Genius Storage Solutions The Stars Of Married To Real Estate Swear By
Egypt Sherrod and her husband Mike Jackson, the hosts of HGTV 's "Married to Real Estate," take care of their clients from finding a home in an ideal location to renovating it to fit their needs. While shows that follow this format are a dime a dozen, there's one seemingly small aspect that makes this one stand out: the stars of "Married to Real Estate" love to incorporate functional storage solutions.
Showcasing storage solutions in a home renovation project might sound like a no-brainer. But, remodeling shows and their stars often focus more on a home's design aesthetics than its functional aspects. Television is a primarily visual medium, after all, and beautiful appearances translate to ratings. This is not the case with Sherrod and Jackson, however. So, we've rounded up the duo's most ingenious storage solutions throughout the series and paired them with tips for incorporating them into your own home's design.
Kitchen island with double-sided cabinets
Each home design show host has their own personal preferences that tend to creep into nearly every home they remodel, becoming somewhat of a design signature. The hosts of "Property Brothers," for instance, can rarely resist turning a room primarily white. For Sherrod and Jackson, this design signature is a waterfall kitchen island. This is simply an island where the countertop material continues all the way down the sides and to the floor.
A gorgeous waterfall countertop won't just add value to your home by showcasing more of your quartz or granite countertop; it's also an opportunity for storage. On "Married to Real Estate," Sherrod and Jackson frequently utilize waterfall islands with cabinets for storage. In some cases, including the home featured in episode 6, season 3, the island will even feature double-sided cabinets offering storage space on both the front and back. While you can find a waterfall kitchen island with cabinets and drawers from retailers like Wayfair, a double-sided one will likely require a custom design.
East at Main Fulton storage accent tables
The success of "Married to Real Estate" along with that of Egypt Sherrod's other shows — including "Flipping Virgins" and "Property Virgins" — has made the star decidedly in demand by both potential clients and home furnishing brands. One retailer lucky enough to work with Sherrod is East at Main. Along with launching her own product line, Indigo Road, Sherrod has curated a list of her favorite products sold by East at Main.
One product highlighted by Sherrod is the Fulton Storage Coffee Table. The stylish round teak mosaic coffee table serves as more than an interior design feature. Its interior is a hollowed compartment for storage. Ample space is available for storing away blankets, throw pillows, or toys (whether they belong to kids or pets). If that isn't quite enough storage for your space, you can also purchase the matching Fulton Storage Accent Table. These tables embody Sherrod's design philosophy, which centers around combining functionality with aesthetics. "My belief is that great design encompasses livable luxury, comfort, and sustainability," she told East at Main. "Design should be beautiful yet approachable."
Hidden closet
On "Married with Real Estate," some of the stars' storage solutions are simple and some are a little more untraditional. For instance, in episode 1, season 2, the hosts work with a man who is adamant that his home office should not double as a bedroom or even look like a bedroom in any way. However, adding a fourth bedroom to the home would significantly increase its resale value. The hosts solve this conundrum by adding a closet that is undetectable to the untrained eye.
There's a closet hidden behind the gorgeous green double bookcases in this space. Adding this storage solution bumped the home to a four-bedroom and provided the sophisticated office the homeowner was seeking. If you're interested in creating your own home office, den, or library that counts as a bedroom without looking like one, you can purchase a bookcase door, also known as a secretive Murphy door, from major retailers like Home Depot. Just keep in mind that professional installation may be required, depending on your skill set.
Repurposed sideboard
Episode 1, season 2 of "Married to Real Estate" is a bit of a gem when it comes to storage solutions. In addition to a home office with a hidden closet featuring whimsical bookcase doors, Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson pulled a much more lowkey trick out of their designer hats. In the entryway of the renovated home, the stars showed imagination by simply repurposing a sideboard for storage.
A sideboard, often used as a buffet to store extra dishes and linens for entertaining guests, is a prime candidate for repurposing in an entryway. Shoes, slippers, and scarves can easily make the drawers or cabinets of a sideboard their home. The beauty of repurposing a sideboard is that many households already have one that isn't necessarily being put to good use. Simply move it to your entryway as-is or work a little magic in the form of paint or stain first. If you don't already have a sideboard, you can likely find one at a thrift or antique store near you.
Dog food station
When surveying your home for needed storage solutions, one easy-to-miss opportunity is your pet's food and water bowls. You may not have ever considered storing these items away before. But, keeping food and water out — especially at floor level — can attract pests like mice and moths to your home. It also leaves dog and cat food available for small children or other pets with different dietary needs to sample at their leisure. In episode 2, season 2, the stars of "Married to Real Estate" addressed this issue with a built-in storage drawer for dog food bowls in the kitchen. The custom setup in the episode featured a separate faucet for filling water bowls and a drawer that housed three removable dog bowls. This allows the homeowners to simply close the drawer to keep exposed pet food out of their toddler's grasp.
Achieving such an elaborate setup in your own home, of course, would require custom cabinetry and plumbing, which comes at a significant cost. If you're looking for a similar concept for a lower cost, you can purchase a pet food pantry at Chewy. Or, you can build a wooden platform to hold pet food bowls and add it to one of your existing lower kitchen drawers.
Pantry cabinets
Egypt Sherrod insists that every house needs a dedicated pantry for extra kitchen storage. When a couple purchased a home without one in episode 4, season 2 of "Married to Real Estate," the star made these feelings known. "You did not have a pantry and that's a big problem in a house, for me," she shared during the reveal (via YouTube). Fortunately, Sherrod has a backup plan for these situations: pantry cabinets.
When there is no space to add a walk-in pantry to a home (or the process would be cost-prohibitive to the homeowner), these cabinets are the next best storage option. A pantry cabinet is a tall cabinet that typically houses three or more shelves, which are often adjustable to accommodate taller items. These cabinets can be used to store items normally stored in a walk-in pantry, such as paper towels, paper plates, and a back-stock of frequently used kitchen staples. If you're looking for a portable pantry on a budget, you can snag an inexpensive pantry cabinet at Kohl's.