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Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Fit TV's Neat: Messy Maria

Maria loves the great deals she finds at Goodwill, moving sales, and bargain stores, but her one bedroom apartment has been taken over by her collection of great deals. When Maria-s boyfriend decided to move in with her, he though he could handle living with the clutter. Two months later, he was packing his bags. With professional organizer Hellen Buttigeig by her side, Maria is on a mission to turn her cluttered apartment into a inviting space.

The first step on Maria's path to organization is to purge her apartment of the unneeded and unwanted possessions and organize what she wants to keep by living area. Once the purge is complete, the reinvention of the apartment begins.

The old office space was a jungle of computer cables, scrap paper, pens and books. Maria printer rested on a wine rack that also doubled as her bar. By bringing in a new desk with a swing-out additional workspace, the new office space is already looking sleeker. Color-coded hanging files are placed on a rolling rack. Wall mounted organizers are used to help maintain order and keep with the new color-coded system that Hellen has brought into the space.

The adjoining living room and dining space were given new life with a coffee table with built in cubbies. A buffet with sliding frosted glass doors allows Maria to see the see her possessions while keeping them out of direct sight. Maria's bedroom also went from cluttered to stunning. Curtains were hung in place of closet doors to allow Maria easy access to her new storage system. New open storage spaces let Maria see her clothes. Color-coded baskets allow her to store smaller articles neatly.

Maria is what is known as a "visual learner." This means that she recalls things visually. To her, if something is out of sight, it's out of mind. That is why her possessions were strewn about her apartment. For this type of personality, Hellen suggests using a dressers that are easy to open and close and keeping the closet area clear for easy access. This allows the visual learner to use the storage effectively and not fall back on old habits. Storage units with open spaces allow visual learners to see her belonging but keeps them neat. Low baskets allow for easy storage of small items but also allows for the contents to be easily seen.

(Fit TV's Neat: Messy Maria)