organization Archives - Arrow Hill Cottage

Kids Clothing Declutter | How much to keep

We are just weeks away from our mega garage sale in preparation for our move. I have been finishing up going through the last bit of items in our house, and the focus this week was on decluttering kids clothing.

You know the saying about how socks seem to be eaten by the washing machine? I feel that they magically reappear in the form of extra pants and shirts, in the drawers of children. And for someone who is attempting to become more minimal, this multiplication can be extremely upsetting.

This past winter, I took the leap to create a capsule wardrobe for myself. I ended up paring my entire collection down to fifty total items, excluding a few items such as outerwear and jewelry. I found it so freeing, in fact, that I eventually convinced my husband to declutter his clothing as well. Neither of us have missed a single item and we both find it super easy to make our outfit selections.

WHY KIDS CLOTHING ACCUMULATES

For a variety of reasons, it seems that kids clothing accumulates faster than adults. By understanding the reasons it is easier for these items to enter our houses, we can be more mindful in the future to stop it from happening.

Kids clothing is cheap

For a small amount of money, you can build your child’s wardrobe. A dress here, a pair of pants there. And don’t forget all those cute shoes! There are also plenty of garage sales that feature extremely inexpensive kids clothing. At fifty cents per piece, it isn’t easy to pass up those closet filling bargains!

They take up little space

Unlike large toys or furniture pieces that might get in our way and remind us we need to pare down, clothing is relatively small. We know that we can usually fit ‘one more’ shirt in a dresser or one more coat in a closet. It’s when all of these little pieces are added together that we really start to notice a problem at all.

There are never ending hand-me-downs

If you have multiple children, or generous friends and family, the accumulation game becomes even more dynamic. You may be suddenly faced with multiple storage totes full of prospective outfits, whether your child is ready to fit into them or not.

STORING KIDS CLOTHING

It’s easy enough to get rid of the items that have been outgrown or those that are riddled with holes and stains. But, what if the seasons are shifting and your child has a number of perfectly good clothing items that still fit? Or older brother has grown out of a favorite sweatshirt, and there is another brother just a couple years younger?

I am definitely guilty of keeping clothes around with the thought that ‘someday’ one of the other kids might need it. Though, through my nearly thirteen years of parenting, there have been only a handful of times when that has truly been the case. Styles change, body shapes are different, kid’s preferences might be particular.

Because of the sheer amount of items that can accumulate, dealing with stored clothes can be downright overwhelming.

HOW MUCH DO THEY REALLY NEED?

In the end, I am left with this very question. How much clothing do the kids really need? Probably every family’s scenario is a bit different. I can only speak for our family. And I know that our kids have way more clothing than they actually need.

I will admit that this is probably going to take me a series of edits before we get to the magic amount. And yes, it will most likely be left up to me to decide, since not one of my kids care much at all about clothing.

There are a variety of guides online that discuss how to create a capsule wardrobe for kids. They even go so far to indicate the number of each type of item (shirts, pants, etc) that it should include. This blog post, for example, gives some great tips on how to pare down.

Generally speaking, the rule of thumb has to do with how many days you want to go without needing to do laundry. Ideally, for our family, the kids clothing supply would last, at a bare minimum, a week to week and a half.

Potentially, our kids clothing capsule might look a little something like this:

BOYS

16 short sleeved shirts (shared)

18 long sleeved shirts (our youngest would need 6 of his own, and his brothers could share the remaining 12)

4 sweatshirts/hoodies (each)

5 pairs of shorts (each)

5 pairs of comfortable pants (each)

2 pairs of dress pants/jeans (each)

GIRLS

8 dresses (shared)

16 short sleeved shirts (shared)

16 long sleeved shirts (shared)

2 sweatshirts/hoodies (each)

2 pairs of shorts/capris (each)

7 pairs of pants (each)

After the move, I will plan to go through my kids closets and dressers again. At that time, I think I will attempt this capsule scenario. Perhaps keeping a few additional ‘backup’ items, in case the inventory seems too low.

The great thing about having a minimal wardrobe is that if something becomes stained or worn you can replace it with something new, guilt free. Another benefit to a smaller wardrobe is being able to customize it for each child’s comfort and style preferences, without breaking the bank.

And dealing with an item or two, here or there, would definitely be favored over the four hour decluttering session I just went through in their closets! If I look exhausted at the end of the video, it’s because I was!

WATCH ME DECLUTTER

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STORAGE CLOSET DECLUTTER

We are in the final stage of decluttering our rental farmhouse. Only a few areas and categories remain to be sorted through before our big move! This week I took on the storage closet declutter, and am happy to have it behind me!

Embarrassing as it is, all of these items were stuffed in our hall storage closet

STORAGE CLOSET DECLUTTER – OUR WHY

My husband and I have lived in three houses during our marriage. The first, for only a year. The second, for ten years. And our current rental farmhouse for the past four and a half years. Each time we have moved we were shocked to find the amount of boxes that were transported from house to house, without being opened. Because of this, we were determined to really SEE what we own before our next (and hopefully final) move.

The goal when sorting through this storage closet was to determine which items we plan to keep. There is no sense in moving the weight of extra items that we don’t need or want anymore. By doing the sorting before the move, we are more likely to be critical. In contrast, if the boxes were to come with us to the new house without being looked through, they likely would have found a spot in a closet there. And sat, again unopened, for who knows how long!

We actually designed our custom cottage home to have relatively little storage. Some people may be shocked to learn that our master bedroom has no walk in closet, and our kitchen doesn’t feature a pantry. This conscious decision was made because my husband and I both recognize that we have a tendency to fill large storage spaces with unnecessary items.

TIPS ON DECLUTTERING A CLOSET

Decluttering a storage closet is a big undertaking. From my own experience, I am offering tips to help you achieve the best results, without too much stress.

CLEAR OUT THE SPACE

The very first step when decluttering a closet is to remove everything. It will seem daunting, to be sure; But it is very important to see the closet completely emptied. Seeing open shelves and space on the floor will give you a better sense of just how much room you have to work with. It can also help you recognize the dark, tricky corners where items can easily be lost and forgotten.

SORT ONE BOX AT A TIME

Tackling the clutter in bite sized pieces allows you to focus your mental energy without feeling overwhelmed. It can also help prevent decision fatigue. I suggest moving one or two bins/boxes into a separate room for sorting.

PUTTING ITEMS BACK IN

Think carefully about which items make their way back into your storage closet. Generally, it is best to store like-purposed items in the same space. If you must store many random types of things together in one closet, as we do, consider giving the closet ‘zones’. One shelf for camping gear, another as a spot to keep decorations, for example.

THE RESULT OF OUR STORAGE CLOSET DECLUTTER

I am happy to report that less than half of the items originally stuffed into our hall closet made their way back in. There is still a bit of randomness in there though. Camping gear, holiday decorations, DIY supplies. Quite a mix. We are hopeful that at Arrow Hill Cottage we will be able to be more intentional about where these items are stored. Camping gear will likely find a place in the garage, where it can be easily accessible, for example.

While sorting through the stored items, I found some real gems that we had completely forgotten about.

These adorable little shoes were worn by our oldest son, when he took his first steps.

And these chess pieces were hand painted by Craig’s mom, many years ago. Now that a couple of our kids have learned how to play, we plan to keep this set up and available for a game at any time.

As I was sorting, I made it a point to really think about these items. If they were things we wanted to keep, I needed to commit to finding a place for them at the new house – to give them prominence. Otherwise, we will be left with unopened storage boxes once again.

WATCH ME DECLUTTER

Need a little extra motivation to get started on your storage closet? Take a peek at what our closet looked like before. It was insanely stuffed. And watch me tackle it head-on. It took a lot of effort, but I am very happy with the result!

BONUS STORAGE CLOSET DECLUTTER TIPS

More great posts from other websites, offering you even more insight on how to approach these tricky spaces!

Declutter Storage Area |Home Storage Solutions

How To Declutter Your Storage Area Without Feeling Overwhelmed | Simple Lionheart Life

8 Surprising Decluttering Benefits | Lady Decluttered

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Keep this motivation and inspiration close by and add it to your relevant Pinterest board! Happy decluttering!

Toy Room Refresh | Quick clean

Let’s be real. The rooms where kid’s play tend to get messed up faster than any other room in the house. Today, I am sharing a quick toy room refresh that I recently did at our rental home.

We have lived in this rental house for four years now. There is no basement here, and I can honestly say that I miss having a ‘kid zone’ space tremendously. While we definitely have a nice basement in the works for our new home, we have been making due, for now.

OUR TOY ROOM

The main level of the rental farmhouse has a small room that we have set up as a play space for the kids. It includes a tv with a gaming station, a couple of computers, a whole lot of Legos, and other miscellaneous toys. Brace yourself for a couple of pre-cleaning before photos.

This room is used on a daily basis. And, generally, we have the kids tidy it up every night before bed. However, the past couple of weeks have been beyond busy. With house building preparation in full swing, we haven’t always remembered to have the kids clean up. I walked into the toy room the other day and was horrified. It was an absolute mess!

In some weird way, cleaning is therapeutic for me. And so, this week I decided to use part of the afternoon, before picking the kids up from school, to get the job done.

WATCH ME CLEAN

I put on a pair of headphones, and my favorite Podcast (Young House Love Has A Podcast), and set to work. Listening to something entertaining while cleaning definitely keeps me going. Give it a try!

OUR TOY ROOM AFTER

With one hour of focused attention, I was able to get the play area tidy. You parents out there know that it isn’t likely to stay looking like this for long. But, I suppose that is just as it should be. After all, a toy room’s main purpose is to be played in!

I appreciate that the room has a bit of open floor space for the kids to sprawl out with their toys. The trampoline is also a hit with the girls. We are still debating if we will take it with us when we move.

The electronics section got a major cleaning. I made sure to use Clorox wipes on the controllers and computer mice. It’s doubtful that the kids would ever think to do that on their own!

The Lego area is ready for more creativity. Just in case you are wondering, yes. We do sort our Lego’s by color! Since this cheap shelving unit won’t be making the move with us, I will be searching for other ideas on how to store the collection.

TIPS FOR CONTROLLING TOY CLUTTER

At some point I will do a more in depth post about how to keep kid’s toys in check. But, for now I want to offer up a few quick tips.

ONLY KEEP WHAT THE KIDS USE

As I mentioned in this post about Kids + Minimalism, we have definitely seen that less is more when it comes to toys. We have decluttered our kid’s collection down to the basics. Their favorites include standard wooden blocks, a few dolls, matchbox cars, and, of course, Legos. All of these toy items allow for plenty of open ended playing.

STORE IN EASILY ACCESSIBLE BINS

Unless you want to be constantly supervising play time, it is essential that the toys themselves are accessible to the kids. Keeping them on low shelving and in durable bins is a good idea.

ESTABLISH SOME RULES

Teaching kids to clean up after themselves is an important life lesson. A great place to start is by making sure that they learn to put away any toys they are finished playing with. This is also one of the seven daily habits that can help you keep your house tidy without the stress!

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Organized Linen Closet | Quick Declutter

Today I am going to share how I tackled a seriously stuffed hall closet and turned it into a simple and organized linen closet – in less than 30 minutes!

*This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclosure here**

In this decluttering journey, I have to admit that this space was one I was not looking forward to. Our linen closet had become one of those places in our house that was just out of sight, and out of mind. I knew what was lurking behind those doors – and knew it wasn’t pretty. But I didn’t really want to acknowledge the task at hand.

Faced with the lofty New Year’s goal of finishing our rental house declutter before we break ground on Arrow Hill Cottage in the spring, I knew that there was no more holding back. It was time.

LINEN CLOSET BEFORE

We moved into this rental house four years ago. In our previous home we did not have a linen closet, and so we saw this as a bit of a luxury upgrade. We piled all of our bedding, towels, and extra pillows into the closet and called it good. Except, it wasn’t good.

Here’s the situation. I wash laundry only once per week. I like this system, especially since it gives me a sense of finalization, at least for one day. The towels we use daily are stored in our bathrooms. They make their way into the laundry baskets throughout the week, and on Sunday get a thorough washing. That means that every towel behind this closed linen closet door are ‘extras’, and are rarely used. They are brought out primarily when we have guests stay in our home.

Bedding is similar. After I wash the sheets, they go right back on the beds. Again, as the above photo illustrates, we had saved plenty of extras.

DECLUTTERING THE LINEN CLOSET

Starting this declutter was by far the most difficult part. I think I was a bit overcome by just how MUCH we had stored away in this small closet. Once I began to take it all out though, a weight started to lift.

Our linen closet is located at the end of a long hallway upstairs. As I removed the items from the closet, I grouped like category items together. This made it easy to see the quantity of each type of item. Noticing the amount of duplicates made it easier to make decisions regarding what should stay and what should go.

Sorting through the piles, I placed items that I thought we should keep on the right side of the hallway, and those that we could donate or sell on the left.

FINDING TREASURES

One of the biggest surprises during this declutter project was finding a special quilt I had made years ago. It was presented to my husband at the groom’s supper, the night before our wedding. I clearly remember the months leading up to our marriage. Craig was doing a mechanical engineering internship near Chicago, and I was in North Dakota, at college. Those months apart were long and difficult, and I spent many hours working on the quilt and dreaming about married life.

Honestly, this quilt means more to me than my wedding dress. So why was it stuffed in the bottom of the closet, completely forgotten? When I first saw it, I felt really sad that it had been so neglected. Now I am ever more committed to this process, and discovering which items bring us joy.

This quilt will serve as a reminder of how easily items you cherish can be crowded out by other, less important, belongings. It will be going to the dry cleaners, and a more prominent spot will be found for it in our new home.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

When decluttering and creating an organized linen closet, there are a few important questions you should ask yourself:

Is this a convenient location for these items? Linen closets were very popular in older homes, but have fallen out of favor somewhat in recent years. I believe the reason is that more people now place items closer to where they will be used, instead of grouped together in a central location. For example, the bed sheets may be stored in the bedroom closets, and the extra toilet paper in the bathroom.

Really think about what works best for you and your family. Where some might find a central linen closet the prime location to store towels and bedding, others may find that a hall linen closet in their home is better suited to store cleaning supplies, small appliances, or even toys.

How many of _____ do we need? In our household, whenever a new set of towels was purchased we continued to hold onto the old set. Just in case, we said. If we have company, we thought. The truth of the matter is that if we chose to buy new towels, our old ones had more than likely finished their purposeful life for our family.

I encourage you to determine how many towels, bed linens, etc. your family really needs. Any more than those items used on a weekly basis will likely be stored. Don’t let them multiply behind closed doors like we did!

ORGANIZED LINEN CLOSET

Like a lot of people, I have been watching ‘Tidying up’ on Netflix. One of the tips I have learned from watching the show is the idea of placing like items into smaller baskets for storage. I have mentioned before that I have a love for baskets. In fact, I have a stash of them in our storage closet, just waiting to be used.

These chrome wire baskets were the perfect size to hold the items I had chosen to keep.

Though I don’t have quite the ‘magic’ of Marie Kondo, I did try her method of folding into thirds and storing them upright. I have to say that it really did save space! An entire set of towels (two bath towels, one hand towel and one wash cloth), was able to fit into a single basket, for example.

When putting the linens back into the closet, I made sure to put the items that will be used more frequently on the eye level shelves. The large blankets were placed on the highest shelf, since it is likely they will be accessed by the adults only. The extra pillows are now within reach for the kids to use for camp-outs and movie nights.

It is important to note that we are living in a rental house. Because of this, we aren’t able to modify the spacing between shelves. If you have a closet with adjustable shelves, customizing your storage should be much more efficient!

BENEFITS OF AN ORGANIZED LINEN CLOSET

Now that our linen closet is organized, I definitely want it to stay that way! The following benefits will help me keep the clutter from coming back.

Items are easily found. One glance in, and you can see how things are organized, by category. This makes it much faster to find that towel when you need to clean up a spill, or retrieve a clean set of bedsheets for a child who had a middle of the night accident.

Linens have room to breathe. With the linen closet stuffed to the max, there was little air circulation. Stored in this way for too long, and you could be dealing with musty towels and bedding. That’s just not pleasant. In your organized linen closet, you may consider adding an open box of baking soda. It will help cut down on moisture and will keep things smelling fresh and clean.

WATCH ME ORGANIZE MY LINEN CLOSET

See the process of of decluttering my personal linen closet. I am still shocked to see the drastic change!

ORGANIZED LINEN CLOSET INSPIRATION

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CAPSULE WARDROBE | DECLUTTER CHALLENGE

Clothes have a way of sticking around and cluttering closets and drawers. This week I attempted to build my very first capsule wardrobe, as the fourth challenge in the December Declutter!

Welcome back to the fourth and final week of the December Declutter Challenge! This month I have already completed a Konmari declutter of our Christmas Decor, a speed declutter, and a deep cleaning of one room, top to bottom. Today I am sharing how I decluttered my clothing in an attempt to create my first capsule wardrobe.

CAPSULE WARDROBE PRINCIPLES

The main idea behind the capsule wardrobe is to fill your closet with clothing items you like and that you like on your body. Though the term was coined in the 1970’s by Susie Faux, the concept has become even more popular in recent years. With people busier than ever, overwhelmed by their lives and jobs, minimalism has gained recognition as a way to slow down and simplify. Capsule wardrobes are in line with minimalism techniques.

A typical capsule wardrobe includes between 25 and 50 pieces. Some include enough pieces for year round wear, while others offer a seasonal selection only. The great thing about a capsule wardrobe is that it is personalized to fit each individual. As such, the rules can vary from person to person.

MY CAPSULE WARDROBE RULES

Because we live in the Midwest, we experience dramatic temperature changes with each season. My wardrobe has to incorporate shorts as well as sweaters. For this reason, I opted to allow my capsule to include the maximum number of fifty pieces.

This will be a full year capsule wardrobe. I chose not include jewlery/scarves, pjs, or outerwear (coats, snow boots, etc.) Even so, I attempted to minimize the number of items in these categories to a combined twenty. Undergarments were not included in any item totals.

My long term goal for this challenge is to actually use the clothing I have. To create different outfit combinations with a minimal amount of items. I want to get to the point that I love everything in my closet.

CLOTHING CLUTTER (BEFORE)

My husband and I share a teeny tiny closet that is built into the eaves at our rental farmhouse. It was pretty well stuffed to the brim on the hanging bar.

We also had some bins on the closet floor that held bulkier items such as pants and sweatshirts. And I had one dresser drawer plump full of workout and lounging clothes.

SORT THROUGH THE CLOTHING

I used a method outlined on the website The Penny Hoarder when sorting through my clothing. The first step involved gathering all clothing items and footwear in one area, similar to what is done in the KonMari method.

Taking every item out of the closet, drawer and bins and laying them all on the bed was a huge eye opener to me. It was a massive pile of clothing. Considering that I can only wear one outfit at a time, I would say it’s obvious that I had far too many clothes.

The next step in the process is to sort all of the clothing items into three separate piles. One pile for items that you love, your favorites. Another pile for items that you like, and a final pile of items that you are certain you no longer need. Clothing that doesn’t fit properly or has stains/tears should go into the third pile.

Even if at one time the pieces were your favorites, if they don’t fit or are damaged do you really want to include them in your minimal wardrobe?

After my sorting was complete I was left with quite a few items that were destined to be sold or donated. I went ahead and bagged them up straight away. In this way, I wasn’t tempted to go back through those items searching for something to keep.

FINE TUNE THE SELECTIONS

The two remaining piles including clothing pieces that I love, and those that I like. At this point I needed to do some more critical thinking. I thought about which items could be used in multiple ways to form various outfits. I thought about how many seasons each piece would be useful in. Further sorting through these two piles back and forth, I was able to narrow down my capsule wardrobe to the pre-set 50 pieces.

HANG UP FAVORITES

My favorites were then hung back into the closet. I tend to arrange my clothing in color categories and by sleeve length.

Because this is my first capsule wardrobe, I decided to keep a ‘back up’ of 16 items that were from my maybe pile. These clothing pieces were placed into a bin and are stored in the back of my closet for the moment. If, after 365 days none have been needed, they will be moved into the donation bags.

While I am learning the ins and outs of my particular capsule wardrobe, I am giving myself lots of flexibility and the freedom to make fine tuning decisions. For example, I may find that I need fewer long sleeve/ winter items but more short sleeve options.

Each time a new item is added, either from my back up pile or purchased new from a store, one of the items in my capsule must be set aside. This will allow me to keep the item count consistent throughout the year.

I am hopeful that after a full year using these fifty items that I will have a good handle on what I need and use most often.

WATCH ME CREATE A CAPSULE WARDROBE

Take a virtual tour of my clothing before, and watch me declutter my clothing to create my very first capsule wardrobe!

MY CAPSULE WARDROBE SELECTIONS

I will admit that this was probably the most difficult of all the challenges I was faced with this month. Perhaps it has something to do with the intimate nature of clothing, which causes a person to become attached more easily.

Even still, it was an exciting exercise. I personally am really looking forward to knowing that everything in my closet fits and is useful. My final capsule wardrobe includes the following 50 items:

FOOTWEAR

7 pairs total: 2 flats, 2 boots, 1 casual canvas, 1 nicer pair of sneakers, 1 pair of running shoes.

BOTTOMS

8 total: 4 pants/jeans, 1 Capri, 2 shorts, 1 yoga pant

TOPS

27 total: 6 tanks, 3 short sleeve, 1 vest, 1 cover/wrap, 4 cardigan/pull over, 6 long sleeve, 5 sweaters, 1 dress

WORKOUT

8 total pieces: 3 bottoms (1 short, 1 Capri, 1 pant), 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 short sleeve shirt, 3 tank tops

ADDITIONAL ITEMS (not included in the capsule wardrobe total)

20 total items: 1 swimsuit, 1 pair of snow boots, 2 winter coats, 1 spring/summer jacket, 1 poncho, 4 PJ pieces, 5 scarves, 3 necklaces, 1 pair earings, 1 ring.

OUTFIT OPTIONS

Probably my favorite part of the entire challenge was coming up with different outfit ideas with the smaller number of pieces. These are just a few of the options that I am excited to wear!

I love how most of the items can be either dressed up or down depending on how they are paired and with different accessories. For example, a basic t-shirt can be worn with a pair of shorts or yoga pants for a comfortable casual look. The same shirt can also be dressed up with a scarf and nicer shoes.

I plan to print off index card sized pictures of outfit options. These cards can then be placed on a binder ring and stored in my dresser. That way, if at any time I feel that I have ‘nothing to wear’, I will have visual outfit inspiration!

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS CHALLENGE

This challenge was eye opening for sure. If you had asked me before how many total clothing items I had, I doubt I would have thought I owned even fifty total. The truth is that I had nearly two hundred. Essentially, this exercise cut my wardrobe in less than half.

While having a final item count might seem restrictive to some people, I actually found it useful. Knowing that I couldn’t go over my predetermined number caused me to really think about which pieces I wanted to hang onto.

I also found it surprising that the items I chose to keep in my capsule wardrobe shared a lot of similarities. Apparently, I enjoy wearing comfortable pieces that are generally plain or have small patterns/prints. There are also quite a few striped items that made the cut. Color wise, there is a definite palette of favorites – something I never realized before!

My side of the closet is in order and looking awesome. Perhaps for this reason, my husband has given me the green light to tackle his wardrobe next. I call that a declutter win!

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ORGANIZED MUDROOM + LAUNDRY IDEAS: MAKEOVER TAKEOVER FOR JOSH & TARA

The Makeover Takeover series focuses on helping my readers with bits of their own homes that are giving them challenges. Whether it is a room that they want guidance on styling, a floor plan that needs re-configuring, or they are stumbling with choosing an exterior color palette, I am happy to help. I offer solutions through virtual design and source links.

Today’s Takeover brings us to a working family ranch, one that is busy all the time. Josh and Tara built their house a couple of years ago. At that time, they made the decision to hold off on adding built in organization cabinetry for their mudroom and laundry, for budgetary reasons. Now, with two young children and a baby on the way – they are realizing that it is time to make these spaces more functional.

Because this is a newly built home, no walls will be moved, and no existing finishes changed. My plan was simply to offer organization solutions that could make these rooms efficient and ultra useful for this young family.

THE MUDROOM TODAY

The great news is that the space layout is wonderful and there is plenty of square footage to work with. Though the plan shows locations of cabinetry and built-ins, none of these items were built during the construction phase.

PROPOSED CHANGES

Organization, organization, organization. The space is here, but they need some family friendly techniques to make the space run efficiently. Tara mentioned that though she loves the look of white cabinetry and subway tile -they simply would not hold up at the ranch. They need durable finishes that will wear well and can be easily kept clean.

The family sees this as their forever home, and as such they asked for a timeless look – with finishes, colors, and cabinetry styles that aren’t too trendy.

This is the view the family sees when entering their home through the garage door. Tara admits that it has become a bit of a drop zone for items that don’t have a proper storage spot. I want to make this view welcoming – one that says ‘come in and relax… you’re home’.

Swinging around to face the door, you can see that the family has attempted some temporary organization solutions. They prefer not to have a traditional coat closet, and instead choose to hang their coats so that they are readily available. My plan was to transform this corner into a command center of sorts. A place where all the mail can be set and sorted, where phones and devices can be charged. The pocket door in the right of this photo leads into the laundry room.

This is the view as you enter the laundry room. The oversized washer and dryer seem to dominate the space, as does the large laundry sink. My goal with this room was to streamline the look and to scale down the appliances by adding additional elements, such as a folding center and shelving.

Across from the washer and dryer is a large alcove that the family currently uses as a place to hang clothing to dry. Tara requested that a more permanent drip dry station be positioned here, as the location functions well for this purpose.

There is also a smaller alcove close to the door. I imagined that this could make for a convenient spot for the brooms, vacuum cleaner and cleaning supplies.

FINISH INSPIRATION

With durability and timelessness in mind, I searched out materials and products to finish off the rooms.

Each of the products below combined will form a very efficient working mudroom. You can learn more about each product by clicking on the titles below.

SINK: A more shallow, stainless steel bowl is more in scale with the space and can be mounted into a counter space.

FAUCET: The spray nozzle can be detached with a hose, to easily spray down clothes in the sink.

COUNTER TOP MATERIAL: Faux marble finish in white – bringing a bit of brightness and luxury into the space.

TILES: The clean lines of these simple square tiles detracts the eye from the unevenness of the surfaces they connect.

CABINET FINISH: To match existing trim and door colors and wood species.

WALL CLOCK: This large element serves to bring your eye upward. It is also beautiful!

LAUNDRY BASKETS: One for each sorting cubby.

TOWEL RING: In a dark oil rubbed bronze finish.

METAL CANISTER SET: These tall galvanized canisters are the perfect fit for this rustic space.

HANGING RACKS: Can be stored on the wall, out of the way – but come in handy when needed!

CLOTHESPIN ART: A bit of whimsy!

LAUNDRY ART: This simple yet timeless sign is another little accent that brings life to the utilitarian space.

WICKER BASKETS: Used to store cleaning supplies or extra towels.

MOP AND BROOM HOLDER: Attached to the wall right inside of the pocket door, the brooms and mop will be easily accessible.

COLORED BINS: One bin in the ‘command center’ for each family member.

COAT HOOKS: The gunmetal finish adds another rustic touch

RUG: Jute material is the perfect durable choice for this space.

BOOT TRAY: Set under a handmade pine bench, the boot trays offer easy cleanup and practicality.

DRY ERASE/CORK BOARD: As part of the command center – the perfect spot to write notes or pin up important reminders.

CHARGING STATION: Every modern family has quite a few devices. This charging station offers a clutter free alternative.

AND NOW FOR THE BIG REVEAL!

I am very happy with how all of the elements came together! Because of the home’s location on a ranch – I wanted to offer a few subtle rustic touches. I also made sure to keep durability and organization in mind. Let’s take a little photo tour, shall we?

This gorgeous large stained wood bench becomes the focal point when walking into the house. It is offset by a wall of fun, yet durable, corrugated metal paneling. Hooks and shelving add function, while boot mats underneath the bench add practicality and make for easy clean up.

The opposite side of the room features the command center, easily accessible from the back door.

It has a place for just about everything, with cubbies and bins for each family member, drawers for small tools, cabinets for off season gear, and shelves for books. The over sized counter-top provides the perfect spot to sort mail and charge devices.

Sight lines into the laundry space can be left open to reveal natural daylight, or blocked with the beautiful pocket door. The mudroom is now functional, with a place for everything.

Walking into the laundry space, you are greeted by handsome wood cabinetry and sleek tiles.

This simple laundry sorting system is practical, and now efficient with the counter space above.

Above the large counter is a convenient spot to store frequently used items, such as laundry soap and clothes pins.

By adding counter space above the washer and dryer, their scale is reduced. The laundry sink and tile are tied together by the finish of the counter material – a faux marble.

New drying racks that can be easily folded up against the wall when not in use.

A bit of whimsical laundry room art is positioned next to the storage alcove. The broom, vacuum and cleaning supplies are within easy reach and ready for action at this busy ranch home.

I’ve created a 3d animation of the mudroom/laundry makeover for a closer look. Click the play button below to view.

I hope that Josh, Tara and the rest of their family will love the ideas for this new organized space! These functional additions would help keep everything in it’s place.

Remember that this is a FREE digital home design consultation, which is available to anyone who subscribes to the Arrow Hill Cottage website. If you or someone you know could benefit from this service, simply email me with a few photos and a description of what issues you would like resolved.

If chosen, I will offer a solution + inspiration through 3d images and sourced items. Hurry though! I only have the ability to do one Makeover Takeover each month and the spots are filling up quickly! I have plans to eventually make this a paid service, so if you have been thinking of contacting me about a project and want to get in on the free deal, don’t hesitate!

This post contains affiliate links to products for your convenience. If you purchase via my links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting Arrow Hill Cottage!

9 CREATIVE CLOSET ALTERNATIVES

Is your home lacking closet space? Find ways to store your belongings practically with the creative closet alternatives outlined in this post.

It is the time of year when most people are feeling the urge to purge. The cold weather has driven us indoors and we find ourselves surrounded by all of our belongings. It doesn’t take long for it to feel like the walls are closing in with too much.

Too many toys, too many books, too many pairs of shoes. In addition to the ‘stuff’ we had – we just brought more into our homes in the form of Christmas gifts or extra decorations for the season. It can be overwhelming.

My family is no exception. Although neither my husband or myself tend to be collectors of things – the accumulation just happens over time. The amount of clutter that naturally enters our lives is one of the main reasons our family is on a journey toward minimalism. The New Year is the perfect time to get a clean slate, to look at things from a new perspective.

I strive to keep only items that we use on a regular basis and/or truly cherish. And I’ve noticed that I am better at accomplishing this goal if I have FEWER closets. In fact, when we moved into our rental home one of the first things we tackled was the removal of most of the closet doors. One of the closets even became a bedroom for our oldest son!

I can almost hear you asking the question: ‘If you don’t have closets, where do you put all of your things?’ I’m going to answer that today with a list of 9 creative closet alternatives for your home.

HANGING RODS

I’m going to be honest in saying that the storage of clothes is something which I personally prefer to happen behind closed doors. I have designed for each of the bedrooms in Arrow Hill Cottage to have a small closet for clothes, and the mudroom to have a small closet as well, to store seasonal items such as winter coats and boots.

If you don’t mind having your clothes on display, there are plenty of creative alternative ways to hang them.

simple hanging rod with shelf above

ladder wardrobe

branch wardrobe

BASKETS

It’s no secret that I love baskets. Of all the closet alternatives in this post, this is possibly the one I utilize the most in my own home. I showed you some of my favorite baskets in this post about organization containers. They are so versatile and come in a wide variety of sizes, styles and colors. You can utilize freestanding baskets to store items such as blankets and towels, or use a series of baskets to organize smaller items on shelves.

blanket storage

kitchen storage

basket storage for toys

OPEN SHELVES

Whether a freestanding shelf or a wall hung shelving unit, there’s no doubt that shelves are considered a powerhouse of home organization. Basically, anything that can be set flat can be stored on a shelf. One of my favorite spaces to see open shelving in is a kitchen. The display of beautiful (and useful) dishes and other items adds much interest to a room that would otherwise be full of closed cabinetry.

open kitchen shelving

shelving in a playroom

living room shelving

UNDER BED STORAGE

There may be some items you own that are only used during one season of the year. You may not want to have them stored in a prominent place. Under bed storage is one of the most versatile closet alternatives. The space is perfect for items such as winter gear, holiday decor, and kid clothing that you may be saving as hand-me-downs for a younger sibling. If you build a platform bed, you can create even more customized storage underneath.

elevated bed with storage underneath

re-purposed dresser drawers

platform bed with basket storage

LOCKERS/CUBBIES

The divided spaces of lockers really help to keep things organized. They are perfect for kids, making it easy for them to remember where to place their backpacks, coats and shoes instead of throwing them in any random spot.

lockers with shoe storage below

vintage metal lockers

large open lockers

FURNITURE

This is another of my favorite storage options. A coffee table that blends with the room’s home decor can hide (ahem… store) obnoxiously colored toys when not in use. An ottoman with a storage compartment can house books or extra bedding.

coffee table storage

stacked trunk end table

DIY storage ottoman

HOOKS + BENCH

Similar to the locker set-up, a simple bench with a series of hooks above can accomplish the hard-working job of keeping everyone’s outdoor gear in line at a minimal cost. The bench may have an interior compartment, or perhaps space below for basket storage.

simple built in bench with hooks and shelf above

bench with baskets below

simple DIY entry bench

ARMOIRE

One major downside of closets is that they eat up valuable square footage. The framing itself takes up space, and the door swing creates it’s own series of issues. If you really want to keep items behind closed doors, consider an armoire instead. Made of cabinetry materials, the construction is more slim. They can also be moved – meaning you can experiment with it’s best placement.

freestanding pantry

bathroom toiletry storage

storage for linens

DRAWERS

Drawers are another way to keep items organized and a bit more hidden. Of course, cabinetry is one option – but it can get expensive to create custom built in pieces. A simple stand-alone dresser can many times do the job just as well. A desk with side drawers may be the perfect solution for smaller items, such as office supplies.

dinner plate storage

coffee bar

desk made from two drawer units

The bonus of utilizing these closet alternatives is that your items are bound to stay more organized and you will be less likely to add extra, unnecessary items into your home!

ALTERNATE USES FOR CLOSET SPACE

Another giant plus? By removing closet doors (or the entire closet itself!) you will free up a ton of floor space! Just think of the possibilities this extra square footage could become!

READING NOOK

This reading nook is so completely cozy! Can’t you imagine getting lost in a good book here?

SMALL OFFICE SPACE

The detail of this small office would really make working enjoyable. It provides plenty of storage and looks beautiful at the same time.

NURSERY NOOK

This bright and colorful nook is just the right size for a crib- freeing up space in the rest of the room.

ARTS & CRAFTS CENTER

I can imagine a lot of creativity happens here! Click here to see a photo of the closet before!

I hope this post will inspire you to clear out the clutter and possibly reclaim the space that the closet occupies! New Year, new possibilities!

PIN THESE CLOSET ALTERNATIVES

Save these ideas for your home, and get organized for the New Year!

HOME ORGANIZATION IDEAS

Keeping your home organized is one of the best ways to add simplicity to your life. Check out these home organization ideas to get a kick start on your simplifying journey.

The cold is setting in, which in the Midwest means plenty of time will be spent indoors over the next few months. I’m not sure about you, but cabin fever causes me to re-evaluate my belongings and sets me into full out organization mode sometime around mid-January.

In an attempt to get a jump start on the de-cluttering and organizing this year, I scoured Amazon for organization gear that can help me reach my goals. I found a TON of handy (and totally affordable) items that I would love to purchase. I thought you might find them useful as well. Click on the images below to be taken to the product page.

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BASKETS

You really can’t go wrong with a basket. My husband is pretty sure that I have an addiction to them, and he might be right. There is a perfect basket size and shape for just about any occasion. They can hold blankets, toys, books, you name it.

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Uh oh… the basket addiction is rearing it’s head again. My first choice? The large sea-grass basket. I can totally envision it filled with cozy blankets, sitting next to a fire place.

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BINS / BOXES

Similar to baskets, bins and boxes are highly useful in home organization. The awesome thing about them is that they are typically rectangle or square in shape, meaning that they can be easily stacked. Many also have a lid or cover. Those visually cluttering items can be stored neatly and out of sight. Legos anyone?

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The grey boxes are fold-able, and come with lids! I think I may need to buy some to organize all of the building sets my boys have.

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CLOSET SYSTEMS

A closet is probably the most likely space in any house to become cluttered. What happens behind closed doors stays there, right? Wrong! You will need to open that door at some point, and wouldn’t you rather see a well organized space than a war zone of items falling on top of you?

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How genius is that rack for pants? No more annoying crease marks from folding and stuffing the khaki’s in the drawers!

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SHELVING

Shelving units are an absolute staple in home organization. There are so many stylish options for shelving these days – from bookcases to display shelves. Take a look at the goodies I found!

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Pretty sure that little red number is calling my name. It has glass doors, which means it is the perfect place to store keepsakes and books, protecting them from little hands… and dust!

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CONSOLES

I would venture to say that just about every home in the United States has at least one television. And with that television comes all of the ‘extra’s’. The dvr, the blue ray player, the video streaming device, and video games for the kids. All of these items need a home, and a console / entertainment center is the perfect place to put them.

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I love the style of the aqua fretwork cabinet. I could see it being useful for a variety of items beyond the living room. Linens in the bathroom. Hat and glove storage in the entry. The possibilities are endless!

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KITCHEN ORGANIZATION

The kitchen is notorious for being a room that needs a lot of organizing attention. Forget about it for a short amount of time, and the space can easily be over-run with pots and pans and mix matched Tupperware. Thankfully the market is huge for kitchen organization items, such as these awesome finds.

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That spice rack. Come on. I mean, I’m not sure I would have the patience to fill all those little jars – but this may just tempt me to try! It is almost a work of art. You guys also have to check out the rolling kitchen cart/ island. It FOLDS!

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MISC. STORAGE/ ORGANIZING

I had to throw in one more grid including random storage items. The truth is, from the bathroom counter to under the bed, just about any space in the house can benefit from organizing!

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The wire wall hanger could be so useful for keeping all the paper items in line! No more piles of bills on the counter!

Let’s do this organizing thing! I’m thinking that if I tackle the clutter before the Christmas tree goes up, I won’t be as overwhelmed when it comes down.

What are your favorites from this list? I would love you to leave a comment and let me know!

MORE HOME ORGANIZATION IDEAS

For more inspiration on how to keep your home organized, check out my post titled 7 daily habits for a tidy house

PIN THESE HOME ORGANIZATION IDEAS FOR LATER

TWO NEW BOOKS + BIG PLANS

I mentioned in this post how much I enjoy house design, home decor and DIY type books. I am happy to report that my collection grew by two this past weekend. There isn’t a Barnes and Noble in our town, so it is a real treat to stop in on our way back from visiting family in North Dakota.

These books caught my attention and came home with me (click on the titles to get a closer look on Amazon)

Young House Love

Flea Market Style

They are both super inspiring! I spent the remainder of the drive home pouring over each page, then entered our house and thought up a million ideas that I could bring to life! Yesterday I started Project #1. You will have to wait for the great reveal, but here is a sneak peak in the meantime. Eeeeek! So excited! I’m starting to think that organization is my love language!

It’s blisteringly hot and humid here today, and I am more than happy to stay indoors with the A/C blasting – sorting and tidying things up. Sounds like a perfect day.