Your Entryway is the first room that will greet you and your guests when entering your home, so it pays to keep it neat and organized. Not only to welcome your guests and convey a happy home feeling but also for yourself. Would you rather be greeted by a neat and calm area or a cluttered and stressful place that makes you want to run back out??? Depending on the size and layout of your home, you may have an entryway, or a narrow hallway or a large foyer, there may be a coat closet or none. Whatever the layout and size you can create a space that is aesthetically pleasing and functional at the same time. These tips are just general suggestions and you can customize according to your style and preferences or based on the space available. Tip #1 - Create a DROP ZONE What is a drop zone you may ask? It's a dedicated area in your home that house all those items you carry in with you or will need on your way out. It is most commonly located as close as possible to your main entrance. Think about all the items you usually need (and most often spend time looking for) before you leave the house, and what you bring back when you return. All those items will need a home, and that is usually within your drop zone. Examples might be a basket for gloves and hats, or a place to hang them on the inside of your coat closet, hooks for the kids to hang their back packs, place to hang or drop your keys, a drawer in your entry table for hand sanitizers, masks, sunglasses etc. Some people even have a basket to place return packages, and dry cleaning items. "Tip #2 - Style Style and beautify with plants, a "Happy Home" sign, family photos, a mirror, a vase with dry flowers or whatever else you like that makes it welcome you. Tip #3 - Season Switch Keep handy what is needed for that season, if it is summer, sunscreen, lip balm with UV, sunglasses, summer hats, masks, sanitizer, put away heavy coats and school stuff, take out beach bags, and park gear for kids to play. In winter heavier winter gear, chap stick, hand cream, masks, sanitizer, switch to winter bags, and coats, dogs coats and shoes if you have one. By keeping out only what is in season it will be easier to keep it organized and handy. Tip #4 - Furniture with storage Get furniture that has lots of storage purposes, even cube storage will work, as long as you have cube storage bins to keep things contained. If you opt for a table make sure it has at least some drawers. Another option with lots of possibilities is an entryway Hall Tree with a bench, especially if you have a small coat closet or none nearby, this will be viable for items you use often or on a daily basis, saving you to wrestle with your full coat closet. Even a simple and inexpensive one will provide plenty of storage options. Tip #5 Keep it clean If you have pets and kids it is important to have a place to collect dirt as you walk in, a place where pets paws can be wiped, kids can change and deposit wet or muddy shoes and boots, so your floors will remain clean and dry. The same goes for summer and items full of sand. There are rubber doormats for indoor use that look like trays and will keep all liquids and dirt contained. Most people use them only when weather conditions require it. If you follow these simple tips you will find it easier to keep your entryway clean and tidy with minimal maintenance.
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Photo by Tomas Lundahl on Unsplash Boots are beautiful! Boots make you feel beautiful!! But when they are not properly taken care of ... not so much. I often work in closets and I don’t like to see nice or expensive boots, especially leather or suede ones all crumpled up at the bottom of a closet but oftentimes people throw away the original box so they have no place to store them and needless to say... like a drunk.. they don't stand up by themselves ;-) Lately I keep seeing Boot Shapers advertised everywhere, maybe because we are moving into the cooler season. There is no shortage of choices in regard to type, budget, colors; they even have inflatable ones! If that is the route you chose to go I would just stay away from the extra cheap ones especially from sketchy overseas sites, you might not even be able to return them. Personally I have never bought or suggested one. I would keep the box especially for those you use infrequently but it’s your choice. The reason I don’t believe in purchasing these it’s because there is no need to waste your hard earned money and add to our plastic consumption. When you buy boots they come in a box that you can use to store them flat and stack the boxes, especially during warm seasons. Perfect fit! They also have cardboard inserts in the leg portion which is usually folded to fit perfectly to the boot and help it to retain its shape, even if you keep your boots at the bottom of your closet standing up under coats, or clothes by KEEPING the original inserts they will be supported and will not fold sideways. Best thing is they are FREE! Why spend money to replace something you already have? If you have already discarded all that, there are other options that won’t break the bank.
Give it a try, this way you will save money and save the environment from yet MORE plastic!! Let’s talk about flat surfaces. I always advise my clients to keep flat surfaces FREE of clutter as much as possible, since those are NOT for storage but for working or decorating purposes. If you have the need to keep certain items on your flat surfaces it is best if they are corralled on a tray or something similar. It will look neat and decorative. For example to keep a table free of clutter create a centerpiece with a tray, candle and small succulent, etc. This will be the only item allowed on your table. Any other clutter will distort the pretty picture and will signal you to be removed. Similarly you can use the same strategy throughout your home, corral items on your vanity, bathroom counter, kitchen counter etc. Depending on the room decor you might choose a material and look that complement the room. Now let's move on to the bedroom and vanity/dresser surfaces. Very often I encounter top of vanities and dressers loaded with tons of stuff, it’s a very cluttered and noisy look. Even in this situation corralling items will allow you to keep some items visible but in a way that does not create visual noise and does not allow for a cluttered look. I found this cute tiered tray at Marshall’s which can be used for pretty perfume bottles, make up and even your daily beauty regimen, it all depends on how you display it. There are many other styles around to match your room decor, I chose this because it matched the look of client's room. I t could be used on your bathroom counter as well depending on style and color pattern and if space allows. If you have scattered jewelry on your dresser and you wear it often the jewelry organizer on the right is an option to corral those pesky little items, bracelets on the top bar, rings, earrings in the bottom dish. You can also use this for hair accessories, scrunchies on the bar and barrettes in the dish. The purpose is to keep items together and not scattered all over your flat surfaces. It will also be easier to find them when needed. These items are both from Marshall’s but it was some time ago. To keep your kitchen surfaces organized, free of clutter and make it easy when it’s time to cook dinner, keep your most used utensils handy in a stand up style, you can use ceramic, metal, wood jars as long as they are heavy enough to hold your utensils without tipping over. I have 2 on my counter near the stove 1 for wood/metal utensils and one for plastic/rubber utensils. It is much quicker than having to rummage in a drawer. Especially if you have a smaller kitchen with little drawer space. The second picture is a potato canister which can also be used for onions, but potatoes especially since they need a dark and cool place, the air vents allow for air circulation, and it is pretty enough to be displayed in your kitchen, maybe on a shelf or if there is space on the counter. These items are also from Marshall’s. The last 2 items are for your DROPZONE which is commonly as close as possible to your main entry, depending on your home it may be an entryway, a mudroom or a hallway.
In conclusion if you want to keep your surfaces clear of clutter with as little maintenance as possible, keep items together within a tray or other container, and allow the rest of the surface to remain FREE, it will not only look better it will also cut down cleaning time. It is easier to move one item than an array of small lose items, and a clean place is a happier place.
New York City is not famous for spacious kitchens, after all we have tons of restaurants and take out places so lots of people don’t cook, but for those who do it is a big headache. I have never had a client that was happy with the size of their kitchen, there is never enough space, or the layout is not optimal, it's lacking drawers, and 90% of the time the top shelves are too high, thus a small stepping stool is a requirement in most kitchens. Here are a few tips for kitchen organization and further down for the rest of your home, these are all items I have used with clients. I am sure there are many more options out there.
There are so many other options and solution but I can't possibly list them all, so I will move on to other areas in a home to make it a little more inclusive. After all you may have a small apartment altogether.
For the kids
For working from home
For bedroom storage
For the entrance or hallway
There is a lot more to say about home organization and the tools that might assist you in that quest, but if you have ever visited IKEA you know it would take me months to go through all the useful items I could write about, so I stuck to what I have used at least for one client. I love visiting IKEA, it is always a source of inspiration, it feels like fireworks in my brain!!!
I hope I have at least inspired you somehow to work on your organization so get ready for the New Year, may it be an Organized one! 1 - PUT THINGS AWAY
2 - CREATE ROUTINES Linking to first tip, establishing routines and implementing them is one of the Pillars of an organized home. Once you get used to it you will follow them without a thought nor effort. NOTE: It will take about 20 consecutive days for a routine (repeated task) to take root. 3 - PERMANENT HOMES Everything you own should have a "set place" where it belongs, according to your living space, and where it makes sense to YOU! It must fit your way of thinking, and your lifestyle. Make a home for things where YOU would logically think you will find it. Where you use them if possible. Example: would you look for your cooking pots in the bedroom? No? why? Logically they don't belong there, since you don't use them there. Use these parameters for your other belongings as well. 4 - FLAT SURFACES Flat surfaces are NOT storage areas, they are WORKING ones. It is extremely important to understand this concept early in your organizing efforts, DO NOT use tables, counters, bedside tables etc. to store things ON, use them for their intended purpose like eating, cooking, working. Use storage options to store your belongings. 5 - DECORATION To keep flat surfaces clutter free and pretty use 1 decorative item as a centerpiece, like this one from Crate and Barrel , other options could be, candles, pretty soaps, flowers, bowl of fruit or a family picture. Tell yourself that this is the ONLY item "allowed" to live on that surface, anything else that you may occasionally find there has to be re-homed. 6 - 5 MINUTES RULE Use this rule when you get home everyday, DO NOT POSTPONE putting away what you are carrying with you. Coat, hat, umbrella, phone, keys, groceries, mail, take out, Take 5 minutes and put them all away where they belong, NOW. Don't allow yourself to leave for later, clean your slate now and when you are done you will be able to fully relax with nothing to do on your list. An added bonus, you will be able to find everything tomorrow :-) 7 - FAMILY MEMBERS Teach whoever lives with you to follow the rules and routines as well, after all it has to be a team effort if it needs to work. They should participate as much as possible. If it's a child a small reward might help, positive encouragement might work better than punishment. It might work for adults as well ;-) 8 - PROCRASTINATION Don't procrastinate, it might seem hard at first but it will only grow bigger every time you postpone it, and it will not magically become any easier. If the task seems too much for you to handle HIRE an organizer to get it in motion, work with her until you feel comfortable to continue on your own or until it's all done. All you will have to do after is maintain it. 9 - SMALL STEPS Plan in small increments, 15 minutes a day if you have to. You can clear a small area or pile in that amount of time, like that pile of mail on your desk, that is hiding your electric bill which is past due but you can't find. Fifteen minutes might be enough to clear your junk drawer, or under your bathroom sink. Whatever you can do in small doses, try it every day. Put it on your calendar if you have to. You can listen to music while working or take care of that phone call to grandma if you can multitask. 10 - SALES, BARGAINS, FREEBIES Avoid them, they are your worst enemy. If you want to STOP CLUTTER from entering your home, stay away from thrift stores, garage sales, freebies and bargains. They are an endless source of clutter others DO NOT WANT. Shop only when you actually NEED something, not out of boredom. If you are replacing something, get rid of the old one. If it is still in working condition donate, otherwise toss it. Do not keep just in case, if it was something you wanted you would not have purchased a NEW one. 11 - ONLINE SHOPPING Research has shown that most online shopping is due to impulse and enticement not a real need. So if you are shopping online and get tempted, place items in your virtual cart and allow yourself time to think. Give it a day or two and ask yourself: DO I HAVE A PLACE TO STORE IT? DO I NEED IT? WILL I USE IT? WHY DO I WANT IT? If you can find a valid reason why you should buy it, then make place for it by discarding something else. Often times if you allow yourself to ponder you will realize you don't really want it. 12 - ORGANIZERS In drawers or shelves use organizers, bins, or anything on hand that will help you keep items separated and together at the same time. Loose stuff is hard to keep organized, while if you create compartments and categories it will help to keep them together. Group similar things and find ways to keep them together, you can use ziplock bags, small tupperware, phones boxes, or purchase organizers like this one from Container Store . On shelves you can use bins, if they are stackable it will help you use vertical space optimally. 13 - SENTIMENTAL ITEMS These are the ones that are hard to let go. If it's just the memory your are preserving, try taking pictures and save them online in an album, such as "Memory Lane", but discard the items. You can jog memories by looking at the pictures as much as the item itself. If you are keeping items because they belonged to a dear one, try to repurpose them, there are businesses using grampa favorite shirt or ties to make new items like pillows, quilts etc. things you can enjoy, rather than keeping the items hidden in a trunk in the attic. Lots of people keep card as mementos, and these can become quite large collections, photograph them and save them as pictures including the message part. For other special items that can't be photographed or repurposed, have a box or container to store and allow only as many as there is space. As you collect NEW items you may be ready to part with older ones. Revisit occasionally. 14 - PAPERS Lots of people are going paperless but if you are not there yet, get started on reducing those piles of papers you know are hiding somewhere in your home. Papers are one of the categories people avoid the most, I have never encountered a client eager to start that task, on the contrary, they try to run from it as much as possible. BAD NEWS is, it will just grow and grow. Enlist the help of a Professional Organizer to attack the bulk, make some sense of it, and organize it. Once it's done all you have to do is follow the system in place, and set 1 day a week to go through whatever papers have accumulated, do It WEEKLY. Decide on one spot where you will save all the incoming paper and will go through on the designated day and time. It may be a basket in the kitchen or a drawer in your desk, wherever it works for you as long as it is 1 location and you will check it weekly. 15 - CLOTHES The majority of people have an overflow of clothes, even children. While it is true that we use 20% of our clothes 80% of the time, we are still buying new ones. One way to keep your closet free of clutter is to EDIT your wardrobe every change of Season. Remove what is stained, damaged, faded/discolored, or out of shape. Focus and keep what you feel comfortable in, what you love and wear often, what makes you feel confident and happy. If you have clothing that you haven't worn in a long time chance is none of the above statements apply to this garment. When you buy NEW clothes chose high quality ones that will last for a while, try to create a basic wardrobe of classic pieces you can use multiple ways in combination with accent pieces. Stay away from "fast fashion" items, these are low-quality clothing designed and made specifically for short-term ownership and premature disposal.Our landfills will be thankful. |
AuthorHello, my name is Vicky and I am a Professional Organizer in NYC. I am passionate about anything related to organizing and most of all I fully believe in the benefits of it. Archives
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