Organizing Tips

From casual to formal style, flats to boots, and everyday wear to “can’t-wait-to-take-them-off,” we all have shoes we love – and some that we could do without. Whether your collection is small and practical, average size, or it includes a pair for every occasion, season and reason, shoes can easily clutter your home when you don’t have effective storage. See how easy it is to improve the way you organize your shoes with these tips and ideas.

Love them, love them not

Take a few minutes to review your shoe collection and consider how much space you need to accommodate shoes– especially if you are sharing a master closet with your partner or have a family mudroom. If you’re remodeling your existing closet or building a new closet space, this is the ideal time to pare things down. How much space will each of you need for shoes, folded clothes, hanging garments, and accessories? Keep what you love or like and donate the pairs you rarely wear.

Take your shoes to new heights

Do your precious pairs tend to pile up on the floor? When shoes are lying around, they can easily become lost, damaged, unsightly, or even create a tripping hazard. With shoe shelves built into your closet system, you’ll always know where to find your favorite pairs.

Create a tall tower or multiple towers using adjustable shoe shelves to keep every pair up high, off the floor, and within easy reach. You can choose slanted shelves, straight shelves, or Shoe Shrine® shelves in steel or textured compact laminate.

Slanted shoe shelves offer a durable surface and elegant shoe fences to help keep shoes in place until you need them. The slanted design makes it easy to see your shoes and put them away.

Admire them all

Keeping shoes in their original boxes may preserve them, but it also keeps them hidden—and what’s the purpose of having a collection if you can’t admire what you own? Instead, opt for a storage solution that lets you showcase your footwear so you can appreciate them every time you open your closet doors. The Shoe Shrine’s low-profile shelving creates a clean, elegant look that lets your shoes be the focal point.

A perfect match

Whether you’re getting dressed for the day or an evening out, keeping your wardrobe, shoes, and accessories visible lets you shop your closet and select what you want to wear with ease. With the open design of the Shoe Shrine, you can keep your whole collection on view so it’s easy to match a pair to your outfit, then simply grab and go.

Get them together

The joy of owning shoes is having a variety of options for every event – whether it’s work, play, dress up, dress down, exercise, errands – you name it. A smart organization system makes it easier to find the pair you need for any activity. Sort your shoes and store them in a logical grouping of your choice.

For example, you might divide them by formal, casual, athletic, dress, or play use. Or organize by the color or height of your shoes. Place flip flops and flats together, store mid-height shoes in one section and heels in another, and group your tall boots in another section.

Plan for the future

Shoes come and go just like styles and seasons, so the ideal shoe storage solution should accommodate change. When the seasons turn and it’s time to switch out flip flops and delicate flats with boots or vice-versa, you’ll want shelving that adjusts easily without impacting your organization system. The flexible design of the Shoe Shrine makes it simple to add, remove or rearrange shoes as your collection evolves. Shelves are held in place with removable pins so you can move them up or down without tools.

Shoe shelves, shoe towers, or adjustable shoe organizers are much more than just storage solutions. Taking time to organize your shoes by style, season, or family member and keeping them on display can make your life more efficient, your space more elegant – and your precious pairs always ready to wear.

Feeling squeezed for space? It’s so easy to expand your storage options by adding a custom wardrobe solution to any wall. With beautiful colors and smart ways to organize and display your belongings, you can turn any under-utilized space into a stylish and functional part of your home.

Here are some clever ways to make the most of your space:

Stretch your wardrobe.

A tall cabinet creates more room to hang your clothes. It’s ideal for shared bedrooms, guest rooms, or storing out-of-season items.

Keep practical items close at hand.

Sturdy shelves inside wardrobe cabinets provide deep storage spaces to stow extra blankets and overnight bags, while adjusting up or down easily to accommodate your needs.

Integrate a dresser.

Include a few rows of drawers in your wardrobe to serve as an extra dresser. Drawers with full-extension glides and a soft-close feature make it a pleasure to use.

Keep the contents concealed.

Adding doors and drawers lets you organize items while hiding them neatly out of sight, creating a calm and unified look. Dress up the look with fashionable, high-quality hardware.

Design a look you’ll love to show off.

Think of your new wardrobe solution as more than found storage space – it can make a striking statement or bring glamour to a room. Look for beautiful materials in colors and finishes that complement your home, and choose a solution with fine furniture styling as attractive as it is functional.

A custom wardrobe solution can make your home more hospitable—and more attractive, too. It’s a welcome addition that you’ll appreciate for years to come.

Behind every well-dressed man is a well-equipped wardrobe. Whether you’re hitting the gym or the town, it’s easy to dress sharp for every occasion with the help of a custom closet solution. Here are four closet organization ideas to make it simple to find what you need, while maintaining a tidy, sophisticated storage space.

Minimal Effort

No more hunting for your favorite shirt. An open, reach-in closet displays all of your options at once, streamlining the process of choosing your clothes or putting them away for the day. Include adjustable-height shelves to make space for everything from bike helmets to sweaters, and separate hanging rods for shirts and pants to keep you well organized.

Maximum Style

Choose appealing colors and finishes such as the Blue Stone color and Matte Nickel hardware shown here, to create a timeless, masculine aesthetic that elevates the look of your room. This upscale, industrial design creates showcase for your clothes and accessories so you’ll be proud to keep your closet on display.

Open Access

Make it simple to select your shoes for any outfit or occasion. A tower of slanted shoe shelves with grooved toe guards can be adjusted easily to make room for every pair, from sneakers to cowboy boots.

Attention to Details

Add a tower of drawers for socks and underclothes, along with little helpers like pull-out valet rods, belt racks, and tie racks to keep your accessories tamed.

Personal Space

Take advantage of open shelving to display photos, trophies, or other mementoes that uplift or inspire you. Or use the space as a convenient spot to drop your phone, watch, and wallet at the end of the day.

Don’t let your style get squeezed out by inadequate storage space. Upgrade your closet, and elevate your style.

Take baby steps

When it’s time to de-clutter and clean, approach the child’s room like any other.Take baby steps and do one thing at a time. First, skim away trash. Then, hamper dirty laundry. Move on to big stuff and fill in with parts and pieces. You don’t have to be the cleaning fairy, magically whisking it all away. With your child in the room, walk through the baby steps out loud to demystify the process and invite junior to get involved.

Lower the bar

Try a walk around the room on your knees (or better yet, enlist your 12-year old). From this perspective, you’ll soon find out what’s hard to reach. Make it easy for your kids to pick up after playtime or hang up a sweater by lowering hooks, bars and shelves. Stepstools can help, but for safety and ease, lower is better. Consider doubling up on clothing bars-one low and within your child’s reach, the other higher for special clothes requiring your help.

A well-organized space saves you time, money and stress. It can also provide the perfect opportunity to teach about giving and sharing. As you organize, invite your child to think about which toys are favorites—and which could be given away to become the favorites of a little boy or girl who has less.

Keep it safe

Children (and sleep-deprived adults) are prone to bumping into things and grabbing onto anything nearby for balance or support. Stabilize structures that toddlers may topple. Remove their temptation to reach higher than they should by keeping off-limit items child-locked or out of sight. Choose ouch-free organizers with rounded edges.

Eliminate monster hiding places

Do monsters lurk beneath the beds? You can scare them away permanently by packing their habitat with baskets or bins containing seldom-used toys, or off-season outfits. If your floors are hardwood or laminate, consider storage on casters for easy sliding. No more room for monsters-or clutter.

Label and teach

Show your kids where things are supposed to go with picture and word labels. Books. Blocks. Pants. Pajamas. While you build good habits, you can help kids make meaningful connections between words, illustrations and actual objects.

Express without mess

Designate shelves, tack boards or other special areas for artistic display-giving your child an outlet for personal expression and a sense of responsibility for the room. As they get older, your child may use these spaces to display trophies, aced report cards, or other items of inspiration.

Gather and show

Tired of your child emptying out the dumpster-sized toy chest? Try providing smaller boxes, bins and baskets in easy-to-access places. In these, you can round up smaller toys, parts and pieces. Choose clear or coated wire containers to store a variety of unrelated toys-allowing tots to see what’s inside before overturning.

Avoid sticky situations

Despite your best-laid plans, jelly, crayon or gum will inevitably enter the picture. Choose surfaces that wipe clean and resist stains.

Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or just preparing your daily meals, a built-in butler’s pantry can transform simple storage into a space that streamlines your tasks, shows off your style, and lets you entertain graciously. Here are a few pro tips to consider when planning your home pantry.

Frame your favorites.

An open pantry is an ideal place to show off your favorite dishes, beverages, and cooking tools. Use the colors, forms, and textures of your supplies to become part of your décor, and consider a white or neutral color to make whatever you’re showcasing “pop.”

Serve it up.

A built-in wine and stemware rack keeps supplies close at hand so you’re always ready to raise a toast. Add an open countertop where you can invite guests in to chat (and admire your pantry) as you prepare their beverages.

Divide and conquer.

Instead of storing decorative trays and cutting boards in a drawer, use vertical dividers to keep them upright, organized, and easy to see every time you walk by.

Clear the counters.

Keep your specialty tools close at hand without cutting into your prep space. Deep pull-out drawers can hold small appliances like blenders and mixers when not in use, so your countertops stay open and uncluttered.

Pick your favorite.

Consider pull-out wire baskets for storing produce. Their full-extension glides make it easy to grab a snack or restock, and the see-through design shows off the seasonal colors.

Keep it clean.

Tuck mops, brooms, and other cleaning supplies into a tall cabinet within your pantry. They’ll be hidden from sight but easy to reach when you need a quick clean-up.

A home pantry can be so much more than a place to store your food. Beautifully designed storage solutions can make your home elegant, efficient—and always ready to entertain!

Ever wish you could spend less time doing laundry? With a few strategic updates to the layout of your laundry room, you can make every step from sorting to folding and hanging faster and easier. By designating space for each activity and all the supplies you need to store, you can transform your laundry room into a tidy, attractive area that makes keeping up with this ongoing task feel more enjoyable and less like a chore.

Sort Your Supplies

The first step to organizing your laundry room is deciding what belongs there. Organize laundry cleaners such as detergents, stain removers, and fabric softeners and place them on open shelves near the washing machine for quick access. Household cleaners and supplies can be stored in cabinets behind closed doors, maintaining a clean and organized appearance. If you have the available storage space, you might also keep an ironing board, extra towels or linens in your laundry room.

Expand Your Space

It’s amazing how much more room you can find when you take advantage of vertical space. Adding a custom organization system with cabinets, shelves, hampers, and baskets can dramatically increase your storage capacity, letting you store supplies within arm’s reach while keeping them tidy behind closed doors.

Tame the Laundry Pile

Prep dirty laundry for washing by using deep pull-out laundry hampers to organize darks, lights, and delicates as they come into the laundry room. When one of the hampers gets full, just remove the basket and tip it into the washing machine.

Make Your Ironing Board Disappear

Instead of a bulky, full-size ironing board, try a space-saving fold-out board that’s easy to stow off the floor and out of sight when not in use. And it’s not just for the laundry room. This compact board offers convenient ironing in your bedroom when you add it to an ORG Home closet organizer. You can also use a hook to hang your full-sized board flush against a wall when it’s folded.

Create a Place to Hang Out

Once clothes come out of the wash, built-in hanging rods make it simple to air-dry delicates. Consider adding a slide-out valet rod to hold freshly dried or ironed clothes on their way back to your closet.

Claim Your Workspace

Scrubbing stains or folding clothes on the surface of your dryer can be awkward and cramped. Instead, treat yourself to an open countertop where you have plenty of room to work.

Yes, laundry is never-ending, but an organized and efficient laundry room can work wonders when it comes to making this chore more enjoyable!

Turning your entryway into an inviting, efficient transition space can lift your spirits every time you walk in the door. Follow these simple tips to upgrade your entryway, foyer, or mudroom into a stylish, organized space that will always welcome you home.

Have a Seat

Create a convenient spot for tying shoes or removing them before entering your home with a built-in bench. It also provides a handy place to set shopping bags when you come in.

Add Upscale Style

Choose colors, textures, and a style that complement your home and make a positive first impression. Shown here, the combination of Driftwood color with natural woodgrain texture, sleek hardware, and a White bench made of thick Forterra is one of many possibilities to express yourself.

Keep It Together

Spacious wall-to-wall storage offers room to store gear for every season, so you’ll always know exactly where to find that pair of gloves or your favorite sun hat. Custom designs for your home mean you can maximize storage space without wasting a single precious inch.

Claim Your Territory

Sturdy hooks give everyone in the family a designated spot for stashing or grabbing jackets, bags, and other everyday items. Add a few extra hooks for visitors and one for the dog’s leash.

Do a Disappearing Act

Maintain a clean and orderly appearance by storing items neatly out of sight behind cabinet doors or inside drawers. Plan a drawer for every season, sport, or family member.

Put It There

With a designated storage spot near the door, you’ll always remember where you put your keys, your garage door opener, or your favorite shoes. Low-profile drawers with full extension glides make it easy to find what you need at a glance when you’re in a hurry.

Designate a Drop Zone

Take advantage of underutilized space in your garage to create a mini-mudroom. Use hooks and baskets for grab-and-go convenience, and keep small items in overhead storage. A boot bench encourages people to remove shoes so your floors stay cleaner, and it offers a convenient space to set bags while you open the door.

When the entrances to your home are properly equipped, it’s easy to keep these busy spaces looking clean, organized and inviting.

When you’re expecting company, welcoming a kid home from college, or making room for last-minute guests, a spare bedroom is a welcome addition. But the rest of the year, an extra bed may take up more floor space than you’d like. With a Murphy Bed, you get the best of both worlds, so you don’t have to choose between your guests’ comfort and your own desire for extra space.

Stretch Out

In between guests, stow the Murphy Bed against the wall behind bi-fold doors, opening the room up to all kinds of possibilities for everyday living. Add a TV to create your own entertainment area, or use the open space as a sewing room, art studio, or exercise room.

Rest Easy

The twin, full, or queen-sized frame holds a mattress up to 11 inches thick, so you or your guests can get a quality night’s sleep. And everyone knows, a good night’s sleep starts your day off right!

Lost and Found

Prevent guests from losing their belongings while they sleep with a folding headboard that covers the gap between the mattress and the wall. Add a pillow-box with soft-close hinges to serve double-duty as a nightstand and convenient bedside storage.

Guest Accommodations

Open shelves invite guests to stow their belongings up off the floor during their stay. With ORG Home, you can combine a Murphy Bed with surrounding storage and display cabinets that give your room a polished look and practical function any time of day.

With a Murphy Bed, you really can have it all: comfy guest quarters that are ready whenever you need them, and extra space for your own pursuits as well.

Whether you’re bringing work home, doing homework, or compiling the family books, a home office provides a convenient place to get work done. With the right solution, this space can blend effortlessly into your home, even doing double-duty as an office or media center. Here are a few tips to help a single small space perform admirably whether you’re on or off the clock.

Do a disappearing act.

Paper, notebooks, and pens may be necessary for your work, but they don’t have to stay out in the open. Conceal them behind storage doors and drawers when not in use so your home always looks tidy and neat.

Blend the lines.

If your office is sharing space with other living areas, look for ways to blur the boundaries so they can coexist peacefully. Using open shelves to show off personal mementoes can help this type of space feel connected to the rest of your home.

Raise the bar.

Opt for a design that uses support feet to raise cabinets off the floor, creating a contemporary, residential feeling.

No loose ends.

Consider all of the items you bring into your home office, and plan storage space for each of them. Then stash your briefcase, remotes, or technical equipment in a cubby instead of leaving them out in the open.

Let there be light.

A well-lit surface makes every task easier, but there’s not always room for a separate task light. Instead, mount low-profile LED strips beneath upper cabinets to illuminate the work surface when the area is in use.

Don’t let your home office or entertainment options be limited by small spaces. Good design can make the most of any space, letting you experience the best of both worlds.

Suit yourself, your spouse, your students

Before you plan your home office, consider everyone who will use it. Is this space exclusive to you, or does it include a spouse and children? Think about the postures they’ll assume and the stuff they’ll want to store when they bring work home, play computer games or do homework here.

Get comfortable

Though the science of ergonomics is complex and ever-changing, you and your family can benefit from the basics. Situate desk and chair heights so that your knees, elbows and hips relax at right angles while you’re seated at the keyboard or writing area.To comfort taller or smaller family members, choose an adjustable chair, and add a footstool when needed.

Shed and shade light

Natural light can keep you alert and focused, but make sure to shield your monitor from direct rays to reduce glare.You may light the room with an overhead or floor lamp, but be sure to add a smaller, task-based light to avoid casting a dark shadow over your work.

Remember to remove clips and staples from office paper and mail you send to the recycler. These metallic bits can contaminate a batch of recycling larger than the one you’ve produced.

Anticipate technology

Make room for the tech goodies you own today, and those on your wish list. If you’ll use a wireless laptop, consider lighting and seating for multiple locations. If you’re working with a desktop model, try shelving or strapping the CPU below to save precious surface space—just don’t stow it where you’re likely to play footsie with the delicate hard drive.

Stock your shelves

Get strategic with your shelves to make room for what you’re working on right now and leave space for the personal props that inspire you: photos, post cards, fingerpaintings. At an arm’s length, stow pens, stapler, clips, and the few references you use daily—so you won’t have to get up to rummage for them when you’re on a roll. Use other shelves to stack extra paper, toner, envelopes and stamps—supplies that will save you a mid-project trip to the store.

Protect your peace of mind

Designate your primary work zone a sacred space. Clutter can dull your focus and wrinkle your brow.You’ll be surprised how a clean desk policy can de-stress even bill-paying.

Sort before you stash

Spare yourself a prolonged office cleanup by making quick decisions. As you encounter new papers, decide whether you’re using them this minute, this month, or in a month of Sundays. Clip, tack or prop up pieces you need now to get the job done. Use letter trays, brackets or nearby shelves to stack papers you’ll need later this month (references, articles, pending bills). Relegate non-urgent but important items (financial and health records) to your big file cabinet or deep drawers. Send sensitive information you don’t need to keep (offers that include your credit card number) right to the shredder.

Show it to know it

Prepare a pleasing and project-worthy visual aid with a chalk or marker board … a place for your running list of to-dos, your best ideas and reminders to other family members.

From work to socializing to running the household, we all have plenty of demands on our time. That’s why it’s important to start and end your day with a perfectly organized closet that can rejuvenate your spirits and help stress melt away.

One simple solution is a custom closet that’s designed especially for you. By choosing all of the details, from gorgeous colors to special storage features, you can create a space that makes you feel centered and peaceful both morning and night.

Use organization to create harmony.

Have lots of hanging clothes? Plan multiple hanging rods so you have room to organize them by type, length, and even color. Add open shelves to hold folded sweaters and drawers for lingerie.

Put your collections on display.

Why hide your favorite shoes and boots when you can show them all off at once? With adjustable slanted shelves, you’ll enjoy seeing your special finds and wear them more often, too.

Streamline your routine.

Smart details like pull-out valet rods or extendable scarf and belt racks make it easier to plan outfits, simplifying the daily decisions you make while getting dressed.

Make room for mementoes.

Add a hutch to your closet to create a stunning focal point, while keeping photos, souvenirs, or fresh flowers in sight while you dress. Consider adding a wireless speaker so you can set the mood with music any time of day.

Indulge your sense of color and style.

Home organization systems can be just as expressive as the rest of your house. Choose from solid and woodgrain colors in classic and on-trend hues to create a closet that’s in harmony with you and your home.

You don’t have to leave the house to find your happy place. Every visit to your closet can be another chance to feel at ease and appreciate the calm and beauty of your surroundings.

Choose wisely

Reuse. Repurpose. Readjust—but don’t replace.When choosing storage solutions, look for durable products that adapt again and again for a long lifespan. Before you buy, find out what’s inside… Does the product contain recycled materials? How does it affect air quality?

Know before you go

Extra trips to the grocery store cost you time, money, fuel and frustration. Plan a menu for the week so you buy only what you need. Set up your pantry space for quick inventory so you know what you have before heading out the door. Sort by food type. Turn food labels outward. Group items often used together. Stack back to front in descending size.

Get fresh

Stock your pantry with pull-out baskets to store and display fresh, local produce (many goods like tomatoes and potatoes fare better outside of the fridge). Plus, local foods require less fuel in their transport and fewer preservatives since they get to your table sooner.

Work smart

By showing the boss that you can work effectively from home, you’re likely to get the go-ahead to do so more often, saving gas and time. Get the day started early before the kids are up. Locate your workspace near natural light to improve alertness; use shades to reduce screen glare. Change up your posture and take breaks from time to time to keep your mind fresh and your focus sharp.

Refine recycling

Locate recycle bins in a place where it’s convenient for you to sort recyclables right after use.This makes your weekly recycling day a cinch. Give recyclables a proper rinse—ensuring they don’t contaminate the batch (or attract pests). Situate a paper-only mini-recycling center near desks and craft areas and consolidate weekly.

Simplify cleaning

When you don’t give grime time to build up, you’ll be less likely to resort to harsh chemical cleaners. Organize for light, frequent cleanings. Consider storage solutions that lift your stuff off the floor, making way for a swift sweep or speedy scrub. Use see-through baskets and hooks to keep earth-friendly cleaning supplies at the ready: microfiber cloths, spray bottles, baking soda, vinegar, lemon.

Gather your giving

Designate a space to store items destined for charitable donation.There’s no point in letting good things from last season languish in the back of your closet when someone else could put them to use. By establishing a zone for this stuff, you’ll also make it easier to remember to take it along on your next errand.

Be a lifelong learner

What we know about sustainable living is always changing, always growing. Expand your knowledge by checking out this website:  earth911.com