OrganizingLA Blog

Can Something Pretty Make You Want To Do Housework?

If there is one thing we've learned running a professional organizing business it's that the right tool can get the job done. And an even better tool is one that you can leave out for display, or hang up in plain sight for easy access so it no only looks good, but functions well too.

 

This week I fell in love with this bamboo ironing board from Welm Elm on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles. If you know me, I pretty much hate ironing anything other than pillow cases, cocktail napkins, tea towels, shams and placemats (anything flat and manageable). But I think this board will want to make me want to iron more and more. And it's a relative bargain at $79.99. If you add a chef's stripe ironing board cover @ $19.00 --  you will have a look that adds affordable functional style in traditional homes, Victorian-style, Spanish Renaissance, beach home, Colonial, Craftsman (you get the point).

 

West Elm continues to stock great organizing and homekeeping products that they inherited when Hold Everything home organization store closed down in 2006.  Check out these pictures.

 

This stylish ironing board features solid bamboo legs and a Fibertech® top made from natural plant fiber waste.

 

High quality homekeeping products can make chores more fun!

When working with clients we try to incorporate some style in the client's necessary functional activities and storage. And all the better if we can move away from plastic containers into wood (yea, I am obsessed with wood organizing boxes and storage pieces).

 

Take for instance my own bathroom. I repurposed these 1970's Maxwell House freeze-dried glass coffee jars in the bathroom to hold wooden Q-tips, cotton balls, cotton pads and wood toothbrushes (the last container was empty so I added some sea shells). The canisters sit on the shelf and they're not only maritime chic, they're are functional (and yes, we had to scrub these jars for an hour, they were previously used in a garage in Sierra Madre to hold nuts, bolts and drill bits!)

 

 

These re-purposed freeze-dried coffee canister sit on my bathroom shelves. They're not only pretty but functional too...something important to me personally and when working with clients.

So you can see from my Instagram picture post, when you incorporate looks and function, you might get a bonus: a burst of extra energy to tackle life's little details and complete your ironing (or any little chore) faster. And then we can move on to more important things like friends, family and Spring time fun.

 

 

Now is your chance to sound off:

 

What products do you like to have around you? Do stylish products really help you get the job done more efficiently? Let us know here in the comment section or you can tweet us @johntrosko on Twitter. You can also check me out on Instagram.

 

Don't miss these topics!

 

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7 High-End Products To Organize Your Closet

 

 Closet organizing nirvana can be achieved with careful editing, thoughtful closet shelving and rod placement and selecting a blend of functional and stylish accessories.

 

Closets are an expression of your personal style, no matter who you are. Why not invest a little more and pamper your Pradas? We've always believed that if you choose your accessories somewhat carefully, your final look will be luxurious and accommodating to the needs of modern man. Here are a few interesting higher-end closet organizing accessories. Can you add any of your favorites?

 

 

 

Bell'occhio in San Francisco offers these Maison boxes shimmering in matelasse' paper with a "snappy" red trim. Petite boxes start at $18 and love letter boxes $34.

 

 

Chevron gold metallic drawer liners from Hammocks & High Tea. come in the scene of jasmine and bitter orange.  $25 for six 12" x 18" sheets.

 

Quintessence Paris crafts scented tubes designed to be placed inside drawers and through the hooks of hangers to imbue your apparel with a redolence of freshness and spice. Available for $100 through Bridal Guide.

 

 

 

We've written before about these Clearly Glam luxury shoe boxes from Brazilian designer Gracienne. Stack-able and fashionable, the clear boxes with chic black lid come in packages of 12 for $9.95 each. Available here.

 

Kirby Allison's "Hanger Project" offers luxury wooden hangers that eliminate dimpling and collapsed shoulders. Kirby is a former investment banker who virtually re-invented hangers using better components and a signature no-slip purple or brown flocking, brass hardware, birch wood satin finish.  About $55.50 for 12 shirt hangers.

 

 

 

Lisa Adams, an LA-based high-end closet designer offers these decadent hanger clovers on her website, LA Closet Design. Not only will your clothes be protected from dust, but they'll have the lovely scent of French lavender. $54.00

 

If all of this is confusing and you just need the basics of closet organization, you can pick up our book: The Experts Guide To Doing Things Faster: 100 Ways To Make Life More Efficient. Or, download it onto your Kindle. We contributed Chapter 9, "How to organize your closet" with a 7-step process to clear the clutter and bring beauty and functionality to your closet no matter your budget.

 

What products have helped you organize your closet? Do you have any tips for luxury on a budget? We want you to share.

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Want to learn smart and practical organizing tips for your home, office and life? Save time by signing up for free topic updates and receive them as soon as they're published. Plus, as a gift receive our exclusive Martha Stewart Living Radio recorded radio interview and transcript, chock full of strategies, tips and resources direct from John.

Enter your Email Address


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Sunny Los Angeles Inspires Organizational Solutions by Henry Road

For a while now we've been following the success of Henry Road, a Los Angeles home and decor boutique overseen by designer Paula Smail.

The small shop located in Studio City just off Ventura Boulevard features Smail's global-inspired color-filled pillows and table textiles supplemented by an eclectic, fun collection of home goods, furniture, organizational solutions and gifts. What grabs you at first are the colors and patterns made right here in the City, perfect for the sunny spaces of Los Angeles-- and beyond (they do surely ship). Her inventive use of color and cheerfulness was incorporated not only in her table textiles but in her organizing products.

New Organizing Products Just Announced:

Smail and Company just announced some new items for the summer. We thought we'd bring you a few of the newer organizational solutions and some of their sturdy standbys. With quality comes price, none of these items are inexpensive. But your space is surely going to speak of function and beauty if you choose them. The windowed tins and the wonderful ceramic crate are brand new.

 

White Porcelain Storage Crate (perfect for magazines, small bowls, office paper, nice enough to leave out) $150

Windowbox Storage Tin (great for crafting, tea lights, office supplies, sewing kit, buttons and receipts-- wonderful for folks who need to "see their stuff") $26 (small) - $46 (large)

Wood Bakery Bin (We love these for the kitchen counter, guest room bathroom, or as a mail bin by the front door) $40

Storage Sacks (recycled coffee sacks sewn with Henry Road's own fabrics... fill them with CDs, toys or fruit in the kitchen) $35 (available in four colors).

Ceramic French Road Can (a really nice organic look to store utensils, bathroom accessories or use as a vase) $30

Vintage Film Cases (we're in Hollywood after all... fill these boxes with photos, note cards, markers, DVDs and small games) $55

Read More:

Henry Road - blog

Henry Road - website

Henry Road - facebook

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John Trosko Organizes Shoe Lovers for Better Homes & Gardens

 

Does your personality dictate the way you organize your closet?

Three top organizing experts including Lorie Marrero of the Clutter Diet (Austin, Texas), Meryl Starr (New York, New York) and yours truly answer this question by addressing three different "closet personalities" in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

The 6-page article (pages 78-86) features advice tailored to women who either fold or hang their clothes or a woman with shoes on center stage. Along with our friends at Closet Maid, Hanger City, the Container Store, Organize.com, Caldrea, KangaRoom Storage, OrganizeIt, Hammocks and High Tea, Agraria Home and Elizabeth W, our segment "Shoe Lover" ticked off ideas for maximizing the passion of a "shoe hog" while minimizing the clutter. Closet Maid's shoe cubby inserts helped us maintain a sense of order and accessibility. Did you know the average mature woman owns between 40-60 pairs of shoes?

"If you adore your shoes, put them front and center in cubbies. Plan enough of them to house every pair you own in a season."

There are lots more tips from Marrero and Starr, along with some excellent organizational products the talented editors discovered. Get your copy of the November BHG on newsstands nationwide now.

What kind of closet personality do you have? How many pairs of shoes do you own? Share with us by writing a comment below.

Related Posts:

Vanity Fair - John featured in March 2008 issue of BHG

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Organizing Emergency: A Reader Wants To Buy a Laundry Hamper - Part One

DaneNow on Twitter wants to know where professional organizers get their hampers.

He's just moved into a new house in West Los Angeles and headed to IKEA to shop for a temporary clothes hamper for his closet. We put this together for Dale to get him started (and by the way, you can follow us on Twitter, too-- click here).

What is a Laundry Hamper?

A hamper serves an important function in a home. The unit is a homebase to gather, sort and store dirty laundry. By strategically placing the hamper where you need it most, you'll save time and energy doing laundry. The same kind of container can be used to re-distribute clean clothes back to their origin. Laundry Hampers are usually made of wicker, but are now offered in wood, canvas, fabric, stainless sleel, plastic, mesh and acrylic.

Save Yourself Disappointment, Ask These Questions Before Buying a Hamper:

Before Dane heads out and chooses a hamper, we suggest asking these quick questions. Thinking about them ahead of time will save him and his family time and disappointment.

Wondering How to Plan Your Storage? Take a Cruise

 

One of our organizing clients has an office at Crossroads of the World in Hollywood. 

   

The art deco moderne complex was designed by Robert V. Derrah in 1936 and is often referred to as the first modern shopping center in America.  Various old world cottage bungalows surround one large center building created to resemble a streamline ocean liner.  How cool is that?

It's no wonder streamline created such a design influence, even to this day.  Below in the black and white picture, you can see how the period inspired this West Hollywood-area streamline duplex home.  The home still stands today, we used to walk past it everyday.

Much of 1930s design was borrowed from the golden age of transportation, especially ocean liners.  Ocean liners have long been a source of fascination, not only in their beauty but in their functionality.  A transatlantic voyage in the 1930's and today's "sea cities" have much in common-- tight, functional storage for adventurous passengers.

During the Golden Age of Travel in the 1930s, transatlantic voyagers captured the allure of distinctively designed passenger cabins:  rich woods, fine linens, shiny brass fixtures, flawless service-- all in a postage-sized space with concealed cabinetry, floor-to-ceiling and petite fixtures, this professional organizer's daydream!

Modern day travelers planning a small space can take a design clue from the past and book a voyage on today’s cruise ships.  A shrewd use of space and efficiency where high-style and beauty meet functionality hasn’t really changed in over 60 years.  The principles are still the same.

Let us know about your small-space adventures.  Have you ever traveled on a cruise ship? Was the storage functional (and beautiful) enough for you?

Read more on the Crossroads of the World in Hollywood.

Crossroads - Photos by Floyd E. Bariscale on Flickr

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