Pretty and Organized: Go Clutter-Free with 30 Easy-to-Make Decorative Storage Ideas for Every Room In Your Home - Softcover

Hughes, Jane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1770854789 ISBN 13: 9781770854789

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2015

Synopsis

Pretty and Organized is the ultimate guide to creating innovative and stylish storage solutions. It includes 30 practical projects for any room in the home -- bedroom, craft room, kitchen, dining room, hallway, bathroom, kids' play area, even the garage and workshop.

The advantage of Pretty and Organized is that not only does it show how to make personalized storage, it helps with the decluttering process, which is what keeps so many people from conquering the problem. Using the basic principles set out in this book, an organized life is readily achievable. The tips and techniques are great for a closet or a room -- the whole house actually, and ideal for creating new habits that will help to prevent clutter in the future.

Inspirational color photographs and concise instructions provide professional guidance for the 30 storage solutions that can easily be tailored for specific problems:

• Hallway/Entranceway - Dedicated storage for high traffic: coat peg rack, tidy bags, shoes shelf
• Kitchen - Gain efficient storage in the busiest room: meal planner, magnetic board, food storage
• Living Room - Keep a cluttered open-plan room neat: magazine files, drinks trolley, electronics bag
• Bathroom - Practical storage for the whole family: travel roll, first aid box, wall pockets
• Bedroom - Restore calm without compromising style: clothes bags, bedside gadget pocket, shoes shelf
• Kids' Bedroom/Playroom - Organization is essential here: pajamas bag, bedside pocket, wall display box
• Workspace/utility room - Reclaim space by organizing it: sweep-up brush, door organizer, string holders
• Garage/Garden Shed - Functional and pretty: plant hanger, handy caddy, seed organizer.

Pretty and Organized is the creative guide to a neat and efficient home, from the difficult decisions of what to keep or throw away to the enjoyment of giving everything its own place and knowing where that is.

About this title

About the Author

Jane Hughes studied fashion and textiles and worked as a clothing and graphic designer for more than 10 years. Her blog Teawagontales has built a loyal following and features inspirational tutorials.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

If you've picked up this book, the chances are you feel the need to organize and declutter your living space. The problems of storage are universal. Whether you live in a large, airy house, a tiny apartment, or an old farmhouse, most of us don't have enough space for the things we own. A lot of this can be attributed to the psychology of the times we live in. Go back a mere 60 years, before the advent of shopping malls and giant supermarkets, and our buying habits were much more functional. Shops were smaller and our choices were fewer. Cars were still seen as luxuries. All of this meant that we bought only what we really needed, and in quantities that we could manage to carry home.

Now, however, we live in a highly consumerist age, driven by aspiration and the idea that everything we desire is obtainable. It's easy to buy stuff if you have the means. And it follows that, as our lives and our minds become busier and faster, they also become more cluttered. All of which makes the idea of simple, organized living ever more appealing.

Fads and trends may come and go, but a tidier home is something you will always benefit from. And although a more minimal approach isn't always easy and may not be for everyone, the benefits of a clutter-free space with simple storage for belongings will help declutter your head too. Need proof? According to recent studies carried out by the American Cleaning Institute, removing excess clutter could reduce housework in the average home by 40 percent. It's worth bearing in mind too that according to Time Magazine, household dust contains--among other things--human skin, decomposing insects, food debris, and sometimes even lead, arsenic and pesticides. On that note, now might be a good time to say goodbye, to those dusty old trinkets or that pile of magazines and papers you think might one day come in handy, but you know you're never going to look at again. Learn how to let go of possessions that you no longer need, and be ruthless.

Being organized isn't something you do when you have a bit of spare time. It's a daily, weekly, life-long job, and as things change or evolve in your life, you may have to adapt your ideas to fit. Being able to quickly lay your hands on an unpaid bill or school permission slip can save a lot of time and stress. Consider using a household journal containing a calendar to hold all your important information and dates, as well as contact details, school or work information, shopping lists, and bills. You can make your own from a ring binder and paper or work from a notebook. It may be that you find a wall planner, hung in a visible place, works better for you.

Here are examples of some basic hassle-free storage solutions:

• Keep items in transparent containers to enable you to findd them easily. The more accessible the storage location, the better.
• Make it a rule to sort through clothes, shoes, and accessories each season. Get rid of any unwanted items, and if they're still wearable put them in a goodwill donation bag and move them out before you change your mind.
• Put labels on everything. Having tins and boxes for storage is great for a neat look, but not when you don't have a clue as to what's inside any of them. A label maker is a good investment, although if you have nice writing and a decent pen you can make some with pretty sticky labels. Chalkboard stickers are a good idea if you are changing the contents regularly.

Throughout this book you'll find more handy tips on how to tidy and organize things in stylish ways that complement your home. You will also find 30 projects that you can make for your home, designed to make life easier and simpler while remaining aesthetically pleasing. These easy-to follow projects range far and wide, from pretty shelves and mail baskets to toy storage and meal planners. Where templates are provided, please note these will need photocopying and resizing according to the scale given.

All in all, this book offers practical solutions to practical problems. Not only will your home feel like a better space to live in, it should be nicer to look at. None of these projects will take up hours of your life or tug hard on your purse strings, and they're designed for anyone and everyone. A well-organized home can have a big effect on your own well-being, and the benefits are for the long term. What's more, it also leaves you free to get on with the things in life that you really want to do.

Enjoy!

Edition details

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1770854789
• ISBN 13: 9781770854789
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 144