Simplicity of Thought

(stefano tonchi home office courtesy of the selby)

I often tell people when organizing a space, it's not necessary to reinvent the wheel for every area or thing you're organizing. I apply the same general guidelines to everything I do with a few minor changes.

For instance, in the bathroom keep your regularly used products in the medicine cabinet for easy access and extras (or oversized everyday products) and not so often used things in the lower vanity. Apply the same logic to your home office; there's no reason to keep 50 pens and pencils and four reams of paper on your desk (unless you seriously use that much). Depending on how much storage space you have and how you work, keep a small kit near you: extra pens, pencils, eraser, stapler, and whatever else you need to function on a day to day basis, with any extras somewhere else and replenish as needed. If you find you're constantly replenishing then store more in your easy access spot. Personally I keep my extras in the kitchen cabinet...

Making Decisions: The Editing Process

Having moved twice in the past year and a half, I've been going through everything I own again and again, editing and re-editing. Some may call me a minimalist, and while I don't consider myself one, at this point in my life I'm pushing to get as close to that as possible...

I follow these key points when editing:

• don't force the decision on whether to keep something or not; this takes the pressure off and allows you to think freely and more honest on how you use or don't use things
• make immediate decisions first (things you have no doubt what to do with)
• don't box the things you're unsure of in closets, cabinets, and/or hide them behind furniture, allowing yourself to forget about it
• keep all the things you're unsure of out in a designated area of your home so you have to look at it, if you have a lot, pull out a few things at a time so you're not overwhelmed

As I see these things everyday (remember I'm in a studio, I see ALL my things everyday!) I gain a new perspective on them and I've actually kept a few things I was close to getting rid of and donated a lot more than I thought I would; kept a large frame I haven't used for years (pic above - I'm now looking for a cool print to put in it and I still need to repaint the back wall) and donated a lot of clothes and books that no longer spoke to me. Since I'm allowing myself to take my time with the process, I'm very happy with all the decisions I've made, so far no regrets :O)

Reader's Questions: Handbag Storage

"There's a Rubbermaid Wardrobe Shelving (which I also do not like, but can't take out at the moment) installed in my closet. I have IKEA drawers and hanging organizers for my clothes which is working out nicely. But I end up putting my purses/bags on the shelf which you hang the clothes from. The purses and bags all lean against each other. I usually end up with bags on my head when I try to pull one out to use. Because of the wire shelf, I haven't found a way to make them "stand" up on their own. Any ideas? Thanks!" - hnxing

You have a couple of options:

• there are shelf dividers for wire shelving
• use an open bin either on its side like pictured above, or right side up and pull down when needed
• hang the bags on hooks inside the closet or on the back of the closet door. just make sure the bags are empty otherwise the weight will damage the handles
• this is a nice option too

note about real patent leather: you shouldn't lean it against anything since it can absorb color from other materials.

Apartment Progress... Change in Floor Plan

original floor plan

new floor plan

recent shot with new bookcase

Moving twice in a year has drained me financially, so I'm not as far along with my new place as I'd like to be. The upside is thinking and rethinking all of my decisions. I've changed the floor plan:

• I've decided against the dining table; I don't have dinner guests and when I eat at home it's usually at my desk while working, or watching TV on the computer.
• I bought another bookcase for a total of three (above) and love the way they look. I like keeping storage on one wall in one large unit instead of spreading it around to keep a space from looking cluttered.
• The sofa is now going where the dining table was, facing the windows which have a nice view of the backyard, with either two chairs facing the sofa like above, or maybe a chaise. Considering the cost, the sofa will be the last thing I buy.

I've thought of curtaining of the bed but that'll cut light and the view from the windows. I feel like whatever, I live in a studio so you see my bed... There are worse things in life :O)

NOTE: the shot above was taken this evening without the flash so the walls look yellow which they aren't, they're BM Super White.

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

People tend to overcomplicate getting organized. They think that the more organizing products they have the better the results. I think these 'magic' products are just more stuff, and more stuff is not something most people need.

In many instances, I advise my clients to live with the changes we make for a while to see if adding something will really make a difference. For example, I generally install pull-out drawers for the lower cabinets in kitchens. For may people (especially those who own and/or cook a lot), it's a no brainer. But for those of us who rent and aren't sure how long we're staying, it's not always necessary. I've always had this attitude of only buying what's truly needed to make an improvement but I have to say with the current economic climate, people are much more receptive to it.

For the above client who doesn't have that much now that we've edited, and who's not a huge cook, I didn't think the drawer was an absolute necessity. Would it be nice to have, sure, but necessary to spend the $$ for it? We'll see. She's going to live with this for a week or so and let me know...