Tag Archives: storage

Organizing a Small Closet, With Room to Grow

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Katie | 1 Comment

If you’re a regular reader, you may remember Mary from when she widened the doors to her bedroom closet, making it much easier to store and access the contents in her small closet. But in her new house, widening the doorway to her bedroom closet won’t really help that much. It’s tiny and its location under the eves of her 1920s bungalow leaves no space to tear down walls without major reconstruction.

Mary uses this closet, her husband uses an armoire outside the room (left by the previous owner) and they share a dresser. But still, it wasn’t cutting the mustard, her closet was an unorganized mess.

For help, she called on Laine Hardman owner of Tidy Up Professional Organizing. She remembered Laine from previous posts on DIY Del Ray. Since Mary is also a friend of mine, she let me photograph the process and write a post about it, hoping her experience might be an inspiration to others.

Like many older Del Ray homes, the closet is small — in all, it is 58 inches wide by 75 inches tall. The door is 28 inches wide and the closet expands to the left and right 15 inches on each side. Before getting started, Laine took some measurements. The shelf at the top is only 11 inches tall.

The first step was to take everything out, making piles of things Mary wanted to keep, donate, get rid of and the things that didn’t need to stay in the closet.

Then they organized by type (dresses, tops, etc.), taking a complete inventory of Mary’s wardrobe.

With a clean slate, Laine talked with Mary about her needs — space to hang dresses and tops, storage for shoes and larger boots and a place for workout gear.

For the consultation, Laine brought some supplies Mary might be interested in and a notebook with her arsenal of organizing secrets. For example, these shelf dividers are great for keeping stacked folded clothes in line. She recommended Mary put the workout wear and sweatshirts on the shelf in the closet and use the dividers to keep everything tidy. (These would also be helpful in a linen closet.)

Another secret, hangers! If you are low on space, forget those clunky space-hogging plastic and wooden hangers.

Instead, Laine suggests these super slim non-slip hangers to instantly increase your hanging space. There are also versions for pants.

You can see that for every one clunky plastic hanger, Mary can now fit 2-3 of the skinny hangers.

On the back of the closet door Mary had been hanging scarves. They agreed it made more sense to put a shoe rack on the door instead — ideal for storing Mary’s collection of flats and sandals, with room to grow.

And on the back of the bedroom door, Mary found a decorative rack to store and display her colorful accessories.

The glass accent knobs match the vintage knobs on the closet door.

It’s always great to use what you already have. Mary had three of these wicker baskets that she could use at the bottom of the closet to store boots and shoes that won’t fit on the shoe rack on the door.

An important part of any closet organizing project is decluttering, saying goodbye to the things you never wear anymore. Why keep something in your closet that you haven’t worn in over a year. Letting go feels so good. With Laine’s support and some friendly nudging from me, Mary said adios to the tops, pants, dresses and shoes she didn’t need anymore. Someone else will love them more.

In about an hour or so, the closet was in much better shape. When Laine left, Mary had some homework and a list of additional storage suggestions, which she immediately went out to locate. And later that day, the closet was complete!

Here are some tips I gathered from the organizing session:

Clear everything out and make piles of things to keep, donate/sell and upcycle/trash.
Organize by type (shirts, dresses, shoes) and by season (Spring dresses, Winter dresses, etc.).
Use storage and organizing tools that make sense for your space — bulky hangers might look good in a large closet (or if you are trying to stage your home for sale), but they take up too much room in a small space.
Before you purchase new storage bins, check to see what you already have in your house. If you aren’t pressed for time, browse Freecycle and Craig’s list (or our local MV Big Flea) for freebies and discounts.
Be strong and don’t be afraid to let go of the clothes that no longer fit or you haven’t worn in eons — invite a friend over to help make those decisions.

Do you have any secrets for organizing and maintaining a small closet? Have you used the super skinny hangers or shelf dividers? We’d love to hear your tips in the comments.

If you need additional help with an organizing or storage project, contact Laine through her website, Facebook or email.

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Posted in Small-Space Solutions

Tagged closet, organizing, storage

Seven Small-Space Storage Solutions

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Katie | Leave a comment

Those of us who live in small homes know we have to be creative about storage and organizing. This is a theme which seems to play out in so many of our posts — every nook and crannie has to fill a purpose, furniture needs to serve double duty and clutter must be kept to a minimum. How do you do this? Here’s a few of our favorite ideas from around the neighborhood.

Under-bed drawers are a definite must in small-space bedrooms – extra bonus, no dust bunnies under the bed to clean!

If you’re lucky enough to have a window in your kitchen over your sink (sigh, some day I will have a kitchen like this), put it to work with a reinforced rod to hold pots.

Leslie and I both took advantage of underused closets (such havens for clutter) and gave our oldest children a private office and sanctuary from their doting younger siblings.

When there’s no room in your kitchen to store commonly used dried goods, turn clear glass containers and mason jars into decorative pieces on a shelf or in an open cabinet. No need to go hunting through a pantry to see if you need more pasta — it’s always there in plain view.

And little jars can also be used to sort and classify tiny items (note: it’s a scientifically proven fact kids like sorting small objects).

Sometimes closets aren’t the problem, it’s the door getting into them. Widening your doorways is a hearty task, but Mary shows you how it’s done.

If you look closely enough, I’m sure that even in the smallest of homes you’ll find unused space. We love how the awkward area under the stairs can be transformed into functional storage. All in a day’s work.

The stairwell wall is perfect for posting important papers and sorting mail and school work. Clutter-phobes rejoice!

A bookcase can be wedged into the side of the staircase.

And that small crevice under the eaves can become a magical hideaway for children.

For more ideas, check out our small-space solutions page. What ideas have you come up with? We’d love to hear about them for a future post. Send us an email to diydelray[at]yahoo.com or share in the comments below.

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Posted in Small-Space Solutions

Tagged organizing, storage

Eric and Beth’s Warwick Village Puzzler

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Katie | 8 Comments

In September we announced a special offer for a DIY Del Ray reader — a 50 percent discount on a 2-hour home design consult with a professional interior designer, Katie Moore of Olios Design.

One of the responses we received was from Eric and Beth who say they haven’t had a chance to do anything with the rowhouse they purchased last fall. They wanted help transforming a house decorated with rental relics into a modern, yet comfortable space for them and their 2-year-old daughter Ellie. The consult was an opportunity to talk through their issues and create a plan leading them in the right design direction.

Eric and Beth live in a classic Warwick Village charmer. The narrow front entrance leads to an open and airy shared living and dining room.

But this wide open space has caused the couple some design confusion. How do they better define the different functions in the space? How can they make it more “mature” and less like a kid’s playroom? How can they get the “put-together” look you see in magazines and on Pinterest?

As we chatted and got to hear Eric and Beth’s issues and ideas, Katie Moore shared a few immediate thoughts.

Define the Space

The dining table is a good size, but it doesn’t feel like it’s in a dining room. A rug underneath the table and a narrow console or buffet under the kitchen pass-thru would make it more obvious this is the dining part of the room and not just a table set off to the side.

The home stagers who put the room together for sale last year had the same idea.

If Eric and Beth decide they want to get a new table, Katie suggests a round table for some variation and better flow. I’m a huge fan of Flor carpet tiles for under the table — not only are they eco-friendly, but they are easy to clean and replacing a badly worn tile is easy and inexpensive.

In some Warwick Village homes, the owners have opted to break down the wall from the dining room to the kitchen for a truly open-concept space. Eric and Beth want to keep the wall for now, major construction is not on their to-do list.

The kitchen was well-updated by a previous owner with crisp white cabinets, granite counters, and stainless steel appliances. Eric and Beth got creative with storage by adding these functional and attractive wall shelves and butcher block top cart from IKEA.

Seating

Except for the dining room chairs, there is only a loveseat in the living room. Though it has held up well, they’d like something more modern — this was Beth’s when she was single.

But can they fit something other than a loveseat? The room arrangement is limited by the placement of the door to the outside and the radiator under the window.

Without blocking the room’s flow, it’s clear the only place for a sofa is where it currently resides. Katie does think they should be able to fit something a little larger. A sectional probably won’t work, but a sofa without arms or with narrow arms might be a good space-saving solution.

Katie suggests adding two arm chairs or an arm chair with an ottoman along the opposite wall. Adding more seating as well as a coffee table will cozy-up the living room side and create a more put together look. Eric wondered if the rug was too small, Katie assured him it’s the proper size and with more seating, it will start to make more sense.

When purchasing living room furniture, Katie recommends buying the neutral larger pieces (sofa and chairs) together first. Then fill in with accent furniture, lamps, pillows and throws – these will also give you the opportunity to show off your personality. A charcoal gray sofa will work nicely with the dark wood tones and the beige walls, which they don’t want to paint right now, but it’s a possibility down the road.

But where do you buy good quality, affordable furniture? And is it better to snag a deal online? Katie recommends testing out sofas before purchasing, so go to a store that has a showroom. Places like Room and Board, Crate and Barrel, and Creative Classics (in Old Town) typically have pieces that work well in small spaces and you can try them out in person.

Storage

When I walked in the room my eyes went straight for this small-space masterpiece — a bookcase built into the side of the stairs. (Even better, there’s a matching one on the landing upstairs.) No design tweaks needed here, just thought I’d share this really interesting feature.

But there is the issue of the toys. Katie suggests buying accent pieces that double as storage to keep the toys tucked away when not in use. In fact they have a fabulous finished basement that they use as a playroom/family room so this isn’t the only living space in the house. A basket on a shelf under a side table and ottomans that open up revealing hidden storage inside are good options.

Lighting

The only light in the room is an overhead fixture and a floor lamp off in a corner, definitely a detraction to the coziness factor. But that’s an easy fix — a few table lamps on side tables (next to the couch and the new arms chairs) will give this room the warmth it deserves.

Window Treatments

The huge picture window is a great asset for this house, but it still has the window treatments left by the previous owner. Though Eric and Beth don’t feel they need to cover the window (I mean, who would want to anyway?), Katie suggests removing the roman shades and adding some shears which would drape to the side and add a more sophisticated touch.

By better defining the room’s separate areas, coordinating cozy and comfortable seating, toning down harsh ceiling lights with warm side lights, and adding more sophisticated storage and decorative pieces, Beth and Eric will be on the right track to creating an inspired modern look the whole family can enjoy.

But we want to hear from you! What are your ideas for Eric and Beth’s rowhouse? How do you better define space in a multi-purpose open room? If you live in Warwick Village, speak up and share how you have mastered the 1950s boxy layout? Perhaps you’d like to share a photo with our homeowners?

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Posted in Advice, Interior Design

Tagged consultation, decorating, design, furniture, storage

The Revolving Storage Cycle

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Katie | 3 Comments

I have a tendency to pick storage solutions that don’t make the most sense. Usually this happens when I find something free — on Freecycle, at a yard sale, or by the side of the road. I have to make it work, it was free.

Take this suitcase for example. I bought it an estate sale for $2 — what a steal! At a vintage store, I bet it would go for over $20. I thought it would be the perfect storage solution for the kids’ art supplies. They could easily carry it anywhere they wanted to work on projects — inside the house or out.

The problem was it got all messy and disorganized and the kids kept trying to stuff it to the gills. I was getting worried it would soon exceed its flexibility. It didn’t work.

Inspired by Laine’s post about making storage look part of your decor, I remembered a jelly cabinet I had in the basement. After sorting through its contents, I realized most of it could be purged or stored elsewhere. It was the perfect size for a new arts and crafts cabinet for the kids and I had just the place for it by the front door.

I rescued the cabinet from the basement but wasn’t a fan of its white color. Too boring. My eye was drawn to the gold color of this lamp I recently picked up at Target and the gold in the large topographic US map on the wall.

And as I was cleaning out the cabinet I found a bunch of paint chips – Benjamin Moore’s Autumn Gold was the same color as the lamp and also matched the yellow color in the map. It was meant to be.

Not that everything has to match, but I wanted some sort of continuity. I like how I’ve mixed gold, gray, blue and wood tones in the room, seems like a nice cozy fall color palette. And come on, with a name like Autumn Gold, it’s a no-brainer.

So long story short, I painted the cabinet Autumn Gold. Couldn’t be happier. The cabinet blends in with the rest of room and reminds me of those gold-colored appliances from the 60s and 70s. Maybe those will come back in style.

After painting, it was time to organize. We keep all our markers, crayons, and colored pencils in these wall-mounted buckets in the dining room, so the cabinet needed to hold paper, stickers, paint, clay, and various craft supplies. Easy peasy.

We sorted what we had, weeding out whatever we could. A few mason jars were just right for loose items that can be transformed into mixed media masterpieces.

I’ve had this cabinet for about 12 years now. It’s been shuffled around so many times and held many different things — dishes, canned goods, wine, sweaters — I’m so glad to give it a more permanent and prominent role in the house.

TBD what will happen with the suitcase. Right now I’m thinking cloth napkins and table linens. It would also be good for hats and gloves in the winter. Or even computer cables and electronic accessories. I’m sure it’ll hold several different things before I finally make up my mind.