For many people, getting your house more organized might just top the New Year’s resolution lists. But for Jennifer Strachan, it’s more than just a resolution – it’s a way of life.
Professional Organizing Professionals
Strachan, a Professional Organizer and owner of “In Its Place Organizing” in Neenah, Wisconsin, is passionate about putting things where they belong – so much so, she became a member of the Institute for the Chronically Disorganized, and is now helping people put things in their place every day.
“I have a psychology degree and had worked with visually impaired seniors prior to this,” says Strachan. “My job focused a lot on safety and much of it revolved around organizing the home to keep them safe.” After Strachan had children and decided to stay at home for a few years, she began researching home-based business ideas and discovered professional organizing. The rest, as they say, is history.
“I had a guinea pig,” Strachan jokes. “I approached a close friend with a plan for organizing some spaces in her home. It went very well, and the experience helped launch my business.”
Today, she enjoys helping a homeowner simply breathe new life into an old space. Strachan says she utilizes the S.P.A.C.E acronym to guide her work, first introduced by the internationally-renowned organizing and time management expert, and New York Times best-selling author, consultant and speaker, Julie Morgenstern.
Making your “SPACE” work
“The S.P.A.C.E acronym gets you back to basics,” Strachan says. “It stands for Sort, Purge, Assess/Assign, Contain and Evaluate,” she says. “Evaluate is where I vary from Julie Morgenstern’s “Equalize” concept here; usually it’s a really small thing that needs to be changed.”
While she has helped her clients organize closets, kitchens, offices, garages and more, she says basements and entryways (or mudrooms) – especially if there’s no closet -- tend to stay at the top of the popularity list.
Tips for organizing the “Mudroom” or entryway
Simply having a mudroom or entry space for getting the family’s shoes, coats, boots, umbrellas, backpacks, etc. on doesn’t necessarily mean a homeowner has a space that is organized. In fact, it can sometimes be a dumping ground for unnecessary clutter. Instead of just containing the basics, sometimes mudrooms collect everything from last week’s lunch box to dirty socks to piles of homework.
“People have lots of extra hats, coats, mittens, boots, etc. – especially in Wisconsin or where seasons change,” Strachan says. “To keep a mudroom organized, a family needs to be able to maintain and support that area. You can’t expect kids to enter through the front door, track through the house and put things away in a different place. “
No matter where your mudroom or entry way is, Strachan says there are a few key things you can do to keep it well-organized.
1. Thin it out. First look at what the space can handle…if it’s a huge space, there’s probably no need to thin aggressively. But if it’s a small space, then try to thin it out. Get as much out-of-season clothing and accessories out of the way as possible. “Store it nearby since there’s such great overlap in seasons in Wisconsin,” Strachan advises. “Don’t store it down in the basement in case it’s needed.” If you don’t have space nearby to store out-of-season clothing nearby, Strachan says to consider putting containers under your bed, or adding shelving in a nearby room or closet. Then, keep all your in-season supplies conveniently located, separated and organized in the space for each member of the family to find and use.
2. Get containers for everyone. Each family member should have their own container for in-season items. Strachan recommends clear containers for their lightweight construction and visibility of contents. “Get the right size for the job. If you get a REALLY big container and put a lot of stuff in it, it’s too heavy to move around,” Strachan warns. She recommends containers like Rubbermaid, which are available in many different sizes and styles depending on type of storage needed, and the space you have available.
3. Go vertical where you can. Even if you don’t have a closet, Strachan says homeowners can make the most of space by building storage vertically. “Get coat hooks, shoe shelves, racks, containers that stack, etc.” she says. Just like a retailer, a homeowner needs to make the most of the real estate, especially when storage isn’t built into the home. One homeowner created vertical storage in her laundry chute closet using wire shelving racks. To better utilize this empty vertical space, she placed her laundry hamper up on top of the racks, where it still collects dirty clothes from the 2nd floor, but now has two, new wire-rack cubbies below it for her sons’ karate gear bags to get stored as well. So instead of having two, big, karate gear bags on the floor of her laundry area, they are now stored in a newly-created, vertical cubby space out of sight. A wood door keeps the shelves - and bags -- neatly hidden from view.
4. If you have a closet, make it work for you. Closets are only as good as the use of the space inside. Strachan says homeowners need to make it easy to use, by keeping frequently used items at the right height for users, and organized enough so family members can find things easily and quickly. “Use hooks and shelves in each closet,” Strachan says. Many retailers sell closet “systems” to help homeowners literally divide and conquer closet clutter. These systems can either be installed by the homeowners themselves, or professionally designed and installed by larger manufacturers of closet systems, like California Closets® or ClosetMaid®.
5. Gear up the garage. Especially if it’s attached to your entry space, garages can add all sorts of square footage to your storage space. Strachan recommends building shelving nearby the entry door in the garage for sports or other extracurricular activity gear, clothing and accessories. “Store soccer balls, hockey sticks, karate bags and other big items right outside the entry where they can be easily picked up on the way to extracurricular activities,” she says.
Smart storage doesn’t just happen by itself. But with some creative, “outside-of-the-box” thinking, most homeowners can conquer clutter just about anywhere!
