I’m having so much fun watching this show! It’s exciting to see people diving into clothing, shoes, books, and piles of stuff large and small, being honest with themselves about what’s taking up space and not fueling the spirit. It’s also important to learn limits as to how much you can realistically tackle at a time, and to understand and accept with a passionate heart and determined mind that the process of decluttering the complete home takes commitment and consistency. Are you up for the challenge? It’s worth it, I promise!
Since the show premiered my organizer friends everywhere are receiving calls. I suddenly have 25% more inquiries in my inbox each day, which brings me great joy! I am excited that people are ready and willing to take control of their lives and their stuff. A common question asked with these new inquiries is:
” Are you a coach or do you actually help me do it?”
We help you do it! We can even do it for you when you’re not at home, so that you come back to a beautifully organized space without lifting a finger. And when you need to be home because there’s stuff to make decisions on or because you love being part of the process, my team and I are on the front lines with you sorting and lifting, containing and labeling.
A complete organizer should provide you 1) organizational design ideas, 2) energy & motivation, and 3) implementation. It’s magical! Help with all three areas makes things move forward faster, and inspires you to keep going when you see how much can be accomplished in a matter of hours when we do it together. Teamwork makes the dream work when the goal is to declutter and organize your space asap so you can focus on and be productive with the people and things that matter most.
San Francisco Bay Area Professional Organizer Isabella Guajardo works with clients to downsize, minimalize, and organize their wardrobe closets, offices, paperwork, kitchens, garages, and any challenging area of the home. Call her today at (510) 229-7321 for a complimentary 20-minute conversation about downsizing and minimalism.
Lighting is a critical element to how well the home looks and functions. Inadequate lighting is a common issue, and often caused by incorrect wattage in lamps and outdated overhead fixtures. This can make a room dark, shadowy and uncomfortable.
Check to make sure the highest watt bulbs recommended by the manufacturer are in your lamps and fixtures. Experiment with clear and frosted bulbs.
Do you have trouble reading in a particular room or while working at your desk? Do you sit close to a window for natural light because the lamps and fixtures direct light upward to the ceiling and not down on the room, book or desk? Is the art, décor, or plants hidden in the dark? If any of this applies to you, it’s time to redesign the lighting in your home and upgrade to what you need. It doesn’t have to cost much.
To properly light your home, you need three types of lighting: general, task, and accent.
GENERAL LIGHTING illuminates the entire room. This includes fixtures that hang on or near the ceiling, and Torchiere lamps that stand on the floor and shine their light up and outward. This also includes Track Lighting, Recessed Lighting, Cove Lighting, Chandeliers, and Sconces.
TASK LIGHTING includes table and standing lamps, strip lighting, or track lighting directed to specific areas, and is an essential element for working and reading comfortably. Swing-arm lamps connected to a wall are versatile task lighting, more commonly placed at the bedside or next to a favorite reading chair. Some Torchiere lamps come with combination up and down lights that provide both general and task lighting. Strip lighting is commonly used under kitchen cabinets to light up countertops.
ACCENT LIGHTING is used to highlight artwork, sculptures, trees, and plants. Properly lit art and accessories can dramatically improve the look of these pieces and the overall feel of the room. Collections displayed in bookcases or wall units can be illuminated with individual spotlights or strip lighting under a shelf.
Take these steps to improve the lighting in your home:
Identify the places where general, task, and/or accent lighting is needed
Change bulbs to their maximum wattage
Use three-way bulbs in three-way sockets
Remodeling is not necessary to improve lighting. Visit a local lighting store or well-lit furniture showroom for lamp, fixture, and bulb ideas.
____
Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.
Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.
Create a “drink zone” in the kitchen that includes everything you need to make your drinks: coffee, tea, various drink mixes, sugars, honey, mugs, glasses, coffee and tea maker, blender, juicer…
I LOVE when people move! Fresh start! I get to design, set up and organize home offices, living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens. I always have so many IDEAS.
The first thing that needs to be put together is the kitchen. Of course you have to eat and drink coffee and tea in the morning. I put together a series of photos of what I call a “drink zone” from the last home I lived in. I work with clients on kitchen organizing regularly, so these photos give examples of what I’m always talking about with them.
An organized drink zone is a place to store everything you need to make your favorite “for here” and “to go” drinks: coffee, tea, and their implements, cocoa, various drink mixes (such as emergen-c), sugars, honey, mugs, travel mugs, glasses, coffee and tea maker, blender, juicer, etc. Keep in the upper shelves things such as platters and baskets that you will use for serving drinks or drink-related tools and accessories.
Decanting & Labeling
Everyday drink glasses should be placed on the lowest, most reachable shelf, and less commonly used glasses up higher. Here I used a chrome expandable shelf riser/extender purchased from a local home store. The cabinet shelves are adjustable, so I adjusted the area to have enough space to add the extender so that the glasses stack and a hand can comfortably grab and put things away.
Lining kitchen cabinets is sometimes necessary. I like to line the lower, most commonly used dish cabinets. Why? Because it protects glasses from sliding around, from clanking and chipping on the cabinet, and it protects the cabinet from water damage if you put away things without completely wiping them dry. If you rent or are detailed about the resale value of your home, take care of the cabinets. One of my favorite’s is spongy no-slip liner because it’s easy to measure, cut, and place, unlike sticky liner. The brighter the liner color, the brighter it makes the inside of the cabinet, the easier it is to see what’s inside…works especially well in dark spaces.
Shelf liner protects the surface of your cabinets, adding to the resale value of your home.
We move up to the less-commonly used items…the wine and “special occasion” cocktail glasses. Alway have a small step-stool nearby for when it’s time to bring these babies down and par-tay.
Less commonly used glasses go higher up in the cabinet.
Love the tiki cocktail glasses.
We move over to the upper right where the coffee and travel mugs live. Six travel mugs is more than enough for two people.
Coffee and travel mugs.
Many moons ago I had a thrift store collection of cute mugs, but have since pared down to three: the skinny blue one with flowers that I love for hot chocolate, my little sombrero man, and my mama buzz mug. Mama Buzz was a hip local coffee and sandwich shop on Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal District of Oakland back when I first started this business. They were popular for showcasing local art & music before First Friday’s began. It’s since changed hands and is now a beer garden and bustling social hub during the First Fridays Art Murmur. Mama Buzz will forever live in my heart and kitchen cabinet.
My favorite mugs are simple treasures.
The lower-right side of the cabinet is where the coffee, tea, honey, sugar, mexican hot chocolate, mulling spices, emergen-c, coffee filters and drink implements live.
Coffee and tea drink zone.
I like to store loose leaf tea and bags in small, stack-able mason jars where they keep fresh longer and are easy to see. I simply cut the label off and place it in the jar so we can see and read what it is, and know when it’s time to buy more.
Store loose tea bags in mason jars to keep them fresh longer.
The counter top below is specifically for drink-related machines and gadgets: the electric water kettle and coffee maker. The large cabinet below the counter houses the juicer and blender which are too bulky and heavy to keep on the counter but used often enough to store nearby.
I keep mint with its roots in a glass of water by the sunlight to pick when I’m craving fresh tea. Mint is invasive in the garden, so pulling a little out at a time by the roots will keep them thinned. There’s no better tea than fresh mint tea.
Fresh mint ready for picking.
This is our kitchen drink zone. We add to it only when things break or run out, so that it doesn’t get cluttered. We keep in it things we love, cherish, and use regularly…things that make us happy when we open the cabinet and see them.
Kitchen cabinet organizing – drink station
Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your kitchen and pantry organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.
