6 Clever Ways to Add Vertical Storage in Your Home
June 15, 2017
Out of room? Maybe not. Try adding vertical storage in underused areas.
Not enough closets? Cupboards too small? Don’t despair because we’re going to help you magically make storage space when you think you ran out. Look, up in the sky. It’s an over-door storage rack – no, a garage rafter hoist… Think vertically. Think outside the storage box – and buy stackable ones while you’re out there. Careful planning, a little bit of elbow grease, and a few useful products put to good use on a Saturday afternoon is all you need to get organized. Fact is, you have lots of space around your home you aren’t using… We’ll help you locate it.
Hanging Closet Shelves Shelves
Hanging closet shelves make good use of closet space and add room for sweaters, shirts and other clothing. They’re available in different widths and store a lot more than a similar span of hanging clothes, as they use the vertical space beneath the rod.
Stacking Plastic Boxes
Stacking plastic boxes come in a variety of sizes, some with interlocking features for more secure stacking. Shoe boxes, photo boxes and larger airtight boxes are useful for storing a variety of items in your closet on the shelves or on floor if room permits. Stacking boxes are a versatile way to add vertical storage in unused areas of your home (under beds, on basement shelves, etc.).
Hanging Accessory Holders
Hanging accessory holders including scarf, belt and tie holders keep your favorite accessories accessible and consolidated for easier outfit staging or grab-and-go dressing in the morning. They occupy vertical hanging space in your closet and keep your drawers free for clothing.
Wall-Mount Shelves
Around your home, in your garage, your basement, the kitchen, and even in your closet, you’re likely to have unused overhead space that begs for a utilitarian and/or functionally attractive storage display. Pottery might find a home above kitchen windows, and a small shelf can be mounted over a door for infrequently-used items. Most shelves come with hardware and only require a drill and a level for installing. The best part is that they come in a range of widths and can be stacked in multiples – as many as you have space for. While built-in shelves are often desirable for their aesthetics, decorative brackets are available to dress up shelving and can transform ordinary wall shelves into attractive additions to your decor.
Ceiling Racks
When you’ve overfilled your cupboard, wall and other storage space, look to the sky for creative storage solutions. Whether it’s pot and pan ceiling racks, or garage rafter storage, you’ll appreciate the extra room and, with the right racks, it will look neat while freeing other valuable real estate.
Over-Door Racks
Doors provide lots of valuable vertical storage in spaces that are underutilized. Over-door hat, purse, shoe and other over-door storage racks provide TONS of storage. These are really great for small homes, apartments and dorms.
Wall-Mount Pot and Pan Racks
Horizonal, wall-mounted pot racks can be stacked up the wall to accommodate pots, pans and utensils. Aside from using up vertical space, these racks make it convenient for cooking – especially if you have room for them near your stove or food prep area. Large racks may include shelves and ceiling pot racks (see above) are another possible storage option.
Double Closet Rod Hanger
This inexpensive, rod hanger accessory doubles your closet real estate by providing an additional hanging span beneath the main one. You can easily hang sweaters, jackets, shirts and other items using unused space in your closet.
These are only a few solutions for making vertical storage in your home. Feel free to make your own creative solutions and even share some of your ideas here on our blog. If you struggle with small-space storage issues, you might also enjoy your small kitchen post, as well as our overhead storage slideshow.
Travel Tips – 28 Things You Need to Know Before Getting Off that Plane
June 8, 2017
Traveling this summer? Here are some useful travel tips to help you prepare.
Summer is the time for many of us to use our vacation time, so we seek out adventures in exotic or otherwise compelling locales. Here are some super-useful travel tips to keep in mind as you plan your escapades. Being over prepared is great and can prevent mishaps, but being spontaneous also makes for a fun vacation. Ideally, a balance of the two will give you the combination of excitement and relaxation you crave and deserve.
- For foreign travel – research the country you plan to visit. Are there travel advisories or other developments that could interfere with your plans? Getting stranded in Bangkok due to an airport political protest can be a real drag. Believe me. Lonely Planet is a great online travel resource and even has a booking search engine (no, we are not affiliated with them).
- Don’t pack too many clothes, but pack as many as you will wear – a dressy outfit for dinner out, something warm for cool nights, and comfortable clothing appropriate for your planned activities.
- Check local customs for attire before packing. You may choose to blend with the locals, or maybe not, depending on where you are going. In some instances, you may want to wear a disguise. Seriously.
- Not to sound bossy, but you might want to be culturally sensitive. You’re a guest and you probably don’t want to inadvertently offend someone by not making it your business to learn a bit about their customs. Touching someone’s head in Thailand might get you in dutch, and a racy top could get you booted from the temple tour. There are plenty of resources online (again, Lonely Planet is tops).
- Try eating the local food rather than just dining at the restaurants tailored to tourists. You will be glad you had the experience of fried grass hoppers and it’s really respectful to utilize all parts of the animal. No, really.
- Learn some common phrases if you are visiting a foreign country. It will make it easier to accomplish simple tasks like getting your check, and foreigners are likely to appreciate that you made the effort. “Thank you,” “What does this cost?” “Another drink, please,” and “Where the heck am I?” come to mind.
- Make a checklist for packing, one for booking tasks, and one for the administrative tasks you need to do at home to prepare for your absence (i.e., bills, mail forwarding, etc.).
- Bring extra batteries for your devices, as they may be hard to find in other countries. Also bring an appropriate charging adaptor for the country you are visiting. If you’re not sure what type you need, here’s a good resource.
- Buy medical insurance for your trip. It isn’t that expensive and, should something happen, you’ll be glad you did.
- Tell your bank or credit card companies where you are going. Many of them will block your card as soon as they see a foreign charge.
- Bring comfortable walking shoes. Really, like broken-in tennis shoes – not brand new ones. Blisters can ruin a trip.
- Mark your luggage in some way to make it distinct. You can spot it easier on the conveyors if it doesn’t look just like everyone else’s. Use pink tape, skull or flower-power stickers, or whatever is likely to grab your attention.
- Keep your most important papers, essentials and valuables with you on the plane. Probably half the times I have traveled, my luggage got delayed or lost. You can keep them in a backpack or other small carry-on bag.
- Tip hotel staff and other service people. They work hard and generally make little in hourly wages. While you can do it at the end of the stay, doing it daily might result in better service. You can check online to see what is appropriate for the service and for the locale.
- Make a digital copy of any documents you might need traveling and email to yourself in the event you lose the originals. This might include your airline tickets, passport, and other i.d.
- Bring any important phone numbers with you in the event you need to contact someone back home. I’m not trying to make you compulsive and yet…
- Consider committing other important information like hotel names to paper – in addition to adding to your phone apps. You’d be surprised how easy it is to forget a name, especially if it’s in a foreign language or you’re walking down a sandy beach with 30 competing hotels that all look alike and have similar names. Also, sometimes batteries die, phones break, and being without some information until you can charge or fix it could be potentially inconvenient.
- Learn to pack efficiently. There are lots of video sources online, but rolling jeans up small is one method. Stuff socks or accessories inside of shoes to maximize space. Roll-up, hanging jewelry holders are space-efficient for luggage and can be hung in your hotel closet. Vacuum bags rock for maximizing space in your luggage.
- Bring a book (or two if you’re a fast reader). There will be down time and bad movies.
- Invest in luggage with wheels or carts for your non-mobile luggage. Your back will thank you.
- Don’t forget luggage labels. This is another way to make your luggage stand out on the conveyer for pickup. Buy pink ones, neon glow, animal print, or whatever strikes your fancy.
- Toilet paper, tissue paper – bring some. Does your vacation country have public restrooms?
- Invest in a money belt or discreet wallet or holder to secure and conceal your valuables.
- Be careful using wifi in public places as it may not be secure. Be especially cautious doing financial activities when using free services.
- Engage with residents (locals) for suggestions on restaurants, stores and things to do. Of course, you want to plan ahead and research, but insider tips will likely reveal some little hidden-gem-of-a-cafe or other venue that didn’t make it into the travel “touristy” guides.
- Carry a mini-first-aid kit with you that includes things like Motrin, Band-aids, tweezers, ear plugs, a snake-bite kit, and other essentials.
- Purchase a travel bottle (or two) and keep water with you so you can stay hydrated.
- Feel free to plan, but also be flexible enough to bounce back from mishaps and be sure to schedule some down time, as vacations should be both exhilarating AND rejuvenating.
Hope you’ve enjoyed my travel tips. Do you have any tips you’d like to share?
Interview with an Organizer – Claire Tompkins
May 21, 2017
Claire Tompkins is a professional organizer and Clutter Coach who is passionate about organizing because it makes her clients’ lives easier and gives them more time to spend doing the things they enjoy. That’s what organizing is all about – not just being neat or having the right containers!
In over 15 years as a professional organizer – and through trial and error – she’s learned what works and what doesn’t. She creates effective, simple, practical systems for real people that produce successful, life-changing outcomes. Simplicity and being able to convert practices into daily habits is the key to her organizing strategy.
Her specialty is chunking down this big topic so it’s not overwhelming. That’s the concept behind her book, Five Minutes to a Relaxing Bedroom and her podcast, Organize Your Life with Clutter Coach Claire, which is based on her book, 52 Simple Ways to Get Organized. Both books are available on Amazon.
LH: Can you tell me a little bit about your history? What was your path into professional organizing and how long have you been doing it?
CL: I was tired of doing office and gardening work. I wanted to find a career I didn’t need to go back to school for. I read about organizers in a book about home-based businesses and was intrigued. Turns out a friend knew someone who was doing it so I met her and then joined NAPO. Did a bunch of pro bono work, read books, and talked to other organizers to get my chops, but I had a natural affinity for it.
LH: Do you offer one-on-one services, virtual services, or both?
CL: I do both. My strength is coaching so it’s not critical that I be in the same room with my client. I’ve successfully worked with people via Skype and even just email for productivity and time management coaching.
LH: I see you offer both “productivity coaching” and “get it done coaching.” How do they differ?
CL: The former is for people at work, and the latter for people at home. Many techniques are the same, but each group has special challenges. People at work need to deal with meetings and people at home are often juggling family needs, just as an example.
LH: I see you are an artist. Are there ways that being an artist informs your organizing practices?
CL: What an interesting question! I can think of a few ways. One is my natural curiosity. In my artwork, I get inspiration from numerous sources and pick and choose what goes into any one piece. With organizing, I have many years of experience with clients and styles and techniques that I can select from to customize a plan for each client.
There’s also trial and error. In my art studio, I usually start with some kind of idea, but as I’m making something the idea grows and changes and sometimes gets abandoned altogether. With organizing, there’s no way to know something will work until you try it and live with it for awhile.
LH: Do you do business and personal/individual organizing?
CL: Yes. I like the variety!
LH: What challenges do you face when working with individuals?
CL: It’s a challenge when a client says he or she is ready to get organized but I see by their behavior that they really aren’t. Sometimes they just aren’t willing to devote the time. I strive to be clear that I can teach my clients how to organize but I can’t move in with them and do it everyday! Maintaining organization is a lifestyle. It shouldn’t take too much time everyday, but it needs to be a regular practice.
LH: Do you ever have people relapse into former bad habits or “fall off the wagon?” If so, how do you deal with them?
CL: Oh sure – that happens to everyone. Me included. That’s one reason I like to keep systems simple. Something is bound to happen to knock you off the wagon and the easier it is to get back on, the more likely you will. Some clients rely on me for regular tune ups. They know things will degrade and fall between the cracks over time. It’s not a problem, as long as you address it eventually.
LH: Can you tell me a bit about your most challenging client and how you were able to help him/her?
CL: Hmm, I don’t really think in those terms. I think clients who make progress do so because they decided they were ready before they hired me and I merely guide them. I did have an ADD coaching client recently who described himself as hopeless (his wife convinced him to hire me). It seemed to me that his feelings of being incapable were his main problem, not his lack of skill. So I emphasized concepts like “chipping away is progress.” He didn’t need to fix everything at once. That helped him feel less overwhelmed. There’s certainly some therapy to what I do.
LH: Is there hope for hoarders? Have you worked with any?
CL: I have worked with hoarders, but not to successful completion. In some cases, I was able to provide some temporary relief, but making significant change is very difficult. People with full blown hoarding disorder need to work with a therapist in addition to an organizer in order to address the psychiatric issues.
LH: What are some other ways in which people benefit from your services?
CL: Freedom from the burden of stuff! Recognizing that they are in charge of their stuff and not at the mercy of it. Clarity about what they want and what they don’t want.
LH: How do you feel about children and organizing?
CL: It’s never too early to start! Parents owe it to their kids to teach them organizing and decluttering skills. These are important skills for becoming competent, mature adults.
LH: A lot of people find the time constraints of modern life at odds with their ability to organize. Do you have suggestions for people who are short on time?
CL: Well, there’s this:
The world is too big for us, too much going on, too many crimes, too much violence and excitement. Try as you will, you get behind in the race, in spite of yourself It’s an incessant strain, to keep pace… and still, you lose ground. Science empties its discoveries on you so fast that you stagger beneath them in hopeless bewilderment. The political world is news seen so rapidly, you’re out of breath trying to keep pace with who’s in and who’s out. Everything is high pressure. Human nature can’t endure much more! ~Atlantic Journal, June 16, 1833~
In other words, it’s not a new problem. If you don’t have much time, you shouldn’t have a complex organizing scheme. If you don’t have a big house, you shouldn’t have more stuff than will fit in it. Sounds brutal, but there’s no magic here. Oh, also, let go of perfectionism.
LH: Are you an organized person by nature, or did you come into organizing through a life challenge?
CL: I used to take more after my dad, who was a bit of a pack rat. He was a writer and had piles everywhere. But, he knew where things were in the piles. Sometime during my 20’s I just felt that having so much stuff out and in view all the time was making it hard for me to stay focused, so I started paring down and putting things away. That was the beginning of my realization that physical and mental clutter are related and they both cause stress.
LH: What would you suggest to the organizationally-challenged person as a first step towards getting their house/life/everything in order?
CL: I believe in emphasizing the positive. In the free e-course I offer on my website, I have people start with creating a vision of how they would prefer to live, rather than focus on what’s wrong.
LH: How do you market your services and what or who do you see as competition?
CL: I write a blog, do a podcast and send a newsletter to my list, and I’m a bit active on social media. My main competition is all the other things people would rather spend time and money on than organizing.
LH: Do you do inbound and outbound marketing?
CL: If you mean website links and ads, very little. I do have a shop on my site that’s curated with items I personally recommend.
LH: How long, once you established your business did it take before it became profitable?
CL: Well, probably about 10 years, but that’s mostly because I had another job and other things going on in my life. I didn’t pursue it full time.
LH: Are you active in professional organizing groups and do you organize any local demonstrations or workshops (for individuals or businesses)?
CL: I’m a member of NAPO, but I’m not very active in it. I’ve taught classes in person but I don’t really enjoy it. I have a class on the Skillshare website and intend to do more digital classes. For businesses, I’ve had the best results as a consultant rather than a workshop leader because I can customize my recommendations and have a more meaningful conversation with them.
LH: Do you have any tips or advice for people interested in doing professional organizing?
CL: I’ve met people who say they are very good at organizing, but that’s only a part of what a good organizer does. I’m at the service of my client. I don’t impose my ideas on them. I spend time finding out what they need and want and judge what they are able and willing to do and then make recommendations. Anyone who wants to go into a home and just “whip it into shape” will probably be frustrated. So, be a person who can meet your clients where they are and offer your expertise to help them achieve THEIR goals, not yours.
LH: Thank you much for sharing your work with us.
CL: You’re welcome!
Find out more about Claire Tompkins on her website: www.cluttercoach.net!