Spring is the Perfect Time to Simplify and Reorganize

How Do We Cut Through the Clutter?

We comb through each room and choose 5 things to either sell on Craigslist, donate to the local Salvation Army or to a friend. We choose things that are either broken, we don't love or are no longer useful. Maybe we've outgrown a throw pillow, or can accept that we're never going to fix that lamp or that the side table is really unnecessary. When we get proactive abut what we want to keep, it makes us feel empowered to get rid of what's dragging us down. When we choose 5 things (start small if you need to) it feels so good that it motivates us to keep going, making space, lightening the load.

Here are some of the things that have made it out the door over the years:

• Frames we were saving "just in case"
• Clothes that have holes or we've outgrown (no we don't hang onto them for when we lose weight)
• Chipped dishes or dishes we don't love
• Side table that ws too bulky in the living room
• Books! We keep the ones we love, not the ones to impress guests
• Old Towels (we donate them to shelters)
• Miscellaneous stuff in the bathroom

Laura Joliet

Messy Spouse

There are days when I feel like I live with a teenager sharing my closet. Dirty clothes are on the floor, shirts rolled into balls and funky smells coming from the dirty clothes. I imagine that I am not alone and that someone else also experiences this teenager behavior from their spouse when it comes to organization in the closet. My only advice and saving grace has been a custom closet that at least gives a space to hold the stench of dirty clothes, a shelf that rolled up shirts can land and a drawer for clothes that usually land on the floor. It is not perfect, but at least there is place for everything to land. I can't control the smell coming from the clothes but I can control where the smell ends up.

This works not only for your spouse, but also for your kids. If they have a space to throw their clothes then at least it gets it off the floor. And you would be amazed how special a custom closet makes a teenager feel about their clothes. The investment is worth one less headache and fight!

Little by little we’re seeing hints of it everywhere….Spring! Every year I look forward to that first day of the year when I can finally bring out the sandals and pretty colors of spring.

I also love the idea of clearing the closet of those bulky coats and sweaters and making room for pretty tops and SANDALS! Did I mention sandals-yes, I love them! Having a shoe system in my closet makes it even better, because I have a lot more room for my shoes plus they’re all there for me to see. But this isn’t the best part… I greatly enjoy the clearing of the closet and sense of calm and joy that comes with it.

I read an article on about.com that discusses the correlation between stress and clutter. It’s true! Think of how you feel when you come home after a long day at work and walk in to the sight of piles and piles clutter.

Ok, so we did some research and compiled a few tips to help you organize your closet. Having a professional designer come to your home and create a custom closet design for your closet is first and foremost. Most closet companies, such as All About Closets in Chicago, offer a complimentary consultation where they will come to your home/office, measure your space and design a custom closet unit that maximizes your space (sometimes even doubles it) and fits your lifestyle.

In any case here are some useful tips to get you started on your closet spring cleaning:

• Put on some fun music, grab some garbage bags or storage bins , cleaning spray and paper towels or cleaning rags
• Go through your closet and sort it into three different piles

1. Things to throw away (does it have holes?)
2. Things to donate (have you worn it within the past two years)
3. Things to store (next season’s clothes)
4. Things to keep

• Wipe clean the rods/shelves
• Go through your “to keep” and “to store” piles and ask yourself

1. Have I worn this within the last year?
2. How many of these do I need in this color?
3. Does it fit? If not, set a goal for yourself of 6 months and put the date on the bag. If they don’t fit by this date- donate them.

• Finally, go through your final “to keep” pile and organize clothing by tops, bottoms and accessories
• From this set, you can furhter organize by color, outfit, etc

Bravo…spring cleaning has begun. Enjoy!

Favorite closets!

Unique solutions to sloped ceilings

Sloped ceilings can be a homeowners worst fear when we are talking about a closet space. Most customers feel that this eats away space and the single shelf and pole running around the closet does not maximize the space. There is no need to fear. This can actually turn into a great space with a little creative design and quality installers.

In most situations, the best solution is to build a custom system right off of the sloped wall. If done correctly the lowest point of the slope can be used for extra storage for those bulky items like blankets, luggage, etc. It depends on the width of the space but there are many solutions that include additional hanging space, shelving and drawers. It is also important to look at the space and find ways to utilize every corner, such as with purse or hat hangers, belt racks, tie racks, etc.

Organize or bust!

A customer called today wondering where to start in her quest to be organized. Her goal was to get started this weekend and she was not coming out of the house until something was started. She felt overwhelmed with "stuff" that was slowly creeping into her personal living space. My suggestion is to start with a personal organizer. They can make sense of the "stuff" and give you the permission to get rid of items that you don't use or donate it to a charity. Once the "stuff" is sorted through that is where the custom closet companies come in and decide how to best utilize the space with built in systems. That is when it gets really fun because you can add all kinds of accessories that make your life easier.

There are some great professional organizers that are linked to the custom closet companies. All About Closets - chicago (mydreamclosets.com) has some links that can get your started on your quest to simplify and organize your home.

Are you crazy?

I love organizing! It makes me happy in every way. After a long hard day there is nothing better than opening up your closet to neatly organized clothes, shoes, accessories that are all color coordinated and easy to see. My closet is my place of escape. Between the kids, the phone, my husband and the pets where else do you go to get away?