Organized Home Series: The Living Room

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It’s week three of my Organized Home Series and I’m talking about living rooms. My living room is simple, bright, airy and most importantly, clutter free. I use a neutral color palette, basic design ideas, and simple storage solutions to maximize this living space.

I’ve been in many client living rooms that were overpowered by too much furniture, oversized pieces and poor layout. Kids toys are another common issue. Don’t let toys take over  – your living room should be a comfortable space for you, your children, and guests.

Julies Living Room

Because the space was small, I used a subtle accent wall color and one large art piece to create a focal point without overwhelming the space. The lamps are on the same level to create balance.

Julies Pillows

Having neutral furniture allows me to easily change out the pillow covers by season. It’s a much more affordable way to refresh your living space.

Julies Chair

This is my favorite spot to relax. I bought the gorgeous ottoman at Target. It is made out of indoor/outdoor fabric so its durable and easy to clean (great for kids!). It works as a footstool, side table or extra seating in a pinch.

Julies Table

I repurposed this coffee table and gave it new life with a few coats of paint. Baskets are a great storage solutions for magazines, blankets, books, toys and accessories. Trays are great for containing reading material and/or beverages.

Julies Rug

Glass tables are great for small spaces. They allow light to pass through and don’t obstruct the eye. This one has two large shelves for storage. The bottom shelf could easily hold bins for games, books or toys.  I shuffle the rugs around in my house when I want a new look!

I hope this inspires you to clean out and re-arrange your own living room. Feel free to email me with questions or ideas!

Happy Organizing!

Organized Home Series: The Dining Room

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Welcome back to the second week in our Organized Home Series. This week I’m taking you through the dining room. The dining room is often a multi-purpose room and the hub for entertaining, especially during the holidays. Here are my tips and tricks for keeping the room easily organized and functional.

Julies Plant

Julies Dining Room

Julies Expanding Table

Our dining table is simple, yet functional. When we have a large group, I just simply pull out the hidden leaves. Now the table seats eight people comfortably! And the best part is I don’t have to store heavy and awkward table leaves.

Julies Hutch

Julies Hutch Cupboards

My hutch contains extra dishes for entertaining. Try to avoid stuffing your hutch full of knick-knacks and seldom used dishes. You want to be able to easily reach each item.

Julies Wine Cabinet

Julies Wine

Designate cupboards to fit your lifestyle. Because I love to entertain, I’ve created a drink cabinet with all the necessities. Everything is within reach of the dining table.

Julies Paper Products

I have a set of cupboards for extra disposable dinnerware contained in these IKEA bins. They work great and are an amazing price. The cupboards also contain the following:

Julies Games

Julies Candles

Julies Placemats

Please feel free to email me if you have questions about anything you see here or your own dining room. See you next week when we discuss the next room in my Organized Home Series: The Living Room. Happy Organizing!

Organized Home Series: The Kitchen

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This is the first week in my new blog series: Organized Home. Each week will feature a new room in my home with pictures and tips for each space. We will start with the kitchen. I’ve photographed the most common storage solutions in my kitchen.

Julies Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home; a natural gathering place for people. Don’t overwhelm the space with too many gadgets and accessories.

Julie Living Room

Design your kitchen to fit your needs. When we remodeled our kitchen, I wanted a couch instead of a breakfast nook. It is a popular spot to read, relax or converse.

Julie Cupboard

Shelf doublers provide extra storage for dishes. Purchase dishes that stack easily.

Julie Plastic Drawer

Plastics and bowls. Pare down what you need to the basics, contain the lids together and stack the rest.

Julie Utensil Crock

A crock easily organizes your favorite utensils.

Julies Coffe Pot

Set your gadgets on a smooth surface (I use a cutting board) so they slide around easier on your countertops.

Julies Yellow Bowl

Contain your scrubbers in something attractive.

Julie Silverware Drawer

Use an organizer and plastic containers from Storables to maximize functionality in your silverware drawer.

Julie Spice Drawer

 Use a drawer insert to keep your spices organized and visible.

Julie Under Sink

Contain the cleaners under your sink for easy access. A non-slip rug or mat underneath the sink makes for easy clean up – just vacuum or throw in the washer!

Julie Baking Supplies

I keep all of my baking supplies in my lazy susan. Labeled Tupperware containers keep all of my baking supplies fresh.

Julie Towel

Julie Sign

Many of the products seen in my home are available for purchase on my Shop page. Feel free to ask me questions about kitchen organization. See you next week for the next room in the Organized Home series!

Building Community

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Block Party

“Some people think they are in community, but they are only in proximity. True community requires commitment and openness. It is a willingness to extend yourself to encounter and know the other.” – David Spangler

Now that we have covered the ins and outs of real estate, from an organizational perspective, I’m going to wrap it up with this weeks post. Whether you’ve just moved, or lived in your home for awhile, I want to encourage each and every one of you to go out and build a community in your neighborhood. Get to know your new or current neighbors and forge those relationships! Organization isn’t just about our homes and offices, but true intentional living.

Here are some ideas on how to build relationships in your community:

  • Turn off the TV, computer and smart phone
  • Get outside to ride bikes and go for walks
  • Plan a neighborhood or block party
  • Plan an annual holiday party: Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day or Halloween
  • Host a potluck, BBQ or progressive dinner
  • Hire neighborhood kids for small jobs around the house
  • Bake extra cookies and share
  • Participate in neighborhood activities
  • Go with your children when they play outside
  • Sit on your front porch and greet others as they walk by
  • Offer tools or a helping hand
  • Shop local and frequent neighborhood coffee shops and restaurants
  • Have a neighborhood garage sale
  • Support children’s fundraisers
  • Offer to water plants and pick up the mail for neighbors out of town
  • Ride bikes around the neighborhood with your kids
  • Open your front door, a screen might be helpful if you feel exposed
  • Attend your neighborhood association meeting
  • Help kids organize a lemonade stand
  • Introduce yourself to new neighbors
  • Ask others to join you for a weekly walk, run or bike ride
  • Carpool
  • Host a neighborhood book club
  • Start a community garden

Tiffany Larson, guest blogger on Simple Mom, had a great post last week on this topic. Check it out for more ideas.

I would love you to share your ideas or experience on building a community within your neighborhood!

Organizing A Smooth Move

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Moving InLast week I gave you some tips on what to look for when buying a home, from an organizational perspective. Hopefully those tips were invaluable to you in your search for your new home. So what’s the next step? You get to pack up and move to your new home! This is often a stressful time no matter if you’re doing the move yourselves or hiring people to do it for you. Here are my budget-friendly, low stress ideas on how to prepare, pack and execute a smooth move!

Preparation

  1. Pick your moving day. You’ll find cheaper rental truck rates if you move during the week. 
  2. If you can, create a task list 6-8 weeks before your move.
  3. Do your research and pick a reliable moving company and get the right size rental truck. My husband and I made that mistake and our Uhual was way too small!
  4. Book with movers and your rental truck as soon as you pick your moving day. Rates will be lowest in spring and fall months. Also, reserve furniture covers and a dolly for heavy lifting.
  5. Keep a brightly colored file/binder with all contracts and documents related to your move.

6w_Fotor

via A Bowl Full of Lemons

Packing

  1. Lowes and Uhual have like sized boxes that make for easy stacking and allow you to get more in the truck. Try to avoid using randomly sized boxes just because they are free.
  2. Measure each room in your new home to know if your furniture will fit. If not, have a garage sale, sell it on Craigslist, or donate it. There is no point in hauling it to your new home.
  3. Keep like with like and pack one room at a time to avoid any miscellaneous unlabeled boxes.
  4. Don’t overpack boxes especially your dishes and books. One person should easily be able to lift a box.
  5. Keep valuables close to you during the move and use proper packing material. Using old newspapers and your own linens saves money and they are great for packing.
  6. Keep a basic excel inventory sheet with the number of boxes and a short description of what’s inside each numbered box. Keep this with your binder.
  7. Create a simple color coded moving legend for all of your boxes. Each room gets a different colored dot (see photo above). This makes for easier unpacking. Make copies of this legend so your movers and family know how to properly unload.
  8. Load the boxes of things you will need right away at the very end. Label these boxes “Open First”.
  9. Throughout the packing process make sure to weed through your belongings and donate the items you no longer need.

9w_Fotor

via A Bowl Full of Lemons

Moving Day

  1. Make sure to pack overnight bags for your entire family for the first night at your new place. Think about clothing, toiletries, a shower curtain and hooks, and bedding. If you have kids make sure to have a few things to keep them entertained before, during, and after the move.
  2. Rest the night before and take some down time with your family.
  3. Pack a cooler for the day of with snacks, lunch, and plenty of bottled water. If you have friends and family coming to help make sure to feed them too.

Happy Moving!

Thanks to A Bowl Full of Lemons for letting us use their beautiful photos from their post “How to Organize Your Move“! Check out their website for more great organizing ideas.

10 Things To Look For When Buying A Home

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Welcome Mat

1. Create a Dream Wish List.

When I made my list, it had 22 items on it. My current house had the potential to meet all of the items on my list with a little creativity, vision and hard work.

2. Separate the ‘Essentials’ and ‘Non-Essentials’.

After creating your dream home wish list, separate your ‘must haves’ from the things you’re willing to compromise on. No house is going to be perfect.

3. Location, Location, Location.

Remember, you can always change things in your house, but you can’t change the home’s location. Find a map of your city and highlight your ideal neighborhoods. This will help you narrow your home search. Is it important to you to have a view? Be close to schools or shopping? Find a location that fits your lifestyle.

4. Layout.

Think about the flow from the moment you walk in the door. Is the laundry room in a convenient location? Are you wanting that open concept so you can watch the kids while you cook? Many homes also have a formal living space that rarely gets used, so keep an open mind when viewing that space. They have a lot of potential to become something that fits your family – a game room, playroom, craft room or home office. ” Your home should be a reflection of the life you want to live.” – Peter Walsh

5. Storage.

As an organizer, I can’t stress enough how important proper storage space is in a home. Make sure your home has adequate closets or at least the potential to create additional storage space.  Coat closets, linen closets and a pantry may not seem like a big deal in an empty house but they are essential for establishing and maintaining organization in a home that is being lived in.  A garage is wonderful to have but is intended to store the car and not excess clutter.  Pay close attention to any built-ins a home may have and be wary of homes that have cheap wire shelving in every closet, something you certainly will want to change.

6. Kitchen/Bathrooms.

These rooms are the selling points of homes. They are also some of the more costly in terms of renovation. Those costs can be lowered if the rooms have good bones, flow and function. Make sure there is a pantry and enough drawers and cupboards to fit your needs.

7. Lighting. 

When we go to open houses, we are seeing the homes during daylight hours. We miss seeing the what the overhead lighting is like. I’ve been in so many homes that have poor lighting or none at all in the living rooms, dining rooms, and closets! Make sure there are overhead light fixtures in ALL the rooms and closets.

8. Children.

If you’re thinking about children, then look at a home as a long term investment. Find a home that has a nice backyard, a fence, and close to schools. Also, think about if you want the bedrooms all on the same floor or room to spread out when they get older? Is there a nice drop-zone area near the front door to organize keys, backpacks, coats, mail, etc?

9. Simplify.

Do you really need 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms for two people? If you have the tendency to collect clutter to fill those extra rooms, then maybe a smaller and more streamlined home is the best option for you. It means you have less to clean and maintain – therefore less stress.

10. Cosmetic Changes.

Look past the current homeowners taste to see the true potential of the space. We would be happy to help you unpack, organize and decorate the space for you! Contact Us today to learn more!