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My pantry serves as our laundry room, storage room, cleaning closet, china hutch and tool shed. It can get a little crazy up in here. There’s lots going on.
We have two huge bookshelves (twice the width you see here) for holding everything, as well as the big filing cabinet, which holds all of our bigger tools.
A while back we installed two pegboard panels above the tool cabinet. I usually say that everything should be put away for a clean, uncluttered look. But sometimes, especially in a small space, things can get buried quickly. Making this pegboard has made my life so much more efficient.
Since the pantry door is usually open I wanted the pegboard wall to be as clean and simple-looking as possible. I thought about painting the pegboard a cool color at first, but I didn’t want it to stick out more than it already does, so I left the white. But I did spray paint all the organizational hardware the same rose gold color.
It’s subtle, but I like the little bit of shine.
I also use about a dozen clear tupperware bins. I bought them at Home Depot for a dollar each.
I have them labeled with these cute chalkboard labels from Martha Stewart’s label line for Avery.
Each bin holds something small and specific, like upholstery staples or tape or wall anchors.
Another thing that helps keep this room running smoothly is my little whiteboard. I jot down things on this board that we’re running out. They’re usually things I wouldn’t remember while making a shopping list (like laundry detergent or light bulbs).
Other things that make the room special to me- the persian rug I bought in Belgium for just a few euros (I think it was only three!) and the pair of porcelain animal hooks I got in Delaware at the Amish flea market. We usually hang aprons from these and the girls adore them.
The pantry is sort of like the command center of our home. It’s been surprisingly good to us these past two years (not that I won’t be excited for a little more space when we move!). I think this room was a great learning experience for me and reminded me how well a space can function when it is well-organized.
So, I’d love to hear about your best organizing tip. What do you do to keep your challenge spaces tidy and running smoothly? Share your tip in the comments section for a chance to win a whopping $500 in gift cards! $250 to Target AND $250 to the Container Store!
Contest ends June 24. Rules can be read in full here. Good luck!
I have 3 young girls (soon to be 4 next month). To keep account of all their schedules and activities, I assign a different color pen to each child when scheduling things on my calendar. (I'm still old school and use a real paper calendar). Each girl also has her own brightly colored basket in our mud room where she can store her shoes. Nothing too creative but enough to keep me sane!
All hail the 10-minute tidy. I do one of these a day, and it takes one basket and a couple turns around the house and everything is back where it belongs.
Saves so much time.
My apartment, I'm afraid, is a raging disaster. Very little organization to speak of (which is why I so desperately need contests like this).
If I tell you how I organize my brain, can I still enter? I've just started to use Evernote, so that I don't lose my ideas like I lose my shoes!
I do keep my kids' treasures (art from school, pictures, playbills) "organized" in the Container Store's Stockholm Office Storage Boxes.
Living in a 1953 home means little storage. To maximize our kitchen pantry (tiny!) I installed pull out elfa shelves from Container Store. They have made a world of difference. The pull out spice rack is my favorite :)
I leave a small laundry basket in the bathroom to catch the clothes that inevitably get left behind after showers. It is SO much better without pajamas strewn about! :)
I recently organized my pantry with those same MS chalk board labels and some of her other labels. I did a mix of baskets and clear containers. I love that everything is labeled now- it makes a huge difference.
That space is amazing! We utilize several of the same techniques that you do – containing like items, labeling containers, simple color scheme and living within the confines of the space. But, it's the quirky details make the space sing!
That space is amazing! We utilize several of the same techniques that you do – containing like items, labeling containers, simple color scheme and living within the confines of the space. But, it's the quirky details make the space sing!
The thing that has helped me the MOST is having junk drawer. Just one. A small one. Where all the odds and ends that don't have a place can live so they don't end up EVERYWHERE.
I try to keep separate places for separate things and I'm trying to get better about labeling! I also try to do a little a day and am thankful for a husband that helps out a lot!
my one tried and true tip is to constantly purge & declutter the items we own.
My only tip is giving each person in the family their own laundry bag and an assigned day to have their laundry bag down the stairs and in the laundry room. This works well for my 5 kids + husband, the older ones can do the laundry themselves and my little ones pick up their clothes and put them in the bag for me. With this many people in one house you need a system!
I hung a clear pocket shoe storage bag over a door in the basement and keep my extension cords and other electrical accessories stored,visible and easily accessible. No more chipped manicure digging for a 3prong adaptor!
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Merci for introducing me to those adorbs MS chalkboard labels!! eeeeps! off to buy some now.
The thing that I do everyday to keep things tidy is to make sure the dishwasher is empty before dinner so that after dinner we can put the dirty dishes directly into the dishwasher. It has been a lifesaver!
Every time I leave a room I pick up something that doesn't belong and I put it where it does belong.
My fiance and I share a 200 sq ft studio in NYC so we are constantly purging anything not in use and rotating out out summer and winter wardrobes to storage is a savior!
In my house, the only thing we really keep organized is my crafty/sewing stuff. I have three bookshelves and a desk that all of my stuff goes on. It's almost always overflowing, so I also have a spot by the couch, with crafts and fabrics in buckets, which is were I do most of my crafting. I could definitely use the money for the Container Store!!
My best tip is to never skip a day! When I skip a day because I'm in a hurry or just being lazy- things tend to unravel quickly!
Hi Jenny!
My biggest organization lifesaver since I live in a small home is to have baskets for everything. Certain baskets for toys, craft supplies, etc. etc. I make sure they go with the decor in my home, so it doubles as a decor item and organization tool. Works well for me!
Clear plastic bins clearly labeled and stashed all over my apartment are the only way I can stay organized!
My biggest tip is to spend those first 10 minutes after putting the kids to bed to tidy up. You will feel better and when its time to really clean you don't have to spend half the day picking up first!
My biggest tip for staying organized is to constantly edit what's in our home. If I don't do this, we suddenly look around and have lots of things that we got for free somewhere, don't really like, or aren't serving a purpose.
My husband and I just bought our first home, so we are really trying to get in to a groove with how we clean. The 2 most important tips are clean as you go (especially helpful in the kitchen and bathroom!), and storage storage storage (of which I believe there is never enough of!).
Every week I clean out one small drawer, box, shelf etc. If I have time, I do a bigger space, but doing just a little bit every week keeps it from getting out of control.
Designated bins for school papers and a file box for selected school papers we want to keep (for each year of school). I find that school is the biggest source for papers coming in to the house. If I can manage those papers, I feel like I can manage most anaything!
I live in a tiny apartment with no drawer space for utensils, so I've bought pretty vases from various stores and put all my utensils, knives, forks, spoons, cooking instruments, etc., in them! Not only is it decorative, I don't hate emptying the dishwasher anymore!!
I love using separate baskets for organzing my daughters playroom. One for toys, one for books, one for puzzles, etc. It also helps her to help me clean up if she knows each item has a home. But my best organization tip is purging unused stuff once a month and taking a box to Goodwill. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to clean up!
I'm a fan of using vinegar/water solution for cleaning my tabletop and counters. Cheap and a good disinfectant. Thanks Jenny!
I used your advice and created a Cleaning Calendar. I just updated it to suite our summer schedule. It's the best! Keeps me on top of things and sane at the same time :) Thanks for the advice! Love your blog! Now I'm inspired to give my pantry a little TLC :)
Over-the-door organizers have been so helpful for our little apartment. I turned our coat closet into a pantry with an over-the-door organizer and some industrial shelving. I also use a clear shoe organizer for frequently used toiletry items in my linen closet. No stuffing them in boxes where I'll have to dig for them.
My best tip is to simply put everything away when you get it out, and if you make a mess clean it up right then. Putting off laundry, ironing, dishes, etc. will only make your list that much longer later.
Well the best tip would be to put things away as soon as your done with them, but we don't always tend to do that. So having a space for everything and labeling them helps a whole lot. If it doesn't belong in any of the labeled spaces then figure out if you need it or toss it, If you need it create a new place, bin or other solution for such things.
Leave it to Martha to make those quirky chalkboard labels! Your organized space is an inspiration. My only advice, which I don't follow often enough, is to spend a few minutes every day doing a bit of de-cluttering or organizing so you don't feel overwhelmed.
Leave it to Martha to make those quirky chalkboard labels! Your organized space is an inspiration. My only advice, which I don't follow often enough, is to spend a few minutes every day doing a bit of de-cluttering or organizing so you don't feel overwhelmed.
Since I'm in the middle of packing and moving, I'll share a moving organization tip. I create a binder for the move, get color coded labels (the sets of various neon colors), assign each color to a different type of room, and then number the boxes for each color. In the binder I write the number & color of the box, and info about what's in the box. This is more complicated than just labeling the box, but it's helpful if you're packing things up for short-term storage or a cross-country move – you keep the binder with you and can know exactly what number box you need to find if you're looking for something in particular. The colors help you to group the boxes together, so that you can have all of the kitchen boxes in the same area.
I so need these gift cards! Organization is not my strong point. I keep a couple of baskets in the kitchen where I can drop in the kids' school work and other important papers I need on hand. The baskets look cute, and I can always find what I need.
probably my best organizing tip is to work *with* whatever the challenge is instead of against it, I tried for years to get my husband to put away his shoes and coats from out mudroom and always wound up doing it myself, turns out that by putting hooks up right where he usually tosses and adding a bench that he could kick shoes underneath, the problem area was no longer a problem!
I love love love organizational tubs/cute baskets, etc. Organization is key to my sanity.
Love love love those labels :) I have GOT to get a handle on all the mess in my garage…what inspiration!
Love those labels! I have GOT to get a handle on the mess that makes up my garage, great inspiration :)
Ah, I like those MS labels a lot.
I have a place for everything. You can't keep things organized if they don't have a place to go. For example, I have three boxes for mail: To Sort, To Shred, and To File (there's also To Recycle, but that pile immediately goes outside in the paper bin).
Also, periodically go through stuff and donate or throw out things that are expired, broken, or no longer used.
All I did over the weekend was clean and organize my house! Getting a chore system in place has helped immensely in keeping things clean and I use the bean system from you for reward. I'm not the best at organization so for me the key is to overhaul a few times a year and purge and keep things in check as much as possible. I could definitely use the prize to assist me. But I am getting better with time over here :)
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I use baskets for everything. They are easy to reach and easy to throw stuff in. We also do the "5 minute whirlwind" where we set a timer and put everything we can away.
Wish I had a good system for organizing. I need help! which is why I like your blog so much. You are terrific, Jenny. I did use this:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40090386/
to hold my canister vacuum in my back hall. I installed it myself and it is mighty convenient.
This is a seriously inspiring space! My tip would seem like a moot point if you could see my laundry/utility closet! But in other spaces I can keep a better handle on things. I think the key is to be on top of them – seasonally or at least yearly cleaning things out so that you only keep what you actually use.
I put all misc. items in labeled containers, and regularly audit and throw away stuff that isn't used. Also, as I saw a few other people comment, I do regular cleaning to keep things clutter free.
Constant purging and bins wherever possible. I do dream of a pegboard like yours!
Baskets, bins, labels – pegboard and hooks. Most importantly, the diligence to keep up with the organization on a daily basis (and not wait for someone else to do it or for a rainy day to organize — by then it's too late and you're looking at chaos!).