Closet BEFORE:
Closet AFTER:
Tag organization
Client Apartment Transformation – Bathroom
Bathroom BEFORE:
Bathroom AFTER:
Client Apartment Transformation – Study/Vanity Area
Study Area BEFORE:
Study Area AFTER:
Client Apartment Transformation – Bedroom Area
My client’s space is small, a studio with about 700 square feet of living space. What complicated matters was the fact that her space was extremely disorganized, messy and in desperate need of cleaning. Unfortunately I don’t have true BEFORE images because I conducted the first phase cleanup before the client decided to hire me for phase two, and I wasn’t prepared to take photos during the first phase.
Bedroom Area BEFORE:
Bedroom Area AFTER:
Closet Organization 101
Are you the type of person who can’t keep your closet organized? Do you have stuff crammed into the corners and clothing strewn on the floor? Are you unable to find anything in your closet? If so, it might be time to clean it up and establish some order in your home.
Here are some before pictures of a friend’s closet:
I completely understand why my friend has had difficulty finding things. I mean, who could find anything in such a disorganized space? Within the span of about 3-1/2 hours, I had organized the closet and convinced my friend to get rid of items which were in need of repair or hadn’t been used in a long time. Ideally, I would have added some decorative elements and completely transformed the space, but financial and time constraints stood in the way, so I just worked with what was already there.
Here is what I was able to accomplish in terms of organization:
How did I accomplish this? I began by removing every single item from the closet so that I would have a clean slate. I then slowly returned items back into the closet, first by bringing the hangers back and organizing them by type. Next I organized the clothing by type, so that all coats were together, dresses were together, etc. I further organized clothing by sleeve length and by color so that an organized and eye-pleasing palette was created. I also moved and reassigned a soft hanging shelf storage system for my friend’s handbags.
This is phase one, in which I have established some organization in my friend’s place and cleaned up years’ worth of junk. Stay tuned for phase two of this reorganizing project, in which I will transform all the spaces in this person’s apartment.
An Organized Person’s Approach To Decluttering
The images above are NOT from my house, but are great examples of a before and after organization transformation.
I often take my intense need for organization for granted and assume that other people are just like me. However, I know that this isn’t the case, and that many individuals tend to get literally and figuratively buried in their own stacks of paperwork, unfinished projects, and unused items which have sat in storage for far too long. One of the reasons why I am able to remain relatively organized on a consistent basis is because I go through every item I own several times a year and assess its value and function in my life. If it no longer serves a need, it goes to Goodwill, the trash, or a pile of items which will be part of a garage sale. I fail to see the point of hanging onto things I don’t need, because those items only collect dust and take up space. In addition, items of value which sit in storage are better utilized by being sold, because then the money can go towards paying bills or fattening up a vacation fund.
When I conduct my regular organizational purges, I move in a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion, starting in one corner of the room. I make sure to COMPLETELY sort everything in that area before I move onto the next portion of the room. I have discovered that this method is very effective for decluttering, especially for individuals who become easily overwhelmed with the task of cleaning and organizing a space. As an example, I may start at a storage cabinet. The exterior of the cabinet is cleaned, and any items which are on top of or around the cabinet are assessed. Once the area outside the cabinet is done, I will go through each shelf in the cabinet. Whenever I assess an item, I ask these questions:
1. Does this item belong where I found it?
2. If the item doesn’t belong where I found it, and I am going to keep it, where does it belong?
3. When was the last time I used this item?
4. Is this item damaged and in need of repair?
5. Will I have a need for this item in the future?
6. Does this item have sentimental value?
7. If I decide to get rid of the item, does it have enough value to put into a garage sale, or does it belong in a Goodwill pile or the trash?
8. Is this a collectible or specialty item which requires research and appraisal?
People who have hoarding tendencies have strong emotional attachments to objects, and will have a particularly difficult time answering these questions, especially numbers 5,6,7 and 8. In their minds, EVERYTHING has some sort of value which warrants a permanent spot in their home, even if it isn’t being used.
When I conduct these semi-annual purges, I have the following on hand:
trash bags
cleaning solution and paper towels
box designated for Goodwill/Salvation Army
box for items which need to be repaired or professionally cleaned
area for garage sale items
area for collectibles to sell
Once I get started, I am pretty ruthless about getting rid of things I don’t need. To be honest, I love making money back on items I bought which haven’t been used in a while, and I also get great joy out of donating things to Goodwill. Above all, I am very honest with myself about emotional attachments to inanimate objects. There are some items I will NEVER get rid of, like the little yellow musical stuffed dog that was in my crib, jewelry my mother gave me, my Pro Card watch, and all my trophies, but I am not going to develop anxiety about getting rid of a sweater I have had for 15 years which I haven’t worn for over 5 years!
If you are long overdue on spring cleaning, now is a good time to clear up the clutter. You’ll end up with a cleaner, more organized home, you will know where everything is, and you may make some decent money selling some of your belongings!
It’s All Just Stuff: Decluttering Your Home
Despite the fact (or perhaps BECAUSE of the fact) that my mother’s family is full of pack rats, I cannot stand the idea of accumulating tons of items which just take up space. Since my mom and I had different philosophies about objects and belongings, the subject of decluttering was a point of contention between us. My mom sequestered all kinds of things in boxes and tissue paper for decades, never to be worn or used, frozen in a static, pristine state and kept hidden. After dealing with tremendous guilt over my mother’s attachment to things which I had somehow held myself responsible for, I let it go, and was able to purge items which only collected dust in closets and the garage. I just had a garage sale last weekend and it felt GREAT to finally let go of large, bulky items such as two very traditional oil paintings which simply were never my style to begin with, and which sat in museum boxes in my garage for nine years. I also got rid of a bunch of hot little mini-dresses which I had worn during trophy presentations at bodybuilding contests from 2010 through 2013. I must have pulled about 40 dresses from my collection, all of which were only worn once or twice. It was like shedding old skin, and it felt fantastic.
One of my friends had asked me if I had ever gotten rid of something and later regretted it. There have been a few instances in which this occurred, even as recently as last weekend when I realized that a re-seller who had purchased several groups of items had gotten a few gems which I had foolishly forgotten to remove when I was organizing and displaying items for the garage sale. Though I had a moment of sadness, I let it go since there wasn’t a single thing I could do about retrieving those things. Oh well, I thought, it truly is all just stuff. There are some items I will NEVER get rid of, things which hold huge sentimental value. But for the most part, just about anything which is damaged or worn down or sitting on a shelf unused in my residence will eventually find its way into a garage sale.
If you haven’t used something in a while and it is collecting dust, get rid of it. There is probably someone out there who will use it and will appreciate it. If there is something you haven’t used or worn because you are waiting for the right occasion, either USE IT or let it go!
My New Six Pack Bag Innovator Mini Is Awesome!
The BEST Pill Containers Ever
If you are looking for a great pill and supplement storage container which has large bins and is sturdy enough for travel, you should consider getting craft storage containers. The container which I love is by CraftMates and was purchased about four years ago from Michaels Arts and Crafts. This container can be found on Amazon:
Here is the company description of the product:
APOTHECARY PRODUCTS-CraftMates Lockables: Organizers. Build your own customized storage system! Whatever your craft of choice with Lockables Organizers you can keep everything neat and tidy and right at hand when you need it. Just choose your storage case and individual organizers based on your specific organizing needs. The patented lockbar system of the organizers allows you to open one bin at a time so there is no bin spillage or migration! Perfect for brads; beads; buttons; sequins; needles; pins; embellishments and more! This package contains one 14 compartment clear plastic organizer (1-1/4x9x4-1/4in) with purple lockbar. Imported.
I have used many different types of pill organizers and have been unimpressed by all of them. The rotating organizers seem to rotate too much when in a bag, spilling the contents, screwtop containers and towers unscrew in bags, and the rectangular organizers have lids which either pop open or break after prolonged use. The CraftMates container is a stark exception. In order to open a bin, you have to press a latch at the end. I find this mechanism superior to the locking pill organizers I have seen. Apparently beads and buttons are deemed more precious than supplements!
I have used this organizer every day for the last four years and have traveled with it, completely incident free. I swear by these containers and think everyone who takes a lot of supplements should be using these.
My Shoe Storage System
Over the years I have come to realize that if my belongings aren’t kept in order, I start to forget what I have and cannot find many items when I need them. Fortunately I have a penchant for organization (some would say it is the sign of a “neat freak”to some extent), so I have developed different ways of storing things so that I can keep track of them.
I have always kept the original boxes that my fancier shoes have come in, making them easier to stack on top of each other. By 2007 I had about 50 nice pairs of shoes and was having trouble finding shoes without having to peek inside the box. In an effort to solve this, I took photos of each pair of shoes I had, printed them out and taped them onto the ends of the boxes. This turned out to be a great way of identifying as well as organizing my shoes. I also try to group shoes by color and degree of dressiness to make it easier to zero in on a particular pair I might need for an occasion.
Last year I passed the 70 mark on the number of pairs of shoes I owned, and purchased two tall storage cabinets to house them. They have made life so much easier for me! I have also established a rule, which is that I cannot exceed the amount of storage in these two cabinets. This will ensure that I don’t accumulate too much stuff, and that I don’t make too many purchases. 
dr. stacey naito's blog 