Friday, July 11, 2014

5 Life-Changing Organisation Tips




Now you’re probably reading this because you are sick of the mess in your bedroom. You may spend hours organising, only to find that the room never stays as neat as you would like. Organising can also be very time consuming, and you can never find a moment to do it. You’re too exhausted after a long day at work, the weekends are reserved for your friends, so there’s generally no time to actually sort through the mess. However, you don’t have to be in this predicament, there are a few quick ways that you can try out to help you be more organised and live in a neater space.

Before I even begin sharing the tips, the first step is to completely get rid of unnecessary things in your room, whether this is clothes or general possessions. If it hasn’t been used or worn in the past 6 months, donate it to charity. You really don’t need your prom dress from when you were 16, or your broken clock that reminds you of your childhood bedroom. Be brutal and get rid of it. My very simple motto is ‘if you don’t use it, you don’t need it.’ Now on to the tips:

1.  Invest in fitted wardrobes. These will revolutionise your entire storage system. Fitted wardrobes are custom built according to the space that you have, allowing you to utilise the entire height of your room. This is especially great for attic rooms with slanted ceilings, as it can often be difficult to find a wardrobe to fit into the space. Fitted wardrobes are often much larger and give you a lot more storage space. They don’t have to solely be used for the purpose of storing clothes; you can use them for storing boxes, cosmetics and anything else. They just ensure that everything has a place to go, keeping it off your bedroom floor!

2. Use different colours for your hangers. You can develop your own system and choose specific colours to symbolise different things. For example, allocating yellow hangers for summer clothes and blue for winter clothes. You can even assign different colours for clothes that you want to make an effort to wear in the coming months; you can put these on red hangers and change the colour of the hanger once you have worn them. It can also be a good way to see what you have and distinguish between items. This also allows you to switch up your clothes during seasons as you will be able to easily remove clothes that you will not be wearing.

3. Curl up your wires. Have you ever considered just how much time you spend in your life trying to untangle wires? It can be very stressful, especially if you are in a hurry and end up having some sort of meltdown as you are trying to head out of the door. There are lots of little devices for keeping your headphones untangled in your bag, but it’s usually your bedroom where the real problem is. A very simple method to organise your cables is to find a storage box, whether this is a decorative gift box or a plain old shoebox, anything will do. Once you have done this, collect some cardboard toilet-paper rolls and then store them upright in the box, until the box is full. It is important that you fill the box; otherwise they will be rolling around. You can then neatly place the wires into each roll and prevent them from being tangled. If you find that the wires are too thick, you can use take-away containers and stack them on top of each other inside the box. You can even do this in your drawers to store jewellery and other accessories.

4. Collect your bobby pins and put them inside a Tic Tac case. You may ask why it must be a Tic Tac case, and the reason for this is because these cases have a small opening. This means that you will only dispense the amount of hairpins that you need, preventing the others from spilling out everywhere. Now it may not sound particularly life-changing, but consider the amount of hair pins you find in the strangest of places, and how often you have to purchase new ones. It’s not so much the storage of the hairpins that is life-changing, it’s more so the fact that you know exactly where they will be. This provides you with a little bit of control, making you feel more organised because you know the exact location of the item. You can also use this to carry in your handbag which can make life so much easier. Alternatively, you can use Tic Tac cases to store your pills. This can also be another means of remaining organised.

5.  Use space wisely - There is lots of dead space around the room, whether this is beneath your bed or in awkward corners. These places are often used as dumping grounds and can contribute to making the remainder of the room look messy. This is because things are literally thrown into these corners. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with using this space, there is an effective way to use it. Buy transparent boxes with wheels to roll under your bed. You will be able to see exactly what is in them which will be especially useful when searching for things in the morning. For any awkward corners, you can stack up storage boxes and use these as a form of decor. There are lots of different patterned boxes available and you can even label them to take your organisation to the next level.

While these tips may seem very simple, they can really help to change the way that you live. You can also adapt these to the rest of the house and you will find that it will substantially reduce your cleaning time later on. Good luck and happy organising!


By Qurratulain Zaheer, an expert in the field of interior design and avid lover of organisation. She recommends Hammonds Space for their stylish fitted wardrobes; her personal favourite is the 5 panel door in pomegranate glass.


I have also linked to some of her previous work:

http://diamondinteriors.wordpress.com/2014/05/29/guest-post-10-ways-to-update-your-bedroom-by-qurratulain-zaheer-of-hammonds-space/#more-1052

http://diyhintsandtips.com/fascinating-and-strange-bedroom-ideas/


http://www.blackcatinteriors.com/mastering-art-minimalism-guest-post-qurratulain-zaheer/

Monday, July 07, 2014

Nine Years Ago Today

UPDATED: The July-August, 2005 Oregon Home, this highly readable magazine, has an article by Ken Logan titled 16 Master Bedroom Mistakes to Avoid.



Ken was gracious enough to allow me to quote from the article.

Here are the 16 Mistakes:

1. Not springing for a mattress that's going to maximize your chances of getting a great night's rest.
2. Not considering the size of your bedroom when choosing furnishings.
3. Letting your master bedroom drift off to the bottom of your building or remodeling budget. It's too easy to focus on the public spaces and neglect the area where you may spend a third of your day.
4. Assuming that knocking out the wall between two small bedrooms is the best way to create a master bedroom during a remodel. Don't rip out the thing you are paying for.
5. Not keeping a consistent design between the master bedroom and the bath. Work for "visual coherence".
6. Not making the most of storage options. Clutter is not restful.
7. Underestimating the effect lighting has on your bedroom. The spectrum of natural light that comes from the sun is best.
8. Skimping on finishes or decor in the bedroom because "no one's going to see it." You deserve a beautiful, restful space.
9. Letting a large space tempt you into using the master bedroom for functions that are better suited to other parts of the house. Mike and I do not have a TV in the bedroom.
10. Assuming you can't add a master bedroom just because you don't have-or can't create-a big plush space.
11. Passing up the chance to have your morning cup of coffee waiting for you when you step out of bed.
12. Neglecting what's outside when planning your restful retreat.
13. Forgetting to allow for lifestyle changes in your sweet design. We are all getting older.
14. Working so hard on the look of your bedroom that you forget that quiet is also crucial.
15. Opting for flooring that's too cold and hard.
16. Minimizing how huge a factor color is in the feel you're trying to create in a master bedroom.

In each of the 16 mistakes, Ken Logan has consulted local resources to offer solutions.

Also, remember Landfair Furniture + Design can recommend a number of interior designers we work with that are knowledgeable in helping you avoid these mistakes or providing solutions.

Thursday, July 03, 2014

Five Hot Home Décor Trends for 2014

Sarah Rufca reporter for the Houston Chronicle shares some of the hot new trends for 2014. I happened to notice that some of our vendors are featured:



Fincastle mirror on display in the Williamsburg by Global views showroom in High Point.



Brass bed and dresser from Bernhardt's Jet Set collection.



Greek Key coffee table in brass from from Bernhardt's Jet Set collection.

Tuesday, July 01, 2014

Apartment Prices Skyrocket, Taste Doesn't

The headline says "Manhattan apartment prices skyrocket 20%" and goes on to say that "The sale price for Manhattan apartments has skyrocketed 20 percent this year, a market report has found.

Manhattan home buyers paid an average $1.69 million in the second quarter of 2014, compared with $1.41 million for the second quarter of 2013, says the report from realty giant Corcoran.

Then, to top it off, this picture is shown:


You can own this corner unit for $9.5 million.Photo: Constantin Boca

For $9.5 million, don't you think they could have hired an interior designer. I mean, the bed is on the wrong wall, the bed design looks like a spider web, and the lamps and tables are too small add nothing to the appearance of the room.