Beyond Everything in its Place

Written by Sherry Moeller Photography by Stacy Zarin-Goldberg

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The difference between a peaceful, harmonious household and a stressful one may boil down to one word: clutter. It can absorb the life from a room and have a depressive, stagnating effect. Your home should be a place where you unwind and reset so you can handle the chaos of the outside world.

One way to do this is by getting organized. But rows of baskets and stacks of bins don’t translate into organization. There’s more to it. Find out how area specialists organize and beautify even the smallest spaces with innovative techniques and common sense tactics.

French Revolution

Lady’s Dressing Room

Inspired by the client’s Icart copperplate etching on paper, Over Backwards, Lynni Megginson, principal of L&M Designs, designed a “divine dressing room” for the Potomac homeowner. The client was frustrated with the lack of closet space in her owners’ suite so she commissioned Megginson to come up with a solution.

FIRST THOUGHTS: Initially, they thought of expanding the owners’ suite, but then decided that a recently vacated nursery next door – the owner’s son moved to a larger room – would make an ideal dressing room.

PLANS IN MOTION: “The homeowner’s taste is very French and she was inspired by the turn of the century influence on fashion,” Megginson says. The colors of the Icart etching influenced the hues in the space, while the owner’s 200 pairs of shoes made the decision to incorporate three tall cabinets with shoe shelves and pivoting mirrors an easy one. Capitol Closet Design installed Megginson’s plan that included a center island with compartmented drawers, hanging space for gowns, and glass front cabinets for handbag displays.

FINAL PHASE: The space is not only organized, but also beautiful. An Italian blown glass chandelier the client had, fabrics like the ones at the Ritz Paris – the owner’s favorite hotel, an antique vanity and armoire, and a satin chaise keep the space totally feminine.

Keeping Order

When starting a closet project, Lynni Megginson, principal of L&M Designs, suggests:

• Buy bins of all shapes and sizes and categorize.

• Incorporate as many drawers as you can and sort by items.

• Discard shoeboxes and display shoes on vertical shelving.

• Keep like items with like items, such as shirts on top hanging rods and pants on lower rods. Group clothes by seasons.

• Hire a professional closet company to fit the closet space after determining wardrobe needs.

• Donate clothes not worn in a year.

Restful Solution

Gentleman’s Dressing Room

Vincent Sagart, designer and owner of Poliform Washington by SagartStudio, worked with a McLean homeowner to reclaim attic space in a traditional home and turn it into a cozy gentleman’s dressing room with bathroom and elegant finishes. “The owners played a pivotal role in the remodeling,” Sagart says, by selecting a handmade casted wash basin, frosted glass countertops, dark stained floors, and light oak closet cabinetry and vanities.

FIRST THOUGHTS: Choosing pristine finishes, planning cabinet placement, and adding enough lighting were important to creating an organized and efficient space. “Well-planned open cabinetry around the perimeter is tucked under the sloped ceiling, intrinsically implying organization of hanging and folded garments,” Sagart says.

PLANS IN MOTION: An oversized island is a focal point in this space, drawing the eye to its clean shape. It serves dual purposes: it’s a packing station as well as a place to store personal items, such as watches, belts, and glasses. Lighting is always a key attribute in a dressing area, Sagart says. With only two alcove windows, he added recessed halogen lighting fixtures on dimmers in the ceiling and recessed fluorescent fixtures within the cabinet shelves.

FINAL PHASE: Mirrored doors camouflage shoes and sweater storage, while the mirrors reflect both the natural and artificial light in the dressing room. “Carefully selecting finishes created a fresh atmosphere in this reclaimed attic space,” Sagart says. The bathroom and dressing room complement one another and provide a soothing, restful place to start and finish the day.

Keeping Order

Ideas for the closet from Geoffrey Davenport, president of Closets by Design:

• Know your inventory. How many long dresses, suits, sweaters, and ties do you need to store in the closet you use everyday? Is there a better place where you can put seasonal or specialty items (such as an evening gown)? Knowing what you use daily is the best way to developing a system that will work for you.

• Consider space that might be wasted above or below. These are possible hanging areas or places where drawers might go.

Keeping Order

Ideas from Ania Gaguine, designer at Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath Ltd.:

• Set up a good work “triangle” area where food preparation, storage, and cleaning can all be done.

• Store items logically, as close as possible to the space you would likely use them (pots and pans are kept close to the range, and so forth).

• Use cabinet accessories such as roll-outs, pull-outs, tray dividers, appliance garages, spice racks, and cutlery inserts.

• Layer items in cabinets and cupboards. Don’t waste that vertical space.

• Get rid of items that are bulky and seldom used (think novelty appliances and dishes for specialty foods – these are the culinary equivalent of trendy clothing).

• Put things away immediately after use.

Fishing for Space

As an artist, Connie Slack wanted a kitchen that was not only organized, but also creative. “I was delighted to find Jerry DeSantis, who is himself an artist, to design and remodel my kitchen,” Slack says. DeSantis, president of DeSantis Designs, Inc. as well as Tim DeSantis, vice president, worked with Slack to keep the kitchen open to her lake view while adding storage and an attractive display wall between the kitchen and living room.

FIRST THOUGHTS: There wasn’t enough storage in Slack’s kitchen and some of the cabinets were inefficient because they were too deep. The tall ceiling wasn’t utilized and everyone congregated in the kitchen during gatherings because it was open to the living room. “The first step in organizing is to decide how you work in your space,” Slack says.

PLANS IN MOTION: Keeping the area light with custom solid bird’s eye maple cabinetry, granite counters, and a wall of display shelves for Slack’s art and collections were the first orders of business. Next, a suspended cabinet over the peninsula created storage on the dining room side without blocking views. Going all the way to the top of the high ceiling with cabinetry added bonus storage for less used items.

FINAL PHASE: The display wall makes an attractive transition from the kitchen to the living room, Slack says. “Now I have a place for everything and can keep it in its place.” Plus, DeSantis added his signature koi design on one cabinet to blend creativity with kitchen utility.

Keeping Order

Connie Slack, Reston homeowner, organizes her kitchen with:

• An alphabetized pull-out spice drawer.

• Two large drawers below cooktop for pans.

• Pull-out storage for her mixer.

• Vertical tray and platter storage.

• Two lazy Susans for easy access to small items.

• Undersink pull-outs for trash can and recycling bin.

• High cabinets for less used items, such as the roasting pan and crockpot.

• Small cabinet with file system for current bills.

Making Sense of the Mudroom

A well-planned mudroom, such as Ginny and Mike Shevlin’s, can be just the catchall a bustling home requires – a space to drop the day’s luggage. Backpacks, umbrellas, briefcases, winter wear, dog leashes … all these items can quickly clutter an entryway. The mudroom is the perfect pit stop for loading and unloading and should be located off the front door and near the garage for easy access. “Truly the way to keep your sanity in the fast-paced lifestyle here is to designate a spot for everything,” Ginny Shevlin says.

Keeping Order

Ideas for the mudroom from Tim McDonough, owner of TM Designs:

• Use color. This is a room guests almost never see and one you’ll spend little time in, so it can be a departure from the design of the rest of the home. Color coordination of bins, shelves, or lockers can help keep everyone’s belongings in place.

• Think carefully about placement and height. Put hooks and shelves at a level that is convenient for kids, and they’ll be more likely to use them.

• Consider all seasonal uses of the space – for example, having a handheld showerhead like the Shevlins chose helps clean off muddy feet, shoes, and paws.

• Get a good, sturdy bench. This can be useful for sitting on to gear up for winter, drying off from the rain or the pool, or standing on to reach higher items.

• Consider having a shelf for electronic devices that aren’t used much inside the home, such as a business cell phone or an iPod. When you arrive home from the day, put these items on their chargers or docks in the mudroom, and you won’t have to think about them or keep track of them while you unwind with your family.

File It Away

A home office is one space where organization is not an option – it’s a must. Personal documents and financial records are too important to leave in stacks or keep in messy file cabinets. Put a priority-based system in place for these items.

Keeping Order

With office space ideas from Laurie Burg Minerbi, principal of Organizing Solutions Inc.; Marcie Lovett, professional organizer of Organized by Marcie; and Tim McDonough, owner of TM Designs:

• Get a locking, fireproof file cabinet. This is for birth certificates, passports, deeds, valuables – anything irreplaceable that you want on hand (otherwise, it may be best kept in a safe deposit box outside the home).

• If the office is shared, consider everyone’s needs. The kids may benefit from having their own office, a fun place for them to do art projects and homework, as the Shevlins did.

• Stock supplies regularly. Have a stapler, pens, pencils, tape, etc. near each person’s workspace and don’t move them. If nothing’s moved, nothing’s lost.

• Color coordinate files, bins, and baskets.

• Shred files you don’t need – identity theft is a very real threat.

• Make use of technology. Scan and store photos, files, and documents when possible. You don’t need a hard copy of everything. “Everyone is inundated with paper,” Lovett says.

Function Meets Fun

Assessing the storage needs in the garage is one of the first steps to creating a functional and neat garage space. “Start with a vision of how you want the space to function when it’s complete,” says Ann Upton, sales and marketing manager at Custom Garage Solutions. Typically homeowners want a little-to-no-maintenance space that keeps tools, sports gear, and odds and ends organized and in their places. By creating zones or specific modular storage areas for every garage function, each family member can keep his or her area tidy, Upton says. Custom Garage Solutions also offers a professional organizer to help clients decide what to keep, toss, or donate.

Getting Started

Zev Pomerance, owner of Potomac Garage Solutions, starts by:

• Performing a complimentary assessment of the garage and obtaining information on what the overall goals are for the space.

• Providing a Potomac Garage Solutions plan to the homeowner and recommending specific solutions to meet his/her garage needs.

• Designing a garage solution that allows the customer(s) to utilize the Gladiator Garageworks® products by Whirlpool in the space.

• Assisting the customer in deciding what to keep, donate, and discard.

• Giving the customer a system that he or she can grow into and one that can be moved around as needs change.

Keeping Order

With Peter Belman, general manager of GarageTek; Scott Ditto, owner/operator of PremierGarage; and Ann Upton, sales and marketing manager at Custom Garage Solutions:

• Charity begins in the garage – purge any unnecessary clutter. Have grown children retrieve what they may have left behind so you can assess storage needs.

• Take inventory, consider volume, and categorize. Anticipate more storage space than you think you need.

• Reclaim floor space by adding the right mix of wall cabinets and shelves. Consider storing items not used often along the ceiling.

• For neatness and feel, add a floor covering such as tile, Belman says. Ditto suggests sealing the concrete with a non-skid surface and Upton offers Infinity Floor concrete coating from Custom Garage Solutions.

• Create modular storage areas for specific functions, such as gardening, sports, etc. GarageTek and Custom Garage Solutions offer flexible, modular systems that grow with homeowners. PremierGarage affixes large cabinets with shelving directly to the walls and also offers a rack-type system by Schulte for long handle tools, bikes, balls, and yard equipment.

Start Somewhere…Soon

It can be a monumental task to get the whole house in order, so it’s often postponed until it becomes overwhelming, but those inefficiencies take time from each day. If you can’t take on the whole house, take on your closet. Take on the playroom. Take on a space you know needs it. It’s early in the year – approach it month by month, says Geoffrey Davenport of Closets by Design. You can do the master bedroom closet in January, the pantry in February, etc. Set a timetable you can live with.

“Designate a home for everything,” says Marcie Lovett of Organized by Marcie. Your muscle memory will eventually take over, and instead of having to think about doing it, you’ll just do it. Lovett also recommends looking not just at what isn’t working, but what is. “People often call me when they are feeling desperate about their spaces,” she says. “But everyone has strengths we can build on.”