I have mentioned before in this forum that sometimes getting enough storage is all about thinking out of the box. We don’t all have our dream home, and honestly, some of our houses were built in the days when people didn’t have the “stuff” to be stored that we are blessed (or cursed) with now.

My husband is an avid outdoorsman and hunter, and that is a fact. I am happy that he enjoys being out with nature, and that my kids love to spend time doing these things with him, absorbing his knowledge and experience. Dealing with clothing and accessories these hobbies require had me stumped for a few years after being married. After one particularly frustrating session of trying to cram all the bulky items into my coat closet, I realized that I needed to think more creatively about a storage solution.

After cruising around the house looking for candidate spaces, I took a barely used corner of the basement workshop and cleared everything out of it. Next I did some quick measurements and realized that with careful planning and installation, I could get nearly 4 feet of usable hanging space, plus the same amount of linear shelf storage above. I made a quick trip to Space Savers for supplies, and then got out my cordless drill and tape measure. After hanging the hardware for the shelf and the rod, I arranged all his outdoor-only clothing on sturdy suit hangers (rejects from upstairs because I use matching wood hangers in his closet) and lined up his boots on the shelf above.

So for a total cost of less than $15 and about one hour of time, I got the equivalent of a closet in my old ranch house, and all his stuff is in one place, for him to find, wear and replace as often as needed.

Do you have a space you could repurpose to give you a new storage solution? My name is Lori Fower, and I am a professional organizer working in the Winston-Salem area. If you would like assistance with organizing your home, please call me at 336-978-6211, or contact me at ducksinarownc@earthlink.net.

Like many of you, I am a mommy.  I have been blessed with two wonderful, active children.  I love the challenges and the rewards parenting brings, and the way it makes me stretch myself to be a better person and a better organizer. 

Speaking of which, this is my first summer at home with my children, and I am both excited and nervous.  Will I be able to keep them happy and productive for a whole 3 months?  What if they find out (or confirm) what a really boring person I am, in that I would choose housework over art projects, and clothes washing over another rousing run-through of Candyland? 

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I am not sure I understood before I had kids how much stuff comes along with those cute little bundles of joy.  And it wasn’t just toys and clothes–it was a lot of paper!  As my kids grow (Brook, age 6 and David, age 4), I realize that some of these things will be very meaningful to them someday, and as the mommy, I am the caretaker of those memories.  Some things we are collecting lately are photos with friends, favorite birthday cards and special art projects from school.  So how can I keep these items in a state that they are kept, but also out of circulation in the prime areas of my home?  Allow me to share Continue Reading »