Organizing Spotlight: NEAT Method

Ok guys, get ready for some serious organizing porn. I recently got a sneak peek at Neat Method's most recent portfolio photos and I was so impressed I just had to share with you all. If you haven't heard of Neat Method, they're a company that specializes in stylish home organization. These girls after my own heart and are so talented, as you'll see from these images of their work below:

 organized closet

 organized jewelry

organized handbags

organized kitchen

organized dry goods

organized walk-in pantry

So beautiful right?? Raise your hand if you're feeling inspired to get your home organized! For more, check out the fun before and afters on their website.

Photography by Michelle Drewes

How Sue Organizes Her Accessories

I have a new How I Organize series post for you guys today!  The spotlight is on blogger and shop owner Sue of The Zush, who shares with us how she beautifully organizes her accessories:

These photos are from my closet and the little dressing/vanity area right outside my closet.  I try to keep all my accessories (and I have a lot...I LOVE accessories) out where I can see them, but I like for them to look neat.  Right now I've got most of my clutches lined up on a shelf using pot lid holders that I picked up at The Container Store.  As for my perfumes and jewelry, I love to display them out on trays. We sell a lot of trays at The Zhush and this python one is my favorite.  I also love this little ceramic tray as a catchall for keeping smaller items like cell phones and earrings looking neat and pretty.  Finally, when I'm not sure if I'm ready to get rid of something, I usually move it into one of these fabric square storage boxes (also from the Container Store). If I go looking for it, then I know I need to keep it, if not, then after about a year, I'll usually give it away or donate the item.  If it's something really sentimental, I'll save it for my children.

-Sue

An Organized Closet Armoire

This little armoire closet is so perfectly organized. Shelves maximize vertical space. Dividers on the shelves keep sweater piles from toppling over onto each other. Shoe cubbies allow frequently used shoes to be organized yet accessible.  Clear shoe boxes keep special shoes (or less frequently used shoes) protected yet visible.  A box with drawers contains small items. Hooks on the doors create a perfect spot for hanging belts, scarves, and even a lint roller, which is always nice to have handy.

image source: martha stewart

A Glamorous Dressing Room

Absolutely loving this beautifully organized dressing room from the home of Rita Hazan:

 Shoes are neatly arranged on white open shelves (from Ikea!) and beauty essentials are on a glamorous mirrored vanity

A stylish modern black platter helps keep things organized.

 Such much goodness here - the big window with floor to ceiling drapes, the tufted daybead, the unique gold wall studs, the brass glass pendant...

A patterned tray corrals jewelry and pretty objects.

See more of Rita's home here. 

photography by Brittany Ambridge and design by Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent

Two Ideas for Organizing Clutches

Hold them in a lucite tray, like Kelly....

or file them in an acrylic letter sorter, like Mackenzie...

Both great ways to keep clutches beautifully organized!

Picks from Zara Home

Back when I was studying abroad in Spain, I remember walking into a Zara Home store and feeling like a kid in a candy store. There were so many lovely decor items everywhere I turned. I was sad to find out though that there were no Zara Home locations in the US, and while that's still the case, as of this month the line is now available online. I browsed the selection this morning, and found several great trays, boxes, bins and baskets for beautifully organizing the home:

1-phoebe wardrobe box, 2-beny tray, 3-nadia baskets, 4-rato tray, 5-frank tray, 6-lilli box, 7-ludwig baskets, 8-jens basket, 9-zafit tray, 10-jack box, 11-lisbeth basket

Beautifully Organized Space: Accessories Closet

Check out this accessories closet:

Beautifully organized by Flavia of Lulu Abroad, who lined up her shoes on shelves by type, hung belts on a row of hooks, used frames for sunglasses and jewelry, and cubbies for handbags.

Functional and looks great too.  Nicely done!

Photo Labeled Hat Boxes

Photos are a great way to label the contents of a box. We've seen them used for organizing shoes, and this lovely example from Elsie of A Beautiful Mess shows them used for organizing hats:

p.s. find out how she DIY'd her boxes here!

Beautifully Organized Glassess

Do you have a designated spot for your glasses/sunglasses? While you can certainly just store them in their cases and in a drawer, for those of us though who tend not to use our belongings when they're hidden away, a good option is to keep them corralled in a tray, which allows them to be out where you can see 'em and easily accessible. This works whether you have two or three pairs (like me)...

or you have several pairs...

Another option is to hang them. A simple sturdy hanger works great.Or you can create a DIY organizer using a frame and wire. Find out how to make your own here and here!

image credits: 1- photography by tinywater via the glitter guide; 2- via lonny blog, 3- photography by anh sunstrom via the glitter guide; 4- via apartment therapy, 5-via pretty stuff tumblr , 6-a beautiful mess, 7-gomming.com

Organizing Sunglasses

Love this idea from Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere. She used a frame, hooks, and wire to create a sunglass holder: See how she did it here.

p.s. Along similar lines, another idea. 

Beautifully Organized: Handbags

Today I'm over on La Dolce Vita sharing a few ideas on how to organize handbags.  Click on over to read the post!

image credits: 1- via madebygirl, 2-via anne sage, 3-via house and home 

Beautifully Organized: Watches

Keep watches in a clear vanity organizer...on a glass tray...in a watch box...or on a jewelry tree...

image credits: 1- photography by Joielala Photographie, 2-moth design, 3-tumblr, 4-photography by Ashley Batz

Accessories Organizer

Loving this little organizer for its versatility. You can hang not just necklaces (tangle-free yay!), but also earrings, scarves, sunglasses, handbags (there's a hook on each side), etc. Plus the shelf on top offers a place to keep other items like perfume, a pretty box, picture frames etc.

From OrgJunkie's curated collection on OpenSky ($35)

Beautifully Organized Space of the Week

This week's beautifully organized space of the week is this closet from the home of Erica Cook of Moth Design, which houses her daily staples:

White Ikea frames showcase bags from some of her favorite trips and create a fun little feature wall.

A round white tray keeps all her perfumes organized and at the ready.

Clear Ikea Rationell Variera "spice racks" serve as drawer separators and keep her belts and scarves organized.

*Unfortunately the clear "spice racks" are a discontinued product (at least to my knowledge). I bought several to organize a variety of things in my own home several months ago and absolutely loved them. When I tried to go back for more, they were no longer in stock and was told by an Ikea employee that they had been discontinued :-(

Glass trays and other beautiful containers hold jewelry, watches and sunglasses. An Ikea pant rack keeps her jeans easily accessible and allows her to see exactly what she has.

So chic, wouldn't you agree?

In case you missed my previous post featuring another beautifully organized space of hers, click here. To see more of her gorgeous home, click on over to her blog.

Beautifully Organized Space of the Week

This week's beautifully organized space is this closet from the home of fellow blogger Freckles Chic:

Isn't it lovely? She created it by donating all the things she no longer wanted and were just cluttering up the space, and by designating a place for everything that remained. Total cost of the transformation was about $100 (for hangers, clips, shelves, storage containers, a hat stand, and headband holder). Proof that you don't need a ton of space or money to create a beautiful closet!

For the before pictures and a breakdown of the items she used for the space, be sure to check out her blog!

Beautifully Organized Space of the Week

An unexpected closet in the master bath with a library ladder for reaching items stored in high shelves and cabinets.

image credit: home of jill robertson via design sponge

A Few More Things on Jewelry Organization

I found a few more things over the weekend I couldn't resist but share. First off, how gorgeous are these gold knobs? Perfect for creating a beautifully organized display of necklaces.

gold knobs available via Hygge & West $8

Second, how cool is this jewelry organizer?

nishka's niche jewelry frames $44

Nishka creatively thought outside the box and made these hanging frames, which she sells through her Etsy shop. I love that they're a step above a simple bulletin board and pushpins. The hooks are a practical solution for neatly holding not only necklaces and hanging earrings, but also bracelets, watches, and even a few rings.

Last but not least, I also wanted to post on here an idea a reader brought up. Stephanie of Sabbe Interior Design shared that last week's posts made her think of using a deviled egg platter to organize her jewelry. What a great idea! I bet that would work beautifully!

Jewelry Organization: Part 2

In the last post, I went over several options for organizing necklaces. Today I'd like to go over a few ideas for organizing the rest of your jewelry.

Along the sames lines as the bust statues and the mannequin dress forms, you can use a mannequin hand to hold and display rings and bracelets. This is perfect for people who are visually oriented and like to have their things out where they can see 'em.

L: photo by jose picayo; R: mannequin hand with movable joints so you can position it however you want!{$30}

L: ceramic hand jewelry stand {$18}; R: glass hand jewelry stand {$14}

An egg crate {as seen below} nice enough to leave out, is great at multi-tasking. Each little divided section is the ideal size for rings or earrings.

L: anthropologie farmer's egg crate {$14}; R: via domestic adventure

via young house love {sherry's closet}

I also love the idea of using a collection of beautiful decorative dishes. These are something you could keep a look-out for on trips to flea markets.

L: via martha stewart; R: via live creating yourself

Opt for smaller cups, that way you can only fit a few pieces of jewelry in each. The larger the dish, the more tempted you'll be to fill it up with more jewelry... which can in turn result in frustrating tangles.

via live creating yourself {alaina's dressing room}

If you'd like to put your jewelry away in drawers, make use of multi-compartment containers. They make pieces easy to locate and help ensure that earrings stay in pairs. Try a clear acrylic tray

L: photo by jose picayo featuring an acrylic jewelry tray {$19.99}; R: small clear jewelry organizer {$8.99}

or an inexpensive bead organizer {which you can find at most craft stores}

or my favorite, ice cube trays! You can find these anywhere and get 'em on the cheap. You can easily fit them in most drawers and, if you have the space, you can stack them.

L: via real simple; R: via blooming designs

With bracelets, you don't have to worry as much about keeping them compartmentalized. They can easily find a home on a decorative tray. Most are large enough that they won't get lost or tangled in the bunch {if you don't clutter the tray of course!}

via lonny mag

Keep in mind that you don't have to have everything out on display or everything put away in drawers. You can do both by having out the pieces you use most frequently and stashing the rest away in drawers. Try to rotate out pieces periodically. Most of us are more likely to reach for what we see in front of us and is most easily accessible. If you find yourself not rotating a particular piece {or pieces} to wear, assess whether it might be time to let it go and make space for something you will wear.

P.S. Email me if you decide to implement any of the ideas in this or the previous post-I'd love to see some reader before and afters!

Jewelry Organization: Part 1

While a dedicated storage armoire like the one below featured in Lonny {$540.00 here} is certainly a beautiful option for neatly storing and organizing a substantial jewelry collection, in this economy, its probably more than most of us are able and willing to shell out.

images via lonny mag

If your collection is large enough and your heart is set on an armoire, you can find more affordable pieces similar to the one above. Jen of MadebyGirl recently did a post featuring these alternatives with prices ranging from $259-369. You can also try your luck at finding a used one. I found this one in my local craigslist for $100 (asking price).

You can also outfit a dresser you already own with trays and dividers. If all your drawers are full, is could be a good opportunity {since you'll be motivated with a purpose!} to edit what's in there and free up some space ;-)

L: via domino magazine; R: stacking necklace organizer {$14.99}

If you don't already own a dresser, aren't looking to bring in a new piece of furniture into your space, and/or you're visually oriented and like to have things on display because for you out-of-sight means out-of-mind, there are several options.

In regards to organizing necklaces, you can try hanging them on a rod. This isn't my favorite of options however since it can be a bit tricky removing a necklace further down the rod without making a mess.

via lobster and swan

I like the idea of hanging a few on a lamp and integrating them as part of a styled vignette.

L: via lonny magazine; R: nate berkus via glamour magazine

Busts make a beautiful display and are a great way to enjoy your favorite necklace(s) when you're not wearing them.

home of michelle adams

The only downside is that it can be a challenge finding an inexpensive one {the one below right (8" tall) is $80}. I'd keep a look out for one at a flea market.

L: via blueprint magazine; R: Artemis bust from statues.com

Along the same lines, you can do like Kelly of the Glamouri and layer them on a mannequin.

via the glamouri

Hooks are my favorite option for organizing necklaces because they can be really inexpensive and if you put just one or two necklaces on each, there's little risk of creating any tangles.

L: via half of vahm; R: photo by Frances Janisch via this is glamorous

I love the idea of using decorative hooks. You can find pretty ones here.

L: via domino magazine; R: via grahaman and green

Anna of In Honor of Design, made her own organizer using decorative knobs. The photo below shows her end result. Read about how she did it here.

via in honor of design

If you can't or don't want to put anything on the wall, you can use a "belt and tie rack" that can be hung in your closet, or alternatively one that can hung over-the-door.

L: classico horizontal tie and belt rack {$6.99} R: closetmaid over the door rack {$9.98}

Last but not least, another great inexpensive option is to use a bulletin board, which you can have out on display or, if you like to keep things out of sight, you can keep behind curtains

L: via real simple; R: via redbook

You can find cute boards covered in fabric and/or framed on Etsyor you can get crafty and make your own!

L: via high street market; R: via instyle magazine

Up next: organizing rings, earrings, and bracelets