Organize the Whole Shebang

The Organizer's House... featuring Melanie Dennis

What does a Professional Organizer do with all her 'STUFF'... We keep it simple but insist on labeling everything so that it's functional for our families. This week Melanie Dennis shares how she personally organizes her stuff- the stuff we all have that clogs up our precious bathroom cupboards + drawers.

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Melanie Dennis, CPO of Columbus, Ohio and owner of Neat Streak.

 

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  Upstairs hall closet

 
 

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1.  Think like a pharmacy and group like items- first aid, dental, hair care etc, to make it easy to see how much you have have on hand before you shop saving time and money.  I use these plastic bins that also keep things from falling out or from being lost in the back.  The plastic can easily cleaned if something leaks.  Baskets often have uneven bottoms and don’t always allow products to stand.

2.Labeling each bin makes it easy for my family to find what they need. My college aged daughters “shop” here.

3. Keeping the retail metaphor- the prime retail space is from your knees to your forehead so store less frequently used items can be stored above or below this.  I have cold medicines and travel sizes in the drawers below. Feel ill in the middle of the night? I just pull the medicine drawer out and take it into the bathroom to find what I need without disturbing anyone.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

The Organizer's House... Clare Kumar

Who doesn't want to see how Professional Organizer's live... We are just like you... surrounded by too much stuff that needs to be managed and with kidlets underfoot to mess things all up.

A sneak peek into the home of professional organizer Clare Kumar of Toronto, Canada and owner of Streamlife, an organizing company.

 I first met Clare at the NAPO 2011 Conference in San Diego...
She has a product she's bringing to market... and I think it's fabulous!
Here she is with Professional Organizer Deb Lee & I'm behind the camera ;)

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Daughter's Room Makeover  

 
 
 

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

Function: Determine the 3-5 activities you’ll perform in the room. This will dictate the furniture and storage you need in the space.  In this bedroom the activities are sleeping, dressing and play.

Fabulous: We began with bedding to set the tone for the room. We then chose the colour on the wall with help from Interior Designer Kelly Margani, who was also responsible for pulling window treatments and accessories together for a cohesive finished look.

1. Layout the main pieces of furniture to take advantage of the existing architecture.
Avoid blocking windows and heating/cooling vents. Keep easy access to light fixtures and electrical outlets.

2. Plan lighting.  
Use a mixture of natural, ambient and task lighting to ensure comfort in all activities, no matter the time of day.

3. Choose storage tools. 
Dressing and play place large demands on this space. The two small closets were divided into wardrobe and toy/dress up closets. A variety of fun, colourful organizing tools are used to brighten the space and make it truly functional.  Who knew there are magenta flocked hangers?!  Notice the dolls even have their own tools for organizing their wardrobes.

4. Finish the space. 
Choosing a colour palette and finding complementary accessories in a variety of textures and finishes really pulls the room together.  Artwork is homemade from photos taken over the past couple of years.   

Oh, and this is the before picture…in case you’re curious.

 
 

 *If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

The Organizer's House... Oksana Bellas

A sneak peek into the home of professional organizer Oksana Bellas of Vancouver, BC, Canada and owner of Order Matters.

I wish Oksana lived a bit closer... she's just north of where I-5 ends in Vancouver, BC... not to be confused with my Vancouver, Washington... and Washington state not DC :) You'll be able to tell from her photos that we share a love of FUNCTION MEETS FABULOUS!

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Clothes closet

 
 

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1.  LOVE MATTERS: 
Before organizing even begins, it is key to invest only in the items you love.  Buy quality pieces, which flatter your body.   I have learned over the years that clothes, shoes, and accessories I barely wear are the ones about which I was sort of unsure or had to buy for a function. 

2.  LESS IS MORE and EMPTY IS GOOD: 
Be a ruthless editor!  Do not keep items that you have not worn in months or longer, are no longer in style, that are worn, that do nothing for your figure, or do not fit.  If you have a hard time with editing, bring in a close friend, whose fashion sense you admire, to assist you.  I edit my closet at least 2-3 times per year and each time I find things that I can live without.  Also, as I buy something new, I try to remove clothes to make room.

3.  COMPARTMENTALIZE and STYLIZE: 
Bags should be with bags, dresses with the other dresses, shirts with shirts, and so on.   That way, looking for a button-down white shirt will be simple as you will have all your shirts in one section.  I get a high from the way an organized space looks.  The times when it not only meets my functional, but also fabulous requirement, I am more likely to maintain it.

4.  PROTECT: 
You have invested in items you love.  Now take the time to care for them.  Storing your winter wardrobe properly is critical.  I have learned the hard way that even in the cleanest of spaces, moths can build a home and ruin the loveliest of woollites.  Schedule yourself to rotate your wardrobe as seasons change (I have dedicated a blog post to this matter, check out: http://ordermatters.com/blog/?p=345 ).  Promptly mend the clothes that are requiring repair.  Keep a canvas bag or a small basket in your closet to collect clothes for dry cleaning.  Have a designated basket or spot for clothes that are still clean, but need to be ironed.   

 

5.  GET INSPIRED:
I love to shop my own closet and put outfits together, especially with items I kind of rediscover. Take pictures of newly found combinations and pin them on a bulletin board in your closet or office so that next time you are not sure what to wear, you can turn to some fool-proof outfits to save you time.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

The Organizer's House... featuring Ellen Delap

Welcome to my new(ish) weekly feature... The Organizer's House, a sneak peek into the homes of professional organizers!

When people find out that you're an organizer... this is what follows "You must be SO organized, I bet your home is perfect". So here it is... because the curious want to know and we want to show you we are indeed human... not the stepford wives you picture us to be.

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Ellen Delap of Houston, Texas and owner of Professional-Organizer.com.

Ellen and I haven't met in person... yet. But we've been getting to know one another via twitter... that's another reason I love social media :)  We both love office supply stores [might just be a prerequ to becoming a professional organizer]! I think you'll find her featured space refreshing... it's a great trick of the trade. As is #4's didy about lids!

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  Office and School Supplies

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1. Choose an easy access spot for your entire family to get to the supplies. 
Easier access means you can get to your goodies, rather than shop for them at the store more easily. 

2.  Categorize your items by use, with items together that are used together. 
Dry erase and easel markers go together for use at presentations.  Notes, papers and note pads, as well as sharpies and highlighters, are good to categories for our family. Create categories that work for your family.   

3.  Use plastic shoe box size bins side by side or stacked for storage.
Our office supply spot is in the office, but it is hard to use our deep shelves in the cabinets. It makes units of the items and it is easy to access and return to its slot.  Shoeboxes help you define how much to keep and how much to donate too.   Keep lids off so you can get in and out of your bins very easily.  This trick works in all deep cabinets, especially under sinks and medicine cabinets in the bathroom. 

4. Label!
This way everyone knows where to look for supplies and where to return them.

 

WHY THIS WORKS FOR ME:  From this picture, you can see we are not perfect, but we do “just enough”!

 

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

The Organizer's House... featuring Geralin Thomas

Welcome to my new weekly feature... The Organizer's House, a sneak peek into the homes of professional organizers!

We hear it all the time... "You must be SO organized, I bet your home is perfect". So here it is... because the curious want to know and we want to show you we are indeed human... not the stepford wives you picture us to be.

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Geralin Thomas, CPO-CD of Cary, North Carolina and owner of Metropolitan Organizing, LLC .

 Here's a pic of Geralin + I at the NAPO Conference in San Diego...
It was fun to meet her in-real-life since we've chatted on the
phone + tweeted together for the past few years. You may recognize her from A&E's Hoarders or from The Nate Berkus Show.

 

HER ORGANIZED SPACE:  My garden, screened porch and patio - it's my very favorite place to work  and relax.

 

 

 
HER ORGANIZING TIPS:
1. OBSERVE LOCALLY
Steal ideas from parks, public areas and commercial buildings!  There's no need to dream up elaborate landscaping plans when chances are, local experts have spruced up the walkways and public areas in your own home town.  When walking your dog or driving around,  pay attention!  Is there a particularly nice variety of colors or textures in a landscape that catches your eye?  Snap a photo, do some research;  learn the names of the plants being used. Go to your local garden center and purchase a few of those plants  to try at your own home. Let the experts figure out which plants will thrive in your zone -- follow their lead.

2. USE CONTAINERS AND STANDS
If the soil where you live is miserable to work with, use containers filled with store-bought soil mixtures instead.  Containers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials and prices allowing you to plant anything, anywhere.  When it comes to gardening, options and variety are a very good thing!  Plus, it's visually pleasing to see flowers, grasses and shrubbery at different heights; containers on stands are perfect for this.
 

3. FLY FLAGS
I like using small flags in containers to celebrate different occasions.  For example, on Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day, I have 12 flags that I stick in my outdoor garden containers.  It's quick, easy and best of all, I reuse the same flags year after year so it's economical.

4. ONE IS NOT THE LONELIEST NUMBER
For indoor areas like my patio, less is more.  Annuals shed and/or need dead-heading; I don't enjoy waking up every day to a pile of spent blooms (who needs another task?)
Keep it simple and only buy 1 potted annual for your indoor area; it'll be a nice pop-of-color but best of all, it'll be clean and serene inside so the focus stays outside where there's a variety of   colors and textures.

5. TITILLATING TOOLS
Plenty of organizing experts go ga-ga over label makers and colored markers - not me - I'm into gardening tools; I can't help it!  It's all about the shears and clippers, gloves and watering cans, thorn strippers and miniature nippers.  Having the right tools for the job make it easier and more fun to get out there and maintain what I've created.  But, that being said, owning more "stuff" doesn't make one a better gardener so I refrain from buying every single thing out there and stick to what I need and know 

WHY THIS WORKS FOR ME
Gardening is good for my mind, body and soul.  My garden, screened porch and patio simultaneously inspire and relax me regardless of rain or shine; everyday is different. 

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!

5 Minutes to Fabulous... Organize your Accessories

I thought I'd try my hand again at creating a video... I'm no pro, but that doesn't stop me!

It's been a loooooong Spring in the Pacific Northwest... I'm ready for the sun to come out- SO ready. In hopes of Summer actually arriving I took 5 minutes to change out my accessories. Because I always say the key to being organized is staying organized. 

TIP: Place unwanted items in your Donate bin! Why store something that you don't really like...

I promise this project won't take long at all...

Let me know when you've conquered changing out your accessories!

The Organizer's House... featuring Julie Bestry

Welcome to my new weekly feature... The Organizer's House, a sneak peek into the homes of professional organizers!

We hear it all the time... "You must be SO organized, I bet your home is perfect". So here it is... because the curious want to know and we want to show you we are indeed human... not the stepford wives you picture us to be! Indeed we have junk drawers... they are just a tad organized!

A Sneak Peek into the home of Professional Organizer Julie Bestry of Chattanooga, TN and owner of Best Results Organizing.

 
Julie and I along with Jeri and Deb Lee at the NAPO Conference 2011 Twitter Party. Julie was SO supportive this past year...
I'm sure you'll appreciate her wit + wisdom on her blog Paper Doll.

HER ORGANIZED SPACE: Kitchen Junk Drawer

 
 

HER ORGANIZING TIPS:

1.  A junk drawer doesn't have to look junky. Use drawer dividers, shallow baskets from the dollar store, silverware or office supply trays or even food storage containers to help you divide and conquer.

2. Even though it's miscellaneous "stuff", separate items by function (entertainment, power generation, taking things apart or putting them together, etc.) so you can eliminate non-essential duplicates and store "like with like".

3. Your house may be two stories, but keep your junk drawer ranch-style. Don't layer items on top of one another, or you'll create a mess every time you need to find something on the bottom.

*If you're a professional organizer + you'd like to be featured on "The Organizer's House"... drop me an email and let me know!