Blogger’s Share Their Best Organizing Tip(s) – Part III

Hello there!  Welcome to Part III of my January organizing guest posts.  Are you busy getting organized for the year ahead?  I know I have been.

I should revise the heading to “A Blogger Shares…” as today, Tim is sharing how he keeps organized in his Toronto condo.  He sent me quite a few photos which were all worthy of showing – so he is posting solo today!

Good morning everyone! I was greatly honoured when Vanessa invited me to guest post at Decor Happy today to share organization tricks and storage solutions.  Want clutter free living in a bedroom without a closet in a 750 square feet condo? No problem: as long as you build in a massive amount of smart storage!  In my case, I evaluated various options and decided the only way to incorporate storage without having a huge piece of furniture in my bedroom was to build in storage along the headboard wall!

I had also selected this beautiful dresser from Style Garage.  It adds an industrial flair to the space and a crazy amount of storage for clothes (and fabrics in my case).

I incorporated both open and closed storage in my design to allow for display and maximum storage.  A custom built-in solution similar to this could be rather expensive.  To save costs, I went with ready-made pieces from IKEA (PAX system and kitchen cabinets) and had them sprayed in soft grey to unify the look.  I then customized the walnut pieces to complement the headboard, the IKEA pieces, and most importantly, serve as bedside tables with drawers!

I love the design of the PAX system.  All of its components are tailored to make storage solutions and organization a walk in the park!  Check out this ingenious censored lighting IKEA launched in 2011.

Here are a couple of close-ups of the custom floating bedside tables with storage.  Another stylish box in charcoal grey for a sense of refined living and again, more storage!

Of course a serial decorator like myself needs an insane amount of storage for accessories.  What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg!  This is how IKEA kitchen cabinetry keeps me organized.

A striped fabric bin with a nautical twist offers a stylish organization solution for magazines.

One last attempt to maximize storage, I selected the MANDAL platform bed with 4 large drawers from IKEA.  This is where I store my linen, bedding, blankets and off season clothing.

As most condo dwellers will agree, there just isn’t enough room for storage to keep our “stuff” organized!  The generic builder’s closet usually comes with one shelf and a rod.  Certainly not the most efficient use of space or an easy way to organize clothes, shoes and “stuff.”

I’m lucky enough to have inherited a double closet right off the foyer, and now let me show you how I turned it from builder’s basic to closet organization at its best!

Opting for elegance and sophistication, I installed a pair of frosted glass panelled doors instead of the standard bi-fold doors.  Inside this closet is a combination of  the PAX system and a simple DIY shoe rack made with plywood, which was then stained in dark walnut to match the PAX component.

I also have one more closet down the hallway.  To turn the bi-fold door from drab to fab, I added thin wood trim to create the panel effect.

This closet was actually tricky to tackle.  With the small opening in the middle and rather deep and wide on either side, it was difficult to install a stylish built-in solution.  To solve this storage dilemma, I turned two PAX systems sideways and pushed them all the way in at either end of the closet.  What I have accomplished in effect is a walk-in closet where I have two tall towers with storage at my disposal!

I use one side for extra jackets and the other side for all my craft supplies. There is even room for my ironing board!

I hope you enjoyed these economical and highly effective storage and organization solutions.  I would love to see you using a couple of these ideas in your own home!