Julie Carlson - Remodelista: The Organized Home: Simple, Stylish Storage Ideas for All Over the House

Remodelista The organized home Simple,
Stylish Storage
Ideas for
All Over
the House Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick With the editors of REMODELISTA Photographs by MATTHEW WILLIAMS Creative direction by ALEXA HOTZ Contents For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned. Benjamin Franklin Introduction Sometimes it seems you are what you own. We know that feeling. Like everyone, we aspire to sanity and order in our daily lives. But unlike most people, we devote our working hours to discovering and exploring inviting, serene homes. We here at Remodelista are a group of design-minded friends who make it our mission to decode all the details that go into well-put-together living quarters.

And we strive to practice what we preach in our own homes, whether tiny studios or family houses, where we pare down, put away, and purchase thoughtfullysome days more successfully than others, but always with an invisible safety net of order. We can help you achieve this clarity, too. With a little thought and effort, your home can become a place you look forward to returning to every day. It will feel not only more organized but also more spacious, lighter, and calmer. You will spend less time searching for misplaced keys and eyeglasses, and you wont need to hide so many things in drawers, because youll love what you have. Storage may be the underpinning of every uncluttered dwelling, but so much of what weve read on the subject is all about order over beauty.

Our approach to solving organizational woes doesnt involve sacrificing style. We believe in focusing on the basics and celebrating the stuff of everyday life. We are advocates of the well-made and the utilitarian, such as straw baskets, canvas bins, and wooden peg rails. And were all about arranging belongings in ways that arent just tidy but also enhance your routine. Whether youre a minimalist or a collector, if you follow our lead, youll have fewer but better things in your life and more moments of inspiration and satisfaction as you move through your day. In this volume, we begin with the Remodelista organizational philosophy.

Then, room by room, we present solutions for conquering the most challenging zones in your homeillustrated with hundreds of inspiring photographs by Matthew Williams, our talented collaborator. Along the way, we offer solutions to common blights, such as toilet brushes and snaking electrical cords, and share tips gleaned from innovative, organization-minded pros, from boat designers to kindergarten teachers. We conclude with our 75 favorite storage staples and a compendium of resources, including alternatives to household plastics and how to get rid of unwanted items of all sorts. The result: easy-to-maintain spaces that are both orderly and artful, personal and purposeful. Because ultimately, the goal isnt a flawless, impossible-to-maintain showcase. The aim is an unencumbered life in a house that makes you happy.

The Art of Order: A Manifesto We believe in better living through organization. Here are eight ways to get there. Buy fewer (and better) things. Resist impulse and stopgap purchases. Instead, zero in on quality. Donate the stuff you dont use. That includes unwanted gifts. Shop your own house. A surprising array of storage challenges can be solved with a well-made basket, tray, or hookchances are, you already own most of the supplies that you need. Steal ideas from organizational masters. Experts, such as hoteliers and shopkeepers, know how to come up with novel, affordable approaches to storage. Ditch the plastic. Seek out products made of sustainable natural materials, such as wood, glass, and ceramic. Ditch the plastic. Seek out products made of sustainable natural materials, such as wood, glass, and ceramic.

Theyre better for the planet, and you wont have to stash them out of sight. Know what youve got. Ample storage is not necessarily a good thing. Weve been conditioned to think that huge closets are desirable, but the truth is, they can encourage you to avoid pruning your belongings (and to lose track of what you have). Establish habits and routines that simplify your life: always keep your keys and eyeglasses in designated spots. (See , for more.) Relax and make yourself at home. Too much enforced order is uninviting for occupants and guests alike; rooms are for living. 12 Universal Storage Tactics You dont need cavernous closets and built-in cabinetry to have an orderly household.

But you do need a place for everything. Here are our favorite organizational tricks to deploy all over the house. Look for them put into practice throughout the book. Tactic 01 Hang It Lacking drawer space? Hooks, pegs, and peg rails are the answer for keeping things organized and handy. The beauty of this approach is threefold: these solutions often cost next to nothing, theyre good-looking (even a nail has an honest charm), and theyre easy to use, so everyone can be brought on board. Tactic 02 Cart It From bar carts to industrial trolleys, theres a range of compact wheeled storage ideal for corralling collections of items in one place.

Carts, of course, are easy to move, so they can be rolled out for use or tucked away as needed. Tactic 03 Label It Name what youve got and youll know what youve gotand where it goes. How else do you think a cockpit or an operating room functions? Use a Sharpie and tape (we like washi tapemade of rice paperbecause its removable). Or tie on stationery store tags. Sold on your label maker? Use it behind the scenes. Tactic 04 Tray It Grouping objects on trays is the equivalent of adding frames to artwork: trays are the finishing touch that elevates what they contain and creates cohesion. Tactic 04 Tray It Grouping objects on trays is the equivalent of adding frames to artwork: trays are the finishing touch that elevates what they contain and creates cohesion.

Equally important, trays prevent things from getting lost: they provide a home for small, loose items of all sorts.