Storage Solutions Archives - Satori Design for Living

10 Ways to Decorate With Glass Cylinders

Apr

2013

Glass cylinder vases are one of the most versatile accessories in decorating. With their simple and classic shape, as well as accessibility at a variety of price points, it’s no wonder they’ve become a favorite amongst decorators and a staple in decor. If I think about how many glass cylinders I have in my own home, I’d have to say there are at least half a dozen. Some of these are always on display, and the others are pulled out from time to time for seasonal decorating or entertaining.

I thought I’d gather together some of my favorite ways to make good use of glass cylinder vases in almost every room in your house. Chances are you have at least one or two sitting around.

Use one small glass cylinder within a larger one to create interesting candle holders with items sandwiched between. This wine cork candle holder is perfect for a table centerpiece.

New Kitchen Storage and Mabel’s Labels Giveaway!

Feb

2013

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Since mid-January, I’ve been going through closets, cabinets, drawers, and our pantry to weed out anything we don’t use, give everything a thorough cleaning, and re-organize as necessary. It’s always a big job, but I love how fresh and airy everything feels when it’s done.

Although our pantry was fairly well organized, I was tired of food in bags and boxes falling over and going stale when they weren’t properly closed (not pointing any fingers!). The same thing was happening in the fridge, and I needed to come up with a better food storage solution.

Coincidence or not, around the same time I was reorganizing our pantry, Mabel’s Labels contacted me and asked if I’d like to try their new household labels. Being the organizing enthusiast I am, I immediately jumped at the chance since I love to label everything! These labels are not only stylish, but they’re also dishwasher, microwave, and UV safe. I’m on board with anything that’s low maintenance and makes life a little easier.

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Filed Under: Contests & Giveaways, Fab Finds, Organizing Tagged With: Kitchen, Organizing 101, Pantry, Storage Solutions

Small Laundry Room Ideas {Reader Question}

Jan

2013

3 Comments

It’s time for another reader question from Satori’s Facebook page, and this time it’s all about laundry room organization. I admit Heather’s subject line “Please Help My Laundry Room!” immediately caught my attention. It’s one of my favorite rooms to organize and make pretty, and needless to say, I jumped at this chance.

Please Help My Laundry Room!

Hello Shauna, I hope this question is getting to you on time. I have a fairly small laundry room in our basement that is quite dark and not very welcoming. I sort clothes in piles on the floor when I’m doing the laundry, but they get all mixed up and I often have to redo it. I don’t have room for several laundry baskets on the floor and I’m not sure what else to do. The other problem I have is lack of storage for laundry supplies and I don’t have anywhere to fold clothes. We recently purchased a front load washer and dryer, but that’s as far as we got. Any suggestions to make our laundry room function and look better would be awesome!

Thank you, Heather

To give you an idea of Heather’s laundry room, it has a single bulb in the center of the ceiling as the only source of light (except for one small basement window), there are no storage cabinets or shelving, and the current paint color is a medium-toned tan. The flooring is beige linoleum that is in good condition, but looks dated (she doesn’t want to replace it at this time). These are the gorgeous LG washer and dryer they recently splurged on.

LG Washer and Dryer

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Filed Under: Decorating, Organizing Tagged With: Laundry Room, Reader Question, Storage Solutions

Storage Rooms + Why I Need to Put Thrifting On Hold

Sep

2012

6 Comments

Is it just me or did this week seem to fly by? Now that I’ve put my outdoor projects to rest for a while, I thought I’d turn my focus to organizing our basement storage rooms. I thought it seemed like the perfect opportunity before our media room gets filled with new furniture and I’m left with little room to pull everything out, get rid of the drywall dust from our basement renovation, and put it all back a little more organized than it was in the first place. If you’ve lived through a renovation, you know that dust and debris gets everywhere. Although I covered as much stuff as possible with plastic, the mess that was left when the dust finally settled (sorry, couldn’t resist), was a just a little overwhelming.

Although we still have a full day of work before our storage rooms are complete, I wanted to show you some of the progress we’ve made. Remember those double shaker style doors we installed for ease of moving items in and out of the side room (predominantly the treadmill)? It’s one of the best decisions we made.

It works really well to swing the doors wide open and easily retrieve storage tubs or whatever else we’re needing at the time. It also prevents the narrow room from feeling too tight.

Workspaces That Inspire {Nostalgic Summer}

Sep

2012

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I was looking for the perfect gift to give to one of my girlfriends back at Christmas and I remembered these cute vintage necklaces made by Renee of Nostalgic Summer. Some of you may recall the Etsy Feature and giveaway I hosted back in November. While gathering info for that particular post, Renee made a real impression on me and I knew she was someone I wanted to keep in touch with. What stood out to me was her kindness, the care and detail she puts into her craft, her love of integrating old and new, and the story she has for each of her unique jewelry pieces.

While I was on summer break, I started thinking about new topics to write about for the blog. I began making a list of all the things that inspire me and I remembered some photos I kept of Renee’s workspace for creating her jewelry. One that stood out in particular to me was her inspiration board. My intention was to eventually share this photo along with other interesting boards I’ve gathered over the months. Instead, the thought went a bit further and led to the idea of starting a new series: Workspaces That Inspire. I think it’s only fitting that Renee’s space is the first I’m sharing with you.

Tackling My Office Closet

Mar

2012

4 Comments

Yesterday I wrapped up a few client projects and, reluctantly, I turned my efforts to organizing the closet in my office. It has been lurking at me for the past few months, but I just haven’t made the time to do something about the out-of-control product catalogues, fabric samples, magazines, office and project supplies, and everything else that has made its way in there. It has always seemed like a daunting task and, because of that, I’ve been moving it to the bottom of my to-do list for some time now.

When we moved into our house 8 years ago, the room that is currently my office doubled as a spare bedroom. That arrangement worked well until I started my business in 2008, at which point I really needed the extra room for a proper desk, functioning work table and storage unit. The bed was moved out to accommodate the new furniture and now every time someone visits, my son gets booted out of his room. What didn’t get removed from the office at that time was the collection of family photo albums and boxes of keepsakes (cards, notes, school stuff, etc.). I just didn’t need the extra closet room at that time, but now I’m finding that it is bursting at the seams and supplies are making their way to other areas in the office. No longer does shutting the bi-fold doors remove the visual clutter.

Teen Room Refresh {before}

Jan

2012

4 Comments

After going through my son’s room with him last weekend (you can read about it here), it left his shelves looking bare in some spots and messy in others, making a few required changes apparent. Although we designed his room with longevity in mind, it has been over four years since we’ve made any noteworthy changes (except for bedding, a new lamp and the small stuff that has crept in). He has always been a huge sports fan and, although I wouldn’t call his room theme-y, it definitely has that vibe. Most boys and even men never seem to outgrow that style. Ages 12 and 16 (almost 17) are miles apart and it was time (perhaps long over due) to pack up the Build a Bear, piggy bank and other juvenile looking stuff. (This is where you jump in and give me a hug!)

Planning ahead those 4 or so years ago really paid off. Aside from removing small items from his shelves (and the whack of clothes and other stuff from his closet), his furniture is still suitable for a teen/young adult. At almost 6’3″ he could probably use a longer bed, but his room is too small to accommodate one (sorry bud). I’ve designed quite a few kid’s rooms and I always encourage my clients to purchase furniture that will grow with the child. Artwork and accessories are much easier to replace than beds, night stands and desks. With that being said, the changes we need to make are minor.

Here’s what we’re starting with:

Organizing 101: The Pantry

Oct

2011

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A pantry can be the storage savior of your kitchen. However, without a sound method for organizing, it can quickly become an out of control mess that is difficult to navigate. Following a few simple steps will help you to reclaim, reorganize, and maintain your pantry.

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1) Take Stock

Pull everything out of your pantry onto your kitchen table, island or countertop. Leave an area open to sort items later.

As you pull items out, set aside anything you no longer use or items that are broken. Toss any food items that have passed their expiry date or have been in the pantry for quite a while and are questionable. Donate any other food items you no longer want to the food bank.

2) Group Items

Divide the items you have pulled out of your pantry into themes such as small appliances, body & health, beverages, vinegars & oils, baking, sweet snacks, salty snacks, canned meals, canned vegetables, canned fruits, breakfast, seasonings, etc.

Give each theme a name that makes sense to you and your family.

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Filed Under: Organizing Tagged With: Kitchen, Organizing 101, Pantry, Storage Solutions