What do your storage spaces look like? Do you know exactly where to
go when you are looking for something? Is your system logical? Designing
a meaningful storage space requires a lot more than just putting stuff
in a closet, drawer, or cabinet. You need STRUCTURE -- some proven
guidelines to follow while setting up your storage spaces. Let’s begin
with these basic organizing principles:
PLAN BEFORE YOU ORGANIZE
You can’t create a truly useful space unless you have an END RESULT
in mind. Start by asking yourself what you want from your storage.
Are you concerned about maximizing space? Being able to see everything
you own? Protecting your treasures? Cutting down on time spent dusting?
Creating a focal point for the room? Displaying or concealing your
belongings?
Then remember these objectives as you organize. Your choice of supplies
and storage location should be determined according to what you hope
to accomplish with your organizing efforts. Everything you do -- whether
it’s cleaning out or buying a container or expanding a closet -- should
be an effort to accomplish these goals.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Look around your house -- do you see anything that is clearly out
of place? Any bowling balls stored in the kitchen or power tools thrown
in with the toys? Don’t laugh -- I’ve actually seen both of these
situations! Your storage will serve you better if you think in terms
of logical categories. Think back to those exercises when you were
in kindergarten -- “which of these things go together.”
Begin by sorting your belongings according to purpose -- sports, travel,
grooming. Then group similar items together travel accessories with
your luggage, rags in the same place as other cleaning equipment,
office supplies in one spot. Don’t forget accessories and related
items -- keep the knife sharpener with your cutlery and the extra
bits with the drill.
GET IT TOGETHER
Before you can create an organizing “grand plan,” you need to take
stock of your belongings. Do you have sporting goods scattered all
over the house, clothes in three different closets, and miscellaneous
“homeless” items here and there? Make a room-by-room tour -- be sure
to collect up everything you want to store in a particular storage
space BEFORE you begin organizing. There is nothing more frustrating
than designing the perfect closet, then realizing that you forgot
15 pairs of shoes!
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
A large part of being organized is having a set spot for everything
you own. As you sort through your stuff, create a pile of "homeless
items" that need to be incorporated into your storage spaces. Then
do your best to find a logical place for each -- no halfway spots
allowed! You shouldn’t have to guess where to put something.
Each time you assign an item to a storage space, ask yourself why
you are stashing it there. Because it’s close to where you will use
it? Because it will be easy to see or reach? Because that’s the first
place you would think to look for it? If you don’t have a GOOD REASON
for storing an item in a certain place, please rethink your decision.
The worst mistake you can make is to randomly stash your belongings
around your home or office -- how will you ever find them again?!
MOVEMENT MATTERS
Getting at your belongings shouldn’t require a lot of strain or effort.
Take a quick look at your existing storage -- do you bend and stretch
to reach items you use all the time? You can make your life great
deal easier by keeping motion in mind as you organize. Throughout
your home or office, you will find a variety of places in which to
stash your stuff.
Storage spaces that fall at or near eye-level are considered PRIMARY
storage -- these areas are easily accessible, and should really be
reserved for items you use on a daily basis. Look around -- is your
primary storage cluttered with objects you rarely touch? Could these
be moved a bit further away -- to a SECONDARY storage area between
knee and shoulder height? And what do you do with those incredibly
inaccessible spaces -- such as the garage, high cabinets, or the back
of the closet? This TERTIARY storage is meant for items that you use
only a few times a year -- like holiday decorations, memorabilia,
and archived records.
MAKE THE BEST USE OF YOUR SPACE
You should strive to choose a storage space that is APPROPRIATE
for it’s contents. There are so many factors to take into account
-- an object’s size, shape, “breakability,” and weight. Are you storing
heavy boxes on a high shelf? Sounds like a concussion waiting to happen!
And you should always try to match form with function as you evaluate
your storage spaces -- how can you best use shallow shelves, a tall
thin cabinet, or a deep desk drawer? Organizing requires a balance
between creativity and common sense.
PROTECT YOUR TREASURES
You can’t just throw any old box of stuff in a storage space and call
it “organized.” Some of your belongings are going to require a little
more special treatment. Even those items that you wouldn’t normally
consider to be “fragile” can be damaged by the climate. Attics, garages,
and basements are usually the most at-risk. Are your storage spaces
climate-controlled? Do they get really hot in the summer? Cold in
the winter? Damp when it rains or is humid? Do you have problems with
insects or other rodents? You may need to wrap an item, toss in some
cedar chips, or purchase a special container before you stash your
belongings away. If you think there is any chance of damage, pick
a different storage space.
STORAGE “PARAPHERNALIA”
Have you ever had to open 6 different boxes to find what you were
looking for? Organizing supplies should make your life easier, not
hide your belongings away from the light of day! Use see-through clear
plastic containers and label everything -- shelves included! You should
immediately recognize the contents simply by looking at the container.
Accessories such as drawer / shelf dividers, lazy susans, pull-out
baskets, and stackable shelves can also help you make the most of
your storage by subdividing larger spaces.
PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE
Remember that your storage is an ever-changing and dynamic part of
your life. You can’t just set up a storage system and think that you
are “finished.” As you acquire new possessions -- as your lifestyle
and interests change -- your storage needs will evolve. The first
rule is don’t fill your cabinets, closets, and drawers to capacity.
Leave approximately 15% of your storage space free for all those great
future purchases. Also be willing to adjust your system as your needs
change -- what seemed like a good idea at one point may require some
improvement down the road.
Ramona
Creel is the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com
--
offering "a world of organizing solutions!"
Visit OnlineOrganizing.com
for organizing products, free tips, a speakers bureau -- and even
get a referral for a Professional Organizer near you. And if you
are interested in becoming a Professional Organizer, we have all
the tools you need to succeed. (Copyright 2000, Ramona Creel)
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