Decorganizing: Pantry

(decor + organizing = decorganizing)

I need to once again admit that I stole that term from Tina Fey on a 30 Rock episode just in case she reads my blog and wants to sue me. The reason I like it so much is that a space can be well organized but well, lack-luster. I feel that in order to keep a space organized, it also has to look good!

Here is a pantry that I found in the blog world and thought it was very inspirational! I have organized many pantries but they don't always photograph super well but I thought this one laid out the process very well so here goes...

Before

After

The keys to organizing any space are basically the same. I will break it down into 5 simple steps.

Remove everything from your space.

(Yeah, it's gonna look bad before it looks good!)

Separate like items. For example, put all baking goods together as she has done below.

(It is best to do while you are doing step no. 1 so you are more efficient!)

This is especially smart so when she goes to bake,

she can remove this box and all her supplies are handy!

Once you have a "blank canvas," clean it top to bottom and then do what you can to improve the overall aesthetic.

Here she painted and then used a vinyl decal on the wall to add more interest.

Once you have everything separated into categories, put the items into proper containers and be sure to label them as needed.

Load the space! It is best to put seldom used items up high and more frequently used items in easy reach.

Here is another after shot! Great job!

Via House of Smith's

And if you love all her labels as I do, you can get them here!

In 2010, I did Decorganizing posts every Wednesday but I felt like I was (pardon me) half-assing it. So in 2011, I will still do Decorganizing posts more sporadically and only when I really feel inspired! But I need your help! If you have a specific area that you want organizing help with, leave a comment or email me at sidney@eclectic-idg.com and I might do a post on this topic providing you with organizing tips and inspirational photos. Or email me photos of your space with a description of your organizing needs and I just might feature it on my blog! I will give you details instructions with specific product information on how to decorganize your space! Or if yo need hands-on-help, email me for information on my organizing services.

Decorganizing Wednesday: Riding Boots

I am obsessed with riding boots. I always have been. I think a woman (or girl) in proper riding attire is about one of the most beautiful, classic and iconic looks imaginable!

I just scored these bad boys on eBay!

Melissa Button Frye Boots

Yeah me!

There are several ways to keep your boots in shape.

You can buy these handy gadgets...

Bed, Bath & Beyond

(You can hang them or not).

However, I feel like they stretch your boots out. So I prefer to use rolled up magazines instead (props for recycling). Plus, they have more weight so they don't fall over if you are standing them upright. You can also use wine bottles (as my friend just taught me)....full or empty depending on how much wine you drink! [Mine would be empty unless...hold the phone....that's not a bad (secret) place to keep an emergency stash!] Ha! I don't have a problem, I promise.

Decorganizing Wednesday: Fluff n' Fold

Here is an article from Marta

Many garments look their best when hung on proper hangers in closets that aren't overcrowded. Other clothes benefit from being neatly folded. Shirts and blouses made of linen, rayon, or 100 percent cotton will stay virtually wrinkle-free when hung upon hangers. Use padded hangers for slippery silks and satins, as well as delicate fabrics that crush easily, such as velvet, raw silk, chiffon, and taffeta. Curved suit hangers help maintain the shape of outdoor jackets, overcoats, suit jackets, and blazers. Skirt hangers have moveable clips to accommodate most skirt sizes and styles. And trousers hang nicely over the sturdy rods of wooden hangers, or held by the cuff with clamping trouser hangers.

Knitwear, including tops, pants, skirts, and dresses, should usually be folded. However, if you're tight on drawer space, a sweater can be folded in half, shoulder to shoulder, and draped over the bar of a wooden hanger with a piece of tissue paper in between. Casual pants and shorts made from rugged materials, such as jeans, khakis, and corduroys, also can be folded. And you should fold long evening dresses, particularly those weighted with ornamentation, because hanging can distort their shape. -Article courtesy of marthastewart.com

And here is a little tip I learned while working at The Gap in high school....use a cutting board to give your clothes a perfect fold!

Bed, Bath & Beyond

Decorganizing Wednesday: Under Bed Storage

If you are short on storage space in your home, don't overlook the area under your bed! There are many handy products on the market to utilize this hidden gem and keep your items dust free. If you don't like the ready made products, you can always custom make (or hire someone to custom make) underbed storage units or create a platform bed with built-in drawers. Here are some examples of ways to utilize this space.

John Lewis Alaska Bed

Of course Martha's underbed organizers are much prettier than the plastic variety.

Tutorial here.

The Container Store

These are cute and if you don't have a plethora of free time or a staff of thousands to make your own like Martha, these bad boys are only $36.00!

Walmart

Check out this craziness from Real Simple...

So go clean out the dust bunnies, the collapsible treadmill you never use and the vintage Playboy collection (yeah, I mean you!) and use this space for extra storage!

Decorganizing Wednesday: Important Documents

Congrats to Stacey Bunch of The Whole Package for being the winner of The Home Organizing Workbook: Clearing Clutter, Step by Step! I hope you find this book handy! And to the rest of you, thanks for submitting your organizing challenges and requests for topics on Decorganizing Wednesday, I really appreciate it! Keep the ideas coming....

Real Simple

Now this isn't exciting but I do think it is really important. And it is a handy guide from Stacey's new book on what bills/documents you need to keep and what you can toss. So save it or print it out and keep it somewhere you can remember and refer to it as needed. Need more information? Click here for good article from Real Simple.

Decorganizing Wednesday: I Need Your Help!

I need help coming up with topics for Decorganizing Wednesday so I am starting a little contest. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post or send me an email at sidney@eclectic-idg.com with a topic you would like me to cover and you will be entered into the random drawing to win this book...

Home Organizing Workbook: Clearing Your Clutter, Step-By-Step

by Meryl Starr

And if you are feeling really industrious, send me a picture of your unorganized space and I will provide you with some organizing tips, free of charge, in exchange for allowing me to feature your organizing dilemma on my blog. I promise to keep it anonymous!!!

So get going. Contest deadline is Wednesday, July 21st!

Decorganizing Wednesday: Shoes

Ahh, shoes.

As you may know, in addition to being an interior designer, I am also a closet designer. And every (and I do mean every!) client says "Oh, I have A LOT of shoes!" But what I find funny is that "A LOT" is a relative term. What is A LOT of shoes to you? 20 pair? 200 pair? 2, 000 pair?

There once was an old lady who lived in a shoe...er house....who had so many shoes that she didn't know what to do. So she called me. Seriously, she easily had 2, 000 pairs of shoes covering every square inch of space in her bedroom! Not to mention trash cans full of shoes hidden in her closet. She wanted a place to house her addiction. I, on the other hand, wanted to give her the number of a good therapist.

So after that experience, I find it funny when people with 20 pair of shoes tell me they have "A LOT" of shoes. But whether you have 20 or 2, 000 you must find a way to store them, right? So here goes...

Do you line them up in a row?

Or do you encase them like important artifacts?

Or do you display them like a tabletop vignette?

Or do you have a mini-photoshoot with your footwear and label their boxes by photo?

Or do you just label them?

Or do you have a super creative solution that makes your shoes look like art? Let's face it some of them are! I mean Milano's were not made for walkin'!

Or do you mount them on the wall for easy viewing?

Let's face it, I am not reinventing the wheel here, just showing you some inspiration! But speaking of a wheel, check this crazy-ass thing out....

WTF?

It is like a game show...step right up and spin the wheel to see what shoes you will wear today!

Decorganizing Wednesday: Toilet Paper

I know you are thinking WTF? right now and rightfully so. But this is an important topic for me and one that could also go in my "Designing Pet Peeve" segment because I am anti-toilet paper holder. I know, I know...SO weird. And why do I have so many pet peeves in the bathroom? Do I spend too much time in there? I mean really. If I had a Design Therapist he could probably attribute it to the fact that growing up our toilet paper holder was defective and it took like five times and five minutes of chasing around the inner spring to get a new roll on the holder. So I would leave it like this and it drove my brother crazy.

So now that I am all grown up and have my own place, I keep mine on a shelf...

Or in a decorative basket...

Or in a glass canister like this...

(You can find these at Homegoods.)

This cracks me up...you know a man came up with this one!

assseenontvguys.com

How could I talk about toilet paper without mentioning toilet paper oragami???

Or word of the day toilet paper?

The last thing I will say on this subject is that you should always and I mean ALWAYS splurge for the Charmin. None of this sandpaper crap. UN-acceptable.

Decorganizing Wednesday: Seashells

To continue with my all beach theme I thought I would give you some tips on organizing and displaying all the seashells that you accumulate over your summer vacations.

In jars or vases....

In canisters labeled by type of shell or which beach they came from...

It can be done with sand also...

In glass cloches....

Along a built-in ledge...

Or architectural bracket...

In a decorative bowl...

Or in a cabinet...

Or just on a shelf or tabletop...

While I am am at it, here are some good coffee table books on seashells.

One Hundred Seashells

Seashells

The Book of Shells