are (NAPSA)—There could be good news for clutter-plagued consumers climbing the walls in search of space to store and display the books, collectibles and memorabilia that are accumulating in households across the a ee country. “Not all ‘clutter’ is created equal,” says Susan Dountas, vice president of merchandising for Sauder. “Mementoes, antique books and treasured photosare all part of the personality of a home and deserve to be displayed with pride, not stacked in a draweror closet where they can’t be appreciated daily.” In response to demands for storage that can display rather than hide away, Dountas and her company’s design team suggest several tips for incorporating shelving into a home’s dcor: * Create a display wall— Transforming one wall into a display area adds visual drama. According to Dountas, a display wall should focus on one theme, style or tone. To avoid a display that looks too stark and formal, incorporate shelves in a variety of lengths and stagger their placement on the wall. Sauder’s new Shelf Life™ collection, for example, offers wall-mounted shelving in three different lengths—24”, 36” and 42”. Dress up a corner—A corner shelf stands out as the focal point of a room and can begreat for displaying a beautiful vase or a vibrant green plant, while two matching corner shelves can be used to balance a room. A third option is to create an architec- turally arresting tier of four or five corner shelves, each decked out with an eye-catching accessory. Stick with one style—Shelving should seamlessly blend with the style of a room so it doesn’t detract attention from the treasures being displayed. The Shelf Life collection features 32 different options in a variety of finishes and styles; classic maple, oak or antiqued white looks create a country casual or traditionalflavor, while more vivid ebony and white finishes appear refreshingly modern. * Go for flexibility—As with any other storage solution, it’s important to find a shelving system that will grow with you and your home. Theideal shelf should be easy to install and even easier to expand upon when collections grow or more knickknacks are acquired. According to Dountas, the Shelf Life collection features a patented slide-on molding that can be attached in two different ways—either creating a slight lip at the edges of the shelf or a surface that’s flat all the way to the molding edge. Make it easy and affordable—There are shelving options that offer immediate gratification without worries over difficult installations and high prices. For instance, Shelf Life takes only minutes to install. The shelf sim- ply cantilevers into the narrow, full-length wall bracket, whereit’s held tightly with durable “grip strip” locks. Then, it’s a cinch to slip the versatile moldings into place and mount the shelf brackets to wall studs—creating a clean and customized look. The finished shelves support up to 50 pounds, and are 10” wide. Plan ahead—Taking time to plan your shelving system and learn the proper installation can save time and effort. A Website devoted exclusively to the collection is at www.sauder.com. Do-ityourselfers can view the entire product line. Tutorial videos offer step-by-step demonstrations of shelf assembly and installation, and a “where to buy” section makes it possible to search for retailers. “Sure, some excess clutter always will need to be relegated to the top of a closet or the bottom of a kitchen drawer, but cre- ative new shelving options provide a stylish alternative for treasures that beg to be seen,” says Dountas.
