I am always at a loss where to store onions for the same reason - plus I just don't like the idea of the smell of the onions permeating other vegetables and fruit. But as for potatoes, I have a 3-tiered wire hanging basket which hangs from a hook in the ceiling - I put potoatoes in one of the baskets, and usually lemons and limes in another and other fruits/veg in the third (I often had tomatoes in it over the summer). I have thought about just using that basket for onions and garlic, but I only keep a few of each on hand and seems like it would be a waste of space.