Posts Tagged ‘organization’

Hints For Functional Overhead Garage Storage

November 12th, 2009

Everyone has excess items around the house. This may be something such a Christmas Lights, that are used only once a year, items from one’s childhood, etc. Unfortunately, the average home is short on space as to where to put these things. They are too important to throw away or have a yard sale and when looking at other options one usually will find that overhead garage storage is an easy solution.

Creating an effective overhead garage storage system requires some planning. The system that is installed will affect how easy it is to get to the stored items. The type of items that are stored can dictate the type of storage system that will be most effective.

Removing items that are not essential will be important to the storage plan. A person will want to get rid of any items that are not important, used on a yearly basis, or not keepsakes. It is also important that a person put items in overhead garage storage that are not used often. If an items is stored that will need to be retrieved regularly, the storage will soon become a disorganized mess.

Many garages have beams or storage areas overhead when the home is built. Overhead garage storage removes the clutter from the floor of the garage and other places, leaving a tidy garage that can be used to store the car and keep it protected. A clean garage may be used for a hobby area or to hold children’s toys when the weather is bad.

Deciding on the type of storage system that is going to best meet one’s needs will involve many factors. If a person has a lot of storage they will want to create a storage system that can accommodate both belongings and weight. Some people choose to incorporate organizers in their storage system so that items can be easily retrieved.

If the storage system that is being installed uses flooring one will want to insure that mice and other animals cannot enter the roof of the garage. When an attic is extended to provide for storage there is often an issue with animals making nests in the protected areas of the storage. Using a metal storage system alleviates this problem.

Packing items for overhead garage storage can be a very important step. The items that can be damaged by fluctuating temperatures or humidity must be packed or wrapped in an absorbent material. Often one can find storage materials through a supplier that will protect important papers and documents when stored. Marking boxes clearly on all sides and making sure that any breakables are kept together when packing will also provide extra protection.

Having neatly boxed and marked your storage the next thing is placing the boxes in the overhead garage storage space. The overhead garage system that is selected should be able to adequately hold the items that one wishes to store and have the capability to be expanded when needed. These systems are available through many Internet websites and local home improvement centers.

Store more in your garage by purchasing overhead garage storage. Different choices of garage storage systems are available to help you get a clean and organized look. Buy your own now and get it all together!

No comments »

Posted in storage

Tags:

Finding A Cheap Plastic Storage Container

November 5th, 2009

Plastic storage containers can be one of the most convenient and easy methods to get your home all organized. These containers are very affordable, and can be bought in a very large assortment of sizes. They can be found in sizes from as large as a moving box to as size that is small enough to fit directly under your bed or stacked up on a shelf. No matter what size you purchase, you are making a good investment in the cleanliness of your home.

An added bonus is that these containers almost always come with a lid to easily cover and protect its contents while serving to prevent small kids from gaining access. It is worth noting that these containers come in many designs, sizes and shapes that can fit in any space. These containers can be found in locations such as interior design stores, department stores, and home improvement retailers.

Once you have purchased your containers it is time to organize them. When you start you are going to need to sort items by use, size, or category to make things easier. Once you have managed to successfully separate all your belongings you will need to assign them to a container. It’s recommended that you properly and clearly label each container to allow anyone to easily find and access its contents. Any plastic storage container that is not labeled should contain items that are similar. This part is much easier than it sounds, as after a while it will all just sort of happen.

You can use these containers to organize just about anything, from out of season clothes to toys. You can also find these containers in stack-able varieties, which can be made to be a sort of ad-hoc dresser. Just simply stack them on top of each other and ensure that all items are properly sorted. They can also be used to store items like and blankets for guests.

No matter you choose to use them for organization purposes, make sure to keep the above in mind, since it would be pointless to finally organize your items in plastic storage containers and not be able to find the items at a later date.

You may be shocked at just how useful a plastic storage container can be when trying to get your home organized.

No comments »

Posted in storage

Tags:

Figure Out How to Choose A Closet Organizer

September 20th, 2009

Houses of all different sizes will inevitably have closets that you will want to use for storage. You will probably decide at one point or another that it’s time to organize your space, and make more efficient use of your storage space. The best way to do this, is to do some planning, and find an appropriate closet organizer to fit your closet and your stuff.

So now that you’ve decided that you actually need some sort of organizer in your closet, how do you go about planning for it? You need to make sure that when you’ve finished the storage makeover you have an effective system for organizing and storing your belongings. In order to acomplish this, you need to think about a few different points:

Closet Purpose – figuring out the purpose of the closet will help you decide what sort of closet organizer you need to look for. If you are storing a lot of similar, larger items, (linens) you can get away with larger compartments, whereas storing lots of small things of all different types (office supplies) requires more and smaller compartments and drawers etc.

Closet Area – the size of the closet that you will be planning and organizing is important so that you are realistic about what sorts of things will actually fit. Also, make sure to remember that depending on how often the closet is actually used determines how much ‘room to move’ the closet needs. If you are accessing items everyday, it’s usually easier to keep things organized if they aren’t jam packed. However, seasonal storage items which will be removed only once per year could be put away with the ‘jigsaw puzzle’ method to maximize space.

Budget – realistically look at your budget and figure out if you can splurge on a custom design that is perfectly suited to store all the items you have in mind, or whether you might have to downgrade and choose a more generic modular closet organizer that you assemble yourself.

Design – now that you’ve answered the previous 3 points, we come to the fun part – the design. Depending on budget, size and function, you can come up with an endless number of options for the final storage system design. It may be helpful to narrow those questions down, and then browse through some storage design books for ideas that fall into your parameters.

These are the important things that you need to consider before moving from the planning stage to the building stage. Once you’ve gotten through them though, you’re probably ready to get shopping, or alternatively, call a closet design company who will take your ideas and decisions into account and design a closet organizer that makes the most efficient use of your closet possible. What ever type of organizer you end up with – a modular DIY system, or a custom designed built-in solution, there is no doubt that you will truly enjoy the your new found de-cluttered lifestyle.

To find out more about closet organizers go to the closet organizer.

No comments »

Posted in storage

Tags:

A Closet Design Challenge

September 20th, 2009

I’m in the business of closet design. I have always loved closets and the task of organizing. Some people might liken me to Monica on the tv show ‘Friends’. My business goes one step further than simple organization however, since I do some actual construction when the project requires a total closet redesign. Large walk-in closets are the most exciting to plan, build and decorate, but renovating a tiny reach-in closet can also be very rewarding.

My business has been expanding over the past few years. With so much interest in home organization and minimalist design, there is no shortage of work. And the range of requests does keep me on my toes. But even so, I don’t often get calls from clients with closet requests that I haven’t already seen or built before.

I was soon to discover that as experienced as I am, and with the variety of closets that I had already worked on and renovated, there were still some closet design jobs that could totally surprise me. Last week was one of these times. I didn’t know it at the time, but as it turned out, what I thought would be a straight-forward design job would actually turn out to be a totally unexpected design challenge.

Last weekend my sister had her 20 year university reunion. With my encouragement she decided to make the journey to catch up with old friends. She only decided to make the journey after I promised to move into her house for the weekend to care for my 6 year old nephew. I happily agreed but my nephew was less certain about being away from his mom for a weekend. He finally acquiesced when my sister told him that we could spend the weekend redesigning his closet and that he was to have complete artistic control. It sounded like fun to me.

When I got the house on Friday afternoon, I confirmed with my sister and nephew that the plan was to redesign his closet. Both gave me a big smile and confirmed the plan. As we were saying good bye to my sister, she turned to me and said “Good luck, Ms. Closet Designer”. At the time I didn’t realize how much luck I might need. The chore became clearer when my nephew handed a small stack of dungeon and castle comic books and suggested we think about the closet. Sure enough, after a quick call to my sister on her cell phone, I confirmed that I was to redesign my nephew’s closet into a mini-castle play room.

Well, after I got over the initial surprise, and panic that I wasn’t prepared for this sort of closet make-over, I decided that this after all was just a closet design with a different look. In the end I created a great castle within a closet, and I incorporated some great storage ideas to boot. Remember that whatever closet design challenge is thrown your way, whether it is a tiny closet with no shelves, or you have a large closet and a small budget, just use some imagination in your design and you may be surprised with the results.

To discover more on designs for closets please visit closet organizing.

No comments »

Posted in storage

Tags:

Figure Out How to Choose A Closet Organizer

September 18th, 2009

Whether your house has a ton of very large and useful closets, or you have an older house without a single built-in closet, you are probably going to have to decide at one point or another how to make your closets as functional as possible. The best way to accomplish this is by finding a suitable closet organizer, and then going through the task of organizing your belongings to fit your newly designed and organized storage space. For some people this is an easy task, for others it’s a chore.

So now that you’ve decided that you actually need some sort of organizer in your closet, how do you go about planning for it? You need to make sure that when you’ve finished the storage makeover you have an effective system for organizing and storing your belongings. In order to acomplish this, you need to think about a few different points:

Closet Function – try to decide exactly what you’re going to use the closet for before you start organizing or shopping for systems. An important point to remember is that one closet should have just one purpose, which is generally related to the area of the house it is located in – ie, close to the bathroom and bedroom could either be linens or bathroom supplies, whereas closet by the kitchen should be for food and cookware, or alternatively cleaning tools and supplies.

How Big the Closet is – we are not all blessed with super size walk-in closets in every bedroom, and conveniently sized pantries just off the dining room. Yes, sometimes we have to compromise. Just make sure that you design your closet with an appropriate amount of free space that you can easily get to items, as well as put them into and remove them from your storage space. Spaces which store seasonal items can usually get away with a little less breathing room, whereas closets that are used daily should have plenty of room so things don’t start piling on top of each other.

Budget – realistically look at your budget and figure out if you can splurge on a custom design that is perfectly suited to store all the items you have in mind, or whether you might have to downgrade and choose a more generic modular closet organizer that you assemble yourself.

Design – now that you’ve answered the previous 3 points, we come to the fun part – the design. Depending on budget, size and function, you can come up with an endless number of options for the final storage system design. It may be helpful to narrow those questions down, and then browse through some storage design books for ideas that fall into your parameters.

So now that you have an idea of what you should be thinking about before starting on a closet organizer project, I’m sure you will be a little less lost when it comes time to make a decision about the final design. Perhaps you’ll even feel brave enough to venture out to the building stores and try to pick up a modular system that once assembled looks like a much more expensive custom designed model. All the best in your closet organizer adventures.

To find more information about planning a closet organizer keep reading at closet organization.

No comments »

Posted in storage

Tags: