[Jenny's Crib] From Dark-Hole-of-Storage-Room-Doom to Organized Closet [Before and After]

I have a confession. I moved into my two-bedroom condo over two years ago and I STILL hadn't finished unpacking. I still had six big boxes of random things covered with construction dust stuffed in the dark hole of see-no-evil storage room doom second bedroom. I just shut the door and lived my life.

After two years of letting my things hibernate and two bathroom and a full kitchen remodel later, I was finally ready to use my space for exactly their intended purpose.

From Project Portfolio

Step 1: Clear out the 2nd bedroom fake storage room of doom and make it an ACTUAL bedroom.
Step 2: Sort, Purge, and Categorize all my homeless stuff while my mom helps deep clean the bedroom. (Thanks, mom!)
Step 3: Crush extra boxes and kick out the donations and trash!
Step 4: Set up my real storage closet to do its job!
Step 5: Enjoy the new storage closet almost every day to live an awesome life!



I wish I had photos of my sad 2nd bedroom when it was the storage room of doom, but no. I probably did not have the strength to stomach the shame.  Thankfully, I managed to squeeze six big boxes and more of random unorganized stuff, neatly and reasonably into my spacious storage closet.

This storage closet is centrally located by the living room and dining room.  It's the perfect spot to keep all the things I need for my entertaining, hobbies, outdoor activities, cleaning supplies and household projects.

From Project Portfolio

Scroll down for photo of my summer 2011 "storage closet reveal"!

Where are the random places around your house that you've turned into storage? Where are the nooks and crannies that have taken on your random things? Storing tupperware in the oven?  Clothes on the treadmill? Toys in the never-used tub? Please comment and let us know!

From Project Portfolio

From Project Portfolio

[Jenny's Crib] Here's a Quick Way to Get a Custom Look, On-The-Cheap [Vintage Knobs]

Knobs are the underrated hardware of the house.  We need them, but take them for granted.  For all the utility they provide, why not add a dash of beauty as you open up your cabinets and doors? Here's a quickie project I did to customize my standard, all-white bathroom vanity. I got some great turquoise vintage knobs on sale at Anthropologie and had to have them. Such a simple and unexpected little project.

From Project Portfolio

What do you think? As you can see, I replaced my first knob before taking my "before" photo because I was so excited to see how it looked! Now, every time I touch them, I get a little shot a joy to start and end my day. Oh. It's the little things in life sometimes. It's the little things.

How do you take a big-box purchase and get a custom-look on the cheap?

Mission: Find a DVD in Under 5 Seconds. GO! A Screenwriter's Inspiration Room [Project Portfolio]

If you had nearly 800 movies, could you find Scarface in under 5 seconds? I didn't think so. That's what my Silverlake, Los Angeles client needed to find inspiration for his screenwriting. How can you spin fanciful tales of excitement if piles of DVDs and old, unlabeled VHS tapes are crowded all up in your business? We started with his vision of this TV room/Guest Bedroom.  He wanted inspiration!  A clutter-free environment!  The power to research, reference and recall any movie or television show on a moment's notice! We planned for him to run his own personal film festival by the end of August - a great way to put some accountability to the organizing project. From Project Portfolio We donated duplicates, and grouped by genre (Suspense, Horror, Comedy and Musical, Family and Animation, TV series, British TV series, Drama, and Non-Fiction).  My client spent plenty of his own time on homework, purchasing storage furniture I suggested through my Pinterest board for him, and alphabetizing the entire combined collection of DVDs and VHS tapes within each genre (BTW: Pinterest is a great tool to source ideas for a room). From Project Portfolio An hour and a half consultation, lots of client homework and two four-hour sessions later, what started as a Greek tragedy of clutter...

From Project Portfolio

...became an Oscar-worthy movie and television library!

From Project Portfolio

All right Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close-up.- Norma in Sunset Boulevard

From Project Portfolio

Awesome Sauce Discount: Get Your Old Photos Scanned & Digital! [DailyCandy Deals]

Little Jenny in Taiwan: What my inner child looks like.
(Also the source of my CreativeLife podcast logo)

Old photos and media are often the most-time consuming and tedious things to organize.

Why?

Believe it or not (cough. cough. kids born after the year 1992), we once had to take photos on film and get them "developed" so we can actually see the results! 

Sitting there with dusty boxes representing a lifetime of trips down memory lane is fine for like fifteen minutes, but really?  Do you want to stick each 3 by 5 inch sheet of little Timmy blowing out the birthday cake and Nana squeezing the life out of your auntie through your home scanner?

I think most people would rather get a root canal.

That's why you hire professional organizers like me! OR you get professional photo scanners like El Segundo-based ScanDigital or San Diego-based PhotoBin!  

I did.  I actually got myself a discount deal for using ScanDigital from Groupon last year.  I'll save THAT experience for an upcoming blog post. There, I'll explain the BEST strategies for getting the MOST out of your scanning deal.

Side Note: And I would say, most of the time, I would refrain from using these prepay discount deals because they tend to sit there like the gift cards your Auntie thought you'd use but is just taunting you from your junk drawer collecting dust.

Because I had it done, I have these little gems ready to use on my computer!

Dad (Right) and his army buddy. REEEAAALLY old photo

I had a stick-out-the-tongue phase, I guess.

Photo scanning is like seeing the dentist for a cleaning; You know you should do it, but you always put it off for fear of the potentially painful experience. Getting old photos digitized is ALWAYS at the end of my clients' home organizing to-do list. That's why getting a discount for this service is a real value.  

When I saw this DailyCandy Deal for PhotoBin pop up in my inbox, I had to share. I'm not getting ANYTHING from the company but it is my duty to spread the love for hiring OTHER people to do the stuff that's important but pretty tough to do.  You have until Monday, August 15th to get this deal. Enjoy!

DO YOU HAVE AN EXPERIENCE WITH DIGITAL SCANNING SERVICES? ARE YOU THE FAMILY HISTORIAN? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! 
No. Really. Do it.  Just click comment below. It's easy. I'll totally read it. And it will help me write that next blog post about getting the most out of using a scanning service. Thank you!

Say it with me: "Sometimes outsourcing is okay."  Get a professional to do it. (Image via PhotoBin Facebook Page)

The Offer$39 for $99 Worth of Digital ArchivingGo for the basic Value Kit 500 (a $99 value), which includes scanning of up to 500 printed photos for perfect digital preservation. You’ll receive a postage-paid box and packing materials to protect your pictures during transport. With a quick turnaround, the PhotoBin pros will digitize each one on your choice of CD or DVD. Got pictures out the wazoo? Use the Deal toward the Value Kit 1000 ($189). - DailyCandy Deals website

[How To Organize] The Kitchen: Simple Hardware, Big Impact

Getting organized does NOT require tons of gear and fuss.  It can be as simple as a little visit to the hardware store.  This photo from one of my daily-diet websites, Apartment Therapy, is a perfect example of that. Can you identify the two simple hardware organizing solutions?

A Little Hook for a Space-Saving Banana Hanger! Two Thin Rails for Organized Pot/Pan Lids!
(Source:  Kristina, Canada via ApartmentTherapy.com)

Okay. Time's up.

1. Banana Holder! A little hook goes a long way. Just a little screw in hook and voila! A space-saving way to keep you bananas bruise-free!

2. Pots and Pan Lid Holder!  Probably one of the most AWKWARD kitchen items to organize, pots and pan lids finally have a home against the wall with the help of two simple rails.

What do you think? Do you have other awesomely simple hardware solutions for big organizing impact?

[How To Organize] Closets: 5 Tips from an Organized Kid [Inspiration]

Kids need organized closets, too!  This is a great example from one of my "obsession" websites, "House of Turquoise." This kid's closet uses GREAT organizing ideas that the grownups can use too! Check out these tips below.

Tip #1: Who Says Closets Need Doors?

If you are hurting for some bedroom real estate, take off the doors!  Other replace them with a finely tailored curtain.  The curtain rod can be hidden behind the closet opening or featured above the frame out front.  This kid's closet replaces the doors with a subtle yet colorful garland up top, almost like a window valance. 

Tip #2: Open Closet or Not? Keep It Beautiful.

Whether you keep your closet open or not, why not make it as beautiful as a featured display shelf in your living room?  

Take a cue from this organized kid closet, curate some of your open shelves for things you love up top and fun things you'd use at eye and hand level.  Get handsome containers like these gorgeous fabric-lined wicker baskets. Why not paint your closet walls! It's always a beautiful and inexpensive way to transform a space.

Tip #3: Keep Stuff OFF The Floors

It's clear kids in this room will enjoy the additional play space, but that's a great cue for grownup closets.  

Take a tip from supermarket shelf strategist who stock items they want to sell at eye level.  Grownups are not as likely to look down or up on a regular basis so keep your everyday and most used items on shelves and hanging rods at your chest and eye-levels.  

Stuff that gets on the closet floors tend to STAY on closet floors. They also have this strange way of attracting other STUFF. If you must, fill that space with a great inexpensive and simple drawer or cubbie unit if you'd like more storage space.

Tip #4: Go Vertical!

Most closets have ample dead space above the highest closet shelf.  Add another one! 

Even if it requires a quick trip to your local hardware store, simple shelving wood and brackets are so inexpensive for the added real estate you get by going upwards.  Get some handy baskets that breathe and put away your out of season clothing towards the top of your closets.

Tip #5: Shop Your Own Closet!

Give hanging clothes breathing room. Edit! Edit! Purge! Purge! Achieving that "boutique" look may be tough for most grownups, but it doesn't mean we can't afford to spend some time to "shop our closet."

Choose only the things that you would buy for yourself NOW.  That's a great strategy for editing your closet for a nice purge.  This creates a "quality over quantity" closet that will be more likely to be used.