This is the time of year where we tend to go inward. We start baking, lighting candles, making our homes cozy, and pulling out those bins of decorations to get in the holiday spirit. But, for some of us, locating those bins of decorations is a hassle and a chore and takes some of the fun out of the holiday cheer!
One of our professional organizers recently helped a busy mother of two get her storage spaces in order. With great intentions, this mom put baby clothes and holiday decorations in plastic tubs and stuck them in the attic. While plastic bins CAN be a great organizing tool, if not applied appropriately or at the right time, they can serve as mystery treasure troves that do nothing to make finding things easier (which is the whole point of using them, right?!) So, this mom called us, just in time for the holidays!
When they began work on the attic, it was impossible to get to anything. Along with the bins of stuff were lots of empty boxes taking up space.
When working in storage spaces like this, you have to start with a “total burn down” – removing EVERYTHING from the space.
Word to the wise – make sure you have enough time to set aside to make a big dent in the project at one time AND that you have a place to put things in the mean time.
You also must start with the COMMITMENT TO FINISH! If you pull everything out and then run out of steam, not only will your attic (or garage or spare room, etc.) not be organized, but the rest of your home will be worse than before!
Consider calling in help – whether it is a friend, family member, or professional organizer!
In the attic, the baby clothes in the bins were mixed together, meaning this mom had to dig through bins to find a certain size or season of clothing. The bins were also mislabeled. (While they were organizing the attic, our organizer opened a bin labeled “Computer” and it was full of Halloween costumes!) Finally, this family loves Halloween and was in the mood to decorate. But, they couldn’t get to the Halloween decorations because of all the stuff in the attic.
It was time to RECLAIM this space!
Our professional organizer and the client started with a macro and micro sort process (you can watch one in action here). After going through every bin and discovering what they had and how much of it, they THEN created a bin system with proper labeling! They considered how and when the family would need access to items when determining where they should be located in the attic.
Now the decoration bins are easy to get to and clearly labeled. They are sorted in a way that makes sense to this family – by home decor and party supplies.
The baby clothes have been organized by size and arranged in the order they will be used – with maternity clothes in the front!
The family’s suitcases, which were previously mixed in among the boxes and bins, are now stored right near the door of the attic so they are quick to grab.
This family took the time to establish systems that will save them lots of time in the future. It’s amazing what peace of mind comes from taking back out of control spaces. The family is enjoying this newly organized space so much that the young son wants to set up his plastic bowling pins in the new, cleared out space!
We hope this has inspired you to tackle that project that is nagging you and getting in the way of you fully enjoying this time of year. For more resources, visit our online store, our YouTube or Pinterest page, or contact our office.
Related:
- Get hands on help for organizing your own storage spaces.
