Organized Living Solutions

January 2006

Smart Storage Strategies for Every Home

By Jennifer Dawn Hans

(excerpts from original article printed in New Homeowner Magazine)

Many people long to live a more organized life, but their vast collections of humanly treasures seem to have a way of interfering with that admirable goal.

Fortunately, there are plenty of creative ways to keep your prized possessions in check - and you won't even have to break the bank. Try out some of these sure-fire storage solutions, and see how easy it is to bid a fond farewell to clutter in every room of your home.

The Entryway
Emily Fitzgerald, a professional organizer and owner of Organized Living Solutions, www.organizedlivingsolutions.com, said the entrance to a home can easily become an out-of-control hot spot, especially during the winter months. Coats, hats, gloves, purses, book bags, packages and more can quickly take over if they're just tossed on the floor or piled on an unassuming countertop or chair.

In many entryways, space is at a premium. Still, by using walls to your advantage, it's not too difficult to create very user-friendly storage options. "That's an area that you can really go vertical," Fitzgerald said.

Consider a few of these storage solutions:

Avoid jumbled piles of mismatched shoes when you take advantage of low shelving units.
Install easy-to-reach hooks, which are usually more appealing to children than the traditional coat hanger.
Use labeled bins for hats, scarves, gloves, mittens and umbrellas. Use a label maker to designate which items go where, or simply use Polaroid snapshots as creative identifiers. With accessible storage options, Fitzgerald said many children can learn to put things back where they belong from a very early age (and what parents wouldn't love that?).

Where Children Play
Most kids seem to have an aversion to neatness. Parents, however, often prefer to see some semblance of order when it comes to their children's rooms. If the floors of your kids' rooms are a long-forgotten entity, try a few of these solutions on for size:

Don't use deep toy chests that have a penchant for gobbling up little toys. A better option, Fitzgerald said, is to place a series of clear plastic bins on a simple set of shelves. With this arrangement, children can see where things go right away, and they're more likely to be consistent about picking up.
Use vertical dividers to keep closet shelves neat. With these in place, children's mile-high towers of clothes are less likely to become a muddled mess.
Hang a shoe organizer with clear pockets on the back of a child's door. Use it to store small toys like matchbox cars or Barbie clothes. And, if you have daughters, this is a great way to keep hair barrettes, bows and ribbons tidy.

The Kitchen
Cooks seem to relish clever gadgets and gizmos, but without proper storage, these items can quickly turn a kitchen into a disorganized mess. Fitzgerald suggested a number of clever solutions for anyone who wants to rid his or her kitchen of clutter.

If you don't have adjustable shelving in your cabinets, consider purchasing cabinet shelves or racks (available at most kitchen and bath or discount stores) that can easily add an extra tier of storage wherever you need it most.
Use upright storage racks to keep cookie sheets, muffin pans and other bakeware more accessible. "They're so much easier to retrieve than when they're stacked horizontally," Fitzgerald said.
Use a Lazy Susan to keep spices and other cooking items within reach.