Maximizing Space {Desk Nook}

One of the toughest obstacles in furnishing and decorating a new home is awkward nooks and niches. I myself had niches like the one pictured below in my home growing up, and it proved to be a delightful challenge in decorating and space planning a room.

http://www.theyellowcapecod.com/p/31-days-of-character-building.html

In my home we used these niches as reading nooks with an armchair and small accent table, etc. But as you can see, there is plenty of potential to get creative and maximize space.

Why take up valuable space in the main areas of a room, when you can utilize a niche for a built in desk or workstation? Or, you can take a more traditional take and install a window bench with a cushioned seat.

Take Care,

Leanne.

Maximize Space {Closet Office}

By any chance do you want a home office space, but aren't quite sure where to put it in your home?

Okay, now do you have a random closet that you barely use in a spare room, or other area of your home?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, or are even just a little bit curious as to where I'm going with this, then read on.

http://diyshowoff.com/2011/02/16/closet-office-more-than-rubies/

As you can see in the image above, using a closet for another purpose, other than storing clothes, can be both beautiful and functional.

You can make it as simple or elaborate as you wish; just add a small desk inside with some shelving and desk organizers and you are well on your way to creating your very own office nook in a closet.

I would also like to point out the clever use of a mirror on the interior of the closet; this gives the illusion of a bigger space and can also brighten the closet up by reflecting any light within this small space.

Take Care,

Leanne.

Easy Makeup Organization

In one of my weekly pinning sprees on Pinterest I came across this amazingly ingenious ideas for makeup organization that I just had to share with you. It uses the IKEA Alex storage unit, and bristol board (or card stock), and anti-slip mats that you can buy at your local business supply store (or for cheaper choices you can go to Walmart or the Dollar Store).

http://fabuloushomeblog.com/2012/12/29/the-ikea-alex-storage-great-for-when-you-have-a-ton-of-makeup/

I'm not going to lie, this projuect is a bit time consuming and will require patience. You will need to measure the interior of the drawers (width, length, and height), as well as the size of the makeup containers that you are trying to store.

Once you have all of this information, you can cut your non slip mats and place them in the bottom of each drawer. Now you can start cutting your dividers; place strips running from the front to back of the drawer, cutting slits  3/4 of the way through in the sections where you plan to divide.

Now place your dividers through the slits of the vertically running dividers, running horizontally in the drawers.

That's it; now place your makeup in the divider sections and marvel at your hard work and enjoy organizational bliss!

Take Care,

Leanne.

Quick & Easy Shoe Organization {Shoe Closet}

This post is for all of my shoe fanatics out there.

If you find that your shoes need more space to breathe and be admired, I'm with you on that one.

Here's an awesome idea to store your shoe collection, in a way that showcases their beauty, similar to department stores.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/shoe-organization-product-roun-135914

I don't know why this thought never occurred to me; I used to work at a shoe store back in college that used bookcases to display out shoes and boots.

All you need is a few tall bookcases with adjustable shelves and you are good to go. No more digging through a crowded closet to find the shoes to match your outfit with this easily accessible alternative.

Take Care,

Leanne.

DIY Mail Organizer

Recently I was out looking for a mail organizer, because my boyfriend likes to leave mail pretty much on every surface of the apartment and I was hoping if he had a designated area to place his mail, the problem would either fix itself or diminish.

However, as I looked around I either found that mail organizers are hard to find (not many stores carry them anymore), or the ones that I could find were not very pretty (think tacky varnished wood with roosters painted on it). So with that being said, here's how you can turn those not so pretty mail organizers into something a little more to your taste.

http://www.justalittlecreativity.com/2011/09/confession-time-good-bad-and-ugly-diy.html

What you will need:

Mail Organizer
Fine Grain Sand Paper
Medium & Small Paint Brushes (you'll need a small one for nooks and crannies)
Water
Paint in the colour(s) of your choice

Directions:

Take your mail organizer and sand the surface down with fine grain sand paper to remove any existing finish/paint.

Once the surface is free of the previous finish/paint, "paint" the entire surface of the wood with water. This is to prep the wood for painting.

Once the wood feels dry to the touch start painting in the colour(s) of your choice.

Let Dry completely in a well ventilated area.

And just like that, you're done!

Take Care,

Leanne.

DIY Scarf Storage

I find that scarves can be a pain to store sometimes. Whether you have a few, or many, there's always the question of "how do I want to store these?".

Recently I stumbled upon this image on Pinterest and couldn't believe I never thought of this before.

http://xny.co/2013/08/simple-scarf-storage/

Not only is this a cheap way to store scarves, but by having individual rings for the scarves to hang on you prevent them from tangling together.

All you will need is a coat hanger with a bottom bar like you see above (metal, plastic, or wood), and some shower rings.

Genius!

Take Care,

Leanne.

The Ultimate Shoe Closet

Everyone has their "one thing". You know, the one item that you don't care how much it costs (you will buy it) or you don't care how much of a rush you are in (you will stop to look at it). For some people that may be cars, clothes, or purses; for me, it's shoes.

So when I saw the following image, I couldn't help but stop and stare...and dream!

http://celovepink.blogspot.ca/2013/03/dream-about-fashion-closet.html

What a beautiful closet, and look at all of the shoes!There's no arguing that this closet was a custom design for another shoe fanatic like myself (and possibly even you). So  much storage space, and a perfect seating area to let you out on your shoes in comfort, rather than hobbling around or grasping the shelving for stability.

What a beauty!

Take Care,

Leanne.

Make Use Of Wasted Space

I came across the most clever use of spring tension rods today while searching through Pinterest; spring tension rods placed between 2 walls to hold scarves like you see here, or even use for belts and/or ties.

https://mobile.twitter.com/kamilahu/status/284378665557561344

This is such a creative reuse of drapery hardware. You can find these rods at most home decor stores, such as Sears or Bed Bath & Beyond. This just goes to show that if you think outside of the box, you can come up with some pretty amazing and creative things.

Take Care,

Leanne.

Organize Your Bathroom Beautifully

One of the key ways to keep your home looking beautiful, and at its best is to keep it organized and clean. Nothing can make a beautiful home look worse than a messy countertop or a floor cluttered with clothes or miscellaneous items. 

Bathrooms are a prime example of this; a once beautiful and clean bathroom can appear a mess once the coutertop is strewn with makeup and other beauty products.

http://pacificartistry.wordpress.com/tag/makeup-organization/

Keep your bathroom organized and looking its finest with unconventional methods of organization (at least for the bathroom). Use items such as the mail organizer pictured above to sort and store items such as makeup, hair products and accessories, and small toiletries. 

You can find so many beautiful organizers in stores like Home Sense, Winners, and Marshalls that are more decorative than the usual metal or plastic office organizers. The possibilities are endless for organization. You just need to think outside of the box.

Take Care,

Leanne.