Why you can't judge a book by its...

PICTURES!

I got this book in a $5 bin and I 'd thumbed through the pictures and set it in the stack to snuggle in with all the rest of my lovelies.  I had focused on 'display' rather than 'storage'.

I do like books.  Probably too much.  They are such good friends.

When I decided to give a review on a book a month I thought this would be an easy and quick one but not too relevant because it appeared to be all about 'out of reach' accessories and I don't even know where the closest Pottery Barn is!

I have been making lots of notes! I am now focusing on 'storage'.   It may show high end antiques but the storage principles are priceless and  very do-able.  Some are beyond me as my 1930's farm house has a tiny closet in each bedroom and 2 closets in the upstairs hall and that is it.  Not even a broom closet.  The basement has one window, a six foot ceiling and an unfinished floor.  But I see an addition in my future that could have a laundry room!  :)  Hence the notes!  lol

So here are a few things I have learned:

Condense and contain!  Each room has its own storage needs.

I am a stacker so I need to keep flat surfaces to a minimum and use more decorative baskets.

I luv shelves and there are pages of wonderful ideas to satisfy my form over function sensibilities. Group items by colour, material, or theme.  And when it can't be pretty, hang a sheer curtain over the front to make the mess ambiguous!  That's kinda what I did with my fabric stash!  :)

Entrance: my challenge is the flat surface free to receive the handful or armful on entry! :O
I have the coat hooks, the boot tray, the mitten chest and then all the miscellaneous phone books, pens and keys behind a cupboard door.  I even have the chair and mirror!  Storage needs to be easy and automatic so I have 'trained' the Rooster to stash all his stuff in drawers.  I am loosing the battle on the kitchen windowsill but I'm winning in the other rooms!  lol

Living room: We have almost got library status with the volume of books we own.  I am dispersing them to appropriate rooms.   The stack by my bed doesn't quite look like the 'end table' in the photograph though!  

To improve visual clutter and my sense of pretty I am considering making paper book covers for some them.  I'd luv this effect in my bedroom.

Bedrooms:  Everything seems to require air circulation and that isn't possible in my closets although things are less wrinkled since we bought a wardrobe for the bathroom to hold the Rooster's clothes.  But rolling blankets rather than digging through stacks would work for my quilts. I liked that idea!  Platform beds are the way to go!  I have metal beds and dust bunnies hide amongst the Rubber Maid containers which I am trying to eliminate! :(

Bathrooms:  Towels are best folded in thirds lengthwise then in thirds again.  Or rolled!  And look at that toilet paper holder.  A towel bar!!!

Laundry room:  Be still my heart!  A designated room and so organized.  Not a laundry pile in sight!  vbsigh

The utility room and work rooms were enlightening.  The stuff one uses the most and has the most of should get the biggest area and the priority.  I need a library!  Ha!

But this lets me know that my mixed media stuff is slowly putting pressure on Nina and all my sewing stuff.  I need to re-evaluate and  make some informed decisions concerning my 'studio'.

I already have a pegboard which is highly recommended but using a spice rack for my little spray bottles and inks was a DUH! moment.  ;-)  I have free real estate on the ends!

I have learned that I can always learn something more.  I learned I am already putting into practice some of the principles to good storage design I've gleaned from all those magazines that come out in spring showing 100 ways to better storage.   And the truth be told, are often more than five bucks!   I also learned that an antique bucket works just as well as a dollar store bucket!