Blog - Graceful Order

Laundry Room Organization

July 23, 2013 · by Maria · 37 Comments

I love looking at organized laundry rooms in magazines and commercials. I’m not sure if it’s the fresh white towels, the clean scented sheets, or the little girl running through the wheat field with her hair flowing. In those adds, all that is stored in the laundry room is a lonely bottle of detergent and two perfectly folded white towels. As organized as I am, I can never get my laundry closet to look that neat and if that little girl saw all the stuff I pack in my closet…she would surely keep running…in the opposite direction.

My excuse: I don’t have a laundry room, I have a laundry closet. My goal is to make it look good so that doing laundry doesn’t feel like such a chore, but the closet is definitely packed! I have so many things in there and it can be a challenge to make it look uber neat. So here is my laundry closet…

Here it is open. The other door leads to the garage.

Since its a closet in a small hallway, I had to take pictures in segments so that I can share with you what I keep in there. Here is one side.

And the other.

Now a little more detail…

I like to leave some room on top of the washer and dryer to fold items right as they come out of the dryer. On top of the dryer I have stain removal powder, a Martha Stewart book that shows you how to clean anything and everything, a white tin that contains towels, and a little IKEA plant for no purpose other than cuteness. 🙂

I purchased the little mint jar from WorldMarket.com and it holds oxy powder. I use a “green” version of the powder. The jar is intended for kitchen use but I love how it looks in here and it adds charm to the space. I added the chalkboard label to the outside and wrote the contents in chalk.

Next to it is the LAUNDRY tin, which actually hides all those ugly looking floor rags that we all have. They seem to get uglier with every wash so I wanted them hidden, yet easily accessible since they get used daily.

Right above is a small shelf that holds my detergent and fabric softener. Shaklee and Method products are my favorite since my goal is to slowly-but-surely go green in terms of nutrition and home care.

In the first shelf I have these containers that I purchased at Walmart and they hold all the cleaning rags. Again, I want them handy but hidden.

Next to the small bins, I have all my cleaning products separated by brand or function. I like that these bins are long and I can just pull them out and easily get what is in the very back.

On the other side of the laundry room I have two large wire baskets (from Target). One holds miscellaneous laundry related products…

The other one holds cleaning products. TIP: Since the second basket is not at eye-level, I decided to label the spray nozzles with the contents of the bottle. That way I know what bottle I am pulling out. Since I always purchase the same brand of cleaners I can just keep using the same labeled nozzle.

I hooked this little basket to the back of the wire rack and I keep all my new sponges in there. I really don’t have a place for them in the kitchen and my laundry closet is close to the kitchen, so it works for me.

In the very side, up against the wall (where it’s hardly visible because it is below the washing machine) I have a tiny garbage can where I throw all the dryer lint. Above it I have a little pail that I throw pocket change into. I also have a hook that holds a basket full of “clean-and-single-and-looking-for-a-mate” socks.

At the very top I have three large laundry baskets. The area above is large but not easy to access so these baskets hold: gallons of water for hurricane preparedness, empty containers that I have for future projects (blame Pinterest), and one of them is empty just in case I need it for something around the house.

I use foldable laundry baskets and I just place them in between the washer and dryer. The machines are so close together that the baskets stay in place.

I promise I am almost done but I have one more tip! I place a valet hook on the outside of the door. I use it to hang-dry items or to hang shirts while I fold the rest of the laundry so that they don’t wrinkle. I like this hook because it is long enough to keep moisture away from the door if I hang dry a shirt.

I purchased it on Amazon and you can find it “here”.

That’s it! Lots of items in a very small space can make it challenging to keep tidy, but its not impossible with the use of containers. Of course, its not the laundry room in the commercials but this is real life and we need to be realistic with our expectations. However, by mixing practicality and a dash of decor and you will create a laundry closet that you are proud of. And now the little girl can run through the wheat field once more!

So now its your turn. Will you be implementing some of these ideas in your laundry room or can you share with me some of your own?

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Makeup Organization

July 17, 2013 · by Maria · 12 Comments

I don’t wear a lot of makeup. I just don’t have the patience for it. However, I can alphabetize 200 CD’s no matter how long it takes. I guess we are all built differently! I do appreciate seeing my friends who know how to apply a perfect amount of makeup and still look natural.

Don’t you hate it when you look amazing in your bathroom mirror and then you get in the car and you look like Bozo in the car mirror? What is it with the car mirror?! Or is it the bathroom mirror?! Who is the real culprit?

Like I said, I don’t always put on a full face of makeup but I like having the right tools when I do. I like to see my makeup.

I purchased this large acrylic organizer at Target about five years ago. They still have it in the section where they have all the cosmetic bags. I place all the single shadows here so that I can see all the colors without shuffling through a bag. In the large vertical spaces I store lip glosses and eye pencils. I like that I can see them all at a quick glance.

The eye shadow sets are stored together and vertically. It makes it easier to pull them out, use them and put them back in their spot.

Foundations and primers have their own zip code as well. I picked up that little clear container at the Target dollar section. Sometimes I cant find anything in that little section and sometimes its full of gems.

Lastly, the brushes. I love those beads that they use at the top cosmetic stores so I decided to house my brushes in a similar way. It turns out they sell those beads in most craft stores. I used an acrylic pencil cup to contain the larger brushes.

The smaller brushes along with other makeup essentials are in this slim container. I also used the beads in the larger compartment.

So that’s it! I once read that it is better to arrive late than to arrive ugly. It was a funny statement. It still doesn’t keep me from sometimes leaving the house looking like one of the people who appear in the “People from WalMart” photo stream. Have you seen those? They are pretty funny. On the rare occasion that I go out looking that rough, I pray that I don’t run into someone who I haven’t seen in years. What are you supposed to say them? “I assure you that I normally look human. I just had to run out of the house to get milk!”

So ladies, let’s put on a little rouge, a little color on our face and go out into the world (or in my case, WalMart) with confidence.

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Bathroom Linen Closet Organization

July 15, 2013 · by Maria · 8 Comments

The space that I lack in my sink…

I have in the linen closet that is right next to my sink.

My husbands sink is on the other side of the bath tub and it is equally as small. If I had a larger sink counter or drawers under my sink I would probably store my makeup in that space. Since I don’t, I use the closet to hold a LOT more than towels. I have (maybe) 4 towels in the closet. The rest is makeup, hair care, nail supplies, lotions and bathroom cleaning products. Here it is…

In the very top, as in “I need a ladder” I have towels. These are towels that are designated for guests. I have another area in the bathroom that I store our daily use towels.

In the top shelf I also have 2 turntables that hold extra shampoo, conditioners and lotions. Turntables are one of my favorite organizing tools. They allow me to put items in areas that I otherwise would lack the visibility to see what is in the back of the shelf. I just turn the tables and get what I need. You can find these here: Amazon.com

Next to the turntables I store my travel toiletry bag. It is not used often so I don’t need it to be right in front of me. I will be doing a post on what is in the bag sometime next week.

In the next shelf I have my cleaning caddy. I think every bathroom should have a cleaning caddy. If you have to walk to another room to grab cleaning supplies you are less likely to wipe up simple messes. Having this here helps me keep the bathroom cleaner in between deep cleanings. I keep this caddy in the higher shelf to keep it away from the kids.

If your grooming items look pretty you will use them more. That being said, fifty percent of the times my nails are not done. Clearly it’s not because of lack of polish, just lack of time. I think if this display didn’t look so pretty my nails would never get done. I purchased the polish display years ago on Amazon but you can still find it here. They have different vendors and different size displays that you can choose from.

In the next shelf I have my makeup. Same story as the polish. I use very little makeup on a daily basis. My daily makeup routine consists of no more than tinted moisturizer, mascara and lip gloss. The rest only gets used when we go out on the weekends. I like to display my makeup so that I can “see” what I have and hopefully get inspired. I know that if I threw my makeup in a bag I would never use it. I will be doing a post on makeup organization later this week.

I have these baskets and bins to hold extra makeup and samples that I use to refill my travel bag. I also have a sewing box. I only know how to replace buttons and maybe a quick hem but even for simple things like that you need a system to hold all the different color threads and buttons. This is also where I put all the extra buttons that come along with outfits. Otherwise you end up with 50 baggies of weird buttons swimming throughout your home.

Underneath are four white plastic baskets that hold items that I like to throw in without much thought.

Such as hair care.

Extra lotions that have been gifted to me or nice hotel samples.

In the very bottom is a large basket with all my rollers. You like the pink ones? Be honest. I know you do.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

Lots and lots of things that have nothing to do with each other but you can still manage to make them look organized if you dedicate a shelf to a certain task, use organizers and label your items. I hope I gave you some ideas of other uses for linen closets. What else do you store in your linen closet?

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Coffee Station Organization

July 9, 2013 · by Maria · 8 Comments

We are coffee people. Our days start with my husband doing a zombie-like walk to the coffee grinder that releases not only a noise that will jolt you out of REM sleep but also a delicious sweet coffee aroma. It is this aroma that wakes me up everyday. That or my toddlers foot in my face. That is a different aroma. Lucky for you, not part of today’s post.

Having coffee with my husband before the house gets “hectic” is one of life’s simple pleasures for me. I like to sit next to him, enjoy his company and chat with him while we sip away. It’s usually me doing most of the chatting and him grinning at me while he listens. He physically wakes up earlier than I do but the rest of him catches up a little later. I’m sure he wonders how I can have so much to say so early in the morning. I think he is listens so attentively because he loves me so much (and because he feels bad that for the rest of my day my conversations will only involve Elmo and Barney :-)). I took a picture of him this morning as he prepared the coffee. He looked at me kinda strange…

Back to the coffee. Like with everything else in the house, I look to “containerize” my coffee. I like having a coffee station where all-things-coffee can be found. The coffee station is behind these doors because the coffee maker sits on this counter.

We have a cappuccino maker, a cuban coffee maker and the regular american coffee machine. The american coffee maker stays out. It has earned its place on our counter. In our lives. In our hearts. The rest go in the cabinet. Normally large appliances are stored in cabinets under the counter but space is at such a premium around here that I just store the espresso maker with the rest of the coffee supplies. Here is the cabinet opened up.

I don’t store our coffee cups in this cabinet because there are too many of them and they don’t fit nicely. I have them in the slender cabinet right next to this one. I use any of the coffee cups in the cabinet but pictured below is my favorite coffee mug. It is a substantial mug with a thin but not-too-thin rim. Coffee tastes better in it. Only a coffee lover could understand such madness. I bought it in PINK because I thought that it would surely scare my husband into using one of the other 14 Starbucks coffee cups that we have in there. It turns out my husband is one of those secure men that isn’t bothered by pink in the very least. Needless to say, my ingenious plan failed miserably. There are mornings that I walk into the kitchen and there he is sipping away in my pink mug. Then he smiles at me and I smile back with a smile that says “you have just sucked the joy out of my morning BUT I love you and I am grateful for you anyway!” Then I grab another “less-perfect” mug. Kinda melodramatic but what can I say? I like the pink mug.

Back to the coffee station. I use these OXO containers for the coffee beans and for the Cuban coffee. They are the perfect size to hold a full bag of coffee.

I purchased this placemat at Target as well and I use it to line the area with the coffee. It’s cute and it keeps the cabinet free from coffee granules.

Behind the coffee containers is this white basket that holds extra coffee, frothing pitchers and coffee syrups. It’s a nice, deep basket so that the cabinet still appears organized.

I added a mug full of spoons for stirring the coffee. We used to have to walk to the utensil drawer every morning to get a spoon. I finally purchased a set of spoons just for the coffee cabinet.

Since my husband prepares the coffee, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for him so I placed the sugar/stevia in a wide bowl instead of another container with a lid. I like that it’s large enough not to require frequent re-filling.

On the side are the cappuccino cups, tiny Cuban coffee cups and disposable travel cups.

Lastly, next to the espresso machine is a set of dishes that we sometimes use for breakfast.

So that’s it. Having a coffee station avoids having to touch every corner of your kitchen just to make a simple cup of coffee. Now I will head off to the kitchen to join my husband for breakfast. Pray that he isn’t using my pink mug!

Happy Organizing!

Maria

Guest Bathroom Organization

July 5, 2013 · by Maria · 2 Comments

The guest bathroom in our home is pretty small but considering that my first home didn’t have one, I am grateful. It was even hard to photograph due to the size. I looked like Spiderwoman trying to get a good picture. Minus the latex suit of course.

The guest bathroom is adjacent to the laundry closet and close to the kitchen. In theory it would be a good place to store cleaning supplies. However, since I have little ones I never keep cleaning supplies under sinks. Instead, I use this space to store all of our beach towels. I roll them up so that I can circumvent that annoying pipe. I really dislike that pipe. :-/

On the other side I have small plastic drawers that hold items that a guest may need: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, shaving cream, small cologne bottles, karaoke equipment (just checking to see if you are paying attention!). In the other drawer I have a first aid kit and Q-tips. On top of this I put extra toilet paper.

Sometimes we forget to use the cabinet doors for extra storage and its the perfect place to put a small caddy. Here I place extra lotions, soaps, essential oils and a roll of garbage bags. I have these caddies in almost every bathroom. They are narrow so you can still have the items inside the cabinet uninterrupted. I love them!

On the other cabinet door I use a command hook to hang my cleaning gloves. I placed a clip that is meant to be used to close chip bags onto the command hook and it is the perfect clip to hold the gloves. It’s a good idea to hang the cleaning gloves so that they can fully dry after using them.

A little closer…

Here is a picture of the whole bathroom cabinet.

There are systems meant for under the sink that circumvent the dreaded plumbing but sometimes by using a little creativity you can find an inexpensive way to use every inch of space. Here is the other side of the bathroom just in case you were wondering (ok maybe you weren’t but for the sake of symmetry I will end it with this picture).

I hope you got some ideas and if you have any ideas for me just post them below.

P.S. My husband just told me “you realize there is no Spiderwoman?” Clearly he hasn’t seen me in action cleaning the house when he leaves…

Happy Organizing!

Maria