An Antique Store's Craft Room Make Over
We had so much fun organizing a craft area for a client who owns an antiques and gift store. Our client specializes in making beautiful custom wreaths and floral arrangements, so you can imagine the chaos that needed organizing! We hope some of the ideas we incorporated into this design serve as a creative spark for your project.
We had so much fun organizing a craft area for a client who owns an antiques and gift store. Our client specializes in making beautiful custom wreaths and floral arrangements.
Here are photos of what the space looked like when we arrived!
BEFORE
We spent the first day of the job purging. Lots of purging!! We must say, our client was amazing with this process and we estimate she cleared away 40% of her excess inventory. WOW!! We explained to her why it is important to make the stuff fit the space, not the space fit the stuff. Lucky for us, she totally got the concept, which made our job of getting to the organizing so much quicker.
The store is laid out with an open shopping area and then two additional areas where our client stores her inventory and does her crafting. Once we cleared the excess in the storage/work area, we designated one area (“room”) for inventory and the other “room” for a workspace.
We created a beautiful floral wall with her artificial flowers, also known as plants we cannot kill - our favorite kind of plants - using trash cans she inherited as bins! Now she can easily select the flowers she wishes to use in her arrangements and wreaths because everything is in view and very accessible. This also creates an area for her clients to peruse when deciding what items they want in their wreaths. We oftentimes speak of win-win situations, and this certainly qualifies! It checks the box of being an organized space that is both functional and beautiful.
In the inventory “room” we lined the walls with shelving units the client already owned. We zoned these units into sections for tools not used on a daily basis, vases, cleaning supplies and excess inventory to be sold in the store. The client owned two inexpensive countertop height shelving units. We positioned these in the middle of the inventory “room” to serve as a staging area as she is taking out needed items.
AFTER
We hope some of the ideas we incorporated into this design serve as a creative spark for your project. As always, give us a call if you need our help in finding the perfect organizing solution.
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Cleaning Out The Closet on National Gaudy Day
So many of the items we have in our homes are only there because we feel too guilty to get rid of them. However, by letting go of these items you are letting go of the negative emotions hanging around your space. There is actually a therapy element to cleaning out your closet.
Is your closet a study in wardrobe history? Are you holding on to that sweater you were wearing when you met your partner? Or are you holding on to that skirt you regretfully bought, the one with the price tag still attached?
So many of the items we have in our homes are only there because we feel too guilty to get rid of them. However, by letting go of these items you are letting go of the negative emotions hanging around your space. There is actually a therapy element to cleaning out your closet.
Statistically speaking...
“The average American woman owns 30 outfits—one for every day of the month. In 1930, that figure was nine (Forbes).”
The average American family spends $1,700 on clothes annually (Forbes).
While the average American throws away 65 pounds of clothing per year (Huffington Post).
...and we regularly hear that only 20 percent of the clothes in the average person’s closet are worn on a regular basis.
4 Easy Tips To Clean Out Your Closet
ASK WHY
So the real question to ask yourself is WHY? Why haven’t you worn the item? Most of the time it is because there is a similar item we like better. So why own both if you only wear one? Other times it’s because we plan to lose weight so it will fit again. While this can be an arguable point, we find most people actually enjoy shopping for new clothes when they reach their goal weight. Here’s a big one. You really don’t want to see the pile of clothes that still have a price tag attached.
REMOVE THE UNWORN
Today is “Wear Something Gaudy Day” - and it is the perfect day to pillage through your closet and remove the gaudy stuff. Start by removing the items you haven’t worn in the last year. Feeling really frisky? Remove items you haven’t worn in the last six months.
DONATE
Make a donation bag, fill it, and immediately put it in your vehicle to drop off.
SORT WHAT REMAINS
Once you have removed the clutter from your closet, sort your clothes by type (dresses, long, short and sleeveless tops, pants, etc.). Store them together by type. Then sort each type by color using the ROYGBIV guide. Simple steps will make your house both functional and beautiful.
Pro tip: Turn your hangers around for the items you simply cannot make a decision about. If you haven’t worn it in the next 6 months then its out!
It is important to understand that this is a difficult process to do on your own. That’s why our teams are here to help. We understand how emotional and physical clutter work hand in hand, and the sooner you remove the things that no longer serve you the quicker you can get to what does.
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How To Organize the Handbags, Totes, & Clutches
Did you know there was a National Handbag Day? Seriously, an entire day dedicated to handbags! I’ve never loved clothing like some women… but a pretty handbag? Why yes, thank you! How does one keep the handbags organized? Well, let’s take a look at some options!
Did you know there was a National Handbag Day? Seriously, an entire day dedicated to handbags! I’ve never loved clothing like some women… but a pretty handbag? Why yes, thank you!
Because I’m not one to hang onto things, it’s a one-in, one-out rule for most things in my closet. But handbags are different. They can make (or break) an outfit. (Ok, so maybe not my Chaos t-shirt and leggings look but ANY other outfit!) I tend to hang onto them probably longer than I should because I like classic styles. The few trendier, less expensive styles stay through a season or two. I have a patent leather clutch that was my Grandmothers. It’s definitely one of my favorite items in my closet that will never leave.
To start organizing your handbags, be sure to have an honest talk with yourself. Let’s be real, no matter how much you paid for that handbag, if you keep skipping over it, you know it needs to go. Stop obsessing about what you paid for it and keep moving forward.
Pro Tip: Donating handbags is great for your local community, but there are plenty of thrift stores that would love to buy your gently used designer bags. Be sure to look into both options. The extra money could come in handy for that next bag you love.
How does one keep the handbags organized? Well, let’s take a look at some options!
If you have a large closet with ampules of closet hanging space, and frequently change handbags, hanging them could be a great option. It’s tidy, easy to use and keeps the handbags from having that nasty crease mark when they flop over. These hooks are from The Container Store and you can find them here.
If you have less closet space, an acrylic organizer might be a good fit like this one from The Container Store. Here is a great example. The clutches and small purses can fit below while the larger satchels can live next to or on top of the organizer. It would help keep the dust off the clutches as well. The openings could be labeled so that each clutch has its own space.
The way I store my handbags is with a shelf divider like this one from Target.
I stuff the larger, more flimsy handbags with tissue so they stand up and contain them between the shelf dividers. My clutches are lined up in a small basket.
There is also the @Bed, Bath and Beyond “Park a Purse” Clutch and Purse divider that looks interesting. Being able to stack the bags would be helpful in a small closet. I haven’t used one yet, but it has great reviews! You can find it here.
And lastly, if you are still struggling with storage, you can always look for ideas at your local boutiques.
This idea came from Edit by LBP in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
So you see, there are as many handbag organizing options as there are handbags themselves. I hope one of these ideas gets you inspired to evaluate and organize your handbag collection. If you get stuck or need assistance, give us a call!
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4 Tips to Tackle the Tech Clutter
As professional organizers we deal with lots of clutter, but clutter comes in all forms. One type of clutter worth discussing is e-clutter -being digitally disorganized. I’ve rounded up some proven tips for tackling your e-clutter and protecting yourself from viruses.
Do you get vertigo from your heading spinning, trying to keep up with all this technology? I CERTAINLY DO!!! Passwords, cables, computers, phones, etc. I feel like my household could employ a full time IT professional.
In celebration of National Techies Day (who knew there was such a thing?) and Virus Appreciation Day (honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve got the right kind of virus here but let’s just roll with it), let’s tackle our technology.
As professional organizers we deal with lots of clutter, but clutter comes in all forms. One type of clutter worth discussing is e-clutter -being digitally disorganized. I’ve rounded up some proven tips for tackling your e-clutter and protecting yourself from viruses.
1 Declutter Your Screens
After a while, our screens can begin to look like a kitchen counter after the kids just helped you cook. One way to start decluttering is by tossing everything you no longer use or need. Technology quickly becomes outdated or even broken. If you don’t use it, find another home for it (away from your home and life). Once the physical tech clutter is out of mind, you can focus on the digital clutter. Take a look at your desktops, files, social media feeds, and your email inbox. Is it a chaotic mess in there? Get to deleting! Delete what you no longer need, then unsubscribe and unfollow the noise. Next time you open up your device, it’ll be a breath of fresh air.
2 Dealing with passwords
The same process involved with organizing your physical items applies to your electronic technology. Once you have decluttered your e-clutter it’s time to organize it. Think about putting your passwords in one easily accessed location. There are many apps available to keep track of your passwords.
3 Protect Your Digital Self
The reviews are in for the best antivirus protection software of 2018. Make sure your information and accounts are safe!
4 Shop to Organize
Even if technology isn’t your thing, shopping to organize it might just be your new thing! Here are some fun products to help handle with the tangible items lying around that’s associated with all this technology.
This is great to house all of your family’s electronics.
Pro Tip: Get your kids to plug into this nightly to keep the electronics out of their rooms.
This is great not only for travel but for keeping track of all of your cables and adapters on a daily basis. Bonus: just pack it when you are ready to leave on a trip.
Tackling your e-clutter is no different than tackling your physical clutter. Break it down into manageable tasks. Most experts agree that tackling your email inbox is the best place to start. Delete, Defer, Delegate, Do. These are your marching orders! Techies, go attack that email inbox!
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Decorating Your Home This Fall Without Falling into Chaos
If you’re as busy as I am, decorating for all those holidays can become overwhelming, so over the years I’ve developed practices that make these daunting tasks very doable. I hope my lessons learned are helpful to you as we approach one of the busiest times of year!
I absolutely LOVE the later half of the year! It’s like one fun event after another. We go from high school, college and NFL football, to Halloween, Thanksgiving, and College Bowl games, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza and then New Years Eve! It almost feels like there is something to celebrate on a weekly basis in the fall. And being who I am, I embrace the opportunity to turn every one of those occasions into a decorating event.
But if you’re as busy as I am, decorating for all those holidays can become overwhelming, so over the years I’ve developed practices that make these daunting tasks very doable. I hope my lessons learned are helpful to you as we approach one of the busiest times of year!
The Chaos Coordinator of Halloween!
Divide…
If you’re an avid decorator like me, you have multiple areas to “dress up” for the season.
My first piece of advice is to divide.
Around mid-September to the beginning of October I start setting out my fall decorations. I find it best to divide my home into vignettes then tackle those areas piece by piece. I place everything I need for each area in bins labeled for those respective areas. That way I can easily decorate each area with just a few minutes.
And Conquer.
After all of my items are divided into their respective areas, it’s time to conquer the task a little at a time. For example, when I have a little extra time, I’ll take out my Halloween foyer bin and start decorating that particular vignette.
Pro Tip: Include a picture of the decorated area in each storage bin. This way, you can quickly remove the items not needed for this holiday vignette and get to decorating with exactly the elements you need. Decorating from a picture helps take some of the pressure off, and even makes the task easy (and fun) to pass along! Over the years I’ve been able to hand off the foyer, mantle and other simple areas to my children to decorate. It’s fun getting the whole family involved.
Then, Hit Reverse!
When it’s time to return to “normal,” I reverse the process. Taking down the decorations is just as easy when using this method. I can easily un-decorate a little at a time without turning my house upside down in the process. This makes decorating year after year a fun activity rather than a chore.
