Creating a Beautiful Home Office

More and more people are working from home. Our organization efforts in a home office can quickly be outmatched by the demand for storage. The problem is that we actually use the things that need to be stored, so we have to keep them close at hand. Eventually, everything is close at hand which means that it’s stacked up all around us. If you work from home, you really need to get your office organized. This is especially true if you need to meet with clients.

Having clients, customers or potential clients and customers in your home can be a really bad idea if you don’t have everything organized and decorated nicely. Your office is a direct reflection on you. If everything is a mess, then clients can only assume that your work will be a mess as well. Can they trust you with important documents? Will their deadlines be met? Are you even a reputable business? All of these things will pass through your clients’ minds if your home office is not up to snuff.

So, with that said, here are some tips to help you turn a disaster area into a photogenic, usable paradise.

Organize your office into sections. One area will be for supplies, like paper, paper clips, folders and pens. Another area will be used for your printer, fax, copier and shredder. A reference area can be a simple bookshelf containing books related to your field, computer manuals and other things that you might use for work. Set aside an area for a couch, coffee table or end table where you can put out flyers and business cards for clients to look at in case they have to wait.

Look at things from a client’s point of view. You will need a computer desk that is somewhat separate from the desk that you meet clients at. You don’t want them staring at cords and dust on the back of your monitor while you pitch your plans at them. The back of your computer should always face a wall.

Avoid harsh light or an office that is too dark. Sheer curtains or linen blinds diffuse natural light that is easy on the eyes. Avoid fluorescent bulbs or bulbs that point down at people’s faces. If you do not have a window, make sure that you use a few lamps to create enough light for client’s to read documents.

Consider what they might need when they come in. A mini-refrigerator disguised as a cabinet may be a nice addition to your office area. This will keep people out of your kitchen when it may not be ready to be seen.

Have a coat closet with nice wood hangers ready for them to hang their coat. A hook or coat rack may damage or cause a nice coat to lose its shape. So, a simple hanging bar with nice study hangers can be a nice addition for putting your clients at ease.

Finish out the area with framed diplomas or other credential certificates. Depending on your field, you may want to display samples of your work or pictures of your family to give the room warmth. Get your home office set up right and your business is sure to soar.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Foyer and Entryway Ideas

Somehow the foyer and entryway into your house always becomes a cluttered mess. People come in, shed their things, dump the mail in a pile and move on. This area can become a problem and make your house look messier than it really is. Get this area organized and decorated just right. It will make your house look more like a home, keep things where they are supposed to be, and make school and work mornings easier to manage.

People get their first impressions of you and your home when they set foot in the front door. Houses with children especially need room for storage. But you don’t want just a bunch of buckets or bins sitting by the door. You want your entryway to look like an organizational dream that also matches your décor.

A basic style entryway organizer is simply a shelf with cubby holes and coat hooks beneath it. Hanging a shelf like this is great if you don’t have much room to spare, but need something attractive and useful by the door. You can put baskets or bins inside of the cubbies while family members can hang backpacks or jackets on the hooks. You can personalize this area by setting family photos, flowers or other decorative items on top of the shelf. This type of unit is usually the bare minimum of what most people need in their foyer.

To get a little more organization into your entryway, consider a bench style organizer. These go great with the hanging cubby shelf. Benches can actually be storage boxes with a pad on top. Or, you can take sturdy shelves and turn them on their side. This will create a seat with cubby areas underneath. You can put baskets or bins underneath the seat, or you can leave the area empty for shoes, boots, backpacks and more.

Locker style entryway organizers are very popular. These are more elaborate systems and can really beautify your home. They usually have a bench or series of seats that open up to reveal storage areas underneath. They have a wood back that goes up high enough to hang coats and backpacks above people’s heads when they are sitting on the seat. Above that can be shelves, cubbies, hooks, and storage bins.

Some people put hooks on the sides down low enough for children to use. You can decorate the sides with mirrors for checking yourself as you go out the door. You could get even more creative by adding a charging valet station to the side. Here you can toss keys, wallets, change, plug in your phone and camera, before you even make it all the way in the house. The cords can be hidden inside the system.

Even more elaborate systems may actually house a hanging bar for your coats. For studio apartments or open floor-plan homes, you can use the locker style foyer organizer as a room divider. Put the hanging bar on the back side and you’ve got an instant coat closet. Finish it out with some luxurious wood hangers and you’ve got a beautiful, practical entryway addition.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Wardrobe Closet Ideas

Wardrobe closets are becoming very popular. These are not closet organizing systems or shelving that goes in your closet. A wardrobe closet is a wall unit that turns empty space into a dream storage area. Installing a wardrobe closet can give you all of the space that you need. This option also frees up the closet area for storage. If it is done right, it can improve the beauty and organization of your bedroom.

Wardrobe closets can be built or designed to fit anywhere in your home. If you don’t have much space, you might consider a corner unit. A long empty wall is also a good option. If you are in a studio style apartment or want to conceal your belongings, you can attach cabinet doors or hang a curtain to keep your wardrobe under wraps. But, chances are, you are going to want to show this off!

Start by creating an inventory list of your clothing, shoes, jewelry, whatever you want to store. Stack everything how you will want it and measure how deep, tall and wide you want each shelf. You can install one long hanging bar, or break it down into a few shorter bars. This "boutique style" can add to the beauty of your wardrobe closet.

You can use dowel rods or hanging bars for your hanging space. If you buy hanging bars, get a pipe cutter to make it a custom length. These are inexpensive at your local home improvement store and they are easy to use. Design shelves flanked by hanging clothes. Create unique storage spaces for baskets and bins. You can place anything in them, from delicates to camera battery chargers. Bins and baskets help your wardrobe closet look organized while keeping certain items out of sight.

You may decide to install cabinet doors and drawers. You can buy these prefabricated for a professional look. You may decide to make a large space at the bottom for laundry. With a couple of hinges, you can install a swinging door where you can quickly toss dirty laundry into the hidden laundry basket below.

Finish out the bottom and top of your system with trim boards or crown molding for a really polished look. Interesting drawer pulls and cabinet handles can make your hand-made closet look really professional.

Create spaces for shoes, stacks of shirts and even linens if you wish. You can have sliding valet bars, swing-out towel drying racks, rotating tie hangers or whatever your specific needs call for. Use cedar to build your wardrobe closet if you would like to keep odors and moisture at bay. If you want to stain and varnish your finished work, use cedar coat hangers or cedar accessories in the shoe and laundry areas.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Build Your Own Unique Custom Closet DIY

Closets have gone from an ignored portion of the house to a home selling point in the last few years. People are spending tens of thousands of dollars on their closet systems and even turning whole rooms into closets, which are really more like posh boutique dressing rooms. Professional closet designers report all sorts of lavish requests for closet designs, including espresso machines, pedicure chairs, refrigerators, mini bars and more. Couches, chairs, granite counter tops and motorized shoe racks aren’t at all uncommon. You can use some of these ideas to turn your boring closet into a thing of beauty and convenience, even if you don’t have a lot of room or money to work with.

Just adding a few conveniences will make your closet more usable. If you are starting with a standard hanging bar and high shelf, you may need to add some basics before you really deck it out. You can inexpensively add wooden shelves if you do it yourself. Building shelves is not all that hard. You will need precise measurements when you buy your wood. You may be able to get it cut at the hardware store when you purchase it, but you may have to have, rent or borrow a miter saw.

Design a closet system that fits your space and meets your needs by pulling everything out and categorizing it. This part can be really fun. Purchase a stud finder if you don’t have one already, and make sure that you secure all shelves into studs.

You may have space between studs to add recessed shelves, which look really nice and add a lot of storage without using any space. Measure out the space between the studs, mark it off with a ruler, then remove the drywall using a steak knife or drywall knife. Stain and varnish the wood that you would like to use. Simply use wood glue to frame out the hole on the top, bottom and sides. Screw in 1x2 guide rails on each side and back, then place the shelf on top. You can use wood glue to secure the shelves and give them a nice finished out appearance.

Install the larger shelves in your closet. You can easily attach rails fro drawers underneath the shelves and use almost no room. You can buy drawers that are already built or build them yourself. An interesting drawer pull will make your closet unique. Drawer organizers can make a perfect place to store rolled ties, jewelry and more. You can even install a child lock on the drawer if you need to store valuables or dangerous items. A magnetic entry child lock cannot be seen from the outside or opened by an adult without the magnet entry key.

You can install valet bars, baskets, multiple level bars, shoe organizers and more to finish out your custom closet. Top it all off with some sturdy wood hangers that match your stain. A good coat hanger can keep your clothes from ending up on the floor and give your closet that upscale appearance that you’re going for. Have fun designing the closet of your dreams!


About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com .

Coat Closet: DIY Home Organization

Organizing a coat closet can be a real challenge. After all, there is a lot more to that closet than coats. Coat closets are usually near the front door, which means that they can quickly become a catch-all for everything from backpacks to sports equipment, keys and wallets to craft supplies. We often need more storage than our home has, so the coat closet becomes a convenient place to keep things that we want to keep close at hand. Use these tips to create spaces for everything that you want to keep in your coat closet.

The first rule for organizing any closet is to get rid of the junk. Throw out whatever you can. Make a stack of trash, important paperwork or artwork, things to give away and things to keep. With a coat closet that’s cluttered with everything, you may also want to pile up everything that needs to get out of the coat closet and be put away in other rooms.

Enlist help from the family. Kids and idle couch lurkers can be put to good use. Ask them to put away five things from the pile, take out the trash, file the paperwork or bag up things to give to charity. Before you know it, the piles will be disappearing from behind you.

Clean the closet well while it is empty. Use cedar coat hangers or cedar closet accessories to absorb moisture and odors. This is especially important in coat closets because wet boots, jackets, backpacks and umbrellas are often stored here. Moisture can lead to mold and mildew as well as foul odors if you don’t use cedar.

Now is the time to make some plans. Try to find room where you didn’t know you had it. When you hang a coat, how many inches from the back wall is it? Four inches? Eight inches? This is valuable storage space that can go unnoticed. Carefully remove the screws from the hanging bar and move it back. Coat hangers should almost touch the wall. Now you have a few extra inches in the front corners of the closet.

Most people can create enough space in the front to install 12” cubby hole shelving in the front two corners. These are very useful in a coat closet because you can put baskets, bins and containers in each cubby. Label the baskets so that everyone can quickly find what they need. Each family member can have a bin for their own gloves and scarves, wallet and keys, etc. You can build the cubby system as high as you would like. Hooks can be installed down the back side for purses, umbrellas, tote bags loaded with grab and go supplies, and hats.

Use sturdy coat hangers to finish it off. Your closet will have a place for everything and help you keep the rest of the house clutter free.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com .

DIY Closet Tips

Do you approach your walk-in closet knowing that it will be impossible to walk in? Is everything so crammed in that you genuinely worry for your own safety as you open the door? You can make space in your closet without spending a lot of money or time. Use these quick tips to save time, money and create space where you didn’t have it before.

1) First, decide what you no longer want to store in your closet and make a space for it elsewhere. Sports equipment can go in a garage or spare room. Sporting equipment storage bins are helpful for organizing a lot of equipment. Large duffel bags work well for keeping pads, shoes and gear for each family member separate. Projects like scrapbooking, knitting, paints and photo equipment can be placed in bins to keep them separate from your clothing and shoes.

2) Now you are ready to dig in. Set up boxes or make space for organization piles. Separate trash, things that can go into storage elsewhere, things that can go to family, friends or charity, and things that will remain in the closet. Simply pull everything out and throw it into a pile or box.

3) Clean the shelves and floor of your closet. It may not be completely empty again for a long time! Throw away all of the trash and store things that won’t go back into your closet. Assess the storage situation by separating everything that will stay in the closet into piles. If you have a lot of shoes, you may consider a shoe rack, whichever kind fits best in your closet. Ties can go on a specialty tie hanger. Hats and purses can be stored on shelves or hooks. An over the door shoe rack with shoe inserts as hangers makes a great place for storing baseball caps where you can see them.

4) When you are ready to hang your clothes, consider each piece of clothing. Do you really need to keep it? Does it still fit? Have you worn it in the last year or two? Is it out of date? Most people can get rid of almost half of their clothes, create a lot of space and never miss a thing. If you have a lot or share a closet with someone, then you may need to create storage for out of season clothing. If you still don’t have a lot of space, you may want to use specialty hangers that allow you to cascade outfits, skirts, shorts and shirts, hanging up to five items on each hanger.

5) Arrange your clothing from short to long or separate work clothes from casual clothes. Hang your coats on wooden coat hangers so that they keep their shape and don’t fall to the floor. You can make more space using specialty hangers than you ever imagined!

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com .