"GO" Month Check-In
I’ve always liked how January seems to move along at a nice, slow-ish pace. It’s probably just in comparison to the whirlwind of the holiday season, but I enjoy the general ease and possibility of the month. Having a well structured home is not only beautiful, but it helps us slow down and minimize the roadblocks to our family’s flow. January is the perfect time to set up and/or recommit to systems that work.
I love beautiful design and seeing things neatly stored away in pretty containers, but it’s my quest for function that really drives my organization and design habits. For example, I’m not interested in having cereals in plastic containers just for the sake of having an Insta-pantry. I have them to be able to easily pop the lid and pour; quickly see how much is left when I scan for shopping lists; and not have to deal with ripped or uncurled bags that make the contents go stale, thereby wasting money.
I like to tackle areas little by little and assess my family’s and clients’ needs before rushing out and purchasing a bunch of stuff. Plus, if you’re gonna spend money for baskets and bins and containers, then it’s best to take inventory of your needs and have a plan to try to make them all as cohesive from a design perspective as possible. With that said, returns are a big part of my professional and personal life, but I still go to stores with lists in hand on every type of item we need to plan for. (Tip: Put the unused items back in your car as soon as you’re done to make sure you actually return and get your pennies back : - )
Beauty and Function in effect in many of our Cocó Interior Design projects…
Where Do You Start?
It’s best to start with PURGING so that you don’t end up wasting space, money or energy frankly, on items that no longer serve your life. By now you’ve probably heard of Marie Kondo, the Japanese organizing consultant. Besides her popular book, she now has her own Netflix show that’s all the buzz! I implemented a lot of her system a few years ago and loved every moment of it…so liberating. But for many there can be a lot of emotional connections with “things” and “spaces,” so try to trust the process, whichever you use, and stay the course. You’ll feel 1,000 pounds lighter!
Imaginary Crystal Ball
The beauty of life is its ebb and flow. In fact, the only constant in life is change. So take it from a girl who has had quite a few surprises thrown her way. You definitely can not plan for everything, nor should you get stuck in analysis paralysis, but thinking through the different phases in life will help prioritize your needs…and budget.
So, where are you in life? Ha…I know that’s a loaded question. I mostly mean…to the best of your ability, can you say whether you are…in what feels like a “forever home,” a starter condo, a rental, a dorm room? Does your job require you to move frequently? Are you craving an imminent change with more space….or will you soon be an empty nester and crave downsizing?
Next, who’s in your life? A partner, children, elderly parents, roommates? Are you just starting your family or is the factory closed for business? Do you have frequent house guests or like to entertain? Do you have the house where all the neighborhood kids like to meet up?
Function & Flow
So once you do purge, streamline and are clear on what IS staying in your home, think through your true needs before deciding on Tools and Design Options. These will depend on how you use the stuff in your life, and how everyone and everything flows through your home. After all, it’s the process and intention behind a storage solution that will help you maintain it and pump up the Zen factor in your home.
So if your kids have a lot of sports gear that they throw all over as soon as soon as they walk in, that is not the place for pretty, delicately weaved baskets. Your storage needs to be hard-working. And if you have a lot of very heavy books and boxes in your home office, then a standing shelf unit may be a better fit than a floating shelf, that can be saved instead for a few lighter items mixed in with decorative items above your desk perhaps.
Tools of the Trade
It helps to set up a system that you can expand on as your needs change after you consider the questions above. For example, I know that we will be needing to move homes pretty soon. I have committed to a great storage system for the kids’ toys and games. But until I know where my next (possibly “forever” home) will be, I haven’t purchased tons of beautifully coordinated sets of bins and baskets. (Thankfully I have my clients to keep my organizing dreams alive!) So are the pictures I share below exactly pinterest-worthy? Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some may like it, but I am past that green. However, it works for now. The kids like it and it keeps things orderly.
What I DO like: The kids’ toys are all in various sizes of the clear plastic boxes with lids from the Container Store. They are all stackable and coordinate together. I know this system will work in any future closet or shelving, and being one of the store’s staple items, there is a very strong chance they will continue to be available.
Now, although the cereals and many of the grains we use daily are in nice containers as I mentioned, the rest of the pantry is in green Dollar Tree bins and baskets that have held up really well for the past few years although they are far from being my ideal look. Similarly the kids craft space is also organized with the same containers that work great. There are tons of options in the market depending on your budget and the longevity of your current living situation.
Of course we have storage needs that are in plain sight where I’ve gone ahead and invested in some nicer, prettier pieces, such as the family room baskets for the countless car toys and the puppy’s chew toys. As well as a beautiful pom-pom basket in the girls room and some gold polka-dot baskets in their cubby-like shelf system. I am also a big fan of corralling items onto a tray to instantly create a cohesive and organized look. The items I have invested more in, will likely work anywhere we go, or are basic enough that they can fit in with any future decor. Flexibility is key!
Invest in pieces you love that also get the job done, wherever and whenever possible…but work with what you have now!
Location, Location, Location
It’s also very important to think through the accessibility of different solutions. How much you use an item will determine its location. Don’t be afraid to store items in unexpected places. I used to have all my flower vases in my large dining room buffet. The drawers in the piece were also full of tablecloths. Do I love to entertain? Yes! But am I doing a ton of it right now? No! Right now, my life is a lot about keeping nearly 4 and 6 year olds busy with crafts and games.
Also, my hand-me-down dining table was built nearly 50 years ago in my grandfather’s woodworking mill. It will need to be majorly refurbished at some point…but at the moment, it is serving as the craft area, homework space, laundry folding and general flex zone. Perhaps I’ll get to design a future pantry and dining room where all of my entertaining ware is easily accessible to me, but for now, it got moved out to the garage and the Arts & Crafts tools settled in. So…you go with the flow and you put the tools where you use them.
I recently turned a client’s formal dining room that she never used into an entire craft and office space just for her and her daughter! We expanded their kitchen seating with a gorgeous built in booth to accommodate her usually casual entertaining style and everyone was happy (including me…it was such fun to live out some pretty organization dreams…down to color coordinating pencils in mason jars for her!!) So let’s not waste our square footage on “museum rooms.” Find ways to really assign a space its best use and think of creative ways to make them serve double or triple duty so your family is comfortable.
Transforming a client’s old underused Formal Dining Room into her Dream Craft Lounge!!
Break it Down
Now, once you’ve thought through all of this, literally take our a measuring tape and get down into some details. If your child has tons of oversized books…don’t buy a cubby style shelf that won’t fit most of them. Taller shelving or library bin style cabinets may be a better fit. Similarly, don’t buy a bunch of 9x9 bins for a 13x13 space. It wastes the potential of the space and doesn’t look as nice. If your shelves are pretty deep and can fit two rows of containers, keep the more frequently used items towards the front. The bottom line is that you don’t want your storage system to be an impediment to enjoying your life.
A good assessment and inventory of your space leads to good storage and design decisions that make your home as comfortably accessible, functional, AND beautiful as possible. Plus it helps you better enjoy the NOW, wherever that may be. Here are some more tips!
Top Ten Tips
When scouring HomeGoods, the Container Store or your favorite online shops, think cross section. The perfect items for your office might just be waiting in the kitchen department. And bathroom storage may be in the kids section believe it or not.
Have workhorse baskets available in clutch spots around your home: near the stairs to fill as the day goes by so you can easily take it all up. Or one by the bedroom hallway that gathers items to be returned to their spot.
Repurpose containers. Old glass candle holders make for beautiful make up brush holders. The big plastic containers for nuts or animal crackers at Costco or Target make great arts & crafts storage. Save up a few old glass jelly or jam containers for the mason jar look anywhere you need it.
A label maker is your best friend so don’t think you have to craft gorgeous handmade tags! Lots of options available…and if you do want something more special there are many sites that have free downloadable tag designs you can print on 8.5x11 sticker paper and cut out. It’s up to you. Customize your space however it makes you the happiest.
Kids toys: Two rules we like to follow in our home…a) If something comes in, something has to go out. We don’t go on buying or receiving gifts without editing first. AND, 2) it’s amazing how rotating their toys and games helps! What is old instantly becomes new again after it’s been stored away a couple of months.
Integrate function with beauty. You don’t have to place a long row of books all on one shelf. Try placing some vertically and then place some horizontally with a box or bin on top. Prop a small piece of art on an easel in-between for an instant gallery look. Display a child’s favorite toy on a stand perhaps…and incorporate pictures of friends and family among your things. Bring out those gorgeous photo books you printed online on your coffee table instead of buying store bought books. Your family and guests alike will love looking through them. Place a potted plant on top of a shelf or cabinet.
Think Portability. Practically every store has a roller version of the three tray cart. These can be used in any space in your home. So yes, perhaps you dream of your kids having a homework space, but if the kitchen counter is all you got, embrace it. Buy a cart stored in a corner near by and roll it on out. Compartmentalized baskets with handles are also particularly useful for grouping different types of item per activity. And this isn’t for just kids either. We have an Oatmeal Center Tray that has honey and all the different mixers we like to toss in. A baker’s basket is also very useful when your sweet tooth starts clamoring.
Toss the junk mail directly into the recycle bin as soon as you grab it from the mailbox. Don’t even let it touch the entrance foyer or kitchen counter!
I love the saying “Excuse the mess…memories are being made here!” I always think of my client’s families in action before I design. How do they live their lives and what are the “messes” that brings with it. Design is not intended to override life. It’s meant to serve it.
It bears repeating…planning is key, but don’t get caught up in analysis paralysis either. Start small but START and bring the family into the process. Habits like these can serve kids in many areas of their life. They crave structure so establishing some beautiful and functional systems is a worthwhile family affair!
Send me pictures of your January projects and let me know if you have any questions. I hope you have a productive and beautiful rest of the month that sets the perfect tone for 2019!
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