Has this ever happened to you? You decide to organize an area of your home based on a cool idea you saw online, in a store or magazine and it is a total disaster! Either you can’t find the exact products they used, your space is a different shape and nothing fits or you simply get overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you are trying to put in the space? Suddenly, your perfect organizing project has become a total nightmare! So what do you do? Take the items you bought back to the store? Shove your stuff back in the space and hide the rest in the garage? No, no, no. Keep reading and I will tell you the secrets to successful home organization projects.
Here is how to organize the spaces in your home.
What You Need
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- Measuring Tape
- Storage Bins You can find great storage bins just about everywhere. I usually purchase from Target, IKEA, The Container Store, or discount home stores such as Homegoods or At Home.
Get Inspired
There are four places I always look to for inspiration for a project.
The best place to find inspiration for an organization project is Pinterest. Remember that while Pinterest is a great place to find inspiration, you often need to modify to make what you see work. It is important to realize that many projects on Pinterest are not for amateurs or beginners. Many of the people who post on Pinterest are experts in their field and they have tools and resources that you may not. There is a reason why there are websites dedicated to Pinterest fails. They happen all the time! If you feel like a project that you want to try is out of your ability then find someone who can do it. A friend, a spouse or an expert in the field such a contractor or home organizing specialist.
Magazines
It can be fun to sit down with a magazine and look at pretty pictures. They can often give you inspiration of how you would like to set up your own home. I love The Magnolia Journal and Real Simple Magazine or HGTV Magazine for this.
Stores
I often find that browsing in stores like Target, IKEA or the Container Store give me great inspiration.
Blogs
Let’s be honest. Pinterest is mostly a collection of blogs and websites. So if you just Google the type of project you want to complete, you will find blogs filled with great ideas.
Remember that everyone’s home is different
I think this is one of the most common reasons why organizing projects fail. We see a pretty room or space online and we want to duplicate it. The problem is our space is completely different than the one we saw online. I live in a Stucco Home in the southwest, so I’m clearly not going to be able to make my home look exactly like a Farmhouse in the northeast! Every room in my home and space is completely different from other people’s homes. The only way I could make my project exactly like another home is to find a blogger in my niche with the exact same home model as me in this area. I doubt that is going to happen.
Measure Your Space
Before starting any kind of organization project. You should measure your space. You need to measure height, width, length, and depth. If you forget to measure any of those, it can really screw up your project. Even if you are a visual person like me, measure. It will save you time and the headache of something not working.
Once you have measured your space start looking online for products that you like that can be used in your organization project. This will help you narrow down the field of products that won’t work. You will easily be able to eliminate the products that don’t have the right measurements. Once you have narrowed down the field then you can decide the best place to purchase the products that you want to try using in your home. For projects like this I do recommend purchasing at brick and mortar stores or their online counterpart. Returns are much easier and less costly.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time to Work
Now just because you measured and purchased products that you thought would work in your space, does not mean they will. There are still going to be problems that you do not foresee. A notch in a cabinet you didn’t realize was there or sink pipes that hang down in the wrong spot. It happens no matter how well you plan. So make sure you give yourself plenty of time to complete the project. Just like any other home improvement project there will be hiccups and glitches.
Try Many Different Solutions and Containers
I often purchase multiple types of bins for an organizing project. This gives me flexibility and choices. Sometimes I buy an item that I feel is going to be perfect for the space I am organizing only to have it not work. I may not like how the item fits in my space or how the items I’m storing in it fit. It happens all the time, so don’t get discouraged. You can always try different types of containers and many times I find myself repurposing other containers in my home. Don’t be afraid to purchase items and return them if they don’t work for you. Just remember to keep your receipts. Whatever you do, don’t settle for an item that doesn’t work or shove it in the garage and avoid returning it. That is a waste of your precious money and resources.
Don’t Give Up
This is my final piece of advice on how to organize for the space that you have. Do not give up on a project. You can have a well organized space if you take your time, work with what you have and remember to be flexible.
Final Thoughts
If you are really struggling on a project. Don’t be afraid to ask for the help of a friend who is good at organizing or Pinterest projects. If your friend is anything like me they would love to help you. Just ask! If you can’t find a friend there are always professionals, just be sure to carefully vet them and check their license!
Are you having trouble organizing your space? What is your biggest struggle when it comes to projects? What has made you successful?
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