12 Ingenious Storage Lessons from the Shakers

Laundry Baskets at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little

When it comes to organization, there are no better experts than the Shakers. Though their knack for orderliness bordered on fanatical, their clever inventions and storage solutions are still brilliant today, so many years after their heyday. We thought we’d seen it all (peg rails, small-space drying racks), until we visited the Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire and found unexpected solutions around every corner. Here are a few lessons from our visit:

Photography by Erin Little for Remodelista.

1. No corner is too small for storage.

Drying Rack in Window at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little — Above: You don’t need a massive space to lead a well-organized life. Instead, think creatively: Here, a swiveling clothes-drying rack is tucked into a tiny, unused window alcove, where the rails can be pulled out to dry laundry in fresh air and sun—and drawn back flush against the wall when not in use.

2. The underside is often under-utilized.

Hooks in Closet at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little — Above: A simple idea to steal—line the undersides of shelves, which would otherwise be an unused surface—with hooks. In the kitchen, they can hold mugs and kitchen tools; in the utility closet, as shown here, they can be used to dramatic effect to hang brooms and brushes.

3. If there’s a wall, there’s a storage opportunity.

Cabinetry at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little — Above: The Shakers built inventive sets of drawers and cabinets into nearly every room, for nearly every purpose. Here, a built-in china cabinet divides two rooms—and conveniently opens from both sides.

4. There’s a place for everything.

Matchbox on Wall at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little — Above: Sometimes it’s the small things that stand in the way of feeling truly organized. Where to keep batteries, loose mail, and rubber bands? The Shakers created designated solutions for even the tiniest of things. Here, they hung a small tin box on the wall near a wood stove for keeping matches at hand.

5. Essentials can be built in.

Kitchen Cabinets at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little — Above: Why buy (and store) something when you could build it in? This hutch in the kitchen of the Shaker’s “dwelling house” has three cutting boards that can be slid neatly into place when no longer in use.

6. Murphy beds aren’t the only collapsible furniture.

Folding Table at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little — Above: A tip that’s particularly useful for the small-space or apartment dweller: Don’t overlook collapsible furniture. Here, a pop-up table takes up almost no space when not in use.

7. Less mess means less cleanup.

Yellow Cabinetry at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little — Above: Famous for coming up with ways to minimize cleaning (a strategy we can get behind), the Shakers installed bins for wood storage right next to their wood stoves, minimizing space for shavings and dirt to fall. If you have a working fireplace, consider sourcing a storage box that will keep wood—and the mess—out of sight.

8. It’s okay when things disappear.

Washbasin in Bedroom at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little

Closed Vanity at Canterbury Shaker Village, Photo by Erin Little

Above: Think beyond front-facing cabinets. A top-opening cabinet in a Shaker bedroom, shown here, stores a mirror and washbasin and opens to become a simple vanity, but transforms into useable surface when closed.