4 January, 2011

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Making Space in your Home

It can be difficult to find storage and create organized spaces in your home if there isn’t much space available. Do you feel like even if you could afford to buy storage spaces you would have nowhere to put them? You’re not alone. By the time we put a bed, dresser, and some bedside tables in our bedrooms, we are really out of space. Plus, you don’t want to make your rooms feel cluttered with too much furniture. However, it can get cluttered with junk if you don’t have spaces to put things away. There are ways to make better use of the spaces that you do have, you just might have to get a little creative to make it happen. We’ve compiled some ideas from professional organizers to help you get the job done. Luckily, you don’t have to have a lot of space or money to use these tips in your home. Get organized and clear out the areas that are in view by using this helpful advice.

1) First you have to determine what you need to find a place for. If you have heaps of clothing, mail, craft supplies, and general junk lying around, it may be difficult to know where to start. This is why we suggest starting off by using the “divide and conquer” approach. You can separate things into boxes, laundry baskets, or just piles to get started. Try not to make any category too big or too small. When everything is divided, you can better tell how many areas you will need to create.

2) If you feel like there’s just no way that you can ever make space for everything that you own, it might be time to get rid of some things. Charities accept usable home items, such as office supplies, clothing, and toys. Donate and throw out what you can so that you have less to deal with. When you get rid of excess things, you’ll be ready to go.

3) Now that you see what you have left, determine the dimensions of space that you will need for each pile. It’s helpful to determine the actual square footage or inches of space that you will need. This way, you won’t be constrained to an actual measurement, and can adjust the dimensions of space needed to fit where you want it to. For example, you may have a 2’x2’x2’ stack of sweaters. Instead of storing the sweaters in a cube, you may be able to roll them and store them in a shallow box underneath your bed.

4) After you find places to store items that you don’t use all the time, you can begin to make the most of the hanging space that you have in your closet for your everyday wardrobe. You can use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to make your clothes fit closely together. The velvet hanger coating will keep your clothes from slipping or being damaged by cheap metal clips. You can cascade these space saving hangers to coordinate outfits and double or triple your space. Using inexpensive solutions like this can have you organized in no time.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

31 December, 2010

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Ideas for Saving Closet Space

Everyone’s closet can become cluttered sooner or later. New items come in and we just don’t take the time to get rid of our old clothing and accessories. Managing the space in your closet can make it a great thing to have in your home. Concentrating on making closet space functional is a great way to get the most use from your closet. Use these expert ideas to help you turn a closet into a useful area once again, no matter how small it may be.

1) Get rid of as much clutter as possible. This means clearing out things that you either no longer use or do not have space for. You can’t warrant owning or storing a set of luggage in your closet if you don’t have space for your clothing. Consider storing bulky items in a garage, basement or attic. Clothing that doesn’t fit right, is no longer in style, or that you simply don’t wear should be donated or sold. You can sell or offer your clothes to someone locally online. If you want to have a yard sale, it’s a great way to get some extra money to spend on your closet.

2) If you want to stay organized year round, you need a system. It’s really hard to stay organized if your clothing for winter starts to take over your summer clothes. Make sure that you have spacious storage for items that are not in use. Keep out a few things to wear between seasons. These items should stay in your closet all year. Having a few things accessible will keep you from making the snap decision to get your summer clothes out on that first hot day, before you’re ready to swap out wardrobes. Those in between times when the weather can be both hot and cold can creep up on you and cause you to cram clothes into your closet, destroying your efforts to get organized.

3) Find creative places to store items that you are not using. Check behind the closet door, above it, high above the top shelf, and in the front corners of the closet. There may be hidden space that you can use to get organized. Use risers to create extra space underneath beds for excess shoes and clothing that is not in season.

4) Using the right clothes hangers can make a big difference in the closet that you use. Staying organized is easier if you have hangers that help you to do that. Space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, are made to fit flat against each other. They are very sturdy and have a velvet coating that keeps clothes from ending up on the floor. They are perfect for coordinating outfits and helping you to make the most of a small space.

21 December, 2010

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Making Room for Christmas Gifts

You will probably receive many things for Christmas. Many people end up with extra items and nowhere to put them. You may be given clothing, coats, shoes, scarves, hats, games and more. Finding room for all of these new things can be a challenge. Your closet may be overflowing already, before you even receive anything. Use these tips to make space for new items without having to get rid of everything that you already own. Prepare for the extra items entering your home by using these ideas for making the most of a small space.

1) Okay, so you do need to get rid of some things. “Out with the old and in with the new” is a great thing to keep in mind. When we get new clothes and shoes, we tend to quit wearing some of the old items. However, it can be difficult to part with old things because they may still fit, still be usable, or we still like them, but just don’t ever wear them anymore. Many people let things hang around their closets for years, in usable condition, before ever considering getting rid of them. Give what you can part with to charity, sell some things, hand them down, or simply throw them out. As new things come in, go through your old things again and see if the new items replace any of the old ones.

2) Keep a “give away” bin, bag, or basket in your closet so that you can easily and consistently keep up with letting things go. Use other bins for organizing smaller items so that you closet doesn’t become a huge cluttered mess. You can install some small shelves in the front corner of the closet, along the floor, or on top of an existing top storage shelf. You just need some cubby style spaces to keep bins and baskets to stay organized. Use them for socks, gloves, scarves, hats, pajamas, underwear, and more. These bins not only help you to stay organized, but they also keep things looking tidy.

3) If you still need more room in your closet, consider using clothing hangers that are designed to either save space or help you organize. You can use specialty hangers, like scarf hangers, tie hangers, belt hangers, or cascading hangers to hold multiple items in the space of one hanger. Using space saving hangers is necessary if you have a small closet or want to keep a lot in one place. Space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, help you to cascade items. They also have a flat design to hold things closely together in a small space.

9 December, 2010

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Organizing Small Spaces

Getting organized can be a challenge, especially if you have a very limited space. The first thing you need to do is commit to making the most of the space by respecting how much you have and getting rid of whatever you can. Don’t let items hang around your house for years, robbing you of the precious little space that you have. Get it together and get ready to make that tiny little closet a place where your things will all be organized for good.

Getting organized “for good” may seem like a foreign concept! Most people feel like their organization efforts go to waste because the benefits don’t last long before everything is cluttered again. There is a good reason for this, and that is that most people don’t think very far into the future when they organize. Think of all the things that got you into a predicament of clutter and junk to begin with. Did you not feel like opening the basket to put your things away? Maybe you need an open container. Did you organize most stuff and then the little junk that was left got tossed into one “miscellaneous” box? These are common mistakes that people make all of the time.

Thinking ahead to determine what you might need in the future can change your way of thinking and help you to improve your use of a small space. If your closet if full of clothes that you don’t even wear anymore, then you need a bin or container in the closet, or right outside of it, for stashing clothes that you no longer wish to wear. Giving things away on a continual basis will help you to avoid overstuffing the closet. If you only own what you really like to wear, then there shouldn’t be that much excess crowding your shelves and hanging bar.

Use deeper bins than necessary for things like socks and pajamas. That way, as new items come in over time or as clothing gets bulkier when winter rolls around, your organization strategy is still in place. Use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to cascade outfits or multiple items from one hanger. You can instantly double or triple the hanging space this way. Using hangers that make space where there wasn’t space before can give you the extra room that you need to keep shoes and other accessories organized year round.

24 November, 2010

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Quick Closet Organization Tips

Organizing your closet can be fun and fulfilling. Do it yourself instead of hiring a professional. You will get your closet just how you want it without spending much money or relying on someone else’s judgment.

Make a plan for yourself and follow these rules:

1) Get rid of everything you possibly can.

2) Give clothing, shoes, purses, belts, ties and coats to a charity that accepts clothing donations. These items are often tax deductible.

3) Items that are in good enough condition can be sold to consignment shops or put out in a garage sale. If you have trouble selling or giving away clothes that mean something to you, go shopping for new items. Set a goal for how much money you need to make to replace the old items with new ones.

4) Commemorate heirlooms. Take photographs of important articles so that you can enjoy them after they are gone. If they are very important to you, then you should have them sealed in an acid free box so that they will last for generations to come. Otherwise, keep a scrap of fabric or just the photo.

5) Get rid of shoes, belts and purses. Many people keep shoes, belts and handbags for many, many years. These items may still be good, but they gave you a blister, or they don’t match anything. Maybe they are just out of date. Give those items to a charity, or have a swap party. Friends can get together and bring all of their gently used purses, belts, hats and shoes. Use dice to determine who goes first and take turns swapping items. When everyone has what they want, you can donate the rest to charity.

6) Sometimes we just want to keep those cute clothes that no longer fit. If it is possible for you to get back into them, keep them. Just store them outside of your every day closet. Large containers can be labeled with signs that dictate the size or weight you need to be to get into them. You do not have to get rid of them if you get them out of the way for a while. Then it will be so exciting when you are able to take down that box and swap out the wardrobes.

Save space in your closet with space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to complete the task of organizing your closet. It will give you great joy to see your closet spacious, neat and uncluttered. Getting organized does not take long and it is well worth the effort.

16 November, 2010

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Big Living in a Small Home

Many people are choosing to live in small apartments or homes to simplify their lives. Freedom from high mortgages and living costs is a major drive in deciding to live in a tiny space. In bigger cities, living in a small apartment not only cuts down on the cost of rent, but it can also significantly cut down on the cost of traveling to and from work. In many cases, people are able to eliminate the need for a vehicle all together.

Living in a small space can be very rewarding, but it also presents some challenges. Overcoming these challenges can help you to feel like you’ve “won the war” against big house living. Not only must you conquer organization, but you must also use your creative mind to figure out the best ways to live in a small space. Simplifying your life means eliminating useless or unnecessary items from your home and making the most of the space that you have. Many people report better health, less stress, and less spending because of their decision to live in a smaller home. When it comes to spending money, you’re forced to ask yourself “will it fit” instead of “can I afford it”. This change can free you from much of the commercialism and free spending that many people are plagued by.

One way to be successful in a small home is to only buy high quality, efficient products that hopefully serve more than one function. Investing a little in quality will save you from buying more products to replace the one that breaks or doesn’t function as you expected. For example, one set of built-in shelves will last you forever, taking up very little space, whereas multiple cheap plastic drawer systems take up space and break, resulting in the need to invest in the shelves after all.

Buying furniture and storage systems that have multiple functions is the best way to ensure that you avoid buying more later and make the best use of your space. A couch with a pull-out bed gives you a place for guests to sleep, without using precious storage space for inflatable mattresses. A chair whose arms open up to reveal storage for remotes, magazines, and your latest knitting project reduce the need for an end table or bulky magazine rack. A coffee table that opens up to store linens and throws can free up the small amount of closet space that you have. Using areas that aren’t traditionally used for storage will help you save space, too. You can use large, shallow containers for storing items underneath your bed, chairs, or couch.

In your closet, you want to make sure that you’re using as much of the space as possible. You can hang things up really high and use a hanger retriever to get them down. You can use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, or cascading hangers to use a lot less space than you traditionally would to hang your clothes. Combining outfits or multiple items onto one hanger is an easy and economical way to save closet space.

5 November, 2010

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Creating a Personalized Closet

If your closet is a cluttered mess, you need to come up with a plan for getting it organized. We have trouble organizing, a lot of times, because the space available to us may seem grossly inadequate. Overcoming the lack of space in your closet can seem like an impossible feat. However, there are some tricks for creating space that you may not have thought of before. Professional closet organizers and designers have spent years developing solutions for inadequate closet space. Here, we’ve assembled some of the best professional tips for making the closet work for you and your belongings. Use these ideas and you can create a closet that fits your personal needs, despite the small size.

1) Sometimes our closets become cluttered because we need to use them for storage, not just for clothes. Storage items can take up a lot of room, especially if the closet is small to begin with. You may have boxes that you never unpacked after you moved. You may need to store blankets, hide Christmas presents, store books, sports equipment, luggage, or any number of other items that are not only bulky, but seldom used. Try to get some of these things out of the closet and store them in creative places around your home. A storage chest can house blankets. A window seat may provide storage for books. Use risers to raise up your bed so that you can store clothes that are out of season. Get creative and try to narrow down the number of items that must be kept in the closet.

2) Go through all of your clothes and shoes that are left in the closet and rank the items that you own according to use. The things that you use the most should be kept near the front and center of the closet. Things that aren’t used as much can go a little further back, higher up, or lower down in your closet. Things that you don’t wear anymore should be eliminated. Most people are able to get rid of about half the clothes in their closet because they just don’t wear them anymore for one reason or another.

3) Separate your clothing into stacks of what needs to be folded and what will be hung. Determine how much shelf room each folded stack will take up and go from there. You may want to use baskets or hanging drawers for socks, underwear, accessories, and other small items. Shoes can be stacked in clear boxes up either side of your closet. Using special space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, can save you so much space. These hangers are flat, so they hang close together. They have movable clips for coordinating outfits or hanging things like shorts that don’t have anywhere else to go. You can also use cascading hooks to coordinate outfits and save around 50% of your precious space. The velvet coating keeps your clothes from slipping so your closet stays organized after you get it that way.

26 October, 2010

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The Best Solutions for Small Closets

Small closets can be a disorganized mess. Inevitably you run out of room no matter how neat you try to keep them. There are some things that you can do to make the most of a small space while keeping it organized. We specialize in saving closet space, so we’ve compiled some tips for you that will help you turn a cram-packed nightmare of a closet into an organized dream. It may be small, but it can be organized!

1) Correcting wasted shelf space will help you to make space where you didn’t know you had it. Most shelves are too far apart, too deep, or simply aren’t there. Many things that go into the closet need to be separated. One giant shelf just doesn’t help you to do that. Adding shelves and shortening your hanging rod or rods can give you that extra space that you need for organizing. Shelf dividers are great for sectioning off the shelves to keep the space more orderly. Shelf risers help to raise up items that are far back so that you can see what you have and avoid digging and messing everything up.

2) Drawers are really useful in closets. You can add deep and wide drawers to the bottom of the closet for your sweaters, socks, linens, scarves and other items. A small dresser can be used if you move your hanging bar up higher. You can use small drawer systems on shelves for things like underwear, ties, jewelry, and other small things that you need to organize in your closet. Drawers that slide underneath your bed can help you to get some bulkier items or storage items out of the closet.

3) Hanging racks are also helpful. There are ones for shoes, hats, and accessories that hang over the door. There are also hat stackers, purse hangers, and other kinds of organizers that can hang from your bar. You can install a tie rack, belt rack, or scarf rack on an interior wall to save even more shelf and drawer space.

4) One of the easiest ways to save space is to use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers. These hangers have a flat design and a velvet coating to keep clothing in place and hanging very closely together. They also have attachments, like hooks and clips, to help you hang more than one item on each hanger. Clips are useful for coordinating pants and skirts with matching tops. Hooks go over the top of the hanger and make a place to hang another hanger. You can clip outfits together and then two or even three outfits can cascade down from one hanger, doubling or tripling the space in your closet.

21 October, 2010

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Maximizing Closet Space

Are you living with a tiny closet? A small closet can be especially frustrating in the winter months. You have larger shoes, pants instead of shorts, sweaters and coats instead of tanks and t-shirts. Everything can seem to grow when you get your winter clothes out of storage. Did you organize over the summer and now you’re finding out that you didn’t consider the larger winter clothes? Well, now is the perfect time to do it over and do it right. Getting your closet organized to match your larger, more bulky clothing will ensure that your summer clothes fit back in with ease at the end of the season. Even if your closet is super small, we can help you come up with a plan that lasts all year.

1) First, let’s talk about shoes. Winter boots are big and bulky. They can also lose their shape if they get crushed at the bottom of “shoe mountain” in your closet. You can use a low rack for your tennis shoes near the floor, but boots may cut into your hanging or shelving space. Use metallic clips to hang your boots from hooks up one side of the closet. Dress shoes can be kept in an over-the-door shoe storage organizer. Another option is to use a shallow container that slides or rolls under your bed. The shoes are easy to get to, but at the end of the cold season, they are already in storage for next year. Saves you space and makes your life a little easier.

2) Sweaters are also bulky items that will be coming in this time of year. You won’t necessarily want to hang your sweaters, because they could get stretched out at the shoulders. Sweaters should normally be folded or laid flat. You only need an 18”x18” shelf to store all of your winter sweaters. A milk crate or other cube shaped storage container is perfect for storing sweaters whether you have a shelf or not. We like ones with lids so that you can remove the lid for winter and then simply replace it and move the container back to the top shelf for summer storage.

3) Coats are by far the biggest problem in a small closet at this time of year. They can seem to take up every inch of space that you may have had to work with. You should start with your coats when hanging winter clothes so that you can see how much space you’ll have for your clothes. You may want to consider moving things up so that you can add a second hanging bar for your pants at the bottom. Then, coats can be hung properly on coat hangers so that they retain their shape. The rest of your clothing can be hung on space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, combination, or multi-garment hangers to save space.

12 October, 2010

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Tiny Homes on Tiny Budgets

Do you live in a small house or apartment? One of the biggest complaints of living in a small home is the lack of storage space. It can be impossible to stay organized or to keep you house clean if there’s nowhere to store all of your stuff. You can get rid of a lot of things, but there is always a need for storage. Use this guide to help you find sneaky and creative ways of creating storage in your home without breaking the bank.

1) Living Room: The living room is where you probably spend most of your time, and it’s also the room where family and friends will gather. You need to have space in your living room to entertain and also just to feel relaxed. When you’re surrounded by junk, it’s oppressive and can clutter your thoughts. Get rid of the clutter by storing items underneath the couch. You can purchase inexpensive couch risers that will allow you to slide shallow plastic containers underneath. You can store things here and they’ll be out of sight, especially if you use a slip cover that hangs down far enough to cover the secret storage.

2) Bathroom: Bathroom storage is always short, even in big homes. This isn’t necessarily because the space isn’t there, but mostly because the space isn’t used correctly. A normal bathroom vanity has two cabinets underneath, or one large space. There is plenty of square footage under there; it’s just wasted unless you have the right shelves or drawers to fill it up. We really like the wire racks that can be installed inside the vanity cabinets. Some of these will slide out to reveal two or three baskets that can be used for all of your shampoo bottles, bathroom cleaners, washcloths, and more. Other useful installations are drawers and shelves. Simple riser shelves that hold things up where you can see them behind the front row are useful. Wire shelves that are designed to fit in lockers are very inexpensive and lock together to form useful and adjustable shelving.

3) Closets: Your closets are most likely totally cramped and full, but there is actually usable space in there that many people don’t use. Look up high, in front of your hanging bar, and behind your hanging clothes. If there are a few inches (or even feet!) of space there, then you can rearrange to make better use of the space. Hanging bars can be moved back to make room for shelving on the front walls of the closet. That big shelf at the top could be higher and even wider, or it could extend from the ends to the front of the closet. Figure out how to make more room in there simply by moving things around. You can hang short items together and make room beneath. You can also use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to double or triple the closet space by cascading and coordinating outfits.

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