Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Tag: Home Organization

  • Home Organization Tips for Small Mudrooms

    Do you love the idea of organizing your space so that your home can have a functional mudroom? You are not alone. People are constantly searching for tips on turning even the smallest spaces into useful mudrooms so that they can finally corral everything from muddy boots to extra masks, keys, and phone chargers. If you find yourself wishing for a tidy mudroom, read on as we offer home organization tips that will help you craft the ideal mudroom in any space.

    Install Hooks

    The very first thing you can do, no matter how big or small the proposed mudroom space, is put up hooks for coats, scarves, and masks. Hooks are one of the best organizational tools you’ll find because they are relatively easy to install and affordable. You can go for a standard set of hooks, ones that are welded to other wood or metal platforms, or hooks that are part of a mirror and shelf system. And depending on the size of the hooks, you can also hang up easily misplaced items like keys or pet leashes rather than creating an additional drop station. 

    Are you stumped about positioning? Designer Jade McNeil offers this tip to Martha Stewart Living readers: “‘Hooks [should be] at arm-height to hang coats easily,’” while also keeping them clean and off the floor. With this in mind, you may want two tiers of hooks to make everything accessible to the entire family. 

    Does your home have zero free wall space to set up a hook/drop station? The experts at Better Homes & Gardens offer this terrific home organization tip: “Solid doors offer plenty of vertical space for hooks, while doors with windows up top can be outfitted with hanging items on the bottom.” 

    Choose Sturdy Seating

    While you do not need a lot of furniture to make your mudroom useful, design experts agree that having sturdy seating can be a big plus. Southern Living is a fan of adding benches to mudrooms. Not only does a bench allow you to take off your muddy shoes or snowy boots more easily, but it becomes a terrific home organization tool. Southern Living raves: “Benches offer ways for even more storage, whether under the bench with drawers or inside the bench with a flip-top.” Even simple benches offer enough space below them to store shoes, snowboards, and other seasonal gear that would otherwise take up valuable closet space. 

    DIY Boot and Shoe Trays

    If you have beautiful floors near your main entryway that you fear for every time someone comes in from the outside with sandy, wet, or muddy shoes, a durable tray may be the most affordable way to protect your flooring and allow for easy cleaning. Southern Living recommends trying this DIY tip: “Buy a plastic boot tray and fill with pebbles (at your local craft store) for an effortless, DIY boot-drying area that will go with any décor style.” The shoe tray can also double as a repository for dripping umbrellas, eliminating the need for a separate umbrella stand.

    Select Durable Flooring

    If you are planning a more extensive remodel for your mudroom, take the opportunity to select durable flooring. Your mudroom will be the spot in your home that sees the most traffic. It needs to handle the usual wear and tear and the elements that may come with it. Martha Stewart Living offers this flooring tip: “If you’re in the process of adding a mudroom to your home, opt for solid flooring, such as ceramic tile, luxury vinyl, or even stone; these options are more durable than hardwood or carpeting when it comes to wet weather.”  

    Add Shelving, Corkboards, or PegBoards

    Are you short on time but long on the need for home organization solutions? The pros at Better Homes & Gardens offer this tip for creating an affordable mudroom: “Take an afternoon to convert chaos into calm. Corkboard, S-hooks, drawers, and bars transform a sliver of blank wall into a by-the-door command center for outerwear, bags, and keys.” PegBoards are also terrific for garage or laundry mudrooms as they make hanging up small tools, gardening gloves, dustpans, and brooms a snap. 

    Building small shelves in and around doors and windows can also provide your home with organized storage space for occasional use items. Better Homes & Gardens applauds: “Narrow shelves can be good spots for long-term storage of seasonal items like winter gloves and summertime hats.” 

    Do you have an unused or underused bookcase that could fit beside the door leading into your home from the garage, inside the laundry room, or by your main entrance? A terrific, zero-cost tip from the experts at Better Homes & Gardens is to repurpose it as an organized storage solution that is ready to go as part of your new mudroom. The Magazine explains: “Shift shelves in a big bookcase to make larger areas for coats and boots and tighter spaces for flats and accessories. Assign a number to each family member and purchase decorative items with preprinted numbers, such as hooks, mugs, boxes, and bags, to bring order to your home — no additional labeling required.” 

    Build a Drop Station

    If you have the space to create a larger drop station, you will love the promise of organization it brings to your daily life. If you are doing a significant build and have the budget, it’s time to create a space that addresses all of your storage and charging needs. Phoebe Schuh, the founder and creative director of PS & Daughters, tells Martha Stewart Living that people designing from scratch should “[build] drawers with charging docks to eliminate countertop areas covered in wires as a smart way to streamline the space.” And if you have the room, Schuh goes even further by recommending to the Magazine that people can create a mudroom that is actually an “organized ‘command center’” when they install a small desk or countertop area in the mudroom for things like “‘car keys, calendars, schedules, incoming mail, and outbound envelopes (don’t forget the stamps).’”  

    Create a Chalkboard Wall

    If your entryway has a long narrow hallway and a front closet, removing the doors to the closet can create an ideal mudroom. But while it’s perfect for adding hooks, bins, and benches, it may not be the command center you may desire yet. Real Simple has a home organization tip that you may enjoy: On the wall opposite your new mudroom, create “a giant chalkboard wall calendar [to keep] everyone on top of schedules and to-do lists.”  

    Hang a “Last Looks” Mirror

    When finishing your home’s new mudroom, add one final element next to the space, on the back of the door, or within the mudroom itself: A mirror. Southern Living agrees: When days are stressful and rushed, you’ll appreciate having a “last looks” mirror “for that last hair, makeup, and outfit check on your way out the door.”

  • Décor Ideas for Cluttered Homes

    When you have a cluttered home, decorating your space may be the farthest thing from your mind. With too many knick-knacks on display and a generally mismatched and overwhelmed aesthetic, your home may feel stressful and anxiety-inducing. Still, take heart: even if you don’t have time right now to fully declutter your home, there are ways you can decorate your space to encourage clarity and enjoy a more restful vibe.

    Less is More

    As you begin your decorating journey, remember that less is more. This is nearly always true in design, but is particularly essential when you are already dealing with a cluttered space. Aim for simple patterns and colors that match what you already have (or match as much of it as possible). Avoid busy paintings, curtains with zigzags, and striking accent chairs.

    If you have a knick-knack shelf, now is the time to clear it. Put back only those trinkets you really care about. If you are having a hard time deciding, don’t feel the need to KonMari your entire space right now. Instead, try rotating the items seasonally, so each treasured item gets displayed. This minor act of letting go will allow you a bit less clutter in sight at any given time. 

    Any knick-knacks that have functions of their own should be removed from service as mere display objects and returned to their job. That beautiful bud vase from your grandmother? Stash it where you keep gardening supplies and pull it out when you have fresh-cut flowers. No need to leave it sitting empty on your mantel at all times.

    Stick to Design Schemes

    If you simply can’t part with any of your clutter at this particular juncture, try organizing it to create a more unified look. For instance, perhaps you have a collection of antique books. Rather than keep them all on display in one place, sort them by color. Place all the red books in one room where they match the décor, and situate the purple books elsewhere where they will make an impact.

    You can create similar design schemes throughout your home. By grouping like items together, your brain more easily views them as a unit, yielding a calming effect. Try pairing items by color, pattern, size, or type.

    You should also give the classic triangle décor layout a try. Group like items and then display them on shelves in a triangle layout, so that three similarly sized, colored, or textured patterns form a triangle when you view the area from a distance. Continue creating triangles for a visually appealing design scheme.

    Use Clever Storage

    The world of storage has become chock full of options—colors, sizes, patterns, and textures galore are available. Take advantage of these choices when decorating your cluttered home. Choose a tan woven basket to tame all of your throw pillows. It makes a statement in the corner of your living room, while minimizing the distraction a variety of pillows might cause.

    For smaller trinkets, use vases or jars to corral and store. Place your candles, seashells, or thimbles in an elegant container and allow it to become a focal point of its own. This technique works well if your home’s clutter includes small storage containers, since you can declutter by using items you already own.

    Other ways to declutter your home while decorating include choosing pieces that do double duty. For instance, a good storage ottoman with clean lines works wonders in a messy living room. An elegant sideboard with hidden drawers or cabinets makes a congested dining room feel much more sophisticated. In a bedroom, a hope chest or even under-bed storage can be pleasing to the eye while also allowing you to stash belongings you aren’t yet ready to part with.

    Use the Power of Vertical Lines

    When organizing a cluttered home, let height work to your advantage. Floating shelves can display your entire knick-knack collection as high on your wall as you like. Tall bookshelves, especially corner units, allow you to corral all of your trinkets without a large footprint. 

    In a crowded kitchen, create visual interest with above-cabinet storage or even a pot rack over your island or stove. This lends a rustic aesthetic that can be appealing if done properly. However, you should avoid simply stashing unwanted kitchen junk in places that are highly visible. Doing so in a highly trafficked room can create a great deal of visual stress.

  • How to Get Organized and Find Your Zen Before a Move

    Some studies indicate moving and the associated organization in the home is more stressful than divorce, and certainly the sheer volume of detail involved in separating from either a person or a place can be overwhelming.

    If you’ve ever used professional movers you may have noticed they are, for the most part, calm, quiet people who don’t seem to get ruffled by much. You have to think movers, like first responders, have in many ways seen it all. If you want to find your zen before a move so you can be as calm as your movers on your actual moving day, here are a few tips to help you get organized and make things a whole lot less stressful.

    Make a Master List

    An investment in a small divided notebook is a good idea when planning your move. Create different sections for utilities, schools, packing materials, mover research, cleaners (indoor, outdoor, and carpet), and another for furniture, clothing, and electronic disposal. Include emergency numbers for not only doctors and immediate family, but also for babysitters and food delivery.

    In fact, write down the numbers of everyone you might need to contact and don’t rely on your cell phone without a back-up plan. If you can’t find your phone or someone has helpfully packed it for you in the craziness of moving day, having utility account numbers and phone numbers will make life a lot less stressful.

    Purge Early and Often

    Part of what makes moving stressful is the packing process. It forces us to confront the material objects of our lives. Just throwing things in boxes subverts this process. Painful though it may be to go through clothes, bills, toys, bank statements, and electronic equipment, just throwing it into boxes and concluding you’ll deal with it at the unpacking end is inefficient, expensive, and ultimately depressing. 

    Think in terms of, “Do I want you in my new life?” and “Do I need you in my new life?” Depending on how much notice you have that you’re going to be moving, you might want to start digitizing paper records and old family photos, saving to cloud or removable storage devices as additional backup.

    Make Time for Packing

    The only time packing is truly enjoyable is when it isn’t rushed. Because packing can be an emotionally as well as a physically taxing experience, we tend to put it off. If you find you’re procrastinating about starting to pack, ask a friend to come over to keep you company while you’re doing it. 

    They don’t have to do anything physical (although take them up on the offer if they say they want to start by assembling some boxes for you). They’re there for moral support and to gently suggest that perhaps a photo of a once-cherished, now decrepit object would be enough of a memento.

    At the very least, your boxes will need to be labelled. Since they’re going to be stacked, label them on the sides and on at least one long and one short side so you can read the labels no matter which way the movers pile them on top of each other. Professional movers number and tag each and every box. You don’t necessarily have to go that far. But a color coding system so kitchen boxes end up in the kitchen rather than the bedroom is a pretty easy system to set up and can save you hassles on moving day.

    Create a Go Bag

    In the same way you want a go bag if you have to travel frequently or unexpectedly for work, or you’re about to have a child and want to prepare for your hospital stay in advance, creating a moving “go bag” is a good idea.

    Use a large tote and stock it with a few things like a spare T-shirt or two, some wipes, a comb, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Leave most of the bag empty, because this is where you’re going to stash things like an Exacto knife to open up boxes, rolls of tape you’ve used to seal the last box, your computer modem or router, and perhaps even your laptop.

    This is also where you should start collecting things like phone chargers. Having your life stored in your phone is great until the battery is dead and you can’t find a charger or you’re in a dead zone and can’t get cell service.

    Leave the go bag out on the counter and don’t try to stock it with much of anything. It will be your last-minute savior when you spot things you don’t want to leave behind but want to pack.

    A couple more tips to help you find and maintain your zen before a move: get more boxes, packing material, and tape than you think you will need. Having too much is not the tragedy being two boxes and one roll of tape short on moving day can be. Also, consider hiring professional cleaners so you can remove that stress from the whole moving equation. They aren’t all that expensive, and an empty house is so much easier to clean than an occupied one.