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| Beauty and organization are both possible with an ORG closet system from Organized Living. Photo courtesy of ORG |
Many
of our Island homes are cozy, snugly packed into narrow lots, and
filled with family. We need to maximize our spaces. Finding adequate
storage and implementing innovative organization strategies are
paramount to preserving our keepsakes and keeping our lives running
smoothly.
More
than just making room for our stuff, proper storage and organization
also decrease stress, experts say. “We live in a fast-paced world.
Organization makes life more efficient,” says interior designer Tiare
Cowan-Broad, of Archipelago by Studio Becker. Kamuela Potter, of
Organized Living, agrees that finding a place for everything calms a
household. “Clutter causes visual noise in a home,” Potter says.
Getting
organized takes organization. Potter recommends beginning a home
organization project by purging. Get rid of the useless, worn-out or
unused stuff.
Next,
call in the organization experts. Cowan-Broad begins her designs by
asking homeowners what they have and how they use it. “The
functionality of the space lies in having the right tools for the
task,” she says.
The
final step is active participation. After storage solutions are
designed and installed, it’s up to you to put your belongings away.
Here are some great storage and organization ideas from our local
experts. Their systems might motivate you to get, and stay, organized.
The average American burns 55 minutes day -- roughly 12 weeks a year -- looking for things they know they own but can't find.
Newsweek, Courtesy of Organized Living |
Closet Envy
Let’s start with that little room with a rod and shelf you call a closet.
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| The
BoConcept modular shelving, available from INspiration, makes
organizing space wherever you need it. Photo courtesy of INspiration. |
One
single rod isn’t the best way to hang clothes and utilize a tight
space, says Potter, of Organized Living, Hawaii’s exclusive dealer of
ORG storage systems. She suggests separating the closet into sections.
One section could hold a double tier of rods, hanging blouses above and
pants below. Then a single tier for longer dresses and suits, with
shelving below for shoes.
“Within
a closet, you can store almost anything you need to, and make it
beautiful. But, the bottom line is that is has to be functional,”
Potter says.
To
create effective closets that look like clothing boutiques, she chooses
from ORG’s modular pieces. Each shelf, rod, hamper or pullout mirror is
placed to fit each home’s needs. Even file storage units fit in neatly.
The
entire system is mounted to a steel track on the wall, which holds up
to 2,000 pounds. The floor space beneath the closet system stores
larger items, such as luggage or athletic gear.
ORG
systems are guaranteed as long as you own your home. Check out ORG home
offices, entertainment centers and garage organization as well.
To
start the new year right, ORG is sponsoring the National Messiest Mess
contest. The company wants pictures of chaos and stockpiles of stuff,
with a written description of the problem. The winner receives a
solution: a custom home organization system from ORG. Enter on the
company’s Web site, www.homeorg.com.
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(left)
Keep slippers from piling up next to your doorway in this wall-mounted
shoe cabinet, from INspiration. (right) The luxurious makeup
refrigerator, by Studio Becker, keeps cosmetics, lotions and powders
cool and fresh, even in hot Hawaii temperatures. Photo courtesy of
Studio Becker. |
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Office Space Savers
Archipelago
by Studio Becker calls the home office the “family command center,”
where homeowners keep track of day-to-day business. Rick Cowan, of
Studio Becker, says that because the command center is often in the
kitchen or great room, their job is to blend the potentially unsightly
space in with the character of the home. “We organize the interior of
the space to hide away bills, papers and other necessary items,” says
Cowan.
Using
Studio Becker’s German-made cabinetry and closet collection line, the
Studio Becker team gets creative. Modular cabinets, shelving, drawers
and more can be intermixed to make a place for everything.
80% of what we keep we never use.
Agency Sales Magazine, Courtesy of Organized Living |
Studio
Becker features many standard accessories, as well as luxury items. For
example, a specialized refrigerator keeps makeup fresh allowing
shadows, glosses and powders to last longer. And, the refrigerator’s
lock keeps makeup out of the reach of little fingers wanting to
experiment.
According
to Malia Gurney, of Dream Closets Hawaii, “People are transitioning
from downtown work buildings into home offices.” offices.” Instead of
piling bills next to the blender, or commandeering your dining room
table as your desktop, organized home offices keep work flowing.
Dream
Closets manages Hawaii’s clutter with ClosetMaid custom organization
systems. The high-end laminate organizers for home offices, closets and
garages are offered in five distinct colors, such as warm cognac and
chocolate pear.
Gurney
designs ClosetMaid home offices around the number of users and the
function of the space. One or two users? Bill paying and scheduling or
all-out career center? For example, she’s designed a bell-curve-shaped
work area to accommodate home-schooling. Rattan baskets, wire racks and
adjustable shelves keep clutter off the desktop. “Just knowing where
you put things, and knowing they will be there when you look for them
relieves stress,” Gurney says.
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| (left)
This home office, designed by Studio Becker, was integrated into the
kitchen to create a family command center. Photo courtesy of Studio
Becker. (right) Tuck dirty clothes out of site in the pull-out laundry
hamper, from Dream Closets Hawaii. Photo courtesy of ClosetMaid. |
Cars Can Come Home
Now,
what about that dark, dingy secret that catches all of the home’s
overflow? The garage has become an organization catastrophe,
functioning as sports locker, shed, mud room and pantry all rolled into
one. A few simple storage ideas can turn the garage into a success, and
get your car out of the sun and off of the street.
First,
experts agree that storage needs to be off the floor. “The idea is to
utilize the wall space. Garages are so dirty and dusty, and hard to get
completely clean. Plus, the floors aren’t level, because they slope for
drainage,” says Stephan Edwards, of 1 Hot Garage.
The
company’s storage includes steel shelving with a powder coating to
prevent rusting in Hawaii’s salty air, and laminated MDF cabinetry.
Accessories include hooks for fishing poles, golf bags and surfboard
racks. The company also offers a slatwall system, which can be
incorporated into new building projects instead of drywall, or
retrofitted onto existing walls. The waterproof, PVC slatwall hangs all
of 1 Hot Garage’s accessories, as well as a wide range of specialty
organization options. The beauty of this system is that hooks and
containers can be placed wherever you need them.
The
company offers in-home consultation and installation packages, although
the systems are do-it-yourself friendly, Edwards says.
Dream
Closets Hawaii also features garage organization solutions. Gurney
recommends its tall garage towers. “Designate a tower for car items,
shoes and coats, lawn tools. When you know there is a cabinet just for
that particular item, it makes life so much easier,” Gurney says.
25% of two-car garages have no cars parked in them.
U.S. Department of Energy, Courtesy of Organized Living |
Ultimate Garages
For
homes that have outgrown their closets and garages, Oahu offers several
warehouse storage options. M. Dyer & Sons is a full-service
relocation company, which includes packing, moving and unpacking
services. The company also offers a 63,000-square-foot storage
warehouse. For 38 years, M. Dyer & Sons has stored homeowners’
belongings in a safe, secure place, says company president Rebecca
Parker. “We provide consulting as to how best to store items, as well
as custom crating for fragile or high-value items.”
Parker
notes that, while some homeowners may store items long-term, the
company’s facility is great during remodels. “You can move out room by
room without disrupting the rest of the home. Also, many people are
downsizing, so they are storing their children’s things and extra
furniture that may not fit into the new residence.”
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| Garage
storage is no longer a point of shame. Show off the useful, clean
systems from ClosetMaid, by Dream Closets Hawaii. Photo courtesy of
ClosetMaid. |
Packed,
moved, stored and secured by the company’s professionals, homeowners
can rest assured that their memories are safely tucked away.
AAAAA
Rent-A-Space also makes room in your home. “Storage facilities are
coming on board to help people get more organized. Homeowners want
their homes to look less cluttered, especially when they are selling,”
says general manager Liz Morales.
AAAAA
Rent-A-Space is a self-storage facility, with locations on Oahu and
Maui. The company offers 30 unit sizes, with temperature monitoring and
elevators available. Features also include electronic gates and
closed-circuit surveillance and security systems. Plus, AAAAA makes
rentals easy by taking payments online.
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