Category Archives: Organization

The Two Key Advantages of Custom Made Storage

Every person is unique, and so it makes sense that every person’s storage issues are also unique.

Depending on your lifestyle, you might struggle with:

golf clubs and hockey bags in the entryway
too many clothes, shoes and accessories to fit in a closet
papers and magazines stacked on the dining table
children’s toys scattered wherever they lost interest and dropped them.

Whatever you need to store, custom-made storage offers two key advantages that can make a huge difference in your home.

1. Custom storage is designed to meet your unique storage needs

If you’ve struggled to find adequate storage, you’ve probably been through the aggravating process of first measuring empty corners or wall areas in your home.

Then there’s a drive to an IKEA-type warehouse and finding a decent-looking bookcase or wardrobe that will fit the space you have, without clashing too much with the rest of your furniture.

Over time, you end up with a hodge-podge of storage units that don’t match each other (or anything else) and never seem to provide quite the storage space you need.

2. Custom storage takes advantage of your home’s available space

Custom storage brings all that to an end. And at Organized Interiors, we specialize in custom-made storage.

Our design consultants work with you to design and build a storage solution that meets your specific needs and makes the most of the space you have available.

Whether it’s a bedroom closet, a home office, or a children’s play area, we can find an attractive and practical design option that works for you. We can even make sure your custom storage fits in with the overall look and style of your home.

Having the right storage helps you keep your home a neat, well-organized place where you can relax and enjoy yourself.

Get in touch with us today and one of our design consultants can visit you for a free in-home consultation.

Barbie’s Wardrobe and Ergonomic Design in Closets

Photo credit: Barbie Collector

When I was a little girl I wasn’t a big fan of playing with Barbie dolls but I loved the doll-sized wardrobe that held miniature fashion ensembles and accessories. It was pink, stately, with two doors that opened to reveal a tiny rod with hangers, little drawers for pairs of plastic shoes, shelves for microscopic jewellery and a full length ‘mirror’ inside one door made from an almost-reflective material. It was glorious. But not because I had fun dressing up the dolls it was the organization I loved. Every tiny piece had it’s own perfect place.
I also colour-coded the doll’s outfits with their shoes too, but that’s another story.

Order and convenience

What stuck with me over the years was how much I appreciated order. It’s convenient to have everything in it’s place, within reach. The busier I am the more I crave the efficiency of having what I need everyday close by, not just at home but also at work.

Ergonomics

It’s actually a science. The study of people’s efficiency in their work environment is called ergonomics. It’s also something designers employ when it comes to home design. It’s important to address how we function in a space with special emphasis on ease, comfort and safety.
Where we place objects, furniture and appliances, how high we have to reach for something, how well it’s lit for the task at hand are only a few of the considerations designers have on their checklist.
The appliance industry sets standards for the height and width of everyday appliances for the kitchen and laundry room. As we learn more about how we work in a space and how o make life easier and safer those standards become more refined. Chair, table and desk heights, sofa seat depth, etc are all a result of the applied science of ergonomics.
But lets go back to my dream wardrobe, er closet.

A closet for grownups

If you look at a standard clothes closet there’s usually a door, maybe two, that slide, open out or fold open to reveal a rod across the span of the space usually just above eye level, with a shelf across the top.
You have three distinct spaces to work with; you can hang clothes on hangers spanning the entire space; you can stack articles on top piled as high as you can; and you can stack or line up items on the floor under the hanging clothes. The door may have hooks on it for additional hanging space.
In my dream closet there are several more options. I would hang shorter rods at two or more different heights to accommodate short and long items. Shelving, preferably at varying heights would allow stackables like sweaters and t-shirts to be easily seen, accessed and replaced after cleaning. The more orderly, the more functional it is. Drawers are wonderful in a closet too, especially for those who prefer not to have everything on display.

Ergonomic design in closets

Contemporary ergonomic design is all over closets these days from built-in laundry hampers to racks for belts and scarves that tuck back in to the cabinetry. Imagine how much simpler mornings will be when you select your outfit the night before set it out on a pull out valet rod, choose your shoes from your own colour coordinated shoes collection and accessorize with your jewellery laid out in a velvet-lined casing in a drawer topped with glass.
Sweet, simple, functional and organized. Just like Barbie… and me.
Is your closet ergonomically designed or thrown together haphazardly? Organized Interiors design consultants can help you design a dream closet that meets your specific needs. Contact us to find our more.

Felt Storage Box with Lid

A felt storage box from Organized Interiors looks stylish and is a simple solution for reducing the clutter in a room. These attractive, cube containers come with a hard lid and are perfect for storing seasonal clothing, toys, magazines and various household items. When the box isn’t being used you can fold it up and store it in the lid. Genius!
Watch as interior designer and television host Jane Lockhart demonstrates some of the unique features of this storage box.

Some of the unique features of our gray felt storage box:

sturdy, stackable, cube design with hand-stitched detail
a hard, fitted lid to protect your contents from dust
folds up easily and fits inside the lid when not in use
takes up very little space when not in use
cut out handles on each side for easy portability
neutral gray colour
12.75″ x 12.75″ x 12.75″ without the lid
13 inch cube with the lid on top

If you struggle with clutter in your home, these attractive storage boxes are the perfect solution for keeping a room tidy. The neutral gray color won’t clash with the decor of a room allowing you to use these storage boxes anywhere.

Where to buy

Visit our showroom and pick some up today. If you need more than storage boxes to get your home organized then talk to one of our design consultants or book an in-home design consultation.

A Great Room Requires Great Organization

Interior designer and television host Jane Lockhart believes that a great room requires great organization behind the scenes. Without proper storage, everyday items can clutter up a room up in no time. A custom closet, or custom cabinetry can provide you with the storage space you need to keep any room in your house looking beautiful for years to come.

Radiant Orchid and Organized Interiors

Pantone’s colour of the year for 2014 is called Radiant Orchid — a captivating purple that “inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health” according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Organized Interiors has been using a similar orchid colour for years to brand the company which also inspires health and joy through its home organization products.
A tidy and organized living space can reduce stress and improve your emotional health. When you’re buried in clutter and can’t find things in your home it leads to frustration and wastes time on a regular basis. Design consultants at Organized Interiors love looking at your clutter and providing you with custom solutions to organize your closet, home office or laundry room.
When it comes to interior spaces, Radiant Orchid can brighten up a room as a paint colour, when used in room accessories or furniture pieces. Pantone describes the colour as “uplifting and bold without being overpowering, Radiant Orchid reenergizes almost any color palette and provides a unifying element for diverse spaces.” We love this description because eliminating clutter can also reenergize a room and inspire — something we strive for in a dressing room or home office.

Expect to see a lot more of Radiant Orchid in 2014 when it comes to furniture, bedding, accessories and accent colours.