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Wednesday, January 11, 2006

HGTV's Mission: Organization: Taking Back the Basement

The Debbie and Jon Katz have a problem: a garage in desperate need of organization. The storage space in the house that been used up and now the family's garage is bursting at the seams with tools, children's toys and long term storage items leaving no room for the family car. Professional organizer Lisa Witts has been sent in to take this space from cluttered and disorganized to a stylish space that Jon, Debbie and their three kids can use for both work and play.

The first step in Lisa's plan is to have the family sort through their belongings in the garage grouping like items together. Once items have been sorted into three main groups, toys, tools and long terms storage, it was time to sort through all the items and decide what will stay, what will be donated to charity and what will go to the curb. Lisa got the kids involved at this point by having them sort through their toys to decide what they still play with and what can be given away.

Once the garage was cleared, Lisa revealed her master plan for the blank canvas of a garage. Where there once was one large shelf for Jon's tools, there will be a new storage system making tools easier to access. Wire shelves will be mounted to the ceilings where long term storage items, like coats, coolers and paints, will be stored in clear plastic containers so their contents can be easily viewed. With storage above, the space opens up allowing for a new arts and crafts area for the three Katz children. Outdoor toys will be placed into bins, bikes placed on racks and the parents' bikes will be suspended from the ceiling since they are not used as often. Old kitchen cabinets that were once used for storage will be replaced by lockers to store seasonal toys.

Now the work begins. A bare-studded wall was drywalled. Then all the walls were painted a light lilac. The floor and foundation to the garage were painted a darker purple. These colors where then accented by a dark cranberry trim. On an empty wall, chalkboard paint was used to create an area for the kids to draw. Around the newly painted chalkboard, metal trim was installed to give the kids places to hang their art. A paper towel holder was repurposed to hold a roll of craft paper completing the art center.

The old shelf that used to store Jon's tools has been replaced by a wall stoage system. This allows for flexibility in a storage system. Like tools were grouped together with the most used tools within reach. Lesser used tools were stored higher on the peg board keeping them out of the way, yet easy to get to when needed.

The Katz family learned gained valuable insight from there garage reorganization. Now they know where objects are stored saving them time. Their possessions are at their fingertips, where as before the garage was too full to be effective as a storage space. Most importantly they feel their kids are safer since tools properly stored and tools and toys have distinct zones.

(HGTV's Mission: Organization: Taking Back the Basement)


Monday, January 02, 2006

TLC's Clean Sweep: Big Daddy's Dusty Chair

Bill and Vicki Moser had a home office and a family room that were overwhelmed by their possessions. Bill's home office was inundated with paper and pamphlets from his home business. Vicki's computer was located in the family room along with all of the kids' toys and art supplies. This room ended up the family’s dumping ground.

But have no fears, Mosers, TLC's Clean sweep team is here to help. Designer Molly Luetkemeyer and professional organizer Shelli Alexander along with the help of carpenter Eric Stromer are here to help you get your life clean and organized!

The small home office was tackled by painting it a bright spring green and placing a mural on the wall. The existing desk was added onto to provide more work space and give a home to the phone and fax machine. The closet was outfitted with additional shelves to allow easy access to everyday business supplies and folders. Hanging storage was placed in a column on a small wall to provide an extra area. Additional boxes and desk accessories were placed on the desk, under tables and on built in shelves to maximize organization and keep everything at arms length.

The lilac family room became zoned, clearly defining the purpose of each portion of the space. A new desk was fashioned from a large floating shelf between two walls in a nook. Storage boxes were added to conceal everyday desk clutter. The kids' zone was defined by a custom built bookcase that also served to conceal toys. Art supplies were placed in see-through boxes to keep them organized but still allow the children to easily see what was inside. To allow the children to display their artwork, the walls were covered in cork. Keeping the theme of children’s art in the room, favorite pieces of art done by the Moser kids were framed to hang in a collage above the family room's new couch.

With help from the Clean Sweep team of professionals the Mosers now have two great rooms where before they had clutter. There are some great ideas in this episode that you can transfer to your own home. Try keeping craft supplies organized by keeping them in clear boxes. Give children a specific zone to do crafts and give them a space to display their work with a magnetic bulletin board. In your office, take advantage of desk organizers to keep your workspace clutter free. Try storage boxes to keep everyday objects out of site, but still keeping them handy. And don't be afraid to use your vertical wall space to help improve your storage situation!

(TLC's Clean Sweep: Big Daddy's Dusty Chair)