Spring is in the air

Spring is around the corner. Rain, warmer weather and the need to clean out the garage! I love this garage design that was recently finished for one of our customers. Her husband's frustrations are over trying to search for lost or misplaced tools. Plus, they can actually pull two cars into their three car garage. Custom cabinets, hooks on the walls, sliding baskets for balls and other sports equipment and a work bench completed this organized look.

Where do I put my wet boots?

I didn't know that a mud room could or would bring me such excitement! With two small kids, getting in the door in the winter was always an event. My daughter would walk two feet in the door, drop her stuff and sit down to take off her shoes or boots. The rest of us would be tripping over her and trying to leap over her to get our own shoes off.

I would also find myself screaming from the back of the pile, keep your wet boots on the rug (referencing our small runner that is supposed to catch all the mud and snow from the shoes and boots).

The mud room has changed our entry into the house making it stress free. Now we walk in, each child knows where to hang their coats, hats and where to put their boots. I don't trip over anyone and I certainly don't need to worry about their clothes and boots landing on a small runner.

Thank you mud room.....you have made my days easier.

Everybody's working for the weekend!

Am I showing my age when the song by Loverboy, "everybody's working for the weekend" pops into my head? What a great catchy tune and also brings me back to those days when I had some of my first jobs and all I looked forward to was 5:00 on a Friday. That dreadful grind that gleamed with hope of better careers to come in the future. One of my first jobs, at the age of 16, was to fold napkins for a banquet hall. I was the best folder and would challenge myself to get more napkins folded than all the other half interested teenagers who were hired to fold napkins into fancy shapes. Although dreadful at the time, I still use a lot of what I learned in those long hours of folding napkins. Discipline, persistence, creativity........When you come over to my house for a dinner party, you better believe you have a fancy folded napkin at your plate!

As this economy continues to hit hard times, I am surrounded by many people who have got laid off, downsized, rightsized, company went bankrupt, etc. These people have found themselves in situations were they are doing whatever it takes to make extra money, even if they have to fold napkins. I couldn't help but reference my latest book that I am reading, "Start Where You Are", by Chris Gardner. Many people know him better by the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness". If you haven't had a chance to watch the movie or read the book, I highly recommend it. I had the privilege to listen to him speak live. He is humble but worked hard (really hard) and made a lot of sacrifices that most people would not be willing to make to arrive where he is today. His main focus was being the kind of dad that he never had the ability to experience.

Pantries are a great space in your home to organize. Here is my favorite addition to a pantry or space in your kitchen that helps keep everything looking organized and easy to see!

Monday, Monday

Does anyone else feel the craze of Monday? Why is it so difficult to get back in the routine after a weekend? Every Sunday, I say to myself I am going to have everything organized so that when Monday morning arrives I can get up, get ready for work, get the kids ready for school, breakfast on the table and leave happily whistling a tune to start my day. Some how that tune turns into screaming, crying and running to make it on time.

I have learned to organize myself at night, kids school items on the table ready to go, shoes and backpacks in the lockers by the door, suit handing on the valet rod in the laundry room, car loaded and ready to go. It works some days but the pressing time restraints that hit on Monday seem to alter any previous organization.

I must run since I late and I hear figting in the background. I just wanted to assure any working mom that you are not alone in your Monday scramble! As an organization guru, no locker system, custom closet, laundry room shelves, etc. can withstand the craze of Monday.

Summer is here! Now Lets Enjoy it!

Summer is a time for rest and relaxation. Having an organized home makes one feel more relaxed throughout the day. We have to put together a few tips to help you get and stay organized so you can enjoy the summer!

Tips for Designing a Laundry Room

Laundry rooms are typically a home organizer's nightmare. They are those little messy rooms that just keep getting cluttered no matter how hard you try to organize them. Here are a few simple and bright ideas to help you make your laundry room a better and more inviting place:

1. Good Lighting - Lighting up the laundry area can bring up a dramatic difference in the space. Also having windows through which light and air can flow in would be a good boost to the whole washing experience.


2. Orderly Arrangement - Like any other room, unnecessary clutter can give the space a dirty look. Having a closed basket for dumping soiled clothes rather than heaping them on the floor or inside the cabinet would give a more organized look.


3. Having overhead closed cabinet spaces gives more space and scope for artistic and creative ideas to flow. The cabinets can be painted in creative designs and colors to bring life to the area.


4. Keeping detergents, sewing kit, laundry shampoos, start and other such items needed in the laundry room within cabinets gives it easier access and avoids using up other storing spaces in the house.


5. The wall attached ironing board is an ideal option for laundry areas with less space. Having the iron box in the laundry room ensures that clothes leave the laundry room in wearable form.


6. Like any other area of your house, you can add to the ambience of the laundry room or area with potted plants, different color patterns.

Bring out your music system to your laundry area, let the music play or get that book you always wanted to read and enjoy it while your clothes spin. Laundry time would never be a chore again!!

Source: Homedesigning.com

New Year New Organized You!

Did you know that 48% of American's Adults say they are at least somewhat likely to make a New year's Resolution this year? What made your list for 2010? If getting organized and making more time to spend with family and friends tops your list, here are some ideas to get you started and help you find more time.

Closet Organization Tips

• If you haven't worn it in the last 12 months, it doesn't fit, if it's out of style or you don't feel good about yourself when you wear it, get rid of it!



• Store your clothes according to season you can keep your "off-season" in a different part of the house if you run short on space.



• You can organize your clothing according to purpose (formal, casual), type (shirts, pants), style (short sleeves, long sleeves) and color (light to dark).



• Seperate out catagories of clothing like men's / women's, pant/shirts by assigning each section a different part of the closet.



• You can hang just about anything from hooks or racks attached to your closet walls: purses, belts, ties, jewelry, ect.

Fall into a Routine

When it comes to organization, developing a routine can be the key to success.
Below are a few quick tips that if done repeatedly can lead to an everyday organized lifestyle.

1. Plan ahead - Choose your clothes for the next day the night before.

2. Go through your mail daily and divide it into separate categories* Action required
(Pay, call, RSVP)* File* Shred and toss (keep a shredder near your waste/recycle)

3. Invest in a custom organizational system complete with a built-in jewelry drawer, laundry
basket or ironing board (select from dozens of accessories!)

4. If it's dirty-throw it in the hamper! Get your family accustomed to this routine and finding
favorite pieces might get a little easier

5. Designate a space for everything. Start with the essentials (keys, ties,earrings, belts, etc).

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!

Time to work through the clutter!

Spring is here! Time to pull out the bikes, the gardening tools and the tennis rackets. If you are like most of my clients, it takes a while to find where you strategically placed all these items in preparation for winter so they would be out of the way in the garage.

Most clients call me around this time looking for help on how to best organize and utilize their garage. I have some that can't fit their second car in the garage so it has become a one car garage with a storage area next to it. And after a long winter, who wants to start rummaging through the storage depot that has accumulated over the winter. That is my job. I come into the garage, assess the space and start designing a function, beautiful space. It is amazing how adding some accessories and lifting items off the floor can increase the usable space. Plus, with minimal time and money, I can transform a storage depot into a haven for your car, gardening tools, toys, etc.

Keep posted for some exciting tips and ideas on how you can transform your garage into a space your love and want to show off to your friends and family.

Welcome Spring with an organized home!

Start one room at a time and make it a family event. A good place to start is the garage, which stores most of your gardening tools and outdoor toys. Begin by making different piles of items to keep, donate and throw away. Sorth through these at least twice and then decide what organization style works best for your family-by name, activity, similar items or a combination of things. Better yet, call All About Closets (http://www.mydreamclosets/) for a free consultation. We’ll design a system that fits your lifestyle and maximizes your space.

Dress up your home

We came across these helpful tips from Tara Gruber, Interior Designer, that will guide you in putting the spot light on your home. We specifically like her ideas under "Details" on the importance of utilizing your spaces to their fullest potential. Pantries, utility rooms and mudrooms are ideal spaces to have custom organizational units.


If you had the opportunity to attend the Emmy’s or the Oscars, what would you wear? Wouldn’t you love to be pampered and dressed by a professional stylist? This is when all the details matter…the stilettos, the clutch handbag, the chandelier earrings, and the fake eyelashes! When selling your home, the same rules apply. You have to present your home fully dressed and accessorized. Forget about your daily mundane responsibilities like laundry, cooking, cleaning, bathing, etc. It is all about presenting the fantasy. A well staged home presents a vision for potential buyers and photographs well for online buyers. They want to visualize living in your home!!

Why does staging provide a faster sell with a higher profit?

Staging is an important marketing tool to emphasize your homes strongest assets while minimizing the weaknesses.
Real Estate is a very competitive market and continues to produce better return rates than the stock market.
Buyers will notice all the flaws…bad paint, cracks on walls, missing light fixtures, etc.
How can I dress up my home in anticipation to sell it faster and maximize profits?

De-clutter: Open your home up as much as possible. Potential buyers need to visualize where they are going to place their things. It doesn’t mean throwing away all your precious memories, but store them. Space sells!! Avoid distracting your buyer with your personal clutter and amaze them with the details!!

Drama: Give a home personality and create a memory point. Buyers may view many homes in a given day. How is your house going to stand out? Focus on the 5 senses. Captivate them with freshly baked cookies in the kitchen.

Details: Showcase your most utilized rooms as the most efficient rooms. People lead busy lives and they require quick and easy solutions. Kitchens, pantries, utility rooms, mudrooms, and bathrooms are great selling opportunities to offer generous & tidy storage options. Consider custom cabinetry to feature organized spaces. Or add architectural interest to a room with custom molding.

You can contact Tara at or 630-773-3990 or visit her website at www.tgiinteriors.com

Tales from a stressed mom

I got a call from a much stressed mom and dear friend looking for solutions to her unorganized closets. She knew our story and love for closets, so as soon as I picked up the phone she began…
“We should be able to treat ourselves to an extra few minutes of sleep once in a while, but considering my morning experience I am not sure it can be called a treat….”
“As you know, I am not a morning person, so when my alarm went off at 5 a.m. I did the usual “oh no”, but responsibilities awaited, so like every morning I went to get up, but then I thought “just 5 more minutes” and so five more minutes turned into 20 minutes, there I was at 5:20 awakened by my internal clock screaming that kids had to be awakened, dressed and breakfast had to be served and somewhere in between I had to get dressed and ready to leave by 6:30…the rush began. I quickly woke everyone up and got the routine in motion. Finally, it was 6:30 a.m. and yea…we were all dressed and ready to go except my 6-year-old. She had searched and searched for her matching sock and just couldn’t find it… we all searched and searched because “no way” could she leave with mismatched socks. We searched in the closet, out of the closet, through drawers…I thought oh great it’s now 6:45 a.m. and no sock! So, I finally gave up and the child had to wear mismatched socks…there were tears and too much drama to discuss, but we had to go.
I realized this cannot happen again. I have to figure out a way to get some organization into our lives. A missing sock should not rob us of 15 plus minutes. If I add that up, let’s say twice a week for six months….we’ve lost 12 hours! That can’t be, but yes the numbers don’t lie. Messy closets and lack of organization can cost my family up to 12 hours of wasted time in just six months. Time is too precious for this. So help!”
As a designer, I completely understand, in fact, it’s this same realization- how much time is wasted searching and sorting through stuff- that often leads many of our clients to contact us. I immediately offered to come out and look at her space and design a closet system that maximizes her space and compliments their design style. Stay tuned…

Help me unclutter my world

Have you ever walked into your house, room, office and felt that stuff has taken over your life? Don't feel bad, you are not alone. There are so many great things available to us it is difficult to resist that urge to bring it home and how could you possibly throw anything away? It all comes with a memory and a need that was to be met at the time. Plus, you spent how much on it? You can't possibly throw it away or even give it away. What is the solution?

You first have to start by prioritizing what is important in your life and then looking at each item and ask yourself when is the last time you actually used it? Moving it from one cluttered spot to another in your house does not count. If you start with your closet, ask yourself when was the last time you actually wore that item. If it has been over a year, that is your first item to donate to charity or sell at a garage sale. No, that piece of clothing won't come back in style and no, you won't lose that extra 25 pounds any time soon so you can wear it again. Trust me if you lose that weight, you will want to buy new clothes for yourself!

Once you have gone through the process of uncluttering, now you are ready to find a home for what remains. If you get stuck in the uncluttering process or find you can't part with any items, I recommend calling in a professional organizer to help you out. Throwing everything behind closed doors is not considered a home for your stuff. You need to continue the organizing by getting racks, bins or building custom shelves that will provide a spot for your stuff. If you get stuck at this step, I recommend calling in a custom shelving company such as a closet company that understand spacial organization.

Once you start the process, you will see the changes almost immediately. Starting can be a challenge sometimes so call a friend or family member over to get you started. Plus, someone else does not have that same emotional bond to your stuff so they will be more practical in helping you part with your items.

Have fun!