Take a Picture, It'll Last Longer!

When I'm organizing I use the SPACE acronym to explain the order of the steps you take: first you Sort, then you Purge, then you Assign a home, then you Containerize (you might need to shop), then you Educate (your family about where things are now).

Everyone wants to go shopping first, right? I often tell clients that they need to measure their space before they go shopping. If you don't measure, shopping often leads to clutter or returning things that don't fit.

Let's use a bookshelf as an example. You would measure the length, width and depth of the space where the bookshelf will sit and perhaps some measurements of things that will sit on the shelf. Write this information down on paper (or send yourself an email or voice mail with the information) and put the paper with something that will travel with you to the store, like a wallet or purse. Now, take a photo with your phone.

Then, if you get to the store and you can't find the paper with the information about the measurements, you still have your phone with an email or voice mail and a picture! And IKEA has tape measures! Now you're certain to have all the information you need to choose the right bookshelf for your space, including the colors in the room.

If you didn't follow all my tips above and you get to IKEA and you're not sure about purchasing this bookshelf (or cabinet or dresser..), because you don't know if its the right fit or right color, maybe you could take a photo in the store......and come back to buy it later.

Mary Ellen Vincent

Mary Ellen is a personal organizer, specializing in custom organization projects for the average home. 

Visit her website, OrganizeME, or visit her column on The Midwest Makeover for more articles.

A Quick Kitchen Cart Makeover

Hey there!  It’s a pleasure to share my first post here with fellow Midwest Makeover friends.  While we excitedly wait for our KansasCity/Merriam IKEA grand opening, I thought it might be fun to share a quick makeover I did a couple of years ago after my very first visit to an IKEA store.

Our house has a decent amount of counter space, but this was our first time in recent memory living without a kitchen island, and I really missed having a work space in the center of the room.  We definitely didn’t have room for a large island, and I hadn't been able to find anything online or in local stores that was both the right size and the right look I was going for.

Well, IKEA did not disappoint—I came across the Stenstorp Kitchen Cart which was the size and shape we needed… but I really didn't want it in white.  Although I had only used spray paint once before, I was pretty confident I could successfully use it to customize this cart, so it came home with us from Minneapolis to Kansas City.

The nice thing about a product that requires assembly is that it’s often easier to paint individual parts than it is to practically hang upside down to paint all the undersides and corners of a complete piece.  I bought a few cans of Rust-Oleum Lagoon and a couple of cans of Polycrylic for a protective layer and customized this kitchen cart to better fit our home.

Now we have a more convenient spot where we can make sandwiches, set up a small buffet when we have company, etc.  And the cart has casters on one side, making it easy to move wherever we need it.

I think my turquoise Stenstorp feels right at home with its friend Maskros looking down from above the dining table. (MAN, I love that light.)

Cindy Wohlenhaus is the owner and creator behind Daisies & Crazies, specializing in handcrafted and revamped home accessories, furniture, and fun items for children.  Since she has finally decided what she wants to be when she grows up, she has returned to school to study interior design and has plans to offer consultations through GoodHaus Design.

What have you personalized with spray paint?  Do you have any fun lighting in your home?  Are you super excited to shop our local IKEA?  We’d love it if you said a quick hello in the comments. 

Motivation Matters

As a Professional Organizer, I’ve learned that many people are temporarily motivated to get organized by complaints about  the appearance of their space, time spent looking for lost items or by the need to downsize. 

Creating and maintaining a system to stay organized on an ongoing basis is more difficult.

The best and most enduring motivation is that being organized makes your life easier! 

Perhaps these additional benefits of organization will provide you with the desire to maintain the systems you create:

• Having your tools at hand when you’re ready to work (e.g., kitchen is organized for cooking) 
• Being able to keep to a schedule  
• The ability to set goals and reach them  
• More time for fun, family, and friends 
• More rest, sleep, and peace
• More confidence in your home (so you can more readily invite people over to socialize.
• Less time cleaning 
• Less anxiety and stress

Not everyone experiences all these benefits from every organizational project they complete, but using great organizational tools consistently, like the ones you'll find at the new IKEA store in Merriam, has an overall effect on the quality of your life. 

Although it takes effort to stay organized, the many benefits make it a worthwhile goal.  

Mary-Ellen Vincent

Mary Ellen is a personal organizer, specializing in custom organization projects for the average home. Visit her website, OrganizeME, or visit her column on The Midwest Makeover for more articles.