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Sunday 27th 44F. Up at 5.30. The only thing I can see in the pitch black outside is a solitary, distant light. Which suggests the mist is not as thick as forecast. Or completely absent.
The tubs' transparency provides easy identification of contents without complex labelling. Or, worse, the complete anonymity of fragile cardboard boxes. Shallower tubs, would cover more floor space, initially, but would be stackable. With far easier access to find useful items within a specific "family."
Stacking is the key to successful floor space reduction but requires lids. I have yet to find transparent tubs or trays with the reversible stacking feature. Where feet on the bottom match those in the interior. Only matching in a certain orientation. End-to-end reversal of the upper tub making the tubs nesting. Lids provide stacking and dust protection but can be unnecessarily clumsy if they are locking.
I am at a loss to explain the terrifying lack of imagination. Within the [presumably] Chinese storage tub industry. Where is the competition to provide really useful storage? Rather than billions of identical clones of each other. Mere safety in numbers results in a very limited number of design options. Almost regardless of retail outlet.
The tub shown above costs nearly ten pounds equivalent but provides almost ideal storage. Shallow enough to easily find items amongst assorted contents. Large enough to be useful. Stackable and lidded. I'll keep looking online. For something more affordable and nearer than going all the way to the city.
The table lamp in the corner of the lounge is proving invaluable. It provides enough light for safety when moving around the [still] cluttered room with trays or cups. Low power consumption means it can be left on when I am around and it is dark. I can go closer to read something if needed. Such a trivial change but a huge improvement over a past life of fumbling around in the dark. Where the chest of drawers blocked access to the wall switch nearest the door.
I must find storage space for all the prints/paintings in their frames. They take up a lot of room and are inevitably untidy no matter how they are arranged. Then there is the stack of drawers from the chest. It all has to be found its own space but remain accessible. The balcony floor is covered in stuff but nothing can be stacked to soak up the volume.
The boxy shelf units beside the computer are already half full of junk in assorted boxes. No order and less than half the potential storage volume is used. The rest is just air. Much like the shelving in the sheds. I need shallow tubs which can be stacked. While the contents MUST remain instantly identifiable.
I bought some shallow, tray-like storage tubs from Ikea. They work but are solid colours. So identification of contents is impossible. Not without lifting every damned unit out of a stack. I quickly discarded the lids. Because they instantly hide the contents. Making safe stacking all but impossible. The containers had to rest on what was in the tray below. Two trays stacked was about the limit with mixed tools in each tray.
So now there is 9/10s of the storage space, above every expensive shelf, supporting only fresh air! The ample load capacity is a sick joke. I can't stack anything to reach a tiny fraction of the sturdy shelving units' effortless ability to put everything on one, single shelf! So it is all spread across eight shelves and the floor! It needs some sort of supporting rack for multiple, shallow trays/tubs. Just like a chest of drawers but open. For contents visibility in all light conditions.
So now there is 9/10s of the storage space, above every expensive shelf, supporting only fresh air! The ample load capacity is a sick joke. I can't stack anything to reach a tiny fraction of the sturdy shelving units' effortless ability to put everything on one, single shelf! So it is all spread across eight shelves and the floor! It needs some sort of supporting rack for multiple, shallow trays/tubs. Just like a chest of drawers but open. For contents visibility in all light conditions.
If the trays are spaced vertically then I can see into the trays for contents identification. A nominal waste of storage volume but infinitely better than the present waste of time, money and space. It needs a steel rack for specific trays. So they can be slid out to easily access the contents. Wooden drawers are hopeless. The bottoms are always far too weak. They stick when trying to open and close the drawers in an unheated shed. I have tried lots of secondhand chests of drawers and hated all of them.
A storage rack needs lots more shelves than usual. Just to reduce the volume of stored air. While maximising real storage capacity for shallow, transparent trays/tubs.
8.00 Almost light enough for a walk. Very heavy overcast and windy.
11.30 I have been working non-stop to tidy the kitchen. Untouched for months since I brought in the new worktop. I have also tidied up a lot outside and in the lounge. Hours more work to do.
15.00 I've bought some strong steel shelving units with 5 shelves each. Then had to saw off 23cm to get them under the sloping ceilings. I might take a bit more off because they just reach the edge of the new bedroom window. The shorter they are the closer the shelves are to each other. Less wasted space with shallow tubs. Now I should be able to get a lot of stuff off the floor.
I have just realised I could fit them in one corner instead of both against the bedroom's gable end. They would need to be stepped in height to fit under the ceiling. The shelves arranged at the same height from the floor.
Very pleased with their clever design and sturdy members. Tool free, slot together too. Easy to work with and they easily come apart again if needed.
Two shelving units completed. I put one in the kitchen alcove beside the fridge to clear the floor.
19.20 For dinner I am going with chips and fried diced chicken. No mushrooms left. I added some fresh tomatoes. I experimented with larger cuts of chicken. This worked well.
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