Bathroom Organizing

I prefer the calm soothing colors in bathrooms, that can easily be accessorized. I like the soft cream and white and light tan colors.
-Walls—always paint with semi gloss in kitchens and bathrooms, as they repel water and are easy to clean. I do like texture and in one bathroom in my house I added sand to it—they actually sell little boxes of fine sand at Home Depot just for that, I had no idea!
-Go with a theme, or at least be consistent. Don’t just put things on the walls to fill up space—like a still life of flowers, and then a dolphin print—stuff like that, it is just not cohesive. I went with one of my favorites, a mermaid theme. So easy to find artwork and small accessories for the counter.
-Again, big fan of shower curtains-they are just softer, easy to change out, easy to clean.. personal preference but I don’t like glass (unless they are very nice) or faux glass doors.
-Lighting—always important!! And stick with the same metal—all brass, all chrome, whatever—that alone makes a huge difference.
-I love chrome, I mean it is classic. But my 3 bathrooms all are different—one is chrome, one is brass (for the powder room and I think brass really suits those bathrooms) and burnished bronze in the master—each bathroom has its own personality.
-Sinks, toilets and tubs, keep them all the same color too—it is not preferable to have a white sink and an almond shower—but at least you can use a nice shower curtain to tone it down and tie things together better.
-Counters—like every bathroom, keep it simple. Do NOT put all your toiletries out—that is what cupboards or drawers or bathroom organizer shelves are for.
-Always have soap, preferably in a dispenser that matches, tissue, and toilet paper stocked and easily accessible to find a replacement.
-Towels and rugs—make sure they are in good shape-nothing is worse than one or two thread bare towels and an old mat—really who wants to get ready in that??
-If you have a window, don’t over dress it, but please put something there that is consistent with the room. I hate valences, you know those over done frilly ones you see—don’t do it—a simple short curtain or white blind—something simple and attractive is best.
-Don’t pile up the bathroom with junk that collects dust and closes down the space.
-Flooring—do NOT have carpet in your bathroom—it is just gross.
I had cheap white vinyl, so I put the vinyl tiles that come in a box, and it looks like ceramic tile—it took a few hours, and you have to pay attention as there are grout lines to consider, but man it looks so much better!! And it only cost $30. It just gave the floor substance—and the floor is so important in every room.
-Keep some bathroom cleaning supplies under the sink—every bathroom should have toilet bowl cleaner and a brush tucked away but easy to find. Keep your toilets clean—it is bad and gross to have to use public toilets, never let your own bathrooms go down that road.
-Oh and in the shower/tub do NOT stock it with a zillion shampoos, body washes, soaps, etc…it is such an eye sore. Get matching dispensers for a few items, and keep out what you use a lot—the rest can be neatly stored until you really need it.

Cleaning Tips

Magic Erasers—I cannot say enough how much I love this product!! I hate marks all over baseboards and doors—I mean it is just so noticeable. This gizmo takes them all off. It will remove the sheen, but not in a way that it makes a big statement. But do NOT use on color painted walls—it will screw up the color.
Your home will looked so well taken care of if you clean up all those marks.And then keep on top of it.

Wood Scratch Cover—another must! Do you have vacuum, and accidentally bump the legs on the couch or chair in the kitchen? A little scratch cover on a rag, goes a long way..I mean the bottle will probably last ten years, unless you have a large piece of furniture you are fixing up, etc..

Paint – paint can transform so many things. I had a coffee table and should have kept it—all I needed to do was spray paint it black. I painted all my white frames black last winter because I decided that I did not want white anymore. Painting rooms is cheap and transforms them before your eyes. Paint is like the cheap fix for decorating.

Bins and containers—I love these things. Bins are great for so many kid things, from Barbie clothes to Playdoh. I cannot imagine being without them. Organize your life with bins, big and small, and you will see how quickly it comes together. Bins are a must for the garage!

Outlets—paint your outlets with the same paint you paint the room. I love the streamlined look. I am not a fan of white outlets everywhere…I do like nice outlets though, like brass, or pretty ones to match a bathroom, etc..but plain white, if the room is painted, either get matching outlets, or just paint them...you may need to touch some of them up from time to time..

-Subscribe to one or two decorating magazines. You will find something for you in every issue. So often the change you can make is cheap and easy. It could be just redoing a bookcase, or making your own artwork, or revamping your living room, etc..I have gotten so much inspiration from magazines. And tear out pages with information you really like, whether it is an article, or a “How to” or a picture of a room—these are fun to store away in a file and look at when you need some inspiration. (I do love Domino magazine!)

-Walk around a decorating store or home improvement store just for fun. I love to walk around Target, Ikea, Cost Plus, Pier One, Home Depot, just let things grab you and inspire you. It does not mean you are buying anything today, but these are often where your ideas will come from.

-Go through your mail that day! Sort all the junk out, and for the most part recycle it! I keep a catalog or two, again for inspiration, but I get way too many these days. Try to get off the lists, it can be a challenge..Toss what you can in recycling; shred what you must, i.e. the “checks” we all get from credit card statements, and other personal information. Then take what is left, like bills, and file them to be paid – that should be done 1x or 2x a month…if you are paid like me, the 15th and 30th, then make those your bill paying days. Keep everything organized and together!

-Think about reading your news online if you don’t already do so. I know some people who still get the paper. I gave that up years ago..It is so easy and neat to read the news online, and you get such a large variety, and for FREE, and there is nothing to put away and recycle. It is a way to cut down on the clutter in your kitchen or family room where papers just stack up, is it environmental, and it is FREE and you will have one less thing to put away every day.

-Go through every room of your house on a regular basis and ask yourself, do I still like the way this room is put together, am I using the space fully, is there stuff in here I don’t like at all anymore, or just don’t want, how could this space work better for me??, etc..! You will be amazed. I do this all the time. Just recently I redid my family room bookcase, and my office. Two months ago, I thought those areas were just fine, but then one day, I thought, “These spaces could be better.”

-Remember, less is more! Get rid of your stuff that you don’t use or don’t like or are just holding onto. Free up your life for new things and new experiences. Take one room, or even one section of a room, at a time. There is no deadline to get everything done, but take it on and work on it. If unattended, like a garden full of weeds, our houses can fall victim to clutter and disarray very quickly. And always, wear your rubber gloves. :)

Entry Way

Like the front, the entry way is super important, as now your friend or neighbor or dinner guests are now inside!! Make it nice!

I have so much in my E Book, so I decided to start posting the information here.:)

-I don’t like entry way rugs. They take up space on the floor and visually in the area. Also people are inclined to wipe their feet all over them—let them do that on the nice doormat your have outside! But if you must have a rug, get something that looks expensive and fits the space well. Not too big, but not a postage stamp either. And make sure it flows with the color theme for that area—i.e. not a light blue rug, when your living room is black and white.. (I have to say I love the rug in the picture!)
-The hall closet—this is going to get used, especially when guests have coats.
-Make sure you have at least 10 nice hangers—again, make sure they all match.
Don’t put old dry cleaner wire hangers mixed in with plastic white ones and yellow ones from your little girl’s room..I use all white and black plastic hangers.
-Make sure the center section is open and available for guest coats. No one wants to shove their coat into your over filled closet (right there is a signal you need to organize and unclutter your closet.)
-For your own family, supply bins is the way to go, for shoes and umbrellas and backpacks—going with a color theme.
-I painted my coat closet the same as my entry way, so it is a seamless transition.
I also put black and red bins in there to go with the color scheme of the downstairs.
-Have attractive knobs on the closet—don’t go with stock ones.
-Lighting—most entry ways have some sort of light fixture. Make it nice, make sure you love it, as you will see if often, and it is something your guests will comment on.
-Install a dimmer, as sometimes the light can just be too much (I need to do this.) But don’t put a 40 watt bulb in and call that dim—that is just plain awful.
-Have a mirror that is a focal point. Everyone loves that.
-Have a small table or chair or bench, whatever you can fit—not overtaking the space, but utilizing the space. It is great for people to have a place to put their purse, etc.
-Do NOT overfill the space with furniture—that says cluttered as soon as they walk in the door.
-A few nicely framed large family photos, art, etc..really make the entry way its own statement. Go a little elegant—this is a great space to do it in.

Now I know many homes don’t have a full entry. In one of the homes I lived it, we did not at all! You came in, and there was about a 4 x 4 foot tile square, with a staircase going up or down—awful really. So I just had a mirror there. Work with the space, if you have it, use it! If not, keep it simple.