Hall Bookcase

Before & after pictures sometimes don’t tell the whole story. This beautiful built in bookshelf in the hallway had become a “catch-all”. The client loves books and had two large bags of books that she hadn’t been able to enjoy. The books had been sitting in bags in the corner of the kitchen. She couldn’t see what books she had so was looking forward to finding a “home” for them, where they would be easily accessible.

All the items that belong elsewhere were removed. Also, a box was filled with books to be given away. This left so much room for books; a dream come true for the client! All the books fit, with room to spare. There are actually more books on this shelf than when we started the project. There was even room for a book with beautiful pictures to be displayed opened. Each time the homeowners walk down the hall, they can enjoy the pictures, turning pages occasionally to enjoy the whole book.

That peaceful feeling the client was enjoying as I left that day is the story. That’s what made this organizing project a great success!

Maintaining Order

You’ve worked hard to get your home organized. Belongings are in convenient spots, you can find what you want, and your home looks great! Now, how do you keep it that way? Here are a few organizing routines to help maintain order.

Always put items back in their assigned “home”.

Follow the one-in, one-out rule. When you purchase a new item for the space, remove an item from the home.

Spend 5-15 minutes daily, putting belongings in their assigned spots. With children, make this fun:

• Set the timer for 5 minutes and see how much they can get done.


• Make a reward a part of the routine: once the area is picked up they play outside, get to watch tv, or play a favorite game.


• Work with young children, making clean-up a fun time.

Have an “accountability partner”. Check in with your partner weekly to report on the condition of the area of concern.

When a shelf, cabinet, or drawer gets too crowded, select an item or two to remove from the home.

When each season ends, donate any clothing items you haven’t worn.

“No empty hangers” signal: Use this as a sign that there are more clothes than needed in the closet. Pick several items to give away.

A few routines to keep children’s toys manageable.

• Celebrate an “unbirthday” or a “1/2 birthday”. The child picks a toy to give away. Then reward the child with cake and ice cream!


• Before or after gift-giving celebrations: get rid of toys that are broken or no longer used. When you notice child hasn’t played with a toy or hasn’t worn certain clothes, ask, “Can we give this away?”


• Rotate toys. All toys do not need to be available at one time. Store some toys in a convenient location and switch what toys are in storage occasionally. When you bring the stored toys out, they are like new to your children! (If the child doesn’t play with the toys just out of storage, it’s time to get rid of the toy or put it in storage until a younger child is ready for the toy.

Keep a “donation” tote in a convenient spot – laundry room, garage, or trunk of your car. When you come across an item you haven’t used in over a year, toss it in the donation tote. Drop the items at your favorite donation station.

What routines do you have to keep your home in order?

Snowball Effect

Have you experienced the “snowball effect”? My husband and I just purchased loft beds for two of our children. This means we need to find space to store their old beds. I don’t plan to give them away, because I imagine they’ll both be ready for their standard beds again in three to four years. The beds will fit in a little used closet in the finished basement. Now, where do I store the sleeping bags that had been in that closet? That’s the snowball effect – the movement/storage of one item affects several other items.

You probably notice the snowball effect most often when bringing big items into the home. Be aware of how placement of small items in the home can also take on the snowball effect. For example, say I am putting dishes away. There’s not enough room for all the cups, so I put a few where the bowls usually go. Then I stack some bowls on the plates, because there is not room for them in their normal “home”. Now all the plates won’t fit in the stack with the bowls, so I need to find a spot for them. This can happen in drawers, cabinets, and closets – everywhere items are stored.

To prevent the “snowball effect”, evaluate the cause of the lack of space. Are there too many of an item assigned to the space? Do you need to create more storage space? Can any items be removed from the space? How can the space be used more efficiently? Finally, get into the routine of always returning items to their assigned spots to prevent the snowball effect from taking over.