7 tips to organize every room of the house
Do your New Year’s resolutions involve getting more organized around the house? It can be a constant struggle amidst demanding jobs, busy family priorities and everyday life, but being organized also can reduce stress and depression, help you eat and sleep better and improve relationships. With January being National Get Organized Month, it’s a perfect time to look around your home and consider areas that could stand to be de-cluttered. Dale’s Remodeling offers these seven simple tips that can make a big difference in each room of your house.
1 Make your bedroom furniture do double duty. If you’re shopping around, look for items that can serve more than one purpose. A headboard that serves as a bookshelf or a platform bed with storage drawers underneath can help keep clothes and books from landing on the floor or on the top of a dresser. A cedar chest conveniently placed at the end of the bed also can provide additional storage as well as a seating area when putting on socks and shoes.
2 Customize closets to the space and user. Here’s where custom shelving can be worth its weight in gold. Use every inch of space by installing shelving that allows for wall-to-wall storage, whether it be on shelves, in bins or hanging. When configuring closets in kids’ rooms, consider the height of your child and install shelves so it’s easy for them to put away their own clothes. Most shelving is adjustable, allowing you to reconfigure as they grow.
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3 Keep things off the floor in the media/family room with wall units. Custom-built wall units can provide endless storage for books, CDs, DVDs, works of art and other family treasures. Different wood finishes can tie the room in with the architectural theme of the house and make a beautiful statement at the same time. For a more economical solution, consider adding freestanding shelving units. Adding textured baskets to store small, loose items can help keep the space looking clean and neat.
4 Install sliding shelf organizers in lower cabinets in the kitchen. Space in the cabinets beneath the kitchen countertops is often underutilized, but with sliding shelf organizers installed, they will quickly become your go-to space for some of your most-used cookware and small kitchen appliances. The sliding mechanisms make it easy to get to bulky and heavy cookware, too.
5 Keep paper purged and supplies hidden in the office. One of the biggest culprits of a messy office is unnecessary papers and supplies lurking in every corner. To keep the paper pile under control, assign each and every piece to one of three categories: Keep/file, toss/shred/recycle or take action. If each item is categorized this way, it eliminates the clutter and leaves you with one folder or bin on your desk with only the take-action items. Storing office supplies in various types and sizes of containers, bins, baskets and drawers will also keep them out of sight and less likely to add to desktop clutter.
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6 Use over-the-toilet shelving units in the bathroom. These storage solutions can make even the smallest bathrooms organized by providing a space to conveniently store extra towels, toilet paper, toiletries and even decorative items to add some style. Clear apothecary jars are handy containers to store cotton swabs, cotton balls and bath products and add a decorative touch when displayed on these shelving units.
7 Categorize items in the garage for efficient storage. When tackling organization in the garage, start by categorizing items according to frequency of use. Seasonal items like Christmas decorations and camping gear should be stored on higher shelves. More frequently used items like extra laundry detergent and cleaning supplies should be stored in lower, easier-to-reach areas. Consider mounting hooks on the ceiling to store bicycles or racks on the wall to hang kayaks in the winter when not in use. Wall-mounted pegboards and wire grids are also helpful for storing everything else in between.
“It’s no doubt hard to sometimes get into the right mindset to start tackling home organization projects,” said Maralee Fletchall of Dale’s Remodeling, “but by visualizing the payoff, it can help give you that little bit of motivation needed to begin. Houzz.com is a great place to keep track of your projects and help you see the end-result. You can save photos of how you want your rooms to look, join discussion groups and find professionals.”
