Most people think of spring time cleaning but because we are starting a home renovation in Jan. I need to de-clutter and organize everything before Christmas descends upon us!! In looking for tips for my own home, I have stumbled on a few faves that I would like to share!!
In the Kitchen!!
Of course everything Brooke Giannetti, from the blog Velvet & Linen, does is fab! I have gotten to where I like to keep my silverware out - easy access!! Love these converted French candle holders as a silverware caddy!
In our little office kitchen, you can find our silverware living in rustic tin cans that we also sell in the boutique. At around $9 per tin, this is a charming and budget-friendly way to organize your cutlery!!
Why is it that the utensil drawers always end up in such disarray? Something as simple as using pretty little baskets and a knife holder can section off much needed drawer space so you can neatly stock all of your serving spoons, knives, and cheese graters in one place!! The Container Store is a great resource for finding small baskets and organizers such as these. If you are starting from scratch I have found a great website Rev-A-Shelf which has pull out baskets, lazy susans, and all sorts of wonderful things to make better use of your cabinetry in your bathrooms, kitchens, utility and craft rooms! Lowes and Home Depot also carries this line!!
If you like the idea of using baskets for utensils, try adding larger baskets made for storage as the perfect organizational flourish in a pantry as well!!
At the shop we filled the bottom shelving with baskets like these from Ikea who has amazing prices and put our various items in there - they pull out like drawers and make it so much easier to keep organized in a small kitchen!!
For a pantry or small closet, you can remove the shelves and install sliding drawers instead. What a fantastic way to get more from a space!! I, of course, would put a pretty finish on those drawers!!!!
Laundry Rooms!!!
An inexpensive way to add hanging space to a laundry room or broom closet is to mount a towel rack upside down. Now why didn't I think of this??
Take it a step further and install multiple towel racks and hang storage baskets from them. Zip ties are great ways to secure your assortment which can be filled with just anything!!! If you're not up for a full do-it-yourself project, Pottery Barn sells the Hannah Basket Wall System which provides the same look and versatile storage starting at $49.
Labeling the baskets, bins, and tins in a laundry room is a great way to stay organized!! Gift tags work well to tie around the weave of baskets while spraying chalk paint in a circle would be a picture-perfect way to decorate and label bins and buckets! You can buy Rustoleum's Specialty Chalkboard Paint from Home Depot which is very easy to apply.
More sliding drawers! These conveniently hide laundry baskets and can help you sift through your darks, lights, and whites in a snap!!
I love this!! Glass jars can make lovely displays out of almost anything including powdered laundry detergent! We carry some wonderful oversized square jars we import from Belgium ($95) that would be perfect for your detergent!
And of course, you can always utilize an alcove in a wall by hanging curtains that can be drawn closed to disguise anything and add a bit of softness to the room! There are those jars again full of detergent!!!
Bathrooms!!!
Extra shelf space in your bathroom or even in the small room where the toilet lives can be functional and attractive by employing more of these multipurpose baskets and a few select pieces of decor. Even the toilet paper looks nice!!
Super versatile PVC pipe comes in extremely handy inside bathroom cabinet doors to store your curling irons, brushes, or even your blow dryer. You can purchase pieces of PVC piping from your local hardware store, Home Depot, or Lowe's, or try looking online - I found some inexpensive options on Ali Baba.
This open vanity cabinet demonstrates smart ways to tidy up the area under your bathroom sink. By utilizing the insides of the cabinet doors more effectively and adding a multi-level display inside, you can generate a lot of extra space that is visually appealing too! Or try these beautiful three-tier glass jars that we have at the Segreto Boutique for $55 to stack and showcase all of your cotton balls and q-tips!
Wrapping!!!
Whether for your daughter's hair or for wrapping presents, ribbons and bows somehow always become a tangled mess. With a slotted Tupperware basket and a pair of dowel rods that are smaller than the holes, you can organize spools of ribbon into presentable bins.
Both of the ideas above are such inventive ways to make use of dead space in a closet or craft room so that all of your holiday and gift wrapping materials are out of the way but still accessible.
After that, I'm feeling extremely inspired to get organized!! I am starting redoing my craft room office and will keep you updated on how it goes!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a fabulous week to come! Remember not many shopping days left for Christmas. We have some wonderful gifts left for everyone on your list in our boutique. Thank you Scout guide for including the Segreto Boutique in The Scout Guide’s 2013 National Gift Guide. Their collection of the best of the best in 2013 gift giving!!
Segreto’s Gallery & Boutique is located at 1414 Antoine(same street as Ikea), 3 houses north of Westview, in a light house with gray trim and a crushed limestone driveway across from St Regis School. There is no Segreto sign. Extra parking in the back! We look forward to catching up with you all. Till next Monday! Xo, Leslie
To purchase "Segreto: Secrets to Finishing Beautiful Interiors" on our website click here or to purchase through Amazon click here.
To subscribe to the Segreto Blog click here.
