How to choose the right shelving system for your home

One of the best ways to organize your home – closets, office or study area, basement, or even the garage – is through a cleverly designed and affordable shelving system from the experts at ShelvingMate, customized to fit every need and budget imaginable.

Unfortunately, thanks to monster-sized home improvement centers and membership-only warehouse clubs, the average consumer thinks the ideal shelving system is the only one in stock that can be hurried through check-out, stuffed in their vehicle, and assembled at home in a basement corner to collect junk and dust.

At ShelvingMate, we take a slightly different approach. As the Greater Toronto Area’s leading company for highly quality and reasonably priced storage systems, we believe the best process is to work with consumers on custom solutions that will look as good in a retail establishment as they would in a home game room.

So how do you pick the right shelving system for your home? Here are some tips and information to consider before making your purchase decision.

• Figure out what the shelves will be used for. Are you storing fine dining china passed down through the family from your great-great grandmother, or 30-gallon rubber storage bins over-stuffed with toys or holiday decorations? Each shelving system is successful if it’s purchased with a specific purpose in mind. Don’t be afraid to write down everything you want to store, and whittle it down to the items that can’t be placed anywhere else.
• How much space is available for the shelving system? As a rule of thumb, we recommend taking measurements before buying anything. If you have limited floor space, then shelving units attached to walls or even overhead in a garage may be your best bet.
• Where will the shelving system be placed once assembled? Don’t just think of shelves purely from a functional standpoint. ShelvingMate’s design staff can help you choose a solution that will blend in with or enhance the décor of any room in your home. Keep in mind, however, that shelves for a walk-in closet may not be appropriate for a home theater.
• Decide how much you can afford to spend, and hold that amount “close to the vest,” so to speak. One mistake customers have said they’ve made before is automatically telling a sales person what they can afford to spend, then end up buying a shelving system that chewed up their entire budget. If you know how much you can afford, keep that information private while you evaluate multiple solutions in your price range. We never advocate a customer spending their entire budget on the most expensive option, but on the flip side you get what you pay for – so going “cheap” isn’t always the best idea, either.
• Ask friends, family, or neighbors if they use a particular shelving system, and whether they can recommend one.

Finally, the best way to pick the right shelving system for your home is to speak with a reputable and experienced company that can help you arrive at the best solution for your budget and here at ShelvingMate, we do just that. We are motivated by providing our customers the best shelving system to match their needs and their budget.