I Sent a Pro Organizer Photos of My “Hodgepodge Space” — Here’s How She Helped Me Get It More Organized

For over a year, the front room in my home has been a “hodgepodge space.” It started as a playroom when my family first moved in, collecting all my kids’ toys. In this room were plush rocking toys, a corner kitchen set, multiple train sets, and an Elsa castle. As my kids have grown, it has whittled down to a basket full of Legos, a corner area for books, and a small foosball table. Not to mention it’s become an indoor greenhouse of sorts for the outdoor plants I’ve had to move in to survive our midwest winters.

It’s the first room a person sees when they enter our front door. I’ve always wanted to make it more functional and organized, evolving with our needs as a growing family, but with other priorities, it’s sadly been moved down the list. But not anymore.

Recently, I was offered the opportunity for some help from Jean Prominski, certified professional organizer and founder of Seattle Sparkle. Through her instruction, I’ve been able to create an office space and kids’ crafting corner that our entire family can benefit from making my vision for our front room finally become a reality.

First, it was important to remove all the toys, which pushed my kids to decide what we wanted to keep and what items to donate. Prominski agreed the table was a keeper for the kids’ corner. It still serves as a great spot for them to sit and do crafts, draw, and paint. Simply by turning it and moving it to the side, I was able to designate a kids’ space just for them. Using some crates I had in my home, I built a small cubby space containing all of their art materials in the corner. These decorative coiled rope baskets from Target work nicely for holding all their art materials. I love the look and their easy accessibility.

Then, we moved on to creating a writing space for me. I already had a small table I had been writing on in the corner of my bedroom. Simply moving it out of the room not only made my bedroom seem bigger, but it was also the right fit for this space. With the recommendation from Prominski, I found this easy-to-assemble and affordable cart on wheels from Amazon to contain my few office supplies and store my laptop while it charges. The cart is a favored addition to the room helping me stay organized and focused in my new space.

Finally, Prominski helped me create a reading space for my kids. Closest to the window is another set of crates filled with children’s books. My mom reminded me of a bucket chair I still had at her place from my college days that I never did get rid of. It fits nicely now in the corner by my tall indoor bird of paradise plant. Now the space feels more intentional and a little less hodgepodge than where it started. Prominski was an excellent help with her organizational wisdom and recommendations.