Hands-on organizing: just 6 hours
After two hands-on organizing sessions (three hours each) we already found the floor and recovered a more livable space!
Foyer: sketch, during, done
Sketching a plan for foyer organizing
No matter how much clutter is in a home, Organized! by Romanic® sees the space in its finished, functional, organized state and then tries to help clients see their home through her eyes, and sometimes needs to draw a quick sketch to do so. Once this busy married mom saw this sketch, she asked, “Can you make that happen here?” Organized! by Romanic® assured her that it was indeed possible.
Adding custom items to foyer
The wood holding the hooks in the foyer was recycled from a closet in an upstairs bedroom. Organized! by Romanic® did all the shopping and chose all the organizing structure to make sure that it fit in the space and provided the functionality this busy family needed in their new foyer.
Organized foyer is functional
When this young couple bought a town house, they wisely asked Organized! by Romanic® to come do a consult before they moved anything at all into their new home. Organized! by Romanic® gave them idea sketches right on photos of various areas of their home, including this foyer.
Reach-in storage closet
Old-style fixed position wire shelving
This Organized! by Romanic® client was stacking her stuff in bins below the old-style un-moveable wire shelving. At first, this client resisted the suggestion that Organized! by Romanic® made to re-use her present wire shelf and make it adjustable in height as well as add additional adjustable height shelves in her storage closet.
Adjustable shelving system adds functionality
She was convinced she would be losing space if additional shelves were added. It took a while for her to see that the increased functionality and ease of access in being able to simply pull the bin she wanted off a shelf far outweighed the small loss of space.
The right shelving system means faster access
After we filled the shelves, the client was just amazed at how adding these shelves made her life so much easier because she no longer had to stack and unstack all those bins to get to the one she wanted. She was delighted to find herself using her storage closet properly instead of just throwing stuff inside and shutting the door.
Pantry under the stairs
When Organized! by Romanic® first saw this “pantry” she was sure she could more than quadruple the useable space under these steps. Organized! by Romanic® tried to explain her vision to the client, and the client said, “I’ve seen your work! You have a gift, and I trust you. Just do what you think is best.”
Redistributing kitchen items relieves cookware gridlock
Organized! by Romanic® first went through the kitchen cupboards to figure out what kind of custom storage solutions this mom needed in her pantry so she could make better use of the space in her kitchen cupboards by moving some items to the pantry. Organized! by Romanic® used space-planning techniques to maximize the food storage space under these stairs. With several cupboard items moved to the fully organized pantry, the kitchen cupboards aren’t congested anymore.
Spice cabinet and former roach motel
Spices over sink or range? Don’t do it.
Organized! by Romanic® does not recommend storing spices in the small cabinet over the sink or stove because most spices are leaves and seeds. Moisture plus heat plus leaves and seeds equals compost. Spices decay over time and need to be replaced at least once a year. Organized! by Romanic® likes to replace all the spices just before the Thanksgiving cooking begins. Unless you can use it all in one year or less, don’t buy the large spice containers found in large warehouse stores.
Bait traps can make infestations worse
Professional exterminators say to not use ant or roach bait-style traps in your home. These bait-style traps draw ants and/or roaches into your home, and once inside, the insects feed on everything — not just the little bait traps. Ants and roaches reproduce very quickly, and you can have a huge infestation in a matter of weeks. This homeowner thought putting roach bait traps in her cupboards would kill the roaches, but all it did was draw them in to feast in her kitchen.
Residue from canned goods? Use turntables!
Use turntables in your cupboards to bring the cans hiding on the back half of the shelf up to the front where you can see and use them before they expire. This is especially important with tomato products in metal cans. It doesn’t take long for the acid in tomatoes to eat through a metal can, which leaves a nasty black mess on your shelf. If your family can’t eat all the food in your house in a month, you probably have too much food in your house.
Getting it clean and keeping it clean
Organized! by Romanic® likes to help people organize their kitchens. Following basic kitchen organization guidelines will make cooking in even the smallest kitchen a pleasure. Just as important are kitchen maintenance skills, like wiping up a spill immediately to prevent dried, caked-on food messes later. Organized! by Romanic® removes all cupboard contents, then cleans and disinfects the cupboard before putting anything back into a cupboard.
What to do with garage clutter
Clutter impairs garage function
When challenged with the task of organizing a cluttered garage, many homeowners don’t know where to begin.
Organized! by Romanic® has cleaned out countless garages over the years. Being a gardener, having a father who restored antique cars, completing years of both metal shop and wood shop classes in high school, volunteering at the local farm museum, and growing up in 4-H are just some of the life experiences that shaped the Organized! by Romanic® approach to organizing. Organized! by Romanic® knows her way around the various household, automotive, lawncare, gardening tools, machines, and chemicals that most people have in their garages.
Selling and donating unneeded items
When it’s time to downsize tools and equipment, Organized! by Romanic® can list items for sale online or help find a collector/museum in search of old tools, parts, and equipment.
Linen closet makeover
If you’ve ever shuddered at the thought a houseguest trying to grab a towel from your linen closet, or if some personal care product has ever stuck to a linen closet shelf (or worse yet, toppled over and leaked onto everything below), then take heart. There really are proper ways to fold linens and prevent personal care product mishaps. Your linen closet may never look like “Martha” did it, but it can become a secret source of pride.
Imagine being able to ask your houseguests to grab a set of towels (or whatever) from the linen closet.
Organized! by Romanic® serves one client every autumn just to re-fold linens before the holidays. She loves it when her out-of-town guests “ooh and ahhh” over her tidy linen closet. If they only knew!
Replacing obsolete shelving
Original shelving had collapsed
One client called Organized! by Romanic® because when she moved into her new condo, the outdated shelving installed by the previous homeowner collapsed.
New adjustable closet shelving
Organized! by Romanic® only uses completely adjustable closet shelving so that as the client’s needs change over time, the client can easily raise, lower, remove, or add shelves and clothes hanging rods. Once the new adjustable shelves were up, all of the client’s clothes and other items fit easily into the closet. Sometimes clients don’t have too much stuff; sometimes they just need a better storage system for their stuff.
A welcoming guest room
Making plans
This client was a recently retired teacher who was thinking about renting out some unused rooms for extra income.
Transforming extra things into nice guest room
Organized! by Romanic® re-arranged the shelving units the client already had in the two bedrooms and then brought in an unused chair from another part of the house. The client also had an unused sleep sofa that Organized! by Romanic® had moved upstairs to the second bedroom. All a renter would need to add was a microwave and a small fridge. Otherwise, the two rooms would be a comfortable space for the client’s adult children to stay when they came home to visit.
A comfortable space
This client had everything she needed to provide a very comfortable space for either a house guest or a renter. Many times Organized! by Romanic® finds the answer to a client’s clutter problem in another room of the client’s home.
Mastering the master bedroom
Disorganized men vs. women
Over the years, Organized! by Romanic® has noticed that in the master bedrooms of single women of all ages — there is almost always clothing piled on the bed, on a chair, or hanging from every door. Single men, however, tend to have clothing draped over un-used exercise equipment, piled on the dresser, or swimming around them in a sea on the floor.
The photos on this page are from the home of a single woman. Fortunately for most singles, dealing with piles of clothing in the master bedroom is one of the fastest, easiest jobs that Organized! by Romanic® is asked to do.
De-cluttering single woman’s bedroom
The photos on this page are from the home of a single woman.
Fortunately for most singles, dealing with piles of clothing in the master bedroom is one of the fastest, easiest jobs that Organized! by Romanic® is asked to do.
Seven-year-old girl’s room
Bedroom closet plan sketch
Organized! by Romanic® started this room before the family had completely moved into their new home. Organized! by Romanic® advised the parents on how to create a room for their 7-year-old daughter that would serve her well right through her college years so that they would not have to buy furniture more than once for their daughter.
Adjustable closet organizing system lasts through college
Organized! by Romanic® used space planning techniques to create the easily adjustable custom closet. As the 7-year-old grows up, the family can easily raise, lower, add, or remove parts of the closet so their daughter’s closet will change to accommodate the changes in her clothing and shoes. The teal hangers are special child-sized hangers, and they are the only part of this room that this 7-year-old will out grow before she is old enough to move out into her own home.
LED lights under the lofted bed: nice touch
We opted for strings of LED lights on a timer to create some bedtime ambiance.
Forget buying new bedroom furniture every 3-5 years
Most parents will re-do a child’s room, including buying new furniture, every 3 to 5 years as their child grows. Other than re-painting to change colors and adding adult-size clothes hangers, these parents will never have to spend more money on their daughter’s bedroom.
Organized girl’s room offers excellent long-term value
This Organized! by Romanic® little girl’s room cost more up front but will more than pay for itself as the child grows up.
 we already found the floor and recovered a more livable space! ){kind=link}
![Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Forgbyro.com%2Fportfolio%2Ffoyers-mudrooms%2F&picture=https%3A%2F%2Fi0.wp.com%2Forgbyro.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F06%2FPaperArtist_2013-08-28_09-44-35.jpg%3Ffit%3D720%252C540%26ssl%3D1&description=Sketching a plan for foyer organizing No matter how much clutter is in a home, Organized! by Romanic® sees the space in its finished, functional, organized state and then tries to help clients see their home through her eyes, and sometimes needs to draw a quick sketch to do so. Once this busy married mom saw this sketch, she asked, "Can you make that happen here?" Organized! by Romanic® assured her that it was indeed possible. Adding custom items to foyer The wood holding the hooks in the foyer was recycled from a closet in an upstairs bedroom. Organized! by Romanic® did all the shopping and chose all the organizing structure to make sure that it fit in the space and provided the functionality this busy family needed in their new foyer. Organized foyer is functional When this young couple bought a town house, they wisely asked Organized! by Romanic® to come do a consult before they moved anything at all into their new home. Organized! by Romanic® gave them idea sketches right on photos of various areas of their home, including this foyer.){kind=link}
![Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Forgbyro.com%2Fportfolio%2Fpantry-under-stairs%2F&picture=https%3A%2F%2Fi0.wp.com%2Forgbyro.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F06%2F20140506_172442.jpg%3Ffit%3D800%252C600%26ssl%3D1&description=When Organized! by Romanic® first saw this "pantry" she was sure she could more than quadruple the useable space under these steps. Organized! by Romanic® tried to explain her vision to the client, and the client said, "I've seen your work! You have a gift, and I trust you. Just do what you think is best." Redistributing kitchen items relieves cookware gridlock Organized! by Romanic® first went through the kitchen cupboards to figure out what kind of custom storage solutions this mom needed in her pantry so she could make better use of the space in her kitchen cupboards by moving some items to the pantry. Organized! by Romanic® used space-planning techniques to maximize the food storage space under these stairs. With several cupboard items moved to the fully organized pantry, the kitchen cupboards aren't congested anymore.){kind=link}
, then take heart. There really are proper ways to fold linens and prevent personal care product mishaps. Your linen closet may never look like "Martha" did it, but it can become a secret source of pride. Imagine being able to ask your houseguests to grab a set of towels (or whatever) from the linen closet. Organized! by Romanic® serves one client every autumn just to re-fold linens before the holidays. She loves it when her out-of-town guests "ooh and ahhh" over her tidy linen closet. If they only knew!){kind=link}
Three-year-old boy’s room
Organized! by Romanic® started this room before the family had completely moved from their old home into this home. Organized! by Romanic® advised the parents on how to create a room for their 3-year-old son that would safely serve him well right through his college years so that they would not have to buy furniture more than once for their son. We located a company that makes assemble-on-site customizable higher-end solid wood loft beds sturdy enough to last through college.
Customized loft bed for 3-yr-old
There are similarly styled loft beds available for a lot less money, but they will not last 20 years like this one will. Organized! by Romanic® special ordered the handles for the ladder because 3-year-old hands were too small to safely grasp the wood ladder. The loft was installed over 12 inches lower than it can be installed so that it meets safety codes for protecting a 3-year-old. Extra bed rails were installed so that if the child were to try to jump on the lower loft, he cannot fall off.
Check out the LED lights beneath the lofted bed!
Fun finishing touches: we added LED strings on a timer for bedtime mood lighting.
Organized closet for child’s bedroom
Organized! by Romanic® used space planning techniques to create the easily adjustable custom closet. As the 3-year-old grows up, the family can easily raise, lower, add, or remove parts of the closet so their son’s closet will change to accommodate the changes in his clothing and shoes. The green hangers are special child-sized hangers, and they are the only part of this room that this 3-year-old will out grow before he is old enough to move out into his own home.