New Year, New Home: Creating a Comfortable and Efficient Home Office

With so many of us working from home, either full-time or part-time, creating a designated space for all of our work related materials is vital for ourselves and our home environment.  A private area to call 'mine' is crucial to provide privacy and efficiency.  Many of us use laptops and wireless connections, so the flexibility of our 'office' can be anywhere throughout the house, but the downside is that our work space often ends up being right smack in the 'heart of the home'.

Wherever your 'office' may be, why not make it beautiful?

How do you have an office area amidst your living room or kitchen?

How do you create a dual office and playroom?

Surround yourself with eye-popping color, inspirational pictures, and efficient storage.  This room is quite appealing to me with the apple green walls, amongst the crisp white furnishings.  Lots of cubbies, drawer space, and shelving provides ample space to keep your paperwork organized.   

A place for everything and everything in it's place. 

Living rooms are often a dual {work and live} space.  When your living area is a place to relax  as well as to earn your bread & butter, make it inviting, comfortable, and playful.  I love how the built-in shelving holds magazines and paperwork for storage, but still displays interesting and personal accessories.  To achieve a space that incorporates two functions can often be a challenge ~ think about using a mix of shelving, partition walls, screens, cabinets, and/or a curtain.

Whether your desk is used for a quick check of your email or a full day's workload, comfortable and efficient space, with {good lighting} is key. 

Find a spot that is inviting and that you enjoy working in ~ Using textures and prints, sure make the space pretty.

Many spaces in modern homes have more than one purpose, so creating a room that functions as a playroom for the kids, and a home office for you, makes complete sense.  You can be with your kids, but do work at the same time.  Create a fun and inviting environment that fits both of your needs.  Incorporate bins, baskets, and/or storage for their toys and as well as a separate area for your work needs.  Introduce comfortable seating, artwork, and rugs.

This pull down hutch would fit perfectly in your living room or kitchen.  Write out some note cards and your grocery list, or check your email.  Easily close the door and all the papers and junk 'stuff' are out of sight!

 An alcove like this can be perfect to work!

Do you have a nook in your home that you just don't know what to do with?  Add a desk or built-ins and make it your own!  I love this adorable  U-shaped desk...it's super cozy and with drawers and shelving, it fits quite a lot of storage. The white on white look with the chocolate stained floors is so fresh and contemporary.

Have fun with your office space!  Create an environment (however small it may be) that you ENJOY WORKING IN.  Again, the key is to surround yourself with inspirational pictures, words, and artwork.

Whether you work at a desk, the dining room table, or on the sofa, create a comfortable environment that works for you and your family.  When working from home, it is very difficult to separate yourself from all the things that need to be done.  But at the end of the day, you have to walk away, and let your mind rest.  It's a MUST for your body to recharge (I should take my own advice)! Kick back and RELAX...

{Here} are some more ideas to design a functional, yet beautiful environment to work at home?
I do most of my work at my desk.  It's small, but it's centrally located in my home, and is a perfect spot for me!

Do you work from home?  Do you have a space or area in your home that is designated as your office? Or is your preference to work on the sofa or at the kitchen table?

Images Courtesy of: Benjamin Moore, pinterest, the inspired occasion, House and Home, House to Home

A FRESH Start for the New Year: Attainable Organizing Ideas

I was doing a little shopping at Walmart yesterday and there were planners, bins, and calendars GALORE!  Everything having to do with {organization} was greeting each shopper as they entered.  For some, the thought of the New Year brings on new beginnings and a fresh start, BUT for others the thought of decluttering and purging brings major anxiety, which results in organizational failure ~ NOT GOOD!

So let's {break it down}.  A while back I wrote a post on organization and here's a recap:

Purge, Sort, & Shred ~ Remove everything from the space you are decluttering, whether it be your closet, desk, kitchen cabinet, etc. Have three boxes/bags ~ One for items to keep, One for items to throw away, One for items to donate.

Throw Away - This is huge.  If you haven't used something in 6+ months, you probably won't in another 6+ months, so throw it away.  If it's in good shape, {SELL IT} on Craiglist or {DONATE IT} to the Goodwill or your local shelter.

Use Baskets & Bins - They hold everything from toys TO winter gloves, scarfs, & hats TO food.  You can find baskets & bins in any size, shape, and/or color to coordinate with you decor and function.

 

Try these new organizational caddies and bins 

by Land of Nod and Willow House!

Central Command Center - Sounds a bit extreme, BUT it's a must to stay organized!  Have one designated area in the house where the entire family can put/find everything that's important ~ invitations, announcements, daily calendar, important phone numbers, etc.  An ideal location would be near the kitchen or mud room where it's everyone's first / last stop before coming / going.

 Now this is an A-W-E-S-O-M-E {CCC} (central command center)!

Try these smaller {CCC} boards for your family!

Here's a glimpse of a {CCC} that I'm working on for my family. 
It's bare (I know)...it's the latest addition / creation!

Organize Your Entry - When you come home, you don't want to see shoes, jackets, bookbags, and papers piled high.  You want an organized, calming space!  Set up baskets and cubbies for each person in your household;  Add seating and hooks. 

Ideas for {ORGANIZED} Entryways

We'd ALL love built-ins like this, BUT.....

Can't always be so lucky.  So try this built-in style look by Pottery Barn

Use What You Have - When organizing, use items that you already own.  Shop in your attic or basement (or anywhere in your house) for useful objects to store things in.

This are adorable DIY ideas from Country Living 1) Create a Memory Box from your summer vacation using a simple clear craft box 2) Finished with your eggs? Use it for your sewing thread, needles, and supplies 3) Transform your shelf into a bold display by attaching jelly jars underneath ~ It holds all your desk supplies and gives the shelf a dynamic difference.

A Craft/Wrapping/Everything Spot - This is a must!  You need a place ~ even if it's a corner of your storage room ~ for all your craft supplies, wrapping papers, gift bags, ribbons, paints, etc. etc. etc.  Even if you aren't a 'crafter' this can be someplace where ALL your misc items can be organized and always be found!

 We'd all LOVE a {WRAPPING ROOM}like Candy Spelling, but it's NOT reality! SO, how about....

....a space?  Any space, how ever big or small will do!  Try....

....a hanging gift wrap organizer.  At least all your paper, ribbon, tape, and scissors are in ONE spot!

Here's my latest project (of many) 

Stay Tuned 

Get Your Kids Involved - Sorting, Organizing, and Donating are great lessons to teach our kids.  Learning by example shows children that you really need to stay organized and 'clean'.  We're always asking our kids to clean up their toys, so shouldn't we?!  Donating clothes and/or toys, is a great way to show them how fortunate they are and that some kids don't have as much.

Lastly, take your organizational transformation {DAY by DAY} 
Getting your home in order is an everyday, ongoing process, so don't feel the pressure to get it done in one day ~ because it ain't gonna happin'!

What organizing ideas do you have planned for 2011?

Images Courtesy of freshome, Apartment Therapy,Country Living

Enter our latest GIVEAWAY 

Family-Friendly Organization

I'm a mom with young kids, and at times it's challenging to have a nice looking home amongst all the toys of my children. I want them to be able to play with their toys when they want, but at the same time, my home is important to me and especially with being an interior designer, I want to portray that. Designing your interior decor around young kids doesn't have to be a challenge. Kids go through their ages and stages so fast and as they're continually growing and changing, so are the toys they play with. I think the most challenging time when the amount of toys can get overwhelming is when your child(ren) is a baby/toddler. Most of the toys are big, bulky, and bright colored. I've pulled together some strategic organizational tips to design your decor, but at the same time make it kid-friendly.

•  Find baskets/bins that match your decor.  These rattan and wicker baskets are great options to organize your child's toys, and when they get older, you can use them for something else.  I always try to buy something that is multi-funtional and can be used for many purposes.  Also, when your kids are young, organizing their toys by category helps tremendously.  My son is always looking for something that he can't find, but if his toys are in the right bins, it should take seconds to find.

•  Get a large toy chest that complements your decor.  Or another option is to look for a vintage chest that can be used for toys today, but blankets and throws tomorrow.

 

• Use a storage ottoman in place of your glass or wood coffee table, similar to the ottomans above. These options will provide you with plenty of storage, and the leather/fabric will eliminate your concerns of sharp edges.

• Rotate your child's toys.  Keep some toys in your main living space, but store most of them in their rooms. You can keep them organized and by rotating them daily, it'll hold their interest longer. 

• Don't buy a lot of toys in the first place.  Your kids grow up so fast and the amount of toys you can accumulate is often overwhelming.  Try ToySwap.com, where you can borrow, swap, buy, or sell your toys.  They have an extensive list of toys to choose from.  Register on the site, select your toy and a few days later it'll be at your door.  When your child is bored of it, send it back!  There are few options for buying toys that won't break the bank (and in turn you won't mind getting rid of later).  Look for consignment shops in your area, like Cuddle Bugs in Saratoga Springs, NY, who sells a variety of toys and clothes.  Also, check out ebay and Craigslist, as well as local garage sales. 

These are just a few of the many options that I will continue blogging about regarding your home decor with your child in mind!  It's inevitable to have toys throughout your house when you have young kids...embrace it and know that it's only for a short period of time.

(images courtesy of: Coffee Table Ottoman, Ohdeedoh, Storage Ottoman, World Market)

Having fun ORGANIZING!

This is going to sound SO unromantic, but for my wedding anniversary that is coming up soon, I asked for my present to be shelving...(YES, I said shelving), meaning organization for my closets.  How horrible, right?!? We moved into our home less than a year ago, and the shelving in most of the closets of our builder-style home, is just one wire shelf set about 5' above the floor.  That certainly doesn't provide much shelving to store or hang anything!!  So away we went to Home Depot to buy shelving.  Of course, I would have LOVED to have had a closet company come install beautiful wood shelves, but we're on a budget and I'm fine with basic!  Here are some pictures of our closet transformation:

So here are some of my tips on organization:

Martha Stewart for Home Depot

• Purge - Take everything out of your closet/space; figure out what you don't use and throw it away.  If you haven't touched it in 6 months+, you probably don't need it!

• Go as high as you can go!  There is no reason to stop your shelving at 5' or 6' to where you can reach while standing on the floor.  Install a shelf even higher. Just get a step stool and put items on the top most shelf that you don't need to access on a regular basis, like large platters, holiday dishes, linens, etc.  This will give you so much more room to store! 

• Baskets or Bins - While at Home Depot in the shelving section, I saw this great display of colorful bins by Martha Stewart.  The bins also come in colors that coordinate with the Martha Stewart Paint Colors (how cool!).  I got 4 bins (one for each of us) in a different color/pattern.  This is a fun way to incorporate color and your unique flair!

• Install the shelving how YOU are going to use it - Before installing the shelving, have a general layout and think about how YOU and your family will use it.  If you use a 'typical' configuration, it might not fit what YOU need, resulting in waste of space!    

• Have fun with it!  Before installing the shelving, paint or wallpaper the back wall of the closet.  Even though, it's not something you will see all the time, it's a fun way to do something funky and fun.  Choose a color that you maybe wouldn't do throughout the rest of your house since it's too bright or bold.  Another idea, is to wallpaper the back wall to add some interest every time you open the door.  One more suggestion, add a picture or painting on the back wall...another surprise every time you look inside.

  

Along with Home Depot, The Container Store has some great organizational solutions and closet systems.  If you have an opportunity to visit one of their stores, you'll be amazed how many shelves, bins, baskets, organizers that they have to offer.....it's incredible and a little overwhelming too.  BUT, take it one step at a time and the job will get done! (I used to live down the street from one when living in an apartment, so I was always looking for more storage solutions)

 

If you've got money to spend, definitely invest in having a closet company assist you with designing your space.  California Closets has experienced Closet Consultants that will help you put everything in it's place! They obviously specialize in closets, but they can also help with storage for your office, garage, pantry, etc.

(images courtesy of Martha Stewart for Home Depot, The Container Store, California Closets)