It's possible that you didn't get it placed correctly. For some items that you can interact with, such as storage chests, there will be a green outline around it when you're placing it if you have put it in a position that makes it able to be interacted with. If the outline is yellow, it means it can't be interacted with. So I would try going back into your house and removing it than placing it again, making sure that you have the green outline. If the problem still persists, then this is not the cause of the issue.

Were the chests outlined in green when you placed them?

Are they on a carpet or similar furnishing that does not have collision and may be floating above a collision-enabled surface?

SeaGtGruff wrote: »

I started having problems placing items in my houses, then I eventually realized that I'd pressed "T" (I think it was) and turned off the option that automatically keeps items on the surface of the floor or whatever when you're moving them around. Why is that even an option? So we can place items buried halfway into the floor if we want? Oh, well, now I know to watch out for that option.

That's exactly why it's there. For example, in my home I have the Vivec Divination Pool half submerged, as to create the illusion of a jacuzzi

I've got a few items deliberately clipping through surfaces in my homes too. For some things it's actually necessary to stop them looking weird, like rugs which are ever so slightly lower down than the default positioning because otherwise they're sitting on top of that one tiny bit of floor which is higher up and everywhere else my characters feet clip through the rug.

Other times it's to create a new effect - like a hedge embedded in the floor to look like grass, or the Sentinel of Rkugamz trophy from Darkshade Caverns clipping through the wall so the mounting board is hidden and it looks like it's just a dwarven helmet sitting on a shelf.

ZonasArch wrote: »

DeathStalker_X wrote: »

That must have been it - I moved it and now I can use it. Rather foolish design, you shouldn't even be able to put something where you can't use it.

Aside from these inconveniences like you were facing, being 100% free to put anything anywhere is key to many decorations. That's how i gave live fire to my cooking station, for example, and I can't turn it off because my love fire brazier is totally underground with just flames out. Can't interact at all, but it was what I wanted. Some people have used these coffers as decorations for vendor stands in their homes, like travellers suit cases. Looks awesome, but kills usability if you put it on chart or inside a stall. Get my meaning?

If you have two or more houses it's not really a problem, since the contents of the chests are the same in all houses. So you have one where they're sensibly positioned and easy to access for actually using them and you're free to use them as regular decorations everywhere else.