SELECT AN ORGANIZER

This closet organizer has a more elegant appearance and utilizes drawers, as well as shelves and hangers. Some incorporate specialty spaces for items like shoes, jewelry and ties.

The first step is to decide what kind of closet organization system you want and can afford. This will free up some room and allow you to assess the important problem areas such as shoes or accessories. Find an organizer that is right for you whether it’s cloth, wire, plastic or even a wood system.

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EMPTY THE CLOSET

Assess your wardrobe and even completely take everything out of your closet to get an idea of what you have and what you can get rid of. You will be surprised at the amount of clothing you could and should donate to Goodwill. Keep similar items in a pile together so you can put them back together in a systematic way that makes finding them easier on you in the future.

ASSEMBLE

Some closets organizers are easier to assemble than others. Cloth for instance merely hangs from a closet rod or hook most of the time while wire and wood closet systems have to be put together. The do it yourself closet organizers by companies like Rubbermaid and ClosetMaid are extremely handy and can be set up by one individual. Some companies will install closet systems for you upon purchase.

REPLACE CONTENTS

Once you have the organizer installed it is time to put your belongings back. Designate areas for certain items like you originally intended. For instance if you have a large shoe collection then a shoe organizer should be in your closet. Arrange shoes so that most used pairs are up front while the less used pairs are in back. Do the same for hanging and folded items. If you have pull out drawers or racks then insert items that go there like socks, undergarments and accessories.

Last but not least if you simply have no room for everything you own or need an extra place for storage look at getting a wardrobe closet. This can consist of cloth or wooden wardrobe cabinets. They are ideal for extra storage in spare bedrooms as well as your primary bedroom. They double as a decor piece and a great extra storage item for any room.

The Bulldog Hardware 131588 Peg-A-System Ultimate Kit ULTIMATE PEGBOARD KIT – Take control of your workspace ~ Kit includes (4) 12″ x 24″ pegboard panels ~ Panels slide together for a total of 8 sq. ft. ~ Lets you customize your workspace ~ Built-in spacers allow for easy installation ~ Includes 44 pegboard accessories for holding- ~ all sorts of tools and supplies (not included)

When it comes to storing larger items, shelves are a must for garage storage. Shelving can be purchased at any local hardware or discount store or through online retailers or mail order catalogs. Choosing a number of different sizes of shelves will be the most advantages to anyone who wants to be able to organize everything that is in their garage. For the garage owner who has only a few items to store, the Wall Storage Center that costs $259 is probably more than adequate. For the man who has numerous items to store, building shelves will save money compared to purchased metal shelves.

Gracious Living 91001-1C Five Shelf Storage System Medium Duty Vented Shelf Design Here is a basic shelving unit that is capable of holding a variety of items that would otherwise be taking up some of your valuable floor or worktop space. You can get several of these and line them against a wall to create multiple shelving units.

For around $20, a 4 x 8 sheet of peg board can be purchased at a hardware store. In addition, the pegs come in different sizes and styles that can be used to hang almost any tool desired. There are also hooks available that can be screwed into the walls to hold ladders and tools such as shovels and rakes. Using this system, items can be placed in different locations and be change around to accommodate larger or smaller items.

The inter-LOK storage system is built to last and designed for easy accessibility. For around $600, a kit will include one single cabinet and one XL cabinet that is joined by three shelves. Also included in this kit are 8 drawers for convenient storage. The doors are reversible so that they will swing in either direction.

When floor space is at a premium, it is a good idea to hang items from shelves that have been attached to the ceiling. This can be accomplished by ready made shelving units specifically for this purpose that will cost around $100 for a 45” x 45” unit. It is always so much easier to find items when they are needed if they are organized in some type of storage unit. So remember that garage organization systems are a guaranteed time saver whenever there is a need for that certain tool.

HyLoft 540 45-Inch by 45-Inch Overhead Storage System, White HyLoft’s unique storage system attaches to the garage rafters even through the drywall ceiling over automobiles over the open garage door itself. It adjusts to fit any garage and manufactured from durable steel with an attractive scratch-resistant white powder-coated finish that will never rust. Approximately 4′ x 4′, has an adjustable height from 16″ to 28″ and holds 250 lb.

Bigso Fred Medium Rectangular Boxes with Lids, Black, Set of 2 Bigso Box recycled fiberboard storage box in a medium compact size. Comes as a set of two boxes in black. Will ship “knocked down” and when assembled, forms a sturdy box for many purposes. A metal band forms the outside shape of the top, to add strength to the box

Many of us don’t have the room we want in our homes, and so using decorative containers is actually a great alternative to having extra storage room. These materials can be made of plastic, metal and even cardboard. Cardboard decorative storage boxes and containers can be used to both add to the decor and theme of a room, while at the same time tucking your things away nicely. Rubbermaid, Jetmax, Bigso, Lipper and Waverly are some popular brand names to consider.

You can also tuck your things away in specific furniture pieces.  Good examples are an antique trunk, a leather ottoman with storage or even simply plastic containers that match the colors in the living room. Get a couple decorations that match the rest of the room, and with these, you end up with a room that will stop people in their tracks.

Another good example of home storage design is to reduce the space that your current things take. A way to do this you may be unaware of is through the use of vacuum storage bags. These bags can be vacuum sealed when you fill them up, and if you put a small pile of clothing in them, you’d be amazed at how much extra room you can end up with! Piles of out of season shirts and pants can be reduced by as much as 40% or so, and then they’re also airtight so you can keep them anyway you need to – if you’re really short on space, stuff them under the couch or dresser. Just be careful that the bags don’t get caught on anything and lose their vacuum, or you’ll have a touch time on your hands.

Space Bag BR-86123-4 Vacuum-Seal Cube-Shaped Storage Bags, Set of 3, Large, Extra Large, and Jumbo Increase your storage space by vacuuming the air from your bulky or seasonal items

Space Bag BRS-5803-6 Dual-Use Vacuum-Seal and Roll Storage Bags, Set of 3, Large Increase your storage space by vacuuming the air from your bulky or seasonal items

Finally, you may need to think about getting rid of some of your things, but really, through use of decorative containers and careful closet packing, you shouldn’t have to consider this unless your home is already extremely cluttered. Home storage design is an art, it takes work and experience to really figure out the best way to keep your things stored away. Good luck!

Put everything in their proper places

As with any kind of work that we do, putting things in their proper order and keeping it that way makes it easier for us to finish our tasks. This is just as true in the laundry room as it is with closets or home offices.  Having specific places in your laundry room where you can separate your dirty and clean clothes, a specific container for soap and fabric conditioners, and a specific cabinet for hangers and other materials

used for your laundry will ensure that you can get the things that you want easily without having to rummage through a laundry room that you did not organize.

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Colored or Black-and-White

Having separate baskets for your colored shirts and black-and-white shirts is an easy way to keep your laundry room in order. Two separate baskets in your laundry room allows for easy segregation of your clothes as you can just easily put your dirty white t-shirt or colored shirt into their specific basket and when washing time comes, you can just easily get the basket and put the clothes in the washing machine. Compare that to having to sort out a big pile of clothes just to separate your colored clothes from your white ones.

The Right Equipment Can Make The Job Easier

Having the right tools for the job will save you time and effort, and also keeps your laundry room organized. Investing in a big hamper ensures that your laundry will not be all over the floor. An ironing board that can be adjusted to a comfortable height will reduce stress in your body. A lot of cabinets and shelf space in your laundry room will make organizing and storing your laundry an easy task.

Keeping the laundry room clean and organized can prove to be very difficult. But putting extra effort into laundry room organization will certainly make your laundry room look better, bringing you one step closer to an organized home, and could also reduce your time spent doing the laundry.

Organizing isn’t really that much of a challenge and should not be met with such a heavy sigh. The secret to an organized home is NOT cleaning up every time you see clutter. It is giving each space a place for all of the things that ‘live’ there.

Home experts have been preaching the same principles in organizing for quite some time.  There are even entire shows on HGTV and others that are dedicated to this subject entirely. Though there are little additional things to consider in organizing your bedroom in particular, the same principles apply. Before jumping in head first in organizing your bedroom, as to any other rooms in the house, always conceptualize and picture out the outcome. Be specific with it like “I want all my shoes to be placed right here, my clothes hung up nicely here and my jewelry right in this corner.” Below are some bedroom organization ideas.

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• Pick a Place for Everything -  Doing this would not only get rid of clutter. It will save you your precious time locating your “stuff”.
• Decide on What is REALLY needed in your bedroom – Look at your room. Are there too many books, too many furniture, too much going on? Now you might want to put these “extras” back to where they belong: not in your bedroom. How about your closet? Do you REALLY wear those clothes? Well, are you still planning to wear them at all? Stop collecting a wardrobe for sentimental reasons and start keeping clothes you actually wear.  This is part common sense and also part of a new style of living.  Of course, your closet design will dictate some of your flexibility.
• Get extra shelves and other organizing items – Add extra shelves to a corner in your room for more storage space. Also readily available in home stores are items such as shoe and jewelry hanging organizers. Some are even designed for organizing specific items such as purses, belts, scarves, ties and watches.

If you’re sure to keep these same principles in mind with the rest of your home, you’ll find that as the clutter leaves, your sanity and sense of calm will return.  Who isn’t ready for that?

Not all metal shelving is chromed or finely spaced - this is a custom recycled iron design.

In the case of chrome shelving it is possible to acquire kits that can be assembled with a few simple tools and add on extra shelving to that which already exists in a room. For example, wire corner shelves ranging from eight inches deep to thirty inches deep and including an extra four shelves can be connected to existing shelving units using ‘S’ hooks and extra metal posts. In an office space that is in desperate need of additional shelving this solution is perfect since they can be placed end-to-end and double the amount of available storage area.   If deep enough, these can be combined with some decorative storage boxes to create a nice filing or organizing system.

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These shelving additions would be exactly the answer for a residential garage that is being organized to accommodate a constant flow of items acquired by a growing family.

The simple fact is that chrome wire shelving provides a room or office with function plus style. In the case of a bathroom or bedroom makeover, a carefully selected and installed series of decorative wire mesh shelves can provide a very cool effect as a result of the light that is able to penetrate the mesh. In the end, the durability and the tensile strength of wire shelving makes it a nearly perfect choice for almost any shelving need inside or outside the home.

This article written for us by thewireshelvingshop.com

A simple, yet effective magazine rack to help organize your space.

to look at it, and what do you do with them afterward? For the well organized person, the progression is mail box to magazine rack to recycle / magazine holder. Here is how it works.

You get the mail from the mail box. Just inside the door of your abode sites a waste basket, a magazine rack and a narrow console table or something of that nature.  Each piece of mail is sorted into one of the following: the recycle/trash, the magazine rack for reading, the in-box for for action required. The magazine rack waits there until you have few minutes to look through one. Carry your magazines to your most comfortable leather armchair, and work through as many as time allows. As you finish each magazine, it needs to go into the recycle container, a different magazine is exposed to visitors or family, or into a holder to be kept for further use. At the end of your reading session, return the magazine holder to its place by the door for tomorrow.

Time-sensitive magazines will generally go into the recycle container, as there is little in the magazine that will be of any interest next month, much less six months from now. Magazines about the house or garden may make it to the guest room for their entertainment when visiting. Particularly good articles may be clipped and saved. Magazines about hobbies or special interests will probably be kept for a reread or reference.

Keep the clipped articles and saves magazines in those holders. These specially made boxes will keep the magazines and loose pages neatly corralled and ready for future access. These holders can be made from really sturdy materials like wood or acrylic, but regular plastic and corrugated cardboard magazine files will function just as well is you are not careless in how you handle them. In fact, there are cardboard decorative storage boxes that can even be part of your home decor.  Then the information and ideas you saved will be available whenever you are ready to consult them again.  Magazine racks and magazine holders can help you stay organized.

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Consumers researching different systems to find the one that meets their needs may find confusing the many names applied to these useful storage cubes. They frequently are called the Jetmax cube storage collection by some sellers. Others call them the modular storage cube, or just a storage system. The possibilities for arranging and organizing the space in the home office or home with them are limitless.

Jetmax has been used by interior designers for numerous purposes like providing storage under tables or to create an entertainment system. The most imaginative use I have come across so far is by a young lady with a scrapbooking business she ran from her home. The before photos indicated that she was probably the only one with the ability to understand that there was a method to her system. A huge, quite bulky, wooden desk occupied practically all the usable area in her home business office.

Because there was no room for a work table, she decided to utilize the large desk. It had four drawers on one side and three drawers on the other. Her idea worked but left hardly any room to move around. Exasperated she got rid of the desk and constructed a new one out of modular storage cubes made by Jetmax. The happy result was she gained a file space in one of the cubes and had 10 drawers in which to store supplies and work in progress.

She could also have opted for a variety of desktop storage items that look as good as they function.  They are surprising, too, because of what they are made of.  We’re talking about cardboard decorative storage boxes that come in a variety of sizes and colors.

Storage cubes and other cube furniture are adaptable to practically an infinite number of purposes. This versatile product is equally suited for a child’s room, living rooms, bedrooms, and taming the clutter of a laundry room. An added benefit of using the system is they usually are economical. They are accessible to those on a stringent budget so organization is affordable.

A minor inconvenience to choosing Jetmax is that they are un-assembled and must be put together. The assembly is not difficult and the only tools necessary are screwdrivers and some units also may require a hammer. Practically everyone has these simple tools or knows someone who will lend them to a friend.

Another advantage of Jetmax storage cubes is their sturdiness and adaptability. This strength makes them useful for many applications. They are separate units and can be arranged in any configuration wanted, will fit in any space, and can be rearranged often to create new looks. With all these features they are ideal for efficient organization of any space.

Source:  Cubestorage.org

Many people want a box that will provide a convenient storage place but remain unnoticed in the corner of a room or in the closet. The best way to accomplish this is to pick a color which blends in with the surroundings of the room. If, for example, there is a black love seat in your living room, most people would be unlikely to pay much attention to a few attractive storage boxes of the same color right next to it. These types of boxes are available in many different colors, bright as well as dark.

Winsome Capri Foldable Fabric Baskets, Set of 4, Black Set of 4 Foldable black fabric containers. Use the large size as a magazine holder, file holder, art project holder. The next 3 sizes are great for decorative storage and organization: washcloths in the bathroom, note pads at work, personal items in chest of drawers. When not in use, they fold…

Bigso Felicia Set of 2 DVD Box, White Bigso Box recycled fiberboard storage box in a traditional “shoe box” size. Great for storing your DVD collection. Comes as a set of two boxes in white. Will ship “knocked down” and when assembled, forms a sturdy box for many uses.

Another idea for large decorative storage boxes is to get one that you actually want to stand out. Storage boxes that are brightly colored or textured in attractive ways can add some much-needed color and liveliness to formerly drab surroundings.

Different materials are available to suit your needs. Many people find plastic a great choice for this purpose, because it is such a durable and versatile material. However, some people want to avoid plastic, either because they associate it with cheap things and do not want it to be prominent in their homes, or because plastic is not especially good for the environment. If you would like to avoid plastic, there are other options available. You can get your decorative storage boxes in wicker and cardboard as well, in several different designs. Wicker and cardboard boxes are more environmentally-conscious choices, as they are often constructed of recycled materials.

You can also opt for a more manufactured product, too.  While not as environmentally sensitive as those previously mentioned, Jetmax storage cubes can also provide a way to organize your desk and home office area.  It falls within that cube furniture category of items that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, as well.  Whatever material you end up choosing, your home will benefit from a great new way to organize.

Kids are always accumulating more stuff and they are rarely willing to part with anything, this means adding more to an already disorganized room.  Elfa closet systems can help you get all those items neatly organized and put away, no matter how much clutter your child has accumulated.

Closet systems for kids can easily double the space in your closet.  By setting up shelves and using dividers, you can quickly organize clothes, books, toys and other odds and ends.  Installing dividers is an excellent way to organize clothes and other items, while bins are a perfect storage solution for bulky toys and sports equipment.  Getting everything organized into a neat little shelf or bin makes the closet more spacious.  It is also a great way to get the kids to keep their things picked up off the floor.

Many of closet organizers are available in fun, bright colors. Younger children may even enjoy a kids closet system with cartoon character designs to match the theme of their room. You can get organizers made out of various materials, including wood, plastic, cloth, and even laminate.  If you look for a system that provides a complete DIY kit you have the option of adding additional components to customize your closet space.  You can often add extra shelves and dividers, increasing the storage capacity of your organizer.  Many systems also have shoe racks or hanging rods that can help you maximize the space in your closet.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a storage organizer, unless you have the funds and prefer to get one of the higher-end, fancy storage units.  Many economical systems such as Rubbermaid closets are available both online and at your local home improvement store.

If you decide to buy one of the closet storage systems, spend some time thinking about what you need.  Carefully measure all dimensions of your closet and sketch it on a notepad, if possible.  With a little planning, you will be able to pick a system that will suit your needs perfectly.  You will also be prepared to go to make a purchase that will fit in your closet and provide all the necessary storage you need.

You no longer have to live with messy kids.  Even homes with kids can have neat, organized rooms and closets.  Help your kids keep a clutter-free room by giving them a storage solution that makes picking up their stuff easy.

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