Showing posts with label Storage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Storage. Show all posts

Friday, February 10, 2012

Organize Hall Closets

Whether you have one or many hall closets they often become dumping grounds for all sorts of household items. Here are some helpful tips to get organized:
  •  Identify the use for the closet: Is it for coats, shoes, games, bedding and sheets or towels?
  • Empty your closet and thoroughly clean the interior, dust hard to reach spaces and mop the floor. Remove all existing shelving, patch and repaint the walls. Think about lighting, is there lighting in the closet currently? Do you want to add lighting?
  • Sort items from the closet into piles. 1. Toss 2. Donate 3. Sell and 4. Keep. Once you have decided what you will be keeping begin sorting into piles. Seasonal, games, jackets, towels, bedding etc.
  • Identify what type of storage you need. Do you need hanging space, shelf space, bins, or other types of storage?
  • Measure the space, think about what type of storage system would provide flexibility and best uses.
  • Use a custom closet organizer, these can be purchased at Target, The Container Store or Ikea. Install a hanger bar to hang jackets and install shelves at the bottom of the closet rather than up high. This creates easy accessibility. Seasonal items can be stored up high.
  • Use hangers, tote bins, hooks, storage boxes or shelves to organize items. Label everything so that everyone puts things back in their proper places.
  • Always remember to put seasonal items up high and things that you use the most close at hand. Storage can change through the seasons rotate winter gloves and rain boots with sun hats and flip flops. 
Once you clear your closet, evaluate what color you might paint the inside of the closet.
Consider adding stripes or wall paper on the interior, since it is such a small space this can be very inexpensive.
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Or what about adding a bright accent color such as the green below?
Use the back of the door to add hooks to store handbags, hats and scarves.

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Use coat hooks rather than hangers to hang jackets in closet.
Lower shelves can roll out for easy access. Also, notice the metal trays
at the bottom of the closet to store wet shoes, so brilliant!
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Love the labeled baskets at the top of the closet.
What a great way to store leather boots.
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The small space under stairs can often be misused or wasted space,
add a small closet and install long horizontal shelves to maximize the storage space.
(In tall narrow closets think vertical rather than horizontal storage.)
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Use a drapery panel rather than a typical closet door to add interest and soften a hallway closet.
Also remember that decorative baskets are more appealing to the eye in hall closets.
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Here are two perfectly organized all purpose hall closets with cleaning and office supplies.
Even a small closet can be purposeful when organized properly.
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Hang brooms on the back of the closet door to keep them from cluttering the entire closet.
A hall closet is a great place to add a paper towel dispenser.
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I hope this gave you some inspiration to start Spring cleaning and organize the clutter in your home. I highly suggest adding lighting to the interior of the closet, it can make a world of difference when you are searching for matching gloves. Ikea has some great inexpensive puck lights for this specific purpose. Here are a few other resources I have found to be the most useful for storage and organizational systems: The Container Store, See Jane Work, Storables, West Elm and Pottery Barn (all baskets are currently 20% off).

Have a great weekend and as always thanks for stopping by!

Friday, October 28, 2011

School House Charm

Recently my mom and I saw a set of antique metal lockers used at a pool to store towels. I love the idea of re purposing school lockers in a kitchen to store napkins and utensils, in a pantry to store food or in a bathroom for toiletries, it is an industrial look with some great school house charm. I think they would look great painted a high gloss red or black! Here are a few examples of some inspiring re purposed industrial metal lockers...

 Lockers used for storage in the kitchen...


Lockers can also be used as a nightstand or dresser... 
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Or in an entry as a coat closet...
Unknown Source

With a fresh coat of paint and some interior shelves these would be my dream lockers...
Unknown Source

If you have a piece of furniture that is made with high quality materials [solid metal or wood] by adding a fresh coat of paint you can end up with a brilliant re-purposed piece of furniture. One of the blogs I love to follow is Natty by Design, where Natalie posts daily about her furniture re-finishing business. It is inspiring to see the many ways in which she brings life to the antique pieces she finds, the outcome is always extremely beautiful!  She even sells some of her furniture on her online shop. Be sure to check it out!

Have a wonderful weekend!