Organized Home Series

It’s the last week in my Organized Home Series! I hope you have enjoyed the tour through my home. As you can see, I try to practice what I preach and teach. Many of my organizing solutions are practical and functional for anyone in any size of home. If you have any questions about any of the rooms in this series, please feel free to email me!

The last room we are focusing on is the laundry room. If you’re home has a designated laundry/mudroom area or even a simple closet, the ideas here will work for any space.

I have lots of countertop space in my laundry room which is great for folding and creates a drop zone for extra groceries. A hanging rod is essential in any laundry room. If you can, do a built in one (shown) or use a tension rod in smaller spaces.

With three boys, I needed a home for many types of shoes. This cubby system has worked great and fits larger sizes.

I found these baskets at Fred Meyer and they work great for overflow items. They can also hold gloves, hats, and scarves. Since I have them on a high shelf, they are clearly labeled so I know what is in them. Luggage tags are another great label idea for baskets – look for them on my Shopping page.

A hanging craft station in a laundry room is a great space saver and easily visible. These clear labeled bins hook right onto the rod and make wrapping gifts a breeze.

A coatrack is another essential for a laundry room, mudroom, or entryway. Find one that has lots of hooks and shelf space. The top shelf is another great space for seasonal gear and a small basket is great place for keys. Having designated homes for items will help  you and your family develop simple organizational habits and save you time.

It’s the little things that make a huge difference. This simple white board is attached to the door leading to the garage. It’s a great spot to write daily reminders, grocery lists, and notes to my kids or spouse.

On the opposite door leading to the hallway, I have a shoe organizer and a hook. These are great for more seasonal items, kids toys, lightweight shoes, and travel accessories. The door hook is a great spot for shopping bags or work totes. Again, everything has a home.

A labeled rolling cart keeps my laundry contained and sorted. I love figuring out how I can simplify the steps it takes to do something, so I transfer my laundry soap to an open clear container. I just scoop, pour and done! No messy, heavy, awkward box to deal with.

I’ve been in so many client laundry rooms where there was a tiny garbage can sitting on top of the dryer. Those don’t function very well if you have to empty them daily, especially if you have kids! Get a large garbage can!

Lastly, buy a couple garbage cans or large bins and store them in your laundry room or garage. Label them consign and donate ( I also have a shred barrel for paperwork). It is so much easier to part with things if you can get it of your house immediately. When the garbage bag gets full, just pull it out and throw it in the back of your car. I’ve been doing this at my house since my kids were little. When they outgrew clothes or toys they immediately went into one of the bins. I’ve made so much money over the years selling things on consignment!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series! Happy Organizing!

What better way to welcome guests into your home that with an inviting and comfortable temporary retreat. I knew I always wanted to have a space in my home ready for visiting friends, family and acquaintances. Whether you are converting an existing space or have an extra bedroom, here are some of the essential for creating a great guest bedroom.

Keep the guest room clean and basic. The nightstands have an alarm clock and a notepad. I also leave a guestbook for them to sign in and write about their stay!

Guests often throw their suitcases, purses, shoes, etc. onto the end of the bed right when they arrive. A neat trick I picked up from hotels – keep a blanket at the foot of the bed and this will help keep your bedspread clean! It’s much easier to wash a blanket than a nice bedspread.

I took the doors off the closet so it easier for guests – plus it’s great for small spaces. I keep a few extra hangers, pillows, blankets and accessories in the closet.

A set of extra sheets are kept in a closet drawer so guests can strip and re-make the bed at the end of their stay. Then it’s ready to go again! A luggage rack is also a nice addition to any guest space. Guests won’t have to kneel on the floor or place the suitcase on the bed every time they want to access their clothing.

The room isn’t large, but I’ve managed to create a cozy seating area with plenty of open shelving for guests and their belongings.

I’ve maximized the space by using behind the door! A few finishing touches – a comfortable robe and reading material on a ladder. Thanks for checking out another week of the Organized Home Series! I would love to hear your ideas for creating the perfect guest room. See you next week!

This week in the Organized Home series is all about the master suite. Your master bedroom should be your sanctuary; a place to go relax and unwind at the end of a long day.

I’ve seen countless disorganized and uninviting master bedrooms. The rooms lacked cohesive design and became the dumping ground for random furniture. Don’t let that happen! With a small budget, effort and some design savvy, you can make your bedroom suite a retreat.

This is how I live everyday, there is nothing staged in these photos. Simple white linens allow the space to be easily updated by just changing out the accent color. For the summer, I’ve added a beautiful painting from Pier 1, and some colorful coral accents like the blanket and throw pillow.

The coral accents continue to the small seating area. The round bin on the stand hides magazines and a wicker basket stores my boots or bags.

This dresser houses DVDs, towels for the hot tub, and extra linens. As seen throughout my home, trays are used for containing just about anything.

Our closet isn’t perfect. What our closet lacks for in size, it makes up for with function! Built-ins make the most of the space. Cubbies are perfect for totes, purses, sweaters, and jeans. I like cubbies instead of dressers because you can easily see what you have. The slimline hangers are from Costco.

Rod doublers are a great space saver.

A good rule of thumb: anything that doesn’t show on the outside of your body doesn’t need to be folded! Toss underwear, socks, slips, swimsuits, and pajamas into labeled grommet totes.

I keep one large grommet tote stored at the top of my closet for travel necessities.

When we renovated our bathroom, we changed the layout and stayed with a neutral color palette. The result was a spa-like bathroom with great storage.

The shelf on the mirror utilizes vertical storage and is a great option for small bathrooms.

I use flower pots all over my house. They are inexpensive, versatile solutions for night stands, kitchens, offices, and even bathrooms.

Towel hooks are much better than towel rods. I’ve found that towels dry quicker and you can take advantage of the vertical space by hanging more towels than you would on a towel rod. Besides the two striped hot tub towels, the rest are white ones from Costco. White towels are universal no matter your bathroom decor and are easier to keep clean.

I keep labeled totes in this cabinet for medicine, bath products, and any extras. Having everything contained and labeled makes it easy to find something and returning it to its proper home.

A little inspiration to leave you with. I hope you get some ideas for creating your dream master suite. It doesn’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Keep the color palette simple, maximize your storage options and reduce the clutter. See you next week!

Happy Organizing!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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

A crock easily organizes your favorite utensils.

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

Contain your scrubbers in something attractive.

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

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

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!

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

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!