Photograph Credit: Martha Stewart
There it is that perfect organizer that gives everything a place and looks fantastic. The advertiser has lured you in with perfect lighting, balance, and color. You consider your space and budget and decide to purchase it.
Then you get it home and the drawers are too small to hold all your items, the height seems smaller than pictured, and reality sets in. The ideal organizer looks great, but lacks functionality in your space.
Don’t Give Up
Hang in there because not all is lost. Remember the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” find a new use for that great organizing system.
Creativity and organization go hand in hand. What works for one individual is not guaranteed to work for another. Just because that scrapbook station worked for one scrapbook artist who loves small items like buttons, eyelets, and paperclips does not mean that the same system will work for the scrapbook hobbyists who loves bulky items like paint, stamps, and stickers.
Try, Try, and Try Again
Organizational systems are great. But when your organizing system is less than perfect, get creative. Go back to the drawing board, and answer these questions:
- What is currently working well?
- What is not working?
- What changes would you like to make to the existing system?
- What do you need to get from your current system to a workable solution?
- Do you have anything around the house that will fit your needs?
- Can you adjust your beautiful scrapbook station into an office or music center?
If not, get creative. See if you can move a media storage center into a tall, narrow space to solve your problem. As you evaluate your organizational systems, you have options. Just because the designer chose to market that set as a sewing center, you can adjust that system to create a desk, kitchen island, or workbench.
What worked last year is not necessarily workable this year. Stay flexible and creative in finding a solution that works for you. Happy organizing!
Question: What organizational solution resulted from your creativity?
I am always amazed how pictures show an organized area so perfectly put together, but if you actually look at the picture you posted, here are the things that come to my mind:
Who has solid colored rain/outdoor boots and why would you keep them by the door all the time?
Isn’t it visually disturbing to have all those papers tacked up right by the door?
Who on earth can match their, bulletin board, boots, file folder and stripe on their bag?
Pictures like this make me laugh 🙂
I do pull from this picture these things:
Use cohesive colors in one area.
Have places to stash your items when you first come in or leave.
Coral all like items together.
I hate seeing my things, so for me I tend to use little bins inside cabinets and drawers.
Love your perspective, Shannon. When I look at that picture, I see the piano bench used with a board on top, coordinating scrapbook paper covering a cork board, and a tin can spray painted for the umbrella stand.
You’re right, who would have solid colored rain boot and leave them by the door all the time? That’s Martha Stewart for ya. 😉 Thanks for sharing your perspective.