What Professional Organizers Are Store in Hard-to-Reach Places — To Keep Their Homes Uncluttered, Without the Inconvenience

The best way to streamline your storage? Keeping this list of lesser-used items up high

A kitchen with white shaker cabinetry, an island with a red marble countertop, and brass shelving storing kitchenware
Organizers know how to streamline storage for greater effiency, and this open kitchen shelving offers a great case in point
(Image credit: Julie Soefer. Design: Marie Flanigan)

Do you have a ridiculously high shelf you can't reach? A gap between your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling? A space at the top of the closet that you're unsure how to use? You're not alone. We all have storage that's hard to reach; the key to a more organized home is knowing how to use it wisely.

If you're looking for some easy home organization ideas, start by streamlining your storage. To get started, it helps to think like a real estate agent. There's no use letting perfectly adequate storage go to waste just because it's tricky to reach without a ladder. On the other hand, you don't want to go through the hassle of fetching belongings from those hard-to-reach places on a daily basis.

Ask any professional organizer, and they'll tell you that high-up storage should always be reserved for items you rarely use. The more infrequent, the better. From seasonal clothing to cumbersome sports gear, here are the items that organizers always store in hard-to-reach places for the most convenient storage possible.

1. Holiday and Birthday Decorations

A utility room with blue cabinetry, a fluted butler sink and a high shelf with wicker storage baskets

Corral your items in a wicker storage basket for clutter-free visual appeal.

(Image credit: Rebecca Hughes Interiors)

No matter how big your family is, I doubt you're making use of those birthday decorations every month. The likes of birthday candles, Christmas decorations, and Easter accessories don't deserve a prime position among our storage. Instead, keeping these items in those awkward, out-of-reach areas is a great storage hack.

"All the fun stuff like banners, party hats, string lights, and even themed serving trays can live way up high in the kitchen cabinet, pantry, or even the secondary storage area in the basement or garage," explains Di Ter Avest, professional organizer and founder of Di is Organized. "You really only pull them out a few times a year, so there's no reason for them to take up easy-to-reach storage space day-to-day."

2. Off-Season Clothing

A green closet with the door open displaying clothes on a rod and shelving with storage boxes on the top shelf

There's no point in taking up valuable closet space with gloves and scarves during summer.

(Image credit: Neatsmith)

Rule 101 of closet organization is to switch out your seasonal clothes for optimum storage. "Off-season clothes are another category of items to store away out of sight," explains Barbara Brock, Founder & CEO of Barbara Brock Inc., For example, your winter jumpers, heavy jackets, and snowboots don't need to take up valuable closet space during the summer months, and vice versa.

The best thing you can do is commit to rearranging your closet biannually, relegating your off-season stuff to a high shelf or the very top of your wardrobe. "When the seasons change, I always recommend packing away things like big heavy coats, sweaters, and boots," says Di. "Vacuum-sealed bags or clear bins work great for this — and if they're up on a high shelf in your closet, it's no big deal because you only need them a few months out of the year."

A headshot of a woman with dark hair sitting and smiling
Di Ter Avest

Di Ter Avest is a professional home and lifestyle organizer and the owner of Di is Organized, in Baltimore, MD (USA). Her accountability program and book Organize Yourself Healthy help women across the globe to get their lives and homes organized, leading to lower levels of stress and overwhelm. Her expertise has been featured on Forbes, Today, Apartment Therapy, Real Homes, Livingetc, Home & Gardens, and Kitchn; she has also given workshops at IKEA, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma.

3. Special Occasion and Rarely-Used Kitchenware

A kitchen with a wooden island with a red marble countertop and brass shelving on the wall storing kitchenware

If you have kitchenware that's more decorative than it is functional, display it on a high shelf.

(Image credit: Julie Soefer.Design: Marie Flanigan)

Kitchen storage is notoriously hard to organize, but one of the best things you can do is dedicate top shelves or upper cabinets to your less-used items. "Special plates, serving platters, and fancy glassware that you only use for big gatherings (like Thanksgiving or birthday parties) are perfect for those hard-to-reach shelves," says Di. "There's no need to have them crowding your everyday cabinets."

The same goes for bulky appliances you don't use daily. "Occasional use of kitchen appliances such as grills, Dutch ovens or stock pots can be placed up high, or even in pantries or closets," says Barbara. We think it's one of the best ways to enhance the "dead space" above kitchen cabinets (just be sure to opt for a beautiful storage basket for items that are on the unsightly side).

4. Suitcases and Travel Bags

A walk in closet in a bedroom with lots of clothes and shoes

Have a gap between your closet and the ceiling? It's the perfect place to store luggage.

(Image credit: Sharps)

Our bedrooms often become a storage hotspot. They're not the sort of space anyone else sees often, and there aren't really any rules on what you should and shouldn't keep here. They're also rife with hard-to-reach storage spots like the space atop your closet, which happens to be the perfect bedroom storage idea for suitcases.

"Hard to reach, high storage is a good place for luggage unless you are using it weekly," explains Barbara. "For the occasional trip, storing luggage in inaccessible areas is preferred and can be a space saver for things you need access to more frequently."

Di adds that the garage shelf can be a good option for your luggage, too. "You can even tuck smaller bags inside bigger ones to save space.' Di

A headshot of a woman with cropped gray hair wearing a blue jacket smiling at the camera
Barbara Brock

Barbara is a successful home-staging owner, entrepreneur (she negotiated a lucrative deal for an executive "daily/monthly planner" pre the Palm Pilot years) and past President of NAPO®-NY (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals™ - New York Chapter). Barbara Brock is the Founder & CEO of Barbara Brock Inc., a professional organizing and staging company, and Beauty & The Box, a company dedicated to fusing beauty with organization for the traveling woman and at home. In setting out to design the perfect cosmetics organizing system, her philosophy was simple: "Be organized. Be beautiful."

5. Sentimental keepsakes

A living room with a stone fireplace and white built-in shelving with storage baskets

That memory box of your child's first year? Keep it safe and tucked away on a high shelf.

(Image credit: Elana Designs)

Decluttering sentimental items isn't easy. There are some things that we just can't let go of. Your kid's first painting, for example, or those family heirlooms that don't complement your home but you refuse to part with nonetheless. No one's forcing you to part with these keepsakes, but since they're not something you want frequent access to, they make great contenders for those hard-to-reach storage places.

"Keepsakes are something I encourage putting in the way, far back spots," suggests professional organizer, Melissa Gugni. "Fill up boxes, label them, and save them for when folks have more time to work through them."

"Memory boxes, kids' art projects, old yearbooks — all the stuff you can't part with but don't need to look at every day — can go up high," adds Di. "I like to use sturdy file bins with hanging folders divided by grade or school year and label them clearly so you can pull them down easily when you're feeling nostalgic." You could also fit them neatly within uniform storage baskets so they're decorative, too.

A headshot of a woman with dark curly hair smiling at the camera
Melissa Gugni

Melissa Gugni is a San Francisco-based organizer who pairs her vision for clutter-free homes with a clean, fresh aesthetic. As a mom, she recognizes the importance of creating a space that you're proud of but can live in, too. Alongside her work, she's contributed to many decluttering and organization articles sharing her expertise.

6. Seasonal Sports Gear

A garage with sports gear on various shelving systems, including skis on high up shelves

Tuck that seasonal sportswear away while you can.

(Image credit: IKEA)

The key to good garage organization is to only use the top shelf or hatch for things you rarely use. A great case in point? Sports gear — the seasonal kind in particular.

"Things like skis, snowboards, sleds, or even camping gear take up a lot of space but only get used for part of the year," Di explains. "Stashing them up high or in the harder-to-reach corners of the garage, attic, or closet is a good use of your space."

The same ethos extends to other pastimes, too. "Hobbies that need to be temporarily shelved during busy seasons of life, such as sewing or knitting gear, should be reserved for high-up storage," says Melissa.



Our hard-to-reach storage shouldn't be redundant. Yes, you need to think more carefully about how you use it, but by reserving it for infrequently used items like the ones above, you can easily create storage that's more convenient and efficiently organized in next to no time.

Lilith Hudson
Former News & Trends Editor

Lilith Hudson is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Livingetc. She holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London, and has written for various titles including Homes & Gardens, House Beautiful, Advnture, the Saturday Times Magazine, Evening Standard, DJ Mag, Metro, and The Simple Things Magazine.

Prior to going freelance, Lilith was the News and Trends Editor at Livingetc. It was a role that helped her develop a keen eye for spotting all the latest micro-trends, interior hacks, and viral decor must-haves you need in your home. With a constant ear to the ground on the design scene, she's ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest color that's sweeping interiors or the hot new style to decorate our homes.