The 5 storage mistakes including 'vertical vacancy' that are making your organizing products less functional – and what the pros always do instead

A large wooden kitchen pantry filled with rustic storage containers / A kitchen sink with a green gingham curtain instead of a cabinet door beneath it / A close up of white open shelving with a variety of kitchen items such as cutting boards and storage jars on them.

You can’t have a well-organized home without storage products to keep everything in check. However, an abundance of these pieces doesn’t automatically bring tidiness, with storage mistakes zapping functionality.

Professional home organizers share the mistakes to avoid including a failure to measure up your space first, and ignoring vertical areas to you could be using.