Organized Interiors Blog

How To Make Room In Your Closet For Warmer Clothes

sweater weather is here
Photo by Lisa Whiteman

Sweater weather is here!

Goodbye shorts and tank tops. It’s time to replace your summer clothes with sweaters, coats, jeans and winter accessories.

Of course, in order to start wearing pieces from your winter wardrobe, you’ll first need to make room in your closet for these bulkier items.

Here are some ways you can keep your closet organized as the seasons and your wardrobe change.

Goodbye summer clothes

To start, put away your summer clothes until they’re needed once more. Shorts, bathing suits, summer dresses and any other apparel that you don’t plan to wear during the winter can be stored in boxes and placed under the bed, in a spare closet, basement or attic.

This will not only open up more closet space, but it also ensures that your closet only contains wearable winter pieces to streamline your morning routine.

Sort and discard

After your summer clothes are put away, sort through your winter apparel and make a pile of clothes you no longer wish to keep.

You’ll want to place clothes that you no longer like or wear or pieces that are too worn in this pile. Then, depending on the condition of each item, you can decide to either sell, donate or toss the clothes.

This will prevent you from overcrowding your closet with clothes you never wear and will make room for new pieces you plan to buy this year.

Space evaluation

Now it’s time to get creative. Evaluate how much space you have to work with and whether you need more storage room. Sweaters and pants are bulkier and tend to take up more space than summer clothes.

If you need more shelves to fold your pants and sweaters, take advantage of vertical space in your closets or room walls by installing additional shelves.

You can also consider a custom closet solution that will keep your closet organized year after year. Custom closets work with the space you have effectively and efficiently so that every article of clothing you own has a place to call home.

Updating your closet for winter can be as simple as removing summer items and replacing them with your sweaters and coats. Other times, adjustments to your closet need to be made.

If you’re in need of a custom closet, book a complimentary in-home design consultation with the experts at Organized Interiors today.

Laundry: Easy Ways To Divide And Conquer

Who says that household chores like laundry have to actually feel like a chore?

Here are seven ways your family can divide and conquer laundry duty each week and make it more manageable (and even fun) for everyone.

Skip laundry on the weekends

Do laundry during the weekdays and only do one load per night. By putting your laundry room to work on the weekdays, you can keep your weekends free for fun activities.

Tackling only one load each night will make the chore feel easier to accomplish.

Sort by colour

Use three laundry bins instead of one to keep darks, mid-tones, and whites separate (then you won’t have to separate one large pile of dirty clothes later).

Make sure everyone in your family is throwing their dirty clothes in the right bins. Then when one bin is full, you can start the machine.

Divvy up tasks

Divvy up tasks among family members. One person can be in charge of washing, another can switch clothes to the dryer, and you can have someone else solely in charge of folding clothes.

To make laundry less boring, rotate tasks each week or day.

Fold and store big items

Fold larger items that can be put away easily right away, like towels and blankets. If you have a large family, save socks in a smaller basket and only pair and fold them once a week.

Do this with the family so everyone can claim their socks and put them away independently.

Save energy

Be aware of the best times to do laundry efficiently. In most municipalities, the cheapest time to do laundry is on the weekends and evenings.

Consult the Ontario Energy Board’s electricity rates site as a resource for more info.

Get organized

Keep the laundry room organized with custom cabinetry and helpful accessories (like a pullout ironing board) that make it more functional.

This will allow you to keep detergents, softeners, dryer sheets, hangers, baskets, and hampers all in one place. It can also help speed up the laundry process.

Have fun with laundry (yes, it’s possible!)

Look for opportunities to make laundry, dare we say it, actually fun. For example, you could use laundry as a way to bond with the kids or your partner by tackling the chore together.

To make folding more enjoyable, you can fold while watching your favourite TV show. There are many ways to make laundry time a more fun and manageable experience.

Schedule a free in-home design consultation with Organized Interiors for professional help to make your laundry room look nicer and serve your needs better.

Mudroom Storage Ideas to Reduce Clutter This Fall

Today’s urban mudroom is typically a transition space between the outdoors and in. Even with a proper closet with doors to hide the clutter, this whole “landing space” takes the brunt of a family’s lifestyle, especially as seasons change.

In a typical Canadian autumn, we can experience everything from summer heat to winter cold in the same week! So sweaters and jackets seem to multiply on top of summer sports gear, outerwear, and footwear.

In fact, you can judge a person’s level of denial that summer ended by simply looking at this transitional space.

The good news is summer will return. The bad news? It’s time to put your toys away.

Containing the clutter isn’t the problem. There are as many different types of containers as there are things to put in them, but they may not be helping you stay organized.

If you can’t see inside the storage container, it isn’t helping

Baskets, solid coloured plastic bins, or windowless containers with lids that are sitting on an overhead shelf aren’t helpful.

If you’re hunting for just a pair of gloves, you may have to rifle through several containers before you find the right one.

Storage containers are great for the things you put away each season in the garage, attic, or basement. Labelled boxes and containers make it easy to find items you’ve put away for long periods of time.

For everyday use, use open storage containers that will help you save time.

Raised, individualized cubbies that hold one pair of shoes or boots, gloves, or mittens within easy reach will help reduce clutter but remain accessible.

School lockers work for a reason

Compartmentalizing and personalizing each space invites kids to participate in the daily rituals of keeping their clutter under control.

Customize your mudroom storage solutions to work for your family. Keep in mind height considerations. Small children can’t easily reach to hang up jackets or coats on a standard clothing rod in a closet.

Put up sturdy hooks within reach for each child. Add a cubby above for hats and mitts and a shelf below for shoes and boots.

Sports equipment

This one is complicated. There isn’t one solution for all sports equipment, but if your main entry is your main “landing space”, try to keep the stuff that smells as far away as possible. The last thing you want is a mudroom that smells like a hockey dressing room.

Tall objects like hockey sticks can go in tall, sturdy containers or simply place them in a closet. Don’t leave them in the hallway where the sticks can mark up your walls and fall over.

Non-bulky gear like baseball gloves, tennis rackets, footballs, and basketballs can be stored in the cubbies or packed away in the garage until spring.

The finish line

Think about wet coats and wet boots. Along with a functional space, make sure the finishes in your mudroom can withstand heat, cold, and moisture.

Customized solutions allow air-drying and water-resistant, washable finishes. Keep the mud away and enjoy the season in a clutter-free, organized home.

Organized Interiors specializes in designing high-functioning mudrooms that will help keep your home cleaner and tidier. Schedule a free in-home design consultation with us to plan your one-of-a-kind mudroom makeover.

4 Essential Closet Design Questions and Solutions

No house is perfect and more than likely, you’ve noticed some flaws in your home’s design.

Maybe the staircase is slightly too steep or you don’t like the window placement in your living room. If you’re like most homeowners, you might have been frustrated with one or more of your closets as well.

Fortunately, closet designs can be changed. You just have to identify the problem before you can find the solution.

If you’re unsure whether your closets work for you and your space, ask yourself these four closet design questions.

1. Is my closet functional?

All closets are designed to be functional, but your closet might not be functional in the way you need it to be.

Is your closet big enough to keep your space organized? Maybe you have enough space but need more shelves. Consider what you need from your closet and whether it offers those things.

2. Does your closet have good traffic flow?

If you have a walk-in closet or dressing room, it’s important that you’re actually able to walk around in it. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Walk-in closets should make organizing and finding items easier, not harder.

3. Are your closets easy to use?

Some closets have shelves that are so high up, the only way to access them is with a chair or a small step ladder.

This might be okay if you only use the shelf to store items you rarely use. If you need to reach that shelf frequently, however, a new closet design might be worth considering.

4. Does your closet use space effectively and efficiently?

If your closet is taking up more room than it needs to without offering any added benefit to you, then it’s not using the space efficiently.

A closet designed to maximize the space you have can help you keep your home organized and it won’t take up any more space than it should.

If you answered “no” to one or more of these questions, it might be time to consider a custom closet for your home.

Custom closets can be designed to suit your style and needs exactly, so you no longer have to consider your closets a “flaw” in your home’s overall design.

Schedule a free in-home design consultation with Organized Interiors to start getting more out of your closet spaces.

Habits of Successful People

Success is something we all aim to achieve in one way or another. After all, nobody wakes up every morning hoping to fail.

But how does one become successful and what does it even mean to find success? That answer largely depends on you.

Put a group of successful people together and, more than likely, you’ll notice they share similar traits and habits.

Those habits (some of which I’ve posted below) can be practiced and learned, eventually helping you to better achieve your goals.

But in order to feel truly accomplished, it’s best to first understand your own personal definition of success. After all, it’s not the same for everybody.

To some, being successful means making a lot of money. Other people might feel successful if they’re doing well at their job. There are plenty of individuals who equate success with happiness, too. As long as that person is happy, then he or she feels successful.

Consider how you define success and what end-goals would make you feel accomplished. It might be one goal or several, but knowing what they are is the first step toward achieving them.

Having clear goals is the first step on the road to success. Once you’re on the right path, continue your journey by following these habits, which others have found to be common in successful people.

Be proactive. Instead of complaining or over-thinking a problem, successful people take action to find a solution.
Stay organized. Organization at home and work can reduce stress and chaos and help people feel in control.
Take care of yourself. Eating well and exercising regularly can reduce stress, prevent fatigue and sickness, and boost confidence.
Don’t be afraid to say “no”. Successful people don’t let others walk all over them.
Respect others. People who respect others get respect in return.
Welcome feedback, both good and bad. Successful people also take responsibility for their actions.
Embrace change. Being adaptable keeps people ahead of the game.

For help to organize your living space, schedule a complimentary in-home consultation with one of our design consultants.