I agree with Jim, coming back to the question; it's almost impossible to predict how many different parts you might have.
I have around 71.000 loose parts, in 4.000 different lots. How many of these lots are the same but in other color I don't know, and my database (Brickstock) cannot tell me.
My way of storing is based on categories, and when I have a lot of the same item, then I seperate them in an idividual drawer, or I have deviders in the drawer to keep them separated.
Then the drawers are placed in such a way that items belonging to the same category are closed together, so that I know where to search.
On the outside of the drawer there are pictures to show me what is in.
Over the years I have changed the contence of a number drawers several times when my collection was growing.
In the Brickstock database I can find in which drawer I can find each part.