Organizing & Storage

Anyone else have a garage, basement, or storage space that looks like this? There’s hope: Marji was fed up with the clutter in her tool shed, and she decided to first purge and then create a clever system that works for her.From Marji: As you can see, our tool shed was an unbelievable, disorganized mess.

When it comes to making a closet as efficient as possible, the right shelving can make all the difference. The Container Store’s Elfa Shelving is a well-known system but Home Depot, Lowe’s and IKEA all offer similar options. On a recent Sunday afternoon I visited all four stores to shop for closet systems so I could compare the shopping experiences. THE CONTAINER STORE Overall Shopping Experience: I’ll admit from the start that I’m a bit crowd averse.

Advances in technology are making excessive wires and cables slowly go the way of the buffalo but, the remote? It looks like we may be stuck with that one for a while. So if you can’t beat it, hide it! (Along with those goofy 3D glasses that seem to come along with every new TV.) We’ve rounded up a few options that you won’t mind leaving out based on the average size TV remote (7.5”) though you may want to check them against your own. 1.

The beauty of thrift store finds is in many cases their affordable price and less than ideal condition frees their owners from preconceived notions of how and where to use furniture within the home.

I think many of us can relate to those catch-all corners of our rooms that we know can be improved in both form and function. Melissa from 5 foot 12 Creations had a vision for her catch-all basement corner: a special space where her children could access art and craft supplies, a charming space where the markers are many and the paper is plentiful. The perfect pint-sized craft corner! I can only imagine the hours of creating that are now spent here.

If you live in a small space, you know that organization is key. We don’t all have the luxury of garages, attics and basements to hide all those plastic bins full of ‘stuff’ that seem to accumulate with life. Nope, we must cohabitate with the ‘stuff’ and stare at it every day. If it’s going to be out for everyone to see, it should look good and intentional in your space. Here are some stylish storage alternatives to keep you organized with style.

With the introduction in recent years of the LEGO Mystery Minifigures series, the number of minifigs in our house has exploded. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, LEGO releases a series of unusual minifigures, like Bunny Suit Guy, Yeti, Welder, Diner Waitress, or Bagpiper.

With the change of seasons comes a change of clothes. But before you head to the stores to buy something new, give your old wardrobe a fighting chance. Which means it’s time to put some waders on, dive in, and clean out your closet. I know it’s not high up there on your list of fun times, but it’s a necessary evil that must be done. Go forth young fashion pilgrim and make us proud. 1. Put on Some Music: This is no time for Adele.

Once the joy of giving and receiving has died down, we often find ourselves with, shall we say…more things than we had last month. While you may not be ready to do an all-out purge, it’s the perfect time for a mini-purge through implementing a one-in-one-or-more-out plan.

Almost every kitchen’s got one. They go by different names: my old flatmate and I called ours the Drawer of Doom, and with my current one, The Sad Drawer. It’s that one place in a kitchen, be it drawer, pantry shelf, or simply an unfortunate corner, that attracts random debris like nobody’s business. From the actually useful (tupperware, kitchen foil) to the barely-used (madeleine pan, anyone?), the Sad Drawer is where things that don’t go anywhere else find themselves.

If you have kids, toys are an important and unavoidable fixture of your home. You know this, and you also know that the sheer volume can easily get out of hand if you’re not intentional about the flow of toys into your home. If you are trying to get a handle on your kids’ toys this year, here are some strategies to help you plan and manage what comes in and stays in your home: Take a moment to think about what is important to you in regards to toys in your home.

It’s a new year, and around the globe people are making that age-old promise to themselves: this is the year I finally get organized. No more drowning in paperwork, no more dining table cluttered with bills and receipts—this year it all stops. Want to know something? It can be done. A simple, user-friendly filing system is something every home should have, and is easy to set up and maintain.

Everyone’s digital life and needs are different. Consider this a very basic guide on how to do a little digital cleaning and organizing of your computer in a couple of hours so you can have a system that runs a little smoother and so you can find files you need a little easier. Before you start doing any deleting, fiddling, cleaning or sorting — backup everything important to you, whether in the cloud, by syncing with another computer or by using an external hard drive.

I have a pair of beloved sweatpants that has a hole in them. I would still continue wear them — in spite of said hole — IF I could find them, but I have a sneaking suspicion that my partner boxed them up and toted them off to Goodwill. She is curiously mum on the subject, feigning perfect innocence in the face of my pointed questioning and unblinking stares, but it’s been months since I saw them last. I am quickly losing all hope of ever seeing, let alone wearing, them again.

So, you just found that vintage apartment of your dreams: perfect millwork, cute tile, and a nifty fireplace. But the downside is that there’s no storage, just one tiny closet and nowhere to put all the stuff that you’re sure you’ll need. Don’t despair! Here are some renter-friendly solutions to work around that storage shortage. If you don’t have much storage space, you can take some tips from Tamar’s tiny kitchen.

That time is upon us! Back-to-school, off-to-college time. Which means that all across the country, a whole bunch of soon-to-be-freshman are staring at their wardrobe and wondering what on earth should I pack? Here are a few helpful tips for navigating the college closet quandary! Make a list of what you’ll need. Make a list of the clothes you’ll need for going to class, going out, lounging around, sleeping, and going to the gym.

Think you need an expensive bespoke solution to organize your closet? Think again. These five household objects can pull double-duty and wrangle tough-to-store jewelry and purses (at least while you save up for that Kardashian-style closet of your dreams). When stashed vertically in a magazine rack (or four), clutches and wallets take up virtually zero space. Plus, like the spines of magazines, you can still see and grab every single one.

Paper towel holders don’t just have to stay in the kitchen or stick to the task of holding rolls of paper towels. Helpful as that is, thanks to the variety they come in — hanging from the wall, freestanding — they can help cleverly and neatly organize a handful of items around the rooms of your home. Above: Take side hanging paper towel holders into your closet to organize all sorts of fashion accessories smartly. The idea spotted on Martha Stewart.

A friend you haven’t seen in a while calls to let you know she’s in the area and would love to stop by. You say: “Of course—come over!” You think: “Just give me three hours to clean up, please!” Ideally, we’d follow the “tidy up a little every day” routine, but despite our best efforts, there are certain spots in our homes where the chaos just tends to build.

Warning/workspace/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/atmedia-cloudinary-image-block/atmedia-cloudinary-image-block.php82 A tiny bedroom can be a big challenge. There are a lot of things you need to fit into this little room, but you still want it to be a calm and restful space. If you’re lucky enough to have the freedom to make significant changes to your place, built ins can be a real lifesaver in a small bedroom, perfect for adding extra storage and functionality with a streamlined look.

Not my wardrobe. Sigh. (It belongs to Amanda of Chocolate Heels.) In the middle of 2015, I wrote a post on ways to reduce clutter in the closet and money spent on clothing. Among the ideas presented was the Capsule Wardrobe, an idea which has long been hanging around the internet, but which really took off that year.

This is the final post in my mini-series on capsule wardrobes. If you’ve been following along, you’ve seen why I decided to give this a go and how I created my first capsule, and now it’s time for the results. Read on for my thoughts (warning: I’ve got a lot of ’em) on living with a 37-piece wardrobe for three months. First up: I really loved opening my closet every morning to see a small, edited collection of clothing that I really wanted to wear.

Previously, I introduced you to my recent wardrobe obsession: capsule wardrobes. This on-trend idea (hi, KonMari!) was everywhere last year, and for me, a lifetime of loving fashion, a penchant for organization, and a tight budget came together and created the perfect environment in which it could take root. This week, I’m showing how I made my first capsule back in September 2015 and sharing tips for the structure and creation of capsules in general.

If you were born between, say, 1975 and 1990, there’s no doubt that (a) you think “Clueless” is a classic and (b) you’ve definitely dreamed about Cher Horowitz’s super high-tech (for the nineties, at least) digital closet. Being able to browse your outfit options with a quick finger-swipe is as close as it gets to heaven for some of us, and you can actually get pretty damn close to Cher’s “Clueless” closet right now with just your smartphone.

I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but you’ll often find me with a garbage bag in one hand and a spray bottle in another. I’m tossing things left and right and deep cleaning what’s left. I guess you could call it “spring cleaning,” but with the weather being always-sunny here in Los Angeles, I feel it’s less about the season and more about how things tend to pile up during the school year: the toys, the papers, the… stuff.

While technology has made our lives easier (and lazier) in countless ways, it hasn’t really done us many favors on the organization front. As our collection of tech gadgets grows, so does that tangle of cords under our desks and tv stands. There are a couple schools of thought when it comes to wrangling the wires: Stash them out of sight, or get more attractive wires, chargers, and docks and let them double as decor.

When photos happened on film, you had to be very deliberate about when and where you snapped pictures. But now with a camera app at your fingertips, you’re able to digitally fill entire photo albums with some really boring things. And you should, actually. We’ve put together a list of everyday things you should be documenting with photographs in order to stay organized and sane, and to maintain a perfect record of parking spots and great haircuts alike.

If you aren’t already hip to the value of a good cleaning book, now’s the time to listen up. Along with offering useful housekeeping tips, these books often provide eye-opening philosophical insight about organizing your life. Case in point: Mary Kondo’s bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.

Whether you’re a morning person who loves waking up before the sun or you’re known to hit the snooze button one too many times, we all want our mornings to be easy and stress-free. After all, the key to having a good day begins with having a good morning. Luckily, there are a few things you can do the night before to ensure that your morning goes as smooth as possible. Read on for some of our favorite ways to prepare for an easy, breezy morning. Mess equals stress.

Shira Gill believes that “less is more” and that a tidy, organized home can lead to a simplified, happier life. Through years of helping people edit, organize and style their homes, Shira has learned what works and how to approach the process—and she’s sharing some of her best tips with Apartment Therapy. Is your small or cluttered closet causing you stress? Tired of things falling on your head every time you open the door?

Personal and fashion stylist Elim Chu is the cool, nice friend you hope to have because not only is she smart and hip and has amazing style—she will happily share her knowledge and secrets to help everyone around her look and feel great. She’s genuine and warm and approaches styling with the belief that everyone can build a simple and beautiful less-is-more wardrobe.

Is your closet overflowing with outdated sweaters and old jeans that require a month long juice cleanse to get into? Do you really want to clean out your closet and pull some metaphorical weeds that take the form of sherbet Gap polos and asymmetrical halter dresses, but feel like you can’t? Chances are you’re afraid to take anything out of your wardrobe because you’re worried you’ll regret it later.

No matter how often I “clean” my bathroom, it always feels like there’s a mess hiding in the shadows. An undercurrent of disorganization. A collection of clutter just out of sight. It probably feels that way because although I try to keep my cabinets and drawers tidy…I haven’t really expended that much effort, just kind of tossing my stuff into random drawers. Who has time for anything more? Thankfully you don’t actually have to have more time than that.

Closet size: 24 square feet How many people use this closet? Two. My partner Todd and I share the closet. How long have you lived in your home? Five years Your closet in 5 words or less: Small, narrow, chaotic, cluttered, disorderly. My partner Todd and I challenged ourselves to clean out our closet from head to toe, then reorganize it in a way that made more sense. We did a massive purge session, shopped for smart storage solutions, and are now ready to share our new space.

If you’ve ever spent even just a few minutes browsing through Pinterest, you know that it’s full of tips that people claim will make your life easier and leave you feeling happier and healthier. So, I decided to give it a go and try out all this wisdom —what would it be like to live life according to Pinterest for a week? What did I have to lose? To make this experiment possible in the first place, I had to figure out what life according to Pinterest would even look like.

Aimée and Jonny just gave their shared closet a major makeover from head to toe, breaking it down and building it back up to be better than before. Their main take away? Don’t be afraid to purge! It makes all the difference. See what changed, and how they tamed their trouble spots. Aimée and Jonny’s linens refused to stay stacked neatly on their shelving, preferring instead to fall over, flop around, and unfold themselves.

Closet size: 4.125 ft² plus a garment rack How many people use this closet? 2 How long have you lived in your home? We moved into this apartment about 8 months ago. It’s gone smoothly for the most part, but I’m definitely messier than Steven. Your closet in 5 words or less: Cramped and cluttered Melanie and Steven had their work cut out for them. Their teeny tiny closet was small for even New York standards, and the added garment rack overflowed with clothing and shoes.

Katy’s walk-in closet had plenty of space. It was just poorly thought out and lacked the proper organizers for the job of keeping all their clothes, shoes and accessories in place. Katy moved a bunch of stuff around, and added in more variety to meet their different storage needs. Katy wasn’t making the best use of her upper shelves – when she stored shoes up there, the heels fell through the slots. Bags were hard to organized and flopped over on their sides.

When you live in a small home or apartment, figuring out how to store your scarves, handbags, necklaces, sunglasses and other accessories is a challenge. We can’t all have giant walk-in closets full of open shelves, now can we? The secret, folks, is to turn your jewelry, hats and other items into functional decor, especially if you live in a compact space. Here are some ideas for attractive ways to display and store your things in non-cluttery ways.

The realization that I had way too many clothes hit me the way it usually hits us: When we’re running late for an appointment and all we can do is stand in our underwear in front of our closet and glare. The whole situation made no sense to me. I had more sweaters than a Gap mid-season sale, too many skirts to count, and there were so many shirts stuffed onto shelves that one literally tumbled out and plopped in a heap in front of my toes. And yet, nothing in there was doing it for me.

This adorable House Tour has been called “the most livable tiny house” ever seen. It’s not an exaggeration. The whole space is only 160 square feet, and yet it actually seems like something we might all be able to live in (not together, obviously). It feels so possible because the place is very thoughtfully laid out and organized — especially the kitchen. Here are five smart organizing tips we got just by looking at the photos.

Kate Rumson is the founder of the The Real Houses of IG Instagram account (1.5 million followers and counting). In between running the account and her business, The Real Houses, Kate’s also been in the process of updating her New Jersey home to fit her simple-yet-luxe aesthetic. The first order of business: Tackling the bedroom. Specifically, the closet. Kate was lucky enough to have a huge closet space, but it didn’t offer much in the way of storage or style.

We love personality frameworks because they offer us a way to understand ourselves and make us feel comfortable about traits that others around us might not understand. (Like: I need alone time to recharge because I’m an introvert.) But you can also take advantage of personality tests to let you thoughtfully hook into what makes you tick in order to create change in your life. Take Gretchen Rubin’s latest book, The Four Tendencies, for instance.

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful, especially when it comes to shoes. And while collecting cute pairs of kicks is almost as fun as wearing them, finding space-savvy (and cost-effective) ways to store them at home is a whole other story. Thankfully, the web is filled with affordable options for organizing a vast collection of footwear—it just takes a little research.

Since the first time I saw Clueless, I have envied Cher Horowitz’s closet. Not even her clothes—although she’s still one of my style icons, so I’ll take those too!—but the computerized system that she used to pick out her outfits. I mean, it was truly amazing, both because it was pretty high-tech for the 90s (It was 1995! Her computer had a touch screen!) and because it meant that she always looked flawless and her closet could so easily stay impeccably organized.