Monday, September 28, 2009

Question of the Week - Re-Organizing Rooms

This weekend, Londo and I worked together to really clean up and organize two rooms on our first floor. You see, we have let things go for months now, and I cannot let them go any longer because it's been driving me CRAZY! The sense of disorganization and clutter, not being able to find important papers and items, and tripping over crap that hasn't been put away or has no place to go... These things make me nuts.

I can ignore them for a while. When it's winter and I am too exhausted to notice, I don't have the energy to even get upset about it. With the tough pregnancy last year and then the newborn, I was just barely keeping up with dishes and laundry. But I have had to ask people to re-send me things for the Pumpkin's pre-school (her registration), for the animals (records for the dog's vaccinations), for the doctors and pharmacists (allergy information and EpiPen perscription), and much more. I can't live like that.

Before I went back to work from maternity leave, I had started re-organizing and re-purposing the kitchen cabinets, the kitchen hutch and the dining room hutch. At this point in my life, I do not need the crystal or the martini glasses handy. I do need a place to put Play Doh and other art supplies and places to put the chips and bread that is out of reach of my tall and intensely curious child. I've been so much happier since re-orgnizing those.

I had even cleaned up the kitchen counters where we drop our stuff when we get home. But those didn't stay clean for long. You see, we've not really had another place to put those items, and so our limited kitchen counters kept getting even more cluttered.

So this weekend, we cleaned all the junk off of the dining room table. I finished organizing the hutch in the dining room so that we can put things right in there, not on the table where it'll sit and look messy. Then, we cleaned out the coat closet. We went through coats and accessories for giveaway and storage, and then we organized it to work better (I hope). We did the same for our entryway, including the coat hooks and the cubbyholes I have by the door.

Finally, I re-arranged the front room to work for us at this time in our lives. Instead of being the "parlor" where only my antique chairs fit, and instead of being the "library" when all the books are in boxes on the floor until we can afford bookshelves, I will be calling it the "front room" because it has multiple purposes. The boxes of books line the wall where we will put the bookshelves, but only one level high so you don't really see them. The chairs are set up in front of the boxes and no longer hold random junk. I moved my beautiful antique, marble-topped washbasin desk to be against the wall by the front door, along with a little table with shelf. I have begun setting those up to hold the various items we bring into the house, from cell phones and mail to the Pumpkin's school papers and art. I need to buy a couple little items to finish off that area, such as a bulletin board and calendar for the wall above it and a rack to put labeled folders in. Finally, I found a good way to store the three strollers and the car seat in that front room without taking up a lot of space in the middle of the room or looking really messy.

My head is full of re-organizing and decorating, and I've got plans for some other rooms, too! So this week's question of the week is:

What room or rooms would you re-organize if you could?

I love to hear about how other people organize and decorate. There is a reason I watch so much HGTV! Have you got any good plans or ideas for your house? Is there a room (like my kitchen) which you would completely remodel if you could?

In some coincidental good timing, last week Ask Moxie had a few posts with many great comments about managing stuff and managing schedules and papers. Check it out if you need some good ideas.

4 comments:

Karen said...

I've been slowly re-organizing everything. The hall closet is storage, not a coat closet. The dining room kicked the dog kennels out and has become a place of beauty. The basement is currently being renovated for a play/exercise/family area and our laundry room is up for a re-do next. You'd never know we just built 4 years ago.

Becoming Mommy said...

actually, we're planning on getting a storage space this winter and we'll clear out a lot of our stuff. Baby gear, camp gear, some of the larger tools, holiday decor...will all go there. Clearing out our house. The "other" stuff has been going to trash and eBay behind someones back.

Parisienne Mais Presque said...

We have a 620 square foot apartment, so reorganization is a constant concern (if not to say losing battle). I've finally decided I need to get rid of the loom that is taking up a huge chunk of valuable living room real estate because I don't have any time in my life right now to weave. I just need to find somewhere (read: someone) to put it in storage, since I don't want to sell it just yet. Hoping my husband's grandmother can clear out some room in her attic.

Cloud said...

I've been busy merging our guest room and office, and setting up a baby room... so lots of organizing has been going on here, too! My Mom and I also did some work in Pumpkin's room, since she's still in diapers, but I took the changing table out and put it in the baby's room.

Our garage is the space most needing attention now. But first, we have to clear out the furniture that has been taken out of the office and guest room. Its too bad we live on opposite coasts. I have some bookcases I'm getting rid of....

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