Guest Post - 8 Home Organization Ideas to Declutter Your Space

All it takes is a few busy days and your house can start to look untidy. But if you want to have guests over and simply enjoy the comfort of your own home, it’s important to keep the space free of clutter. Luckily, this isn’t difficult at all.

In the past few years, minimalist kitchens have taken off among interior designers, homeowners, and the like. So, while you’re saving space, you’ll be keeping up with the latest trends in kitchen design.

Check out eight of our home organization ideas to keep your home clean and tidy!

Storage in Your Kitchen Island

Kitchen islands are prevalent in today’s homes; in fact, you almost never see a kitchen without an island. They are quite versatile, giving you more counter space to use while cooking – not to mention you can even install a kitchen range and range hood over your island.

Most islands are fitted with lower cabinets, too. This is a great place to tuck away more dishes, towels, cleaning supplies, or whatever else might be taking up space on the counters and floors.

Open Shelving

Open shelving is easy to install and can be built almost anywhere in your kitchen, as long as you have the space. You can also make it decorative by putting knick-knacks or fancy dishware on display. This personalizes the space, too.

Open shelving is a much more cost-effective option than adding more cabinetry. In fact, kitchen cabinets are one of the most expensive areas of your kitchen to renovate. Not to mention that open shelving also takes up less space on your wall. Give it a try!

Storage Ottomans

Storage ottomans are incredibly practical for your home. They make great stools and footrests, but you can also store kitchen supplies there too. Some footstool ottomans have removable lids and you can store items inside. Or, you might find storage ottomans that feature a bottom shelf, which you can use for storage or decorative purposes.

Hanging Pot and Pan Racks

Hanging pot and pan racks are quite the space saver. If you have a kitchen island, you can install hanging racks in your ceiling – either in the center or surrounding your range.

You can also find wooden racks that attach to your wall. This is a more unobtrusive option if you don’t want the pans hanging right in the middle of your kitchen.

Have you ever scrambled around the kitchen looking for one pan that you need out of dozens that you own? Big pans likely take up the most space in your cabinets so a pan rack is a practical option to declutter those cabinets. It will make all your dishware so much easier to find. 

Drawer Organizers

These are most commonly used to separate out silverware in the kitchen. You can also use them to separate out other utensils such as spatulas, straining spoons, wooden utensils, and more. They are one of the most convenient storage-saving solutions out there – and every kitchen has them!

Garage Storage Hooks

Out of all the spaces in your home, the garage is probably one that requires the most decluttering. For many homeowners, it’s not something that they have the time to keep organized consistently. One storage method that will keep your tools neat is storage hooks. Hang your rakes, clippers, brooms, shovels, and any other hand tools you might have on these hooks rather than setting them against a wall where they might fall.

Shoe Storage Bench

If you have a big family, you might find yourself picking up your kid’s shoes all the time. They are so often scattered everywhere around the house that they get lost and you have to buy new shoes.

To solve this problem, invest in a shoe storage bench. Just set it at your entryway and have anyone who comes in place their shoes on the bench.

As an added bonus, you don’t have to worry about anyone tracking dirt, dust, or snow throughout the house either.

Closet Separators and Labels

The last tip on our list of home organization ideas is to buy closet separators and labels. This will make life easier especially if you are in a rush in the morning to head to work, take your kids to school, or just get your day started.

If you have kids, you can make a fun little project out of it too. Just make your own fun labels and find some decorative closet separators online. Then let your kids have some fun personalizing their closet.

Recap

That’s it for our article on eight storage-saving solutions to try everywhere around your house. From the bedroom and kitchen to your garage, there are so many different creative ways you can declutter your space. With these ideas, your friends, family, and guests will all be impressed at how well you keep your home tidy.

Author Bio: Eric Mellmer is the Content Marketing Manager at Proline Range Hoods. Among other things, he writes for the Proline blog and manages guest posting there as well.

Organizing Hack 101: 10 Ways to Make a Small Rental Room Look More Spacious

Unearthing spacious room rentals for affordable prices in bigger cities like NYC, Chicago, LA, is still a dream of many tenants. As real estate prices soar to the sky, many Americans find it challenging to find room rentals that they can call home. You check out rental rooms available online and end up renting a place that strikes a resemblance to the place where Harry Potter lived in his pre-Hogwarts years. It is tiny, and you cannot rent a larger space because your wallet might complain. 

We all have been there. Whether you are renting a dorm room, a studio apartment, or a tiny rental, you sure may know how challenging it is to decorate a small space. The matter gets worse if you are an extrovert and someone who loves to have their friends over. You might even end up fighting with roommates for some closet space. 

Finding rental rooms using a roommate finder online in cities like NYC, LA, Chicago, to name a few, could be pretty straightforward. Just a few taps and you could lead your way to fantastic rental options. However, what could be challenging is finding a spacious room at an affordable price. 

Luckily, there are some tips that you can follow to make your small room rental look more spacious.

In today’s article, we divulge to you ten organizing hacks that can make a small rental room look more spacious:

1. Say no to clutter: Having a lot of clutter inside your tiny room rental can be a nightmare. When you are residing in a small room rental, you can’t have unnecessary things scattered around. Clutter does take up a lot of your floor space, making it difficult to even move inside the room. It’s a good idea to toss away the things that you think are not essentials. You can sell, donate, or throw out such unnecessary items as it is better than stacking it up someplace else.

2. Go Creative: The mind is your greatest weapon. Get creative and try to find tricks that could help you attain more space out of that tiny room rental. Try to utilize the kitchen walls to gain additional counter space, buy the right sized floor rugs, and follow the “rules of three” when it comes to lighting. Interior designers say having at least three light in a room makes it look even more spacious. 

3. The spell of smart storage: You might be scratching your head over the number of things you possess while moving into your new home. Smart storage solutions are the most convenient way to solve the problems of small room rentals. You can get started with maximizing wall space with floating wall shelves first and then overhead storage space.

Pro Tip: Installing things as high as possible can make your rental room look taller. Utilize corner space to build shelves.

4. A game of mirrors: Here’s a trick to create an illusion that you rent a room that is spacious enough. The trick is simple- buy a floor-length mirror and say Engorgio. Well, you don’t need to say that verse. All you must do is place that mirror opposite to a window and let the mirror do its trick. It will distribute most of the light inside the room to create a feeling of spaciousness. 

5. Little things don’t matter: Most of you are a fan of miniature items. No doubt, they are appealing to the eye and make the home decor more impressive. But, they are not a great way to decorate a small room rental. Also, a couch is better than having several chairs around. Items that are larger but more functional will keep your space less cluttered. 

6, Small is better: When you move into a smaller room rental, it is better to buy more miniature furniture. Each furniture you incorporate will play a larger role inside your humble abode. Control your thoughts about buying an oversized bed or a large wardrobe. It might get tempting, but you do not want to end up living in a room where you do not have space even to walk freely.

7. Your room is a puzzle: Yes, Sherlock! Your room is a puzzle that needs to be solved to become more spacious. Inside your mind, have a blueprint of what could go where—brainstorm ways to take up the least space and still fit all your essentials. Begin with the more oversized items and then go about furnishing the smaller things. If you are lucky, you may indeed end up finding the solution to this little room rental puzzle in one go.

8. The cast for Multiple Roles: Your small rental should not have room for items that perform only one task. Every item should be capable of multitasking. There is a whole new DIY industry out there that caters to such needs. From a bed that flips to reveal more storage space to a desk that doubles as a dining table, you will find many such creative items that will help you save a whole lot of space. 

9. Spare some walls: In a tiny room rental, filling every wall with wall hangings or decorative items can make it seem even smaller. It is a smart idea to leave some walls undressed so that the rooms look more spacious. Resist the urge to place a decorative bench against it even though it seems like something that will up your home decor game.  

10. Let those windows breathe: Only a few lucky get the chance to score some exciting window views in room rentals. Finding rooms for rent with a fantastic window view is even more difficult than finding rental places. So it’s wise not to cover these windows and let your space be airy. This way, it makes the room look more spacious to the eye. 

Bonus Tip: If you have the freedom to paint your room rentals, you could use color psychology to its best to make your room look more spacious. You could try tones like whites, grays, and pastels to make your room look clean, fresh, and large. White hues make your room look largest, but if it is not your cup of tea, choose light greens or blues. Never do dark colors. 

Hope this organizing guide helps you become a master at making your small rental room look bigger and more spacious. If it does, do not forget to show some love and share across this article with your friends and boast about how you found it.

Tips for Setting Up a Productive Learning Space in Your Home

This year’s pandemic has changed many aspects of people’s lives and that includes students of various ages and their ability to attend school or work. Many have had to turn their bedrooms, basements, and or even kitchen tables into their brand new workspace. This has caused many headaches over the past few months, and with school now in full bloom, students and parents alike are still struggling with setting up the perfect remote learning space for themselves or their kids.

If you find yourself in this position, here are some starting points to fixing up your learning space for the time being.

Choose the right space

The first and most important step in building a productive workspace is finding the room or area that is going to be the most fruitful. The environment is everything when it comes to choosing a room, so be thinking about what kind of atmosphere you enjoy as you’re in class, doing homework, or studying. 

If you are someone who needs complete silence, for example, seek out a space that will give you that serenity you need to focus (like a spare bedroom or a hideaway in the home office). On the other hand, if you need a little more background noise to keep you engaged with your work, try something a little more in the open like a small area of your family room or near the main areas of your home. Of course, there are pros and cons to any space you choose in your house, so be sure to weigh these as you make your decision.

You'll need materials to help aid your study time. Get activity books on the basics: reading, writing, and math (you'll learn more about this as you read further on). Also, look for digital and printable homeschool materials such as assessment books, reading journals, planners, and sermon notebooks for your kids. A softcopy allows multiple reprints, so you never run out of pages.

Start with deep cleaning

Once you’ve decided on what room in your house you want to claim as your work zone, it’s time to start deep cleaning. Since you may spend multiple hours, if not a whole day here, you should make sure it’s clean and avoid dust, crumbs, and any dirt. Start with deep cleaning your table or desk where you’ll spend a lot of time sitting. Dusting, cleaning with antibacterial wipes, and even vacuuming the cracks between the table and wall to get the nooks and crannies. Next, work on the floor. If you have a rug, thoroughly vacuum, especially if you’re cleaning your child’s workspace where leftover food may lie from lunchtime. If you have hardwood floors, try mopping every once in a while to avoid sticky spots in your workspace.

We understand cleaning can be a not-so-fun and time-consuming task that often gets avoided, especially for a busy student or an overwhelmed parent. However it is crucial to clean out this area for maximum productivity. This is where technology can help you out and lend a hand. For example, can’t make it to the store after a busy day of classes? Have your home cleaning supplies delivered to save some time and mental energy. Completing removing the need to go to the store to get those cleansing wipes will ease some of the pressure you may feel when trying to clean before a busy week. Struggling to schedule out when you can actually take time to clean? Use a planning app on your phone to help structure your time around your work. Using technology to help you’re cleaning efforts is something many people don’t think about, but it can truly make a difference.

Avoid distractions

Your remote learning space should be your getaway. A safe space to focus and help you block out distractions to get your work done. This means eliminating anything that may cause your mind to wander. It’s crucial to be proactive about this as well. Many people, particularly people in their teens and beyond will have TVs in their offices/spaces and this can be a huge distraction from your class or work. If you can build your setup without unnecessary technology you’ll find yourself much more focused.

Another idea to bounce around is to keep your phone away from you if possible. Find a place in your space to leave your phone while you are logging into your Zoom calls, doing homework, or need to just buckle down and focus. Many people, including kids, spend so much time on their phones and gadgets that it takes away from what they are supposed to be doing. Be mindful of leaving these things either out of the room or far away from where you’ll be sitting. Trust us.

Make it comfortable

Tying back into the idea of creating an environment in your remote learning space, it’s imperative  to feel comfortable when you’re designing the look and feel. We touched on your desk setup earlier but let’s get into the furniture. Many people forget about how important chairs are to their arrangement. Make sure you are picking out a seat with proper back support and that will help you sit up straight and concentrate. Specific office chairs that are meant for posture are some of the best on the market, but any simple chair will do. Stay away from lush seats though like sofas or love chairs. These kinds of seats can make you “too comfy” and may cause you to fall asleep.

The other element of comfortability to think about is lighting. What do you prefer while you’re working or at virtual school? Do you have windows in your space that can allow for natural light? This can breathe a sense of refreshment while you’re hard at work. If not, can you add some lights yourself to add some personality and make sure it’s adequately lit? The last thing you want is to cause yourself headaches from lack of sufficient light.

Keep supplies and essentials organized

Last but not least, it’s important to keep all your day-to-day items organized properly. Start with making a checklist of essential items you use every day. For example, a laptop, notebooks, binders, etc (or for smaller kids items like markers, pencils and pens, glue sticks, etc). Next, find a place where you can stow all these items, so that they have a home when you are not using them. Creating this list of what you use a lot versus no so much will make it so much easier to prioritize. 

Drawers, shelves, and bins are all great investments that can be made at any wholesale or furniture store. Keeping things tidy will help you avoid any stress of misplacing things. Try sorting out your items into different piles by categories. What kind of item it is, what day(s) of the week you use it, and how close it is to your desk are all great starting points when sorting your things. It’s crucial to get creative as well! Playing around with where and how things are stored in your room will help your space feel much more comfortable and you’ll find what works best for you! 

Adjusting to remote learning has been tough for many people and as you continue to adapt to your new arrangement, you will continue to tweak your surroundings. Be sure to give our tips a try and let us know what has been working for you! For more tips and tricks, be sure to follow our blog for the latest. 

Guest Post - 6 Ways to Organize Your Kids Room

Let’s face it, being a kid and keeping a room organized doesn’t go well together. You as a parent have a responsibility to make their life and rooms easier to use. That’s why you need to find ways to keep your kids’ room organized.

Believe it or not, you don't need to spend a fortune on expensive furniture and storage if you want an organized room. Use these 6 simple ways to keep the children's room tidy and clean without too much effort.

1. Adapt their closet

Some kids love, while others hate choosing what to wear during the day. One of the easiest ways to create the mess around the room is by throwing the clothes all over it. That’s why wardrobe organization is important. How can you do that?

There are multiple ways in which you can organize your kids closet. One way is to label the shelves or drawers where you store undies, socks, t-shirts, shorts and other clothing items. The other way is to plan their outfits. Divide one part of the closet for outfits your kid will wear during the day to save time picking it out. Remember to provide easy access so that your kids can pick things up and take more responsibility,” comments James Durr of Manchester (UK) auction service Property Solvers.

2. Desk organizing

Children love to draw and paint. It’s one of the best ways to support their development and creativity. However, the mess they leave behind is unbearable. Crayons, papers, pens, brushes and paint can be found all over the room. Every parent’s nightmare. Is there a way to prevent that?

If you have a desk in your children's room, try organizing it. Keep the crayons in one can paint in the other while storing the coloring books in the shelves or drawers. Make sure that your desk can be easily cleaned. Encourage their creativity, but also encourage them to clean their mess and keep their room neat.

3. Bookshelves are powerful

Bookshelves are ideal pieces of furniture that can keep any room super organized and tidy. By storing your children’s books, they contain the power of knowledge. However, they are also a magical place where your youngsters can store their toys and plushies.

Use labelled boxes for miniature items that can be easily lost, such as cars and cards. This will make finding things easier and storing them safer. In case you have two or more kids that share a room, divide the shelf into that many areas to prevent future arguments and disagreements.

4. Make it personal

Kids love when something is made especially for them. They enjoy unique things and if you try to fulfill their desires, they will be forever grateful. Instead of throwing old shoe boxes away, personalize them for your kids and use them as a storage area. Keep them under the bed or below the shelves to save space. Include your kids in this activity for family bonding.

Just like little ones don’t like boring boxes, empty walls and rooms are equally unappealing to them. Create a DIY room decoration for a fantastic personal experience. Add personalized clothing hooks on the wall or door for more storage place.

5. Use multi-purpose furniture

Multi-purpose furniture is an amazing solution for rooms that don’t have enough storage space. There are numerous ways in which you can use different pieces of furniture. For example, create a storage place out of the cube organizer. Implement baskets and woven boxes throughout for storing smaller toys and possessions. You’ll kids will appreciate a safe space like that.

Similarly, instead of buying bulky sofas and armchairs for their room, consider getting them a kids flip out sofa. It’s a two in one sofa with adorable prints, that will light up their room. They can use it for sitting or lounging while watching the telly. Once they’re done simply fold it into the sofa for a less mess in the room.

6. Add interesting storage room

Adding huge cabinets and wardrobes in your children’s room isn’t an option. However, you need to find a way to keep their toys and belongings organized while being creative. Some of the best ways to do so are to use the already existing furniture in the room. How?

Every kid has a bed. You can make them colorful bedside pockets for storing their favorite toys. In addition to that, if you feel like you’re running out of the space, think outside of the box. Vertical wall organizers and tote bags placed on the door is an ideal way of removing the clutter and keeping the room tidy. That’s one of the best ways to make the kid’s chores fun.

Conclusion

Keeping children’s room tidy is most parent’s nightmare. However, by using these 6 ways of organizing your children’s room, you’ll see the improvement in no time. If you provide them with enough storage place, they will be more likely to take care of their things and room. So, be creative and design the room you and your kids will love.

Author Bio

Jasmine Anderson is a Sydney based lifestyle blogger and a full-time toddler mom, with a Fine Arts Bachelor’s degree. Expressing herself through different mediums is what keeps her spirit bright. She loves to spend quality time with her family, go thrifting, and spend just a little bit too much time on the internet. twitter: https://twitter.com/AndersonJess_AJ