6 Tips for Home Organization

Here are a few tips to make sure your transition back to school goes smoothly.  Organization is key to successful mornings and easy evenings!

1. Have a mudroom or designated area for your purse, briefcase, car keys and the kiddo’s backpacks.  Keeping all these items together will make heading out the door faster.  Check out Closet Factory for some awesome mudroom designs.

 
2. Clear plastic containers work great for food as well as non-food items.  Everything is easy to see, plus you can see how much you have remaining before you run out.

 
3.Keep your countertop clean.  By this I mean, keep the decorative items to a minimum. This reduces clutter and discourages others from adding things on the counter. Want to add décor?  Opt for decoration above your cabinets.

 
4.Use a decorative basket or tray on your coffee table. This can hold remotes, coasters, toys, movies etc. Have a lot in your family room?  Storage ottomans work great! Target has some cute styles and they double as extra seating.


5.Set a timer and have everyone in the household spend 10 minutes picking up around the house.

 
6.Color code and label as much as possible.  I can’t stress this enough!  Hit up an office supply store such as Office Max for a label maker!  Use colorful bins or lids and colorful labels. 

Hopefully these few awesome tips work well for you!

 

The Container Store

While living in St. Louis I fell in love with The Container Store. Unfortunately a lot of people here in Cleveland don't know about this amazing store because the closest one is a couple hours away in Columbus.

The Container Store "The Original Storage and Organization Store" has a solution for every type of storage and organization need you may have....in every color, size and even style you could ever want. You can shop by category where you search by the room you're working on such as garage, closet, kitchen, office and more which makes finding everything super easy.

These Water Hyacinth Bins start at $7.99.

 

 

This Large Acrylic Make Up Organizer is on sale for $24.99.

I love this Expandable Bamboo Kitchen Utensil Tray. They are $29.99 each.

They also carry the Elfa line for your closet organization needs. 

Click here for The Container Store's website and here to locate the store nearest you!

Room Dividers

Are you looking for ways to break up a large room? I recommend bookshelf room dividers to many clients. It's perfect to store items or to display your favorite pieces. 

Here are some of my favorite bookshelf/room dividers in a variety of styles.

This bookshelf from Room and Board is $1299. It's a nice transitional piece.

Looking for something more modern? Try this bookshelf from Crate and Barrel $1199.

If you're on a budget, I recommend this bookshelf from IKEA. It is only $199 and comes in a variety of colors.

This is my favorite bookshelf from Restoration Hardware. I love the wheels so its easily movable should you want to open the space up again. It is a bit more pricey than the others at $1995. 

Not sure how to display items on your bookshelf? It's not in a library, so don't make it look like one. Try to stack books of similar size and height together in groupings of three to five. Keep space between them and even try adding a small horizontal stack of books randomly. Finally, I always like to add a couple baskets to the bottom shelf if you have children, its one more place to store items out of the way.

Three top area designers take on The Chase residences

I enjoy reading St. Louis AT HOME magazine and had to share this article with you. Chasing a Dream written by Jeanette Cooperman is about St. Louis designers Arlene Lilie, Tim Rohan and Kimberly Ruether all tackling the design of condos at The Chase Park Plaza. Their clients were downsizing from larger homes and wanting a new, fresh look. See how each designer took their own ideas and clients requests to create gorgeous interiors.

Click here to read the article and see the photos!

As you can imagine, I spend a lot of time at furniture and accessory stores.  I’m amazed at how often I notice people asking sales staff for tape measures and then trying to take notes on the back of an old receipt. I decided to come up with a shopping kit recommendation. These are the items I always keep with me and I recommend my clients to do the same. This will make your life much easier, I promise!

Tape Measure – There is no way you can shop for furniture without a tape measure. Sometimes ½ an inch can make a huge difference. Grab a small one and keep it in your purse all the time. You’ll be amazed at how often you whip that sucker out. It can also save you from having the hassle of making returns.

Camera – I always recommend a camera too. If you’re considering an item but don’t feel comfortable making the actual purchase yet, take pictures.  Be sure to get a few shots at different angles. When you get home and review the pictures it will be easier to imagine it in your space.

Pen and Paper – Have a pen and paper handy to take notes of measurements,  sku numbers and any ordering information you may need.

Swatches – It can be difficult being in a store and matching fabrics to what you imagine your sofa looks like at home. It’s so much easier to have a fabric swatch with you. I’ll cut small strips and keep them in an envelope in my purse until the project is complete. I’ll even save the envelope for a future project in that same room. 

Pictures - When working on a specific room, take a few snapshots and keep them in your purse. That way you’ll have a quick reference of what you’re working with. It may also help out the sales staff in finding the perfect piece for you. 

Notes – Finally, I recommend making a list of all the major furniture pieces and accessories and their measurements. You also may want to take note of window sizes, decorative cutouts and even special lighting placement in your room. I write notes on a notecard and slide it into the envelope with the swatches. 

Use these tips to ensure a successful shopping trip!

Bed Linens

Climbing into a fabulous bed with silky, smooth sheets that smell amazing can be just what you need for a great night’s sleep.  Bedding can be expensive, once you start adding in decorative elements on top of comfort and warmth so properly caring for your bed linens is important.

Look for gorgeous muted colors like these from Restoration Hardware.

Make sure you wash them weekly. Use a hot water wash and also high temperature dry. Don’t forget the scented fabric softener! Once the drying cycle is complete, promptly remove them from the dryer so the creases do not set in. If you are not immediately using them, fold them neatly into a square.

Folding a fitted sheet can be tricky. To properly fold a fitted sheet, fold in the elasticized pocket and then continue folding it just like a flat sheet. The elasticized area will be stretched around your mattress so no one will see any wrinkles. 

Here is a link to a video on the RealSimple website showing how to fold a fitted sheet.

www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/laundry/fold-fitted-sheet-00000000002236/index.html