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Friday Find: Chic Lacquer Boxes and Stop Procrastinating
January 6, 2012 · Comments { 8 }
With organizing a priority for many of us this month, I wanted to share these chic lacquer boxes I found at The Container Store. Available in a variety of colors to fit any color scheme, they are perfect for housing jewelry, office supplies or craft materials. And the price is reasonable at $12.99 each.
Speaking of organizing. Are you having trouble getting organized and don’t know how to start? Many times the biggest hurdle in getting organized is procrastinating. The first step in stopping procrastination is to take action and keep it simple. Select the one project you must get done to feel productive. It may be going through that pile of mail, purging old shoes from your closet, or organizing the utensil drawer. Keep it simple and choose a manageable item you can complete in 5-15 minutes. Break the day up into a series of “sessions” for other tasks and balance the time spent planning with time spent doing. Don’t over think it and take too much time planning because this too can cause procrastination. Once complete, review your progress, pat yourself on the back (or reward yourself with a nice glass of vino) and plan your tasks for the next day. I find my clients get more and more motivated as they complete tasks.
I would love to hear about your organizing projects and favorite products that keep your space beautifully neat. Please send me an email or share on Facebook.
Happy organizing!
*It’s not too late to enter to win a $100 gift certificate from Empire Patio Covers!
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By Cristin on January 6, 2012 in friday find, home organization, organization tips, storage
Chic & Stylish Storage Boxes
August 31, 2011 · Comments { 6 }
Decorative boxes {especially with lids so they can be stacked & stay dust free} are are great way to get organized. It’s never been easier to find stylish boxes that do double duty – high function and beautiful form – love it! Layer them on a bookcase, house jewelry or store small office supplies atop a desk – you can’t go wrong!
For a round-up of chic decorative boxes {including the ones seen above}, visit my ideabook on Houzz. Now comes the hard part… narrowing down your favorites!
Are you organizing your home and struggling with clutter? Here are some helpful guidelines to follow and questions to ask when decluttering.
Are you organizing your home and struggling with clutter? Here are some helpful guidelines to follow and questions to ask when decluttering.
Happy organizing!
Stylish & Organized Linen Closet–Before & After
June 22, 2011 · Comments { 24 }
Over a long holiday weekend this spring, one of our big organizing projects was to purge and stylishly rearrange the linen closet. I typically do this kind of work for clients, but this time it was my turn!
Although the closet didn’t look up to my standards, it functioned fine. I think this is one reason why it took us so long to get to it.
As I mentioned, our “before” closet was functional, but needed a coordinated look. So out came all the items. The shelf liners were removed and the shelves were painted a crisp white. To add a punch of color we painted the back wall a fresh green that coordinated with a trio of canvas striped bins we already had.
While my husband was painting, I organized all the supplies into groups and then housed the items staying in the closet into bins or baskets. Each basket received a labeled tag and were arranged on the shelves based on how frequently they were used. We had most of the supplies for this project. I only needed to purchase the top three bins and for those I selected a solid beige canvas so that it didn’t compete with the stripe, but was a different texture than the baskets.
We are much happier with the way the our linen closet looks today!
Organizing your clothing closet?
Here are some tips on making your closet functional and beautiful.
Happy organizing!
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By Cristin on June 22, 2011 in Closets, home organization, organization tips, simplified bee portfolio, storage
Interior Design Tips for Maximizing a Small Living Space
June 13, 2011 · Comments { 9 }
I’m thrilled to announce that Michaela of Michaela Noelle Designs and an interior design student will be a summer contributor here at Simplified Bee. Earlier this year she wrote a great article on Color Psychology in Interior Design. Today, she will be giving us design tips for small spaces. Thanks Michaela!
I’m so excited to be here sharing on Simplified Bee today. I adore Cristin- we had the chance to meet a few months ago and she really is such an inspiration to me. Today, she’s asked me to share my take on easy ways to maximize a small space. This past school year I lived in a very tiny apartment, and while I couldn’t make any serious changes because the apartments were owned by the school, I sure spent plenty of hours thinking about what I’d do if I could! That’s just how the designer brain works…always thinking of how to improve a space (:
Let’s dive in!
Top Ways to Maximize Your Small Space:
1. Lighter is Brighter. Soft, neutral colored walls always makes a space appear larger. While an accent wall here or there is a great idea, darker colors tend to impose on a space, making it feel smaller. Some smart color choices would be light blue, beige, light gray or a pale yellow. Add brighter colors in smaller doses like pillows, curtains and art work, if you wish.
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| Young House Love |
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| House Beautiful |
2. Consistency. Having a uniform floor running throughout your small space is a way to trick the eye into thinking the space is longer or wider.
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| Apartment Therapy |
3. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall. Hanging mirrors is a great way to visually maximize space, as it reflects light and enlarges the depth of perception.
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| Danielle Oakey Interiors |
4. Let There be Light. Smart lighting choices found in fun pendants, chandeliers and other ambient lighting will help keep the space light and bright, thus making it feel nice and spacious.
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| House Beautiful |
5. Tuck it Away. Perhaps the most important way to keep your space feeling larger than it is, would be storage. There are so many creative ways to keep your clutter out of sight. Vertical storage in bookcases is a great space saver. It’s also a fun way to add personality- decorating your bookshelves. Other storage options include ottomans, buffet tables for your eating space, or a dresser for your entry table. If you don’t have a linen closet, a dresser is a great option! No one has to know what’s in those drawers (:
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| Apartment Therapy |
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With some of these tips implemented into a small home or apartment, you’re bound to fool your guests when the guess your square footage. Hope these helped! Thanks again for having me, Cristin!
xoxo,

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By Cristin on June 13, 2011 in Design Tips, home organization, interior design, lighting, storage

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