Did November sneak up on you? It sure did for me!
October was a busy month for Smartly Organized. We wrapped up The Chatham Spark Joy House Tour 2019 and it was a huge success.
Seven families opened their homes to raise money to support programs at the Chatham Middle School. We were so glad to sponsor the event and take an active role organizing one family. Our mission was to transform a few of the spaces for the lucky homeowner. We succeeded in taking their spaces from GOOD to GREAT!
We hope this behind-the-scenes tour Sparks Joy!
The Pantry
This home boasts plenty of storage space in the kitchen and butler’s pantry with a mix of cabinets and drawers. Despite the beautiful custom features the space needed some tweaking. We elevated the functionality making feeding this family of five a breeze. Here are some of the things we did:
- Removed excess packaging (i.e. the box that holds granola bars) to reduce clutter and avoid crowding items
- Installed turntables to make access easier for items on shelves
- Defined and expanded drawer space using clear bins to hold individually packaged items
- and more…
To see all we did to transform this space head over to our Chatham House Tour page.
The Laundry Room
Laundry won’t go away so we encourage clients to make the space enjoyable! As you can see from the Before pictures, this laundry room was pretty sweet. The sink with storage above and below is everyone’s dream, the large window makes it light and bright, and the raised folding counter, well, what else can we say? Perfection? Nearly.
Here’s what we did…
- Added warmth with greenery and an area rug
- Improved access to the laundry products placing products in slanted jars right above the machines
- Fully utilized the under-counter space for elevated laundry basket storage
- and more…
The Master Closet
Ah, the master closet. This was really fun. Starting with a beautiful closet system certainly helps but every system needs structure and maintenance to remain functional. Our changes may appear subtle but they are powerful and support underlying organizing principles.
We did quite a lot here so you’ll get the best view by visiting our Chatham House Tour page.
BONUS: Main Floor Closet
No, it wasn’t on our list but we had to save this closet! This previously undefined closet had become a catchall for everything without a home! Are you smiling knowingly because you have a space just like it? Was it a party closet? Costco closet? Cleaning supplies closet? General utility storage? This valuable real estate lacked a true purpose so everything was just tossed inside with no assigned homes. We couldn’t resist.
Some of the things we did:
- Defined its purpose as Overflow Pantry for Back Stock items
- Used existing chrome shelves with baskets to corral small items
- Removed plastic packaging on consumables for easier access (paper towels, toilet paper, tissues)
- Placed lighter items high, heavier items low to avoid accidents
- Relocated cleaning supplies to the laundry room
- Edited out no longer needed small appliances
- Combined party supplies with those found elsewhere in the home
- Added baskets, clear containers, and a turntable to hold like items
- Labeled the bins with general labels to maintain organization going forward
The family should shop this closet first then make their shopping list.
PRO TIP: Defining the purpose of a particular space will help determine what should live there and what should live elsewhere, making it easier to find and replace items.
We had a blast organizing these spaces. I hope you have enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at what is possible in your home, too! If you can see this kind of work being helpful for your home, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Happy Organizing,
