HYD Blog
thoughts on dwelling
January has been full of fun for HYD. We've had the privilege of organizing two home office areas, several closets, a couple of kitchen pantries, creating a playroom, overhauling a sunroom, and we're in the middle of helping organize, pack, and remove items from a mother-in-law's former condominium.
Every job has had it's own challenges and each homeowner had their own ideas and plans for the space we worked in. This is the part of our job that calls us to be good listeners and creative problem-solvers. We want to invite you to join us through our journey with some of January's clients thus far & let you see some of the photos and the reviews & quotes we received along the way. Because maybe you'll see yourself or a loved one who could truly benefit from a helping hand like the one HYD can give.
Our first stop is a home office redo of a working mom of three school age kids. She's got a great space to work with, a tight budget, and an eagerness to get a system. Our goal was to not only create the space, but put in place routines that will help keep it ordered and functional while not breaking the bank on all kinds of new gadgets, storage containers, etc.
Before - Home Office
In the before, you'll see lots of extras lying around that aren't related to the office. With a little clean-up, purging, and rearranging (plus finding a fantastic donated shelving unit) we were able put together a much more functional area for the whole family to utilize.
Home Office - After
The only purchased items to finish off the space were the woven file box on the bottom shelf of the shelf unit and the wire tray on the desk for active bills, school papers, and to do items. All the other baskets, frames/photos, etc the homeowner already had. We look forward to checking back in with her to see how things are going.
“I actually sat in here and worked this week!”
“Money well spent!! So great to have these ladies help organize my space and take control of my domain again!!”
First of all, what a wonderful space to work in! This client was overjoyed to get to cash in her gift certificate she won in our December giveaway by asking for our help in creating a sunroom for reading, thinking, snuggling, and just enjoying. We were more than happy to help. Having just moved into her new home with her husband and two littles, she was very open to suggestions and ideas of how to make the space work best. She had lots of family furniture pieces to work with along with a wonderful selection of plants given to her by her late grandmother.
Sunroom - Before
Again, such a fabulous room to work with but it can also be a challenge when you have so much room to want to fill it up with furniture, plants, and accessories just because you have the space. If we're going a peaceful getaway type room, cozy and comfortable are part of the goal but order and simplicity must be included as well. The plants also bring great color and life to the room but too many can cause the room to feel messy. We took great care to find the right plants for the right spaces throughout the house so that each one can be enjoyed and properly cared for.
Sunroom - After
Once we walked through the house and basement to see what furniture pieces we had to work with and where some of the extra plants could be enjoyed in the house, we then started the great rearrange! Creating a breakfast nook for quiet mornings, a desk near the windows for thoughtful contemplation, a couch and seating area for great conversation, and added a much needed bookshelf (located on the left wall) to house all the books for snuggling up and reading.
“HYD was SUCH a gift to my house! They created space where there was only plants and stuff mashed together. They created atmosphere by giving important items a perfect place to fit in the sunroom. HYD also gave me “permission” (you know how you cling to things that should be let go of?) to get rid of. Now I can’t help but to walk into the room and just look around in awe, loving my new space, and enjoying sharing it with whoever drops by. Thank you SO very much HYD! I will be recommending you many times over (and asking you to come again for sure!)”
The last leg of our journey today takes us to a home of a family with two little ones and twins on the way! Lots to prepare for here. As mom and dad plan ahead, they know systems will be one of their greatest allies in surviving four little ones. HYD took on the kitchen pantries. With limited cabinet space, these homeowners need to make their two pantries work well. Our job was to make sure everything had a home, it was easy to access, and the littles had kid-friendly items down low so they could get their own snacks, etc. Below are the before shots of each pantry.
Once we got a good look at all the items in each pantry, we realized that we needed to consolidate, purge, and regroup many of the items. We designated the pantry on the right as the snack and non-cooking pantry. It's full of the grab-n-go items like snack bars, juice boxes, dried fruit, crackers, nut spreads, etc. Easy for the babysitter to find what he or she needs to feed hungry preschoolers.
The pantry on the left is now the designated appliance and cooking pantry filled with appliances, canned goods, pasta, root vegetables, cookbooks, and other small appliance-type accessories like batteries and light bulbs now contained in clear storage bins for easy access.
Adding the storage containers to the grab-n-go pantry was key. It's much easier to access the items, see what you have, and if labeling is your thing, the blue area on the front of each container is a dry erase area for easy labeling.
This is just a glimpse of what we've been up to this month. We hope you've gotten inspired to find that space in your home to tackle and bring new life to. Creating order where there was once none can be such a springboard for freedom in other areas of your life as well. Don't wait, make room in your schedule today to purge, reorder, and create the space you've always longed for. If you need help, we'd be glad to give it, whether it's a little or a lot.
Image via Farm Chicks
We consistently find that our clients and friends struggle with finding ways to organize gift bags and wrapping paper etc. Typically, it all ends up in a jumbled mess thrown in a closet, smashed in a drawer, or scattered all over the house. We have some ideas for you that might make the Holiday Season and wrapping all those Christmas presents less stressful.
We have come up with ideas to work with any space.
If you would like to keep your wrapping supplies in a closet, try out one of these ideas.
Image via Southern Scraps
Image via Krazy Coupon Lady
If you don't have closet space, what about a dresser?
Image via Real Simple
Image via Ballard Design
Under the bed storage options...
Image via Iheartorganizing
Underbed storage tote from The Container Store
Free standing storage options...
Try a decorative laundry basket or trash can (Image via Smart School House)
Repurpose a bar stool (Image via Princess Pinky Girl)
We are interested in your ideas as well? How do you keep your wrapping materials organized?
We spent some time hunting down a few of our favorite Fall/Winter organizing tools to help you enjoy this season. Whether you're taking on the garage or just need some order at the front door, this list has what you need to get started.
Fall weather means tracking in more of the outdoors. Drop your shoes or boots onto one of these snazzy trays to cut back on the cleaning.
Cooler weather means more layers. Need a quick place to stash extra jackets this season? Add a seasonal coat rack near your entrance for easy access & quicker tidying up. So many looks out there, we had to give you a few choices for the tall & pint-sized folk as well.
The pleasant temperatures make it a great time to tidy up the garage, garden shed, or attic space. Here a some storage ideas that can make those spaces work for you. We love these overhead storage shelves that give you more floor space plus the option of hanging bicycles is fantastic.
This next storage option is genius. Yard tools can often be a bugger to store well. Unused filing cabinets can be a pain to get rid of. Solve both problems by losing the filing cabinet drawers, lying it on it's side, add a splash of cute paint, & viola! you've got yourself some sturdy storage! Click the link below to find out details on this very doable DIY project.
Organize your flower pots, smaller garden tools, & watering can onto a potting bench. Just a little investment can go a long way to bring order to your gardening space. The link will take you to lots of styles available on Ebay.com.
As always, we LOVE to hear from you! Have any tips or ideas to share? Let us know in the comment box.
Need some help organizing your extra spaces? Call us at 865.245.9080 & we'd love to help!
This week we're sharing some of our finds in the organizing world
to help clear up a little clutter while looking fabulous too.
Hope they inspire you as much as they did us!
These baskets by West Elm have endless uses while brightening up any space. Use them for towels, a hamper, toys, or as an entryway catchall.
We love this 8-pocket bag that can be used for any small items like cosmetics, cell phone, keys, or any small personal items you need a home for.
Find a home for all the little notes scattered around with this magnet board from Bliss Home.
The cutest metal picnic basket for a delightful outdoor summer meal! Such a delightful way to pack up your picnic.
Drop your spare change, your keys or any other little treasures into the Heritage Catchall.
Using reclaimed barn wood, After The Leaves Fall, creates beautiful storage for your earrings, bracelets, & necklaces with this lovely jewelry organizer.
Clients often ask where we like to purchase or suggest that they purchase organizing pieces. There are a variety of places we frequent but we wanted to highlight a few of our favorite containers and where you can get them. We also love scouring thrift shops and vintique stores for unique baskets, bins, and boxes. For the sake of giving you immediate options, here are a few things that you can easily purchase in store or online.
In terms of food storage we are loving these wire baskets from The Container Store for a farmers market feel. We love well organized, open faced pantries.
For counter top storage we tend to gravitate more towards baskets and bowls. We noticed this awesome fruit bowl at Target from the Nate Berkus Collection.
If you prefer to keep your counters clear, this hanging basket is a great fruit/veggie storage solution for your kitchen.
For storing fire wood, blankets, DVD's or other home good's we love this collection from West Elm.
For blankets we also love these Jute Baskets from World Market. They come in a few different colors.
We love the idea of using a caddy to contain your cleaning supplies so that you can easily move your supplies from room to room as you clean. This caddy from World Market is our current favorite.
Where do you typically purchase storage pieces?
