Room after room, clutter can pile up: paper in the kitchen or dining room, toys in the kids’ rooms, and shoes and coats by the entry way. You need a solution for your storage. You don’t have to use unsightly plastic bins or boxes, because your furniture should work for you in a variety of situations, like storage.

Keep these tips in mind when shopping for furniture to relieve your clutter woes and free up valuable space in your home.

Start at the Entry Way
Begin at the beginning. The entry way into your home can become overwhelmed with shoes, coats, bookbags, and more. Consider putting an open buffet table near your door. The top can serve as a place for phones and keys, the open second shelf is ideal for bags, and the underside can keep shoes out of site. If you don’t like the open option, there are always lockers, tree halls, and beautiful cabinets to keep your items neat and orderly.

Move to the Living Room
The heart of your home, and likely your most cluttered area, is the living room. Toys, blankets, books, and more can easily pile up on sofas and side tables. Look to multifunctional furniture to help organize your living room. Not only do ottomans serve as a place to put your feet up and add extra seating, some also act as storage. Storage ottomans typically open from the top and offer ample place to store blankets, games, and toys.

But don’t stop there! Coffee tables are also a great place to keep things out of the way. Some slide open while others offer cabinet style doors. Side tables are also wonderful for hiding toys and books. Look for pieces with ample drawers for a clutter free table top.

Entertainment centers can be the ultimate stylish storage space. While many serve as the perfect place for your TV, lots more offer a ton of extra space for all sorts of gadgets. Shop around for an entertainment center that has display shelves as well as cabinets to keep gaming consoles and DVDs out of site.

Next up, the Kitchen
Don’t let your paper and appliances pile up in the kitchen. Look to storage pieces that can put your clutter neatly out of sight. Think about buffets, serving tables, and hutches: pieces that have drawers for documents and cabinets for larger appliances. No need to keep your pressure cooker on the counter when it can be neatly tucked away.

Don’t Forget the Bedroom
Clothes and shoes have a way of piling up in the bedroom. Kids’ bedrooms also offer unique storage challenges with sports equipment and toys thrown into the mix. For an adult’s bedroom, look to dressers, chests and even TV stands to accommodate your needs. Make use of the many drawers and cabinets to keep clothes and shoes off of the bed or floor. In kid’s rooms, try under-bed-storage and bunk beds that can also come with options like drawers in the staircase.

Make sure the pieces of furniture you choose are more than just “pretty.” Functional furniture should be stylish and useful.