video: episode 1 of Re-clutter!

I've had this idea skipping around in my head for a while, but the recent trend towards minimalism and decluttering really made me want to sit down and finally get this started. I would consider myself a maximalist, since I love pattern and color and being surrounded by things that I love. I feel so much more comfortable in homes where people have poured their personalities onto the walls than in ones that still resemble a model showroom. But I think a lot of people mistakenly believe that organization is only achievable through minimalism, and that's just not so!

In my new series, which I'm calling "Re-clutter" (like, the opposite of declutter) I'll be sharing tips and tricks for organizing and tidying your space without throwing everything out or sacrificing personality. I'm planning on sharing one new Re-clutter episode each month, and I'll still be doing my other videos weekly. I'm so excited about this project and I hope you enjoy it!!

And as always if you do like the video please head over to my channel to give it a thumbs up and (hopefully!) subscribe :)

my top five closet storage solutions

I just realized that I never got around to sharing my closet/dressing room here! I've taken some photos where you can spot some of it in the background, but I never did a full-out tour post like I intended. Anyway, it occurred to me that some of my organization methods might be somewhat useful so I thought I'd share some storage tips first, then do the whole closet tour shebang next week! :)



1. Use household items to organize. You don't need a fancy jewelry box to house your collections -- you can display your accessories using containers you already have laying around the house! I used a plastic french fry basket from the dollar store, a mason jar and an old melamine chips-and-dip tray to house my brooches and bracelets! And to keep my lipsticks organized I used nail polish remover caps and a jar lid (DIY post here!) It's amazing how instantly a run-of-the-mill item can be transformed into a useful storage container with the help of a little spray paint! ;)





2. At-a-glance storage. Whenever possible, try to store things so that you can see everything at a glance. If you stack your sweaters on top of each other, you'll constantly be rifling through your drawer and messing things up whenever you get dressed. Storing my cardigans side-by-side (and in rainbow order!) helps things stay neat and tidy. It's also a huge time saver!

For smaller items like tights, using a drawer organizer really comes in handy. I use a soft organizer from IKEA so that none of my tights will snag, and I roll them up side by side so I can see all of the colors at a glance.



3. Roll up pajamas in a shoe organizer. I have a weakness for flannel pajama sets (especially if they have cute animals on them) but I never really knew where to put them. I like keeping sweaters, jeans and unmentionables in my dressers so that leaves little room for big bulky pj's! I came up with this solution and it works SO well! I roll up the pajama set and stuff it into a shoe organizer slot. This makes it so easy to grab a top+bottom set in a pinch, and it doesn't take up much room!





1. Closet dividers to store belts and sunglasses. Earlier this year I purchased two closet dividers (or doublers) hoping to use them to hang up shirts and skirts, but they just didn't work out for me. Luckily, they were absolutely *perfect* for another purpose! I needed somewhere to store my (embarrassingly large) belt collection, and this totally fit the bill. I hung the divider from the ceiling using cup hooks, and then used S hooks to hang the belts. Since the dividers that I purchased came in three separate pieces (the two sides and the one middle rung) I was able to take the middle rung from the 2nd set and add another row for my sunglasses! (These are the dividers that I purchased)



5. Stagger your shoes. Finally, keeping shoes staggered (one shoe with the front facing forward and one with the heel facing forward) saves a lot of room! It isn't quite as pretty as having them all facing you, but you can fit a lot more shoes in a small space this way! :)

My top 5 storage solutions for small spaces

My entire living space is 11 feet by 11 feet. With careful planning, I've managed to include a queen size bed and an 8' long table! My room functions as a bedroom, office and studio and believe it or not I have plenty of floorspace to dance around or play with my cats ;)

I've lived in this snug little room for 19 years of my life, and along the way I've come up with a lot of storage solutions that make the most of my tiny abode! Here are my top 5 favorites!

1. Empty purses are perfect for storage! I keep all of my bags on a coat rack behind my door, but rather than leave them empty, I fill them up with craft supplies! My mini photo scanner is in the purple handbag, my wood burning kit is in the green shoulder bag and I keep sketchbooks in the gingham satchel! It seems like every bag is the absolute perfect size for holding something that didn't fit anywhere else in my room :)




2. Clothing as decor! I've mentioned this before, but using clothing as decoration is ideal if you're low on closet space like I am! I have my dresses hanging on my wall next to my bed, and I keep all of my lacy tops hanging from my curtain rod. They look gorgeous in the daytime when the sunbeams shine through them!



3. Bed risers!! One of the best things I ever purchased, EVER. Thanks to these little miracle workers, my entire record collection fits under my bed. I also keep my sewing machine under there, too, along with lots of under-the-bed boxes stacked up as high as they can possibly go. Push the things you hardly ever use all the way to the back, and keep the stuff you use on a regular basis at the front. It's easy to just throw things under the bed willy nilly, but with the bed risers you get so much extra space that it just makes sense to organize it and utilize every inch! I got mine at IKEA but I think they're sold at pretty much every home supply store.



4. Measure every nook and cranny in your room! Before you shop for furniture, measure every extra bit of space that you have. I have 9" of wall space between my bed and my closet -- that seems way too small to serve any purpose, right? Wrong! IKEA had an 8" wide bookcase that was perfect for storing my books and dvds! Measuring also came in handy when I purchased my laptop stand, Ludvig (I wrote more about this in my room tour here!)




5. Walls aren't just for hanging artwork! As much as you can get off the floor onto the walls, do it! I have my record player (it's a vertical turntable, available here) & my television mounted on the wall. I also have a big storage unit from Michaels that I use for displaying knick knacks and housing craft supplies. You'd be surprised how much table room and floorspace you have to spare once you start using your walls!

ps. Solanah has some fantastic organization tips on her blog today, too! :)

DIY: belt hanger

My name is Kate and I am a beltaholic. UGH. I have so many! For the longest time I had them just strewn about, laying on the floor or draped over the backs of chairs. But now they're all neat and tidy (and in rainbow order!) thanks to this handy dandy DIY project! ;)

You'll need: one piece of 1/2" thick balsa wood, a bunch of cup hooks and paint (optional)

This is kind of self explanatory, lol. Just mark out where you want your hooks to go, and screw them in. Put two cup hooks on the top, facing the opposite direction so they can attach to a closet shelf. Paint if you'd like... and that's it! :)

reorganization

dress - handmade

cardigan - forever 21

shoes - target

tights - we love colors

bag - h&m

On Saturday we went to IKEA to get some new things for my bedroom/studio. We only go about once a year and it always feels like a vacation, so I was really excited! I even made some vegetarian meatballs to bring with me so I could dip them in the swedish meatball sauce (although I'm still SO annoyed that they got rid of the old potatoes in favor of mashed.. now it just feels too much like hospital cafeteria food to me.)

I ended up getting a ton of things to help organize my room better, and then spent all night Saturday and all day Sunday assembling furniture. I can't even feel my right hand anymore after using the screwdriver so much, but it turned out amazing! It's much more functional now then it was last week, and my supplies are so well organized that I feel a lot more motivated to work!

I think I've become a bit of an expert on cramming a lot of function into a little space. My room is only 11' x 11' yet I have a queen size bed (on risers so I can use all the under-the-bed space for extra storage) and an 8' long table, along with a closet I converted into an office space. I don't think I've ever really shown photos of my room (except for the little piece in the background of my outfit pictures lol) so I think I'll do a little tour on my blog this week :-)

I might dig up some old photos to show how it's evolved too... I've been in this room since I was 6 years old! It started with a Beauty & The Beast theme, then evolved into a Frank Sinatra shrine, and then it was a dark, dimly lit Moroccan hideaway (or at least I tried to make it look that way). My favorite is definitely its current state, though. A teal and grapefruit bedroom/studio that I share with my fluffy little feline, Hypatia! :D