A Guest Room Makeover

I've said it before, and I'll say it again......EVERYONE has a closet and/or room in their house that is a "catch-all" spot. Mine is in my guest room closet, and I think that's a pretty common space from what I've seen.

A recent client was using their guest room & guest closet to hold her kids' memorabilia, clothes she wanted to sell, plus some sentimental items of hers & her husband's. So, it was a classic case of "too much stuff in too little of a space."

 

 We sorted through the sentimental items and placed them into a Rubbermaid tubs for each family member. Those were then labeled & moved to the attic.

 

We also made 3 bins for the items she wanted to sell:

1. Donate

2. NRT (online trading site)

3. Deju Vu (consignment store)

 Plus, we got rid of a lot of things she didn't want or need anymore.

And we ended up with this!

 

 

 Who knew that guest room bedding was so beautiful!?

 

Now, she has a much more manageable amount of items in her guest room closet. And when her bins get full, it's time to take them to the consignment store, donation center, or sell online.

 

Do you have a catch-all spot hiding in your house??

Preparing for Holiday Visitors

Whether you have visitors coming into town for Thanksgiving or Christmas,
now is the ideal time to start your preparations.....

 

 

1. The first place you need to evaluate (and probably de-clutter!) is your guest room. If you don't have a designated guest room, then decide where your guests will be staying....in one of the kids' rooms, on a pull-out couch, etc. It's important that there is a place set aside for guests; a place to call their own and feel "at home" during their visit.

 

If your guest room is like mine, then that closet has been deemed the "catch-all" space of the house. Tidy that up (or completely pull everything out & de-clutter if it's bad enough). Make sure to have a few spare hangers at your guests' disposal as well.

 

Other essentials for the guest room:

-clean linens (!)

-extra blankets & pillows in plain view

-clock

-Kleenex

-small trash can

-magazines

-fan

 

2. The next spot to think about when preparing for holiday visitors is the guest bathroom. My son's bathroom becomes the guest bathroom when we have visitors, so I relocate all of his toiletries from the shower & vanity to our bathroom. Plus, his bath towel & washcloth! This allows ample space for your guests to hang up their towels, as well as spread out their toiletries, cosmetics, and hair tools. Clear off a nearby shelf or drawer if need be.

 

It's always nice to have a few extra toiletries on hand (and in their bathroom) in case guests forget an item at home. We keep an extra toothbrush & toothpaste, as well as shampoo, soap, toilet paper, q-tips, cotton balls handy.

 

3. Another thing to think about when you are preparing for guests is food!

What are their likes & dislikes? Do they have any allergies?

What is their favorite kind of coffee, alcohol, breakfast food, snack, etc?

 

4. Lastly, make a list of a few activities in town your guests might be interested in.....parks, museums, local restaurants, etc. Check the forecast and see if their visit will be conducive to outdoor activities.

 

**If all this seems a bit over the top or too overwhelming, feel free to contact me. I would be happy to assist you with all of your organizing needs!*

Guest Room Closet: Before & After Pictures!

**This month I'm discussing all things KITCHEN on the blog, but let's take a quick time-out from that today. I have got to get something off my chest!**

 

Raise your hand if you have a closet - or space - in your home that is the designated "catch-all" spot?! (I am guessing many of you have your hand raised.) This is pretty common, and I think it's because it's easy.

 

(Notice I didn't say it was lazy. It's just easy! And in this day & age, when you are stressed out from jobs & kids & keeping up the house & being a wife, easy is sometimes what you are looking for.)

 

Well, after awhile, that "catch-all" spot can become a bit overwhelming. Am I right?! That's when it's time to convert your "catch-all" spot to a real organized space with a purpose. But here's the kicker....you have to be willing to never make it a "catch-all" spot again!!

 

I had a recent client who said she was embarrassed to show me her "catch-all" spot. My first reaction.....sadness. You should NEVER be embarrassed to show a Professional Organizer any of your messes. We are there to *HELP*...not to judge!

 

(Because believe me.....I've seen it all. One little closet is not going to shock me!)

 

And so, my client put on her big-girl panties and showed me her closet :) Here is one of the "before" pictures:

 

It's a closet. With a lot of stuff. No big deal! Especially since this client doesn't have an attic space...naturally, this guest room closet just became their makeshift attic. On top of that, she actually didn't give herself enough credit - a few of those bags on the floor were full of kids' clothing, and the outside was labeled with the size! So, some of it was semi-organized!

 

I just stepped in to help her clear the clutter, set up a system for her kids' extra clothing, get rid of clothes her kids had outgrown, and organize a few sewing supplies and odds & ends. And look what we did in just 4 hours!!

 



The pink hangers are 12M size, the white hangers are 18M.
(Hello, my name is Emily & I'm OCD!)



Her husband still has a little work to do....those boxes are his....memorabilia from his "Glory Days" and a couple hundred VHS tapes that he will probably never watch again. So, we will call this side of the closet a "work in progress." :)

 

Here is the simple system we set up for her kids' extra clothing....you know, because when you get a ton of larger clothing from family & friends, it's a blessing but also a curse. You are anxiously waiting for your kids to grow into the clothes, but also wondering where in the world it will all be stored.

My client agreed to pare down a few of the sizes that have multiple tubs (ex. 2T), but that's
something she will work on in her own time over the next few days.

 

So, what do you think???

 

Do you have a "catch-all" spot you'd like me to come help

de-clutter & organize!?