There’s nothing like the imminent arrival of of high days and holidays to draw attention to the lack of storage in the average British dwelling. As we’ve said before, the UK has the smallest homes in the whole of Europe, so we’re at a big disadvantage from the start.

Having to reach round, step over or cope with stuff that’s on the floor or in the way on a daily basis is immensely irritating, at least to begin with…

But we can learn to put up with a situation that’s less than ideal. We gradually accept the inconvenience and start seeing it as normal; in fact, we can even stop “seeing” it at all. It’s amazing how quickly we humans can get used to and tolerate something, even if it’s causing us stress.

This ability to stop seeing the sometimes all-too-messy reality of our surroundings is an example of a common process. Psychologists call it “habituation” – we get used to what’s around us over time and start taking it for granted. However, something that interrupts this familiarity – for example, the prospect of visitors arriving for an event or celebration such as Christmas – can suddenly make you look at your surroundings with a fresh pair of eyes, like someone looking in from the outside.

That’s when we can start to see our flats or houses as others see them. Somehow, what we learned to live with, saw as homely, casual, relaxed, can now seem messy, chaotic, scruffy, uncared-for. Frankly, it can be a bit of a shock. Excuse the pun, but your home just may not look that inviting…

So, what’s to be done? If you can’t physically extend your living area, a practical, affordable answer to badly designed or insufficient storage space is the Jali storage range. The thing is, making things great for guests will also be really good for you too, longer-term.

Think of it this way: why should we put up with a way of life that we don’t want to inflict on our guests? Don’t we deserve to live in a pleasant, stylish, organised way?

Don’t we have things that should be shown off, enjoyed, appreciated? Or that need to be tucked out of sight, tidied away, stored safely until required?  Of course we do.

Having the right storage for the unglamorous but necessary things in life: cleaning materials, sports equipment, out-of-season clothes and shoes, etc, means they are close at hand but not in the way, in custom-designed cupboards, drawer units and wardrobes. And beautiful, interesting items and books look even better when appropriately displayed on bespoke Flexi shelves and bookcases…

So what are you waiting for? Imagine how much more comfortable, serene and happy life will be after all your guests have departed, as well as while they’re with you. No more flustered apologies for the state your place is in, just a well-organised, uncluttered, attractive environment that works. And one where everybody, including you, feels genuinely at home. Customers and members of the Jali team tell us how much better their homes look and function with our products. You’ve got till the end of Monday 7 December to order in time for Christmas. With Jali, it really could be one to remember…