separate drawers at the bottom of your unit.

Your décor will vary, of course, but that’s what I love about custom cabinet design. It doesn’t matter how eclectic your decorations—we can create a spot for just about anything. As your holiday celebrations wind down and you settle back into your everyday routine, now’s a great time to put a seasonal storage system in place. Get in touch for a free design consultation, and we’ll get you all set up to take everything down.

Lead image credit: Flickr user Jean L. (CC BY 2.0)