http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82q6m3MRc1w

This weekend I found myself unmucking a garage so that yet another poor car could have a home. This type of project is always exciting to me. I find myself up to my ears in muck half way through the day and by the end, the car sails inside to it’s new home free and clear! It is very rewarding work and saves me a trip to the gym!

When people try to clear out their garage and make room for their car without  professional help it frequently turns into a 2 -3 month project. And sometimes it simply never gets finished. The stuff comes out, no decisions get made, it turns dark and the muck goes right back in again. I have heard of this happening several weekends n a row. Profesional Organizers keep huge projects like this one focused and moving so that at the end of the day, the project is done!

As project ring leaders, Professional Organizers mediate the blame game and end the finger pointing to get everyone working towards the end goal. We also help you make tough decisions quickly to help expedite the process.

I am still surprised that it is often just me and the Mrs. tackling a garage project like this one. Girl power! In this case study, I was blessed to work with mom, 2 daughters and 1 son in law with muscles!

If you need a home for your car and the garage is too packed to accomodate, give us a call. This is what I do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvVjDuAo-FM

(Part One)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNJmjy28QsQ

(Part Two)

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes!!! Many women have a major infatuation with shoes. After working with hundreds of clients, as both a professional organizer and image consultant, I have determined why most women love to shop for, and have fun wearing, shoes more than any other clothing item.

You see, even while our weight is upsizing and downsizing, our shoe size is remains basically the same, give or take a 1/2 size.  Not only do our feet consistently stay the same size, they never create a humiliating shopping experience.  Shoes are kind. They don’t make us feel fat or accent bulges in all of the wrong places like a bad pair of jeans or a too snug blouse. In fact, more often than not, the right pair of shoes make us feel sexy, powerful and ready to take on the world! So, this in my humble opinion, is why we typically end up with more shoes than we can reasonably fit into our closet.

My most common organizing challenge is how to fit the largest amount of shoes into the smallest amount of space. With this goal in mind, the common shoe rack rarely solves this problem. The shoe rack takes up a lot of floor space. Don’t get me  wrong, floor space can be useful at times but it also collects dust bunnies when cluttered, disorganized and filled wall to wall.

The Hanging Shoe Bag -   This is my all-time favorite shoe storage device! I have been using this system for years and still marvel at the fact that I can store 10 pairs of shoes in a space no wider than 6.5 inches! For those of us with over 40 pairs of shoes, this means we can fit our entire shoe collection into a space of less than 3 feet! Granted with this system, you need to have extra hanging rod space, or, if you are ingenious, you need that much free ceiling and wall space. Most versions have metal hooks to hang them from the rod although some have velcro straps to rap around the rod. Either version connects effortlessly and easily onto your hanging rod.

The men’s version of the hanging shoe bag is slightly wider (8”) to accommodate the larger shoe width.

Side by Side Hanging Shoe Bags – Another variation of the hanging shoe bag is the side by side pocket model. It has pockets on the right and left and holds 30 pairs of shoes. You can hang it on the back of the door or on an empty wall inside your closet.

Hanging shoe bags provide quick and easy access as well as providing a perfect view of what you are looking for. They are stored easily into pairs. You don’t have to open a lid, move stacks of boxes, bend over or go through any other rigamarole to see and access the shoes you need.

Sometimes you simply might not have the rod or wall space for the hanging shoe bag. If not, never fear, I have other solutions for you.

Shoe Storage Boxes - Plastic and canvas options available

Canvas Shoe Box Organizers - feature front end openings and stack well together. The front door is clear so you can see what is inside and also allows you to access your shoes without having to unstack  your collection.

Plastic Shoe Boxes – These are best used when you have a lot of shelf space and limited hanging space. I keep my special occasion shoes on a shelf way up high in my closet. Shoe boxes protect your shoes from dust and pet hair and also keep your best stilettos from being smashed by others. If you decide to use this method, make sure to buy clear containers so you can get a glimpse of what might be inside. Or better yet, spend the time to take a photo of the shoes and attach the pic to the short end of the box so you will not have to guess which gold heels are actually stashed inside the box!

Back of the Door Shoe Storage – This solution is good under extreme small closet conditions as it does provide storage in a small amount of space.

Back of the Door Shoe Pockets – The disadvantage I see witness is that shoes often become crushed when you try to smoosh them into the pockets.

Back of the Door Shoe Racks – I like this solution because it holds a massive amount of shoes in a very small sometimes unused space. The disadvantage is the wire racks can sometimes warp your shoes so use it gently.

Shoe Cabinets – Hide shoes and can provide self stand alone solution when shoes need to be located outside of your closet. Many models use drop down drawers which let you take shoes in and out very easily.

Here is a larger version of a stand alone shoe cabinet. If you are a visual person, this one is perfect because it has doors to hide the visual clutter of 15-48 pairs of shoes.I like it because it again, uses more vertical space!

Ikea also offers a plastic version which can mount on the wall.

Wooden Shoe Benches - provide a place to store shoes and also to sit while putting them on. Sometimes, I use these at the entrance to homes with a lot of foot traffic, meaning a lot of kids and shoe clutter! Sometimes it is easier to get the kids to take off their shoes as soon as they get in the door than to try to find shoes later when they are running out the door and late for school. Shoes off when coming into the house, on when going out! This also eliminates dirt and makes cleaning the carpet less frequently and solves the challenge of storing shoes in the closet.

Shoe Shelves – can solve many challenges. If there is an ample amount of floor/wall space, I  like using stackable shelves so that I can add to your storage capacity if needed.

Many shelves also offer the advantage of being expandable so that you can customize the size based on your space requirements. If you do decide to go with shelf storage, make sure to buy heavy shelving, especially if you are storing mens footwear. I have found that a lot of shelves simply do not hold up and or topple over when loaded to capacity.

Under Bed Shoe Storage – including plastic tubs, rolling racks and zippered pouches. Under the bed rolling shoe organizers use space that is typically free and clear of clutter.

Under Bed Rolling Racks - The open air rolling shoe racks are good for shoes that you wear frequently. The disadvantage is that they tend to collect dust bunnies.

Under the Bed Zippered Pouches - are best for off-season or occasional shoes because they are too much of a hassle to get in and out of on a daily basis.

Under Bed Plastic Bin Storage – I like this solution becuase it has wheels for easy access.

Shoe Storage Carts - I use these for my clients who have a lot of off season shoes. It is tall but only takes less than 14 inches of horizontal space. It is also zippered so it keeps shoes in clean when in storage. Anytime I can use vertical space and less horizontal space, I am happy!

Smaller Wheeled and Sealed Storage Cart – Good for stowing under hanging clothes.

Shoe Carousels – You can hang this unit form your hanging rod.  The Swivel hanger allows you to access every pocket and shelf in one swirl. Lifts all your items up off the floor and organizes them so when you are ready to use them they are visible and clean.

Revolving Shoe Trees – These work fantastic when stashed into the small unreachable corners of your closet. I had one installed to the left of a built in cabinet in my two sliding door closet. It served me well for years and made good use of the corner that was never easy to reach. When I needed a pair of shoes, I simply spun the rack and found what I was looking for.  Make sure the space you choose has room around it for the shoes to move since each carousel rotates for easy location.You can buy these as stand alone units or, in my super small closet situation, the floor to ceiling model was perfect!

Standing Racks are yet another way to keep your shoes off of the floor. These are a little better than the shoe rack because they keep your shoes on place and separated.

Shoe Storage Wheel - This is a very interesting and novel way to store your shoes. I have not seen it personally so cannot vouch for it’s quality, but it looks pretty cool! They say you can store 20-30 pairs of shoes inside. The unit is on wheels so you could stow it under your hanging clothes and pull it out to access your shoes. Very interesting. I would love to play with one of these in person!

If you still cant find the perfect solution for your shoe collection after reading this article, I quit! Have fun upgrading your shoe storage, and most importantly, stow your shoes somewhere besides in piles on the floor of your closet!

Sometimes life has a way of sneaking up on us and, before we know it, our clutter becomes overwhelming. This disorganization and clutter in this particular bathroom was a product of many factors:

#1 The client had lived in this house for a few decades.

The longer you live in one place, the more stuff you collect because you don’t have a super urgent reason to downsize. This particular home had a huge master bath with only one occupant so there was plenty of room to store the extra clutter!

#2 Health challenges made it difficult to clean and keep up with the clutter

As our health deteriorates, we sometimes lose the desire or have the capacity to create order in our life. Health challenges will almost always take priority. The tragic part of this situation is that when you are sick, this is probably the most important time to have space and a clear/clean environment. Space always makes us feel better!

#3.Being surrounded by a lot of stuff helps us to feel less lonely when we live alone.

Some people equate more stuff with greater happiness. They will try to fill the void in their life by accumulating more things.

Unfortunately, this  project was completed after the client moved into an assisted living community.

The good news is that we were able to donate all of the usable toiletries to a local women’s shelter and they were ecstatic!

During an appointment earlier today, I was pleasantly surprised and so proud! As one of my younger clients, this high school student decided to take charge, reinvent and de-clutter her bedroom on her own. Since we had worked together in the past to create an organized and spacious bedroom, this client already knew how good it felt to sleep and study in a clutter-free environment.

So, after a few months of watching piles grow and cover every surface in her room, she decided to go for it and create space on her own. She persevered, made hard choices and kept the vision until she finished. She did a fantastic job!

Because we had already developed a basic structure of what should ‘live’ where and how much of each item was appropriate, it was probably easier for her to get back to “normal” and create a comfortable space where everything, once again, had a home and every drawer was able to close without effort.

This is why she said that she made the decision to get organized once again:

“My life in all aspects was starting to feel cluttered. I wanted to clear space so I decided to start with my room. It took me eleven hours but the relief that I felt and the burden that was lifted was well worth the time and sweat. I am so excited to walk in my room now!”

This case study, developed without any help on my part, proves the point that once you have a well thought out and structured system in place, it is fairly easy to get it back to ‘normal’. Organizing is always an ongoing project.

Since the clutter in this room had been building during a super busy school year, it took a bit longer to de-clutter. The good news is that the more often we get our space back to ‘normal’, the less time it takes to make it perfect. This client now has the skills and knowledge to maintain a clutter free dorm room which will be a handy trick in a year or two! Good job to ‘Miss Organized’ and her parents, all of you should be very proud!

I was sitting at our kitchen table, with my computer and a small handful of files in a carry bag that were necessary for the project I was working on. Within 30 feet was my office door but I would not go in and work there. Literally, I had moved myself out of my office with all the “muck” I had accumulated over the past 8 years. I thought back to all the things that had moved in, filling up that space. Four home based businesses, two books, no less than three manuscripts that were sitting in a file untouched, the estate management files necessary for conducting business for my mother-in-law (with Alzheimer’s), one corporation, and of course, within this tidy mess were our personal files for the house and the running of it!

I was sick and saddened with the idea that I didn’t want to go in there to work. I had recently made the decision to “come out of the closet” as a full-time writer/author and I simply would not go into “my space” because “my space” had become a holding vault for my past. I was ready to move on, but my office was not on board! I knew my circumstances needed to be addressed but I simply did not know how I was going to tackle the challenge. The thought of it simply caused my body to hold its breath; literally, I felt the creative life in me being smothered by tons of paper and muck.

As the weight of doing something about it slowed me down, making my shoulders ache, I was still going forward with my intention to jump into my career. With that in mind, I attended a SCORE networking breakfast and to my relief, I heard Kathi Burns talking about getting rid of my muck. I was so inspired and ready after her lecture; I bought her book, her filing system and a few of hours of her time and went home with the pure determination to “manage my muck.” It began by reading through her book. Then, my wonderful and creative sister traveled to San Diego, and we dumped nine 45-gallon trash bags of paper into the recycle bins and gave away another truck load to a charity. We painted, redesigned and then Kathi came and sat with me and helped me create my filing system.

I am now at least 200 pounds (or more) lighter in my office and at least 1000 pounds lighter in my heart and mind. My creative juices are flowing and I am in business, doing what I have wanted to do all my life…write!! Thank you Kathi, for your ability to create space…not just in my office but in my heart too! God bless you!!!

Working from a home office can have many conveniences. Being at home means that anything you need is just a few steps away. It also means that the space which other family members need may encroach on the office. Many people have the problem of having to work in a cramped home office. Here are a few ways to help create more space in the home office.

1. Clean and Organize

Cleaning the home office is the first step towards creating more space. This will not only clear some space to work with, but will also help to get an idea of the entire space and what can and cannot be moved.

Start by organizing papers, moving them into piles or placing them where they belong. Do not worry about throwing away the papers at this point, just make sure they are manageable and in some order.

Next, take time to gather wires and other electronic clutter. Use twist ties or tape, but try and make sure that there is no large tangle of wires behind the furniture. This will help if you have to move the furniture later and also just makes the room look nicer.

2. Assess Furniture

Once the home office is clean, it is now time to look at the furniture in the room. If there is a lack of space, this is the place to start making changes. Remove furniture that is not being used. Because it is a home office, furniture from other rooms in the home may have migrated into the space.

Now look at the furniture that is actually being used. Make sure that there is not a better configuration. See if printers can be placed underneath of a desk or on a shelf. See if things that are taking up desk space can be placed somewhere else.

Finally, if no helpful changes can be made, consider purchasing new furniture. Look for modular multi-purpose furniture. This refers to desks that have special cabinets for computers or surfaces that roll out. Wheeled storage containers can also help because they can be moved around as needed.

3. Use the Walls

Above the regular furniture there is usually a large area of wall that can be utilized. There may be pictures there or other decorations, but they can easily be turned into a massive amount of useful storage space.

The most obvious way is to install long shelving units. This is especially handy if there are a lot of reference books or other bound papers. The walls can also be used for specialized shelving units like a grid of small cubbies to hold sorted materials.

There are also narrow bookshelf-like installments that can be mounted to the wall to provide a sturdy surface for equipment or electronics.

4. Throw away unwanted things

Once the space in the home office starts to clear up, it is time to look at what to get rid of. First, consider throwing away unneeded documents. If there are simply too many documents that cannot be disposed of then it may be time to try scanning documents and storing them digitally and then shredding the originals.

Also look at getting rid of items that may be in the office because of indecision. This can include items such as computer accessories which do not really work but look too valuable to throw away. It is time to decide what to do. Either get it repaired or dispose of it.

Other items include any distracting decorations, broken furniture or storage containers that are unused and sitting empty.

5. Store things elsewhere

One advantage of a home office is that it is located in the home. This means that items which cannot be thrown away and are taking up too much space in the office can be stored somewhere else in the home. An attic or basement can be very useful for this purpose. Just make sure that the space where the items will be stored is safe from flooding, leaks or other conditions that could cause damage.

Once more space has been found in the home office the final step is to maintain the space. Do not let documents or mail build up into unmanageable piles. Keep them organized and throw away things that are not needed right away.

If after trying everything there still is not enough space, it may be time to consider buying smaller office equipment. Computers and printers have decreased dramatically in size in the last years. Monitors are also smaller and flatter than ever.

There are also instances where the scope of what is being done in a home office exceeds the capacity of the space. In a case such as this a second room in the home may need to be claimed as an office extension or, more likely, it may be time to look for a commercial office space to rent outside of the home.

Please note~ My guest author for this article is George Baker. George works with vacuum bags, so if you ever need to know anything about Numatic vacuum bags then he is the guy to ask.

Situation: Too many books and toys and not enough storage. All this clutter and the little girl could not decide what she wanted to play with.

Solution: We downsized the toy collection and got rid of the outgrown games and books. We also reorganized the closet which gave us a bit more room for extra items that did not belong loose in the room. The dog loved the new found floor space!

Situation

This room needed to function as a laundry room, crafts and storage area as well as the production area for a home-based business. Although the home is beautiful, it is small craftsman built back when closets and all rooms were very small.

Challenge

My client has a popular line of gorgeous baby accessories including burp towels and bibs but does not have a lot of room to create and sew as the orders come in.

Solution

We divided and conquered this room by first determining which activities were most important within this space. After deciding that the home-based business needed as much space as possible, we re-contained and moved every unrelated item up and off the counter and into the side cabinets. We decided which shelves should hold which craft based on the frequency they were needed. The more frequent gift wrapping and card-making supplies were stored in the shelves at eye level.

Once the counter was clear, we were able to sort and organize all fabrics and place them within the sewing zone to the right and under the counter.

As you can see in the photo below, we still have an area for miscellaneous projects and tools in the side cabinet.

The one thing I love about craftsman cottages is that once you can organize and look beyond their small size, they often have exceptional built-in storage areas!

Are your bathroom drawers a jumble of disorganized chaos?

Never fear. With a little love and proper organization within, your drawers can help you get ready in the morning instead of hampering your progress to get out the door and off to work on time!

Situation

As you might notice, there were many items in this drawer that were not part of a man’s daily ‘off to work’ routine.

Solution

We moved everything out that did not help in the morning and brought in everything that was part of the early routine. With everything he needs organized into one drawer, my client is now less frustrated, off and out to work on time.

All of the wife’s items are now in her own drawer and she is also organized!

This scenario is common in many instances of folks with hoarding tendencies. The bed had only a very small area on which to sleep and the rest of it was covered with papers, books and other items.

The scariest part of this situation for me was that there were several electrical items including electric blankets and heating units also in and around the bed. Most were in disrepair and therefore a very dangerous fire hazard. I am very glad that the family intervened and helped this client move into a better living situation where she could get the care she needed.

This is what the bedroom looked like after addSpace,  my colleague Mishele Veiera and The College Hunks cleaned it up to be put on the market for sale.

Situation:

A client moves but does not have the time to get everything unpacked and organized. There are too many books and not enough shelf space. Also, papers are in a jumble and supplies were not purged and organized before the move.

Solution:

Determine which books should live by the desk and which should be stored in other bookshelves. Also – organize and purge office supplies and set aside all loose papers for a future organizing day.

A client recently contacted me because she was unclear about what paperwork she needed to keep and what she could shred. She had papers spread throughout her office. With information pertaining to numerous investment properties and multiple corporations, the paperwork involved in her business was fairly complicated, She understandably felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the paperwork and needed a solid system to track all of the monthly business at hand and manage the ongoing property records. I knew immediately that Freedom Filer was the system that would get her papers in order and provide the power to get them gone when they were no longer needed.

This is what her office looked like as we began to sort her papers beginning of our project:

We were able to get rid of at least 3 large trash bags of papers to recycle and 4 boxes of documents to shred. All of the tax records from the past now live in boxes out of the office space and are ready to shred and rotate out after the required holding time. When a new year gets archived, another will go to the shredding service.

Listen to what my client says about her office and this organizing process:

Client Audio Testimonial

I feel that the biggest accomplishment of this process is that now my client has the power to know what she needs and what she doesn’t. She is also very clear about all of the corporations that she and her husband have set up and what she needs to do to keep track of the corporate records and investment property records. She is in control of the ongoing records and has the knowledge to make informed decisions! She is also not afraid to ask for more information because she feels that she has the basic knowledge to ask the right questions. Yippee!

The Freedom Filer file system keeps records alphabetical and in color coded categories which makes retrieving them when you need them a snap!

Here is what one her organized file drawers look like with Freedom Filer:

This is what her office looks like now:

Isn’t it a beautiful office space? She now has file drawers organized and waiting for new business or new property investments and when one sells, it is ready to leave her file system in one fell swoop!

Situation:

With only a small desk and no defined office space, this client had to keep track of massive amounts of information. With such a small space, my news producer was in desperate need to develop better methods to keep it all organized.

Challenge:

This work space was not only very small but also shared by other staff when Jay was not working. Additionally, there is a continuous flow of new information that arrives daily in varying forms. He could receive DVDs, newpapers, large banners, books or giant posters. How could he keep all of this mixed media organized and accessible?

Solution:

Jay and I had a long discussion about how his work flowed in and out during his work week. This helped me determine ways to categorize and organize the information as it came into his space along with deciding where it should live while it was in progress. With such a complex schedule and task load, this space is still a work in progress. I am certain that we will wind up with a completely sustainable system developed especially for Jay according to the way he thinks and also the way he handles his workflow throughout the week.

Tips for organizing a busy workspace

1. Determine what tools are most important to do your job

2. Get rid of materials that are no longer relevant

3. Prioritize what tools you use and keep the most important tools closest to you

4. Assign a functional space for each type of item

Solutions to common work space challenges

1. Piles of business cards?

Scan your business cards and export to database

2. Materials coming in all day from outside sources?

Designate an inbound place for them to land

Create a holding zone while they are in use

Situation:

This balcony was used as a catch-all for items that needed to be moved to other places within the house. It all began with the laundry. The family needed a central location to gather laundry and the ideal spot was on the balcony outside two of the bedrooms. This was a OK idea but, as we know, when items outgrow their space, clutter grows into more clutter!

Challenge:

The baskets being used did not provide enough space for all of the laundry as it landed there. Once the laundry began to overflow, other totally unrelated items began to gather there as well. Surprise! OK, not really…

Solution:

We cleared away everything that was not laundry related and either donated it or moved it to other parts of the house. The kids were old enough to safely remove the mesh barrier. We purchased a set of nice wood cabinets that held three large laundry bins. Now the landing area is clean and clear and the laundry is behind closed doors! The view from the front door looking up is fantastic and even the dog loves the new perspective.

*Please note: the picture does not show the new three drawer laundry system.  It was taken after we had cleared the landing and before the new cabinet was installed The photo above is representative of what we used for the cabinet solution.

Situation:

This garage was used for watching tv, working on crafts, and an extra playroom. At the same time, it had to be used to store the usual garage items including holiday décor, extra entertaining supplies, etc.

Challenge:

In the beginning there was no storage in this garage, only some assorted furniture, TV and a desk. As with many garage conversions, this space had to accommodate many different types of activities and serve as a comfortable retreat /playroom for the two boys and a space for mom and sons to create craft projects and read.

Solution:

My client had wall-to-wall cabinets installed along the longest side of the garage without windows. The cabinets made it possible to create order with the deep freeze storage items like holiday décor and also made a place for sporting equipment and extra entertaining items to live while not in use.

I shifted furniture around to create zones for each type of activity. The desk was moved to the back wall so that all craft supplies were in the same zone with small table and chairs positioned for action.

The lateral file cabinet was moved next to the door into the house as this contained the permanent family records.

The large cube shelf was moved behind the couch to create division between storage and TV zone. All extra toys were grouped together ‘like with like’ and stored in baskets behind the couch. As the boys decided to play with different activities, they brought out one basket at a time and learned to put the first one away between activities to keep chaos at bay.

Most women wonder what to do with their makeup collection. For the more visually oriented among us, myself included, we don’t want to see it spread all over our bathroom counter.

I am very pleased and excited to show you what one of my more enterprising and creative clients designed to overcome her makeup challenge. She purchased a jewelry box and turned it into a make-up storage cabinet It worked out perfectly and keeps her makeup out of site but quickly accessible. She also confided to me that having a contained small storage space, keeps her collection from growing out of control.

Most of us have more make-up than we actually use. As you can see by this photo, she has exactly what she needs, no more, no less. She also has a safe place to keep her daily rings and earrings when she showers. Kudos to my brilliant client!

SITUATION: An entertainment center that no longer entertained, but instead, simply annoyed the owner.

CHALLENGE: This entertainment center was in the footpath of the way into and out of, the family/great room. I think that the basket was originally intended to hold remote controls.

Instead of being a storage area for entertainment supplies, it was housing keys, glasses, and any other loose toy that was found in that area.

SOLUTION: I recommended getting rid of the basket. Baskets are often a tricky solution to implement. Unless the intended purpose for each basket / container is agreed upon by all family members, it will begin to attract miscellaneous objects almost like magic.

We got busy and emptied and reorganized the drawers that were part of this massive entertainment center. Many of the drawers were underutilized and did not contain entertainment related items. After creating a cabinet space for cameras and other video related tools, we were able to get those supplies off the shelf. Also, in the process, we found memory cards, charger cords and bags that were scattered throughout the area. Now, when it is time for a quick photo or action video of the baby, all important items are quickly located.

It was determined that the basket was not the solution for this area. Instead, using a drawer was a better alternative. This way keys and could gather without becoming an eyesore during tv time.

We also spent a lot of time sorting through electrical cords and moved all of them into a tub to be stored in the garage for future needs. Every house that I visit has too many unidentified cords.

Look at this from my perspective for a moment because this is a very common problem. If all of the electronic devices that you own and use right now are hooked up and functioning, it is a good idea to let go of the unidentified cords that are jamming up your drawers and cabinets. If you can’t convince yourself to let them go, at least move them out of the house and store them in the garage in the tool zone.

Consider this, what is the worst thing that can happen if you don’t have the proper cord later? Well, for starters, right now everything you own is working and hooked up just fine. If you do one day need a cord, go out and spend the $10- 20 to replace it. The money that you might possibly have to spend later is better than living with a drawer or cabinet space that doesn’t function every day in the meantime. Right? Well, at least I think so…

Situation:

An incredibly large pantry with built-in shelves and drawers but a very industrious and busy cook. It seemed to have a life of it’s own and created it’s own systems if we didn’t keep an eye open for small hands and hungry mouths!

Challenge:

There were so many shelves and drawers that it looked deceptively easy to organize. This is a common situation with too much space in pantries, closets or other areas in your home. Because of the expanse of storage space, you keep buying more and more products to fill it up. Sound familiar? This actually wasn’t the issue in this pantry but a good thing to keep in mind if you have a large but out-of-control storage area.

Solutions:

We decided what zones were really necessary to keep everything organized in this space. Zones were super important since this was a very busy mom with a multi-cultural family with a variety of palettes.

Specific zones were created to include:

1. Condiments, Sauces

2. Asian Cuisine

3. Canned Goods: Soups, Veggies

4. Canned Goods: Mexican

5. Baking / Entertaining Zone

6. Rice/Pastas

7. Teas / Beverages

8. Snack Zone

9. Breakfast Zone

These are the zones created specifically for foods. After that we created storage for appliances and other items to include:

1. Entertaining  2. Baking  3. Cooking  4. Paper Goods

Click here to see more specific solutions for storage and zone organizing for pantries. I use these solutions frequently when I work in with clients and you might end up with some new ideas for your own pantry!

PS Please post any good solutions you have developed on your own in the comment form below so that others can benefit from your clever tips and tricks!

Situation: This laundry room also served as a craft room. The previous owner had designed a built-in work space with cabinets but there were too many items to fit inside the area until they were better organized.

Challenge: There were multiple crafts projects underway at the same time. The owner had a part-time business selling her knitted and sewn products. She also had many other fun crafts underway including card making, scrapbooking, jewelry making and more.

Solution: We had to decide which projects would take priority. The parts that included the client’s business projects took the easy-to-access space. The drawers by the counter contained pre-cut fabrics, threads, knitting instruments.

All other crafts were organized into bins and stored in the large floor to ceiling cabinet off to the side. We arranged the crafts bins from high to low based on frequency of use.

Situation: A very productive and active office with too many books and papers and not enough cabinets, file drawers  or shelves.

Challenge: No system was in place for all of the papers to land when they arrived into the home office. Also there was no specific place for them to live while they were in use and needed. The big issue was that there was no set strategy for them to leave when they were no longer needed.

Solution: We created a filing system that organized the papers vertically (look to the left of the monitor) as they arrived and when in use. We also created file folders for the papers that were needed for a short time and also a separate area for those that were needed permanently.

After the papers were organized, we grouped and organized the office supplies and books, getting rid of the unnecessary items. Once we saw what remained, we redesigned the office and had a wall to wall u-shaped desk built with proper file drawers, drawers, cabinets and book shelves.

Now the office has a home for everything with more space. The owner can get even more work completed in less time and with less stress.