OrganizingLA Blog

Organizing Emergency: What Do I Do With 1990's Business Suits?

"During the Holidays I took your advise and I cleaned out my clothes closet.

What I have left are some very nice Nordstrom business suits.  Brands include Nordstrom Entier, Garfield & Marks and some Chico's clothes.  All are in great condition but the women's suits are from the mid-to-late 1990's.

Do you have a recommendation for a Los Angeles consignment store that may benefit from my closet therapy?  Signed-- Dated Darling"

Dear Dated Darhling,

We think we can give you some advise, but you may not like what we have to say.

Buy These And Say Goodbye To Bread Clips

Unplug the fax, and the clock turns off.  Unplug the printer and the hard drive shuts down.

The solution sounds easy-- label the wires dummy.  But how?

Do you know how long we saved those plastic bread bag clips just because some lifestyle guru told us to?  And then the bag closures sat around in our tool kit for 2 years gathering dust until we ate enough bread to label our own office.  And then we never labeled anything.

Now, we guess that's our fault.  But who new we could never find a permanent pen with a sharp enough point to label those little suckers.  So, years of hunting and gathering went into the trash.

Well, those days are now gone because we've discovered these pre-printed ID labels for the legions of plug-in's around the crib.

Stylish Footwear Storage Doubles As Art?

We found these through Danielle de Lange's Style Files blog.

Part art, part organization-- a great modular shoe storage system.  Wall-mounted, they're available in pink, powder blue and white powder coated steel.

For some home organizing clients, we can see them:

• In the contemporary home's entryway
• In the traditional cabana
• In a master closet where the closet width is an issue and shoe storage is needed
• Poolside, holding complimentary flip-flops for your guests

Most of all, they get the damn shoes off the floor.

More Info:

• Check out the Style Files
• See if Charlotte Tangye’s Footprint pieces are right for you

Related Posts:

• Hipster Condo Owners Required to Keep Personal Beach Cabanas Clutter-Free (11/05)

Hotel Boxes - The Next Wave of Shoe Storage?

A 10-foot tall tower of organized clutter?

San Francisco Professional Organizer Jeri Dansky noted today on her blog (click here to see Jeri's blog) a fun article in the SF Chronicle about the next wave of shoe organizers.

The chic "Hotel Boxes" come in a variety of colors including "French Miami," "Snow Queen," "White Blonde" and "Caberet," (pictured, left).  They're from Denmark, come unassembled in plastic folio, and they stack up to 10' high.  You can use them for shoes, small electronics, cosmetics, etc.  We love that they keep dust out, a big problem.

Lilian Adler and Soren Berg, the makers, claim the boxes have superman strength, strong enough to use as a side table.

For $25 bucks, they're an investment, and we can definitely use them with some fashionista clients here in Los Angeles.  But knock-offs are sure to happen, probably with less quality and cheap materials.  So grab an original now.

• Explore the Pure Nomade website, makers of the Hotel Box
• Read the article on the boxes in the SF Chronicle
• Buy the boxes from Yoya Shop in New York City

Related Posts:

• Williams Sonoma, Inc. sues Target for stealing designs
• Ikea introduces cool closet microsite
• Steve McQueen's wife is now battling the Towering Inferno of Clutter

Organizing for Seniors - Stylish Garment Lifts

These garment lifts from Peter Meier are great if you are re-working a closet for a senior, or someone with limited mobility.

At only $215 for the small-version, it's a great investment.

Here's another from StorAway Solutions.

Forgot those unsafe ladders because you won't need them anymore.

Upgrading Your Closet Without That Nasty Formaldehyde Emission

Columbia Forest Products, a manufacturer of hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer, has announced the production of formaldehyde-free particleboard.

The announcement comes along with California Closets similar release and joins in on the movement towards more eco-friendly consumer organizing products.

Marketed under the Purebond name, the brand uses a patented soy-based resin.  The adhesive is a proprietary blend of soy flour and a wet strength additive that results in a superior bond with no formaldehyde emissions.

The products are used in high-end storage cabinetry, furniture and architectural millwork in fine homes.