"OrganizingLA Blog" - 5 new articles
Flipping Out Star Ryan Brown Curbs Clutter for Daughter Chloe
Ryan Brown knows that storage doesn't have to be an issue for small children.
The star of Bravo-TV's Flipping Out says it's important to provide children with "accessible storage" around the house, build low drawers and designate areas areas that are exclusively theirs. We agree. In a Los Angeles Daily News Home Home & Garden interview, the talented, cool and collected Interior Designer Brown talks about moving from the Sunset Strip to the Oaks section of the Hollywood Hills for a more walkable family-friendly lifestyle. But completely redesigning the house was more than just aesthetic, the home and furnishings had to be functional for his entire family, including 3-year old daughter Chloe and Brown's partner, chef Dale Monchamp. Brown's interview focused on beautiful yet functional interior decorating.
So what do you think? Are Ryan Brown's design and storage ideas for children direct from Neverland? Share your comments below. Images courtesy Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer/Daily News Read More:More in store: family fights clutter (L.A. Daily News) Ryan Brown - blog, website and store. Related Posts:Is Jeff Lewis of Flipping Out too organized? (9/07)
If you've enjoyed this post and want to see more, why not subscribe to our daily emails (Feedblitz) or through the RSS Feed (click here)? Or, follow us on Twitter! Hold a Professional Clothes DriveFall is here. Now may be the perfect time to take a good hard look at your wardrobe. Why not ditch the pieces that no longer fit, are out of style or just plain not you anymore. Perhaps you have clothes that are new, in perfect condition and you have no intention on wearing them? To make yourself feel good and help others in need, gather some friends, (or better yet) some office colleagues and start a professional clothes drive. A simple email, collection center, and designated charity will do the trick. We suggest you chose Dress for Success, where women in transition benefit from donated business outfits. if you want to check into some local Los Angeles resources, dive into our 2007 post written for a reader who wanted to lose her 1990's business suits and didn't know how to. Here are some tips we put together recently for a Professional Clothes Drive for one of the world's largest professional services firms in Downtown Los Angeles: Clear Out Your Closet: Let's face it, everyone knows it's hard to let go of clothes that you really like even though you have not worn. Below are three closet-clearing tips from fellow CLARE Foundation volunteer and organization expert, John Trosko of OrganizingLA. John has a few tips up his sleeve to help you clear out the old, to make way for the new, and in the meantime, help make a difference in someone's life: The 15-Minute Rule: If you want to make a difference in your closet and don’t have a lot of time, set a time limit and “go shopping” for things that are ready to be donated. But keep your focus on this specific task and don’t allow yourself to be distracted. It helps if you can carefully choose a friend to help you clean out your clothes closet. You’ll want a person who will constructively criticize your taste, but with a sense of humor to make it fun. Suits That Are No Longer Suit-able: Nostalgia’s tug is strong— but use this opportunity to clear out the larger key pieces such as men’s suits, ties, dark belts and dress shoes. For women, perhaps you have a dress-for-success ensemble that isn’t suitable for your current work environment—why not donate it along with some sensible low-pumps and simple jewelry? Never donate another person’s clothes, always check with them. Stop Tripping Down Memory Lane: 3.) Remember, avoid keeping items in your closet as a benchmark of your achievements. Professional Clothes Drive for the Clare Foundation honors needy individuals with basic essentials and you’ll want to donate good, clean, gently-used or new clothing. You’ll feel better knowing your unwanted clothes will benefit others! If you're putting together a professional clothes drive, feel free to use the tips above, just give us credit. O rcontact us if you'd like to explore something more. What ideas have you implemented for your clothes donations? Please share them below. Image above courtesy J Crew and Uncrate.
Reinvent yourself with Closet Therapy's Barbra Horowitz (9/05) What do I do with 1990's business suits? (2/07) Build a connection with a charity (3/06)
If you've enjoyed this post and want to see more, why not subscribe to our daily emails (Feedblitz) or through the RSS Feed (click here)? Or, follow us on Twitter!
John Trosko Organizes Shoe Lovers for Better Homes & GardensDoes your personality dictate the way you organize your closet? Three top organizing experts including Lorie Marrero of the Clutter Diet (Austin, Texas), Meryl Starr (New York, New York) and yours truly answer this question by addressing three different "closet personalities" in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens. The 6-page article (pages 78-86) features advice tailored to women who either fold or hang their clothes or a woman with shoes on center stage. Along with our friends at Closet Maid, Hanger City, the Container Store, Organize.com, Caldrea, KangaRoom Storage, OrganizeIt, Hammocks and High Tea, Agraria Home and Elizabeth W, our segment "Shoe Lover" ticked off ideas for maximizing the passion of a "shoe hog" while minimizing the clutter. Closet Maid's shoe cubby inserts helped us maintain a sense of order and accessibility. Did you know the average mature woman owns between 40-60 pairs of shoes?
There are lots more tips from Marrero and Starr, along with some excellent organizational products the talented editors discovered. Get your copy of the November BHG on newsstands nationwide now. What kind of closet personality do you have? How many pairs of shoes do you own? Share with us by writing a comment below. Related Posts:Vanity Fair - John featured in March 2008 issue of BHG
If you've enjoyed this post and want to see more, why not subscribe to our daily emails (Feedblitz) or through the RSS Feed (click here)? Or, follow us on Twitter! Organizing Emergency: A Reader Wants To Buy a Laundry Hamper - Part OneDaneNow on Twitter wants to know where professional organizers get their hampers. He's just moved into a new house in West Los Angeles and headed to IKEA to shop for a temporary clothes hamper for his closet. We put this together for Dale to get him started (and by the way, you can follow us on Twitter, too-- click here). What is a Laundry Hamper?A hamper serves an important function in a home. The unit is a homebase to gather, sort and store dirty laundry. By strategically placing the hamper where you need it most, you'll save time and energy doing laundry. The same kind of container can be used to re-distribute clean clothes back to their origin. Laundry Hampers are usually made of wicker, but are now offered in wood, canvas, fabric, stainless sleel, plastic, mesh and acrylic. Save Yourself Disappointment, Ask These Questions Before Buying a Hamper: Before Dane heads out and chooses a hamper, we suggest asking these quick questions. Thinking about them ahead of time will save him and his family time and disappointment.
Buy Today vs. Tomorrow: If Dane wants his hamper today, IKEA is certainly a good bet. He can head off to Bed, Bath and Beyond, Target, KMart, Container Store and even a local designer hardware store will have them. Quick purchases are good even as a placeholder and an excellent interim solution until you can buy something of higher quality. And if you're fine with the quick solution, great. If Dane can wait, he can order it online. there are pros and cons to this-- they're harder to return but you'll have a much wider ability to order something more interesting. We'll continue this post on Monday and give Dane some suggestions. So look out for Part II. In the meantime, if you have comments for Dane, feel free to add to the conversation below. Image above courtesy Industrial House Related Posts: Organizing Emergency: Hollywood Stylist Needs Bin Labels Organizing Emergency: Garage Shelving Solutions Organizing Emergency: How To Find A Lazy Susan
If you've enjoyed this post and want to see more, why not subscribe to our daily emails (Feedblitz) or through the RSS Feed (click here)? Or, follow us on Twitter! Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and LinkedIn!No matter where and when you want to connect with us, we always strive to deliver relevant, professional, tasteful tips and tricks for organizing your home and business. Simply click on the links after the jump to join in. We look forward to sharing and connecting with you.
Account for John Trosko
Personal page for John Trosko
All our videos in one location
Business profile for John Trosko
Personal profile for John Trosko
More Recent Articles |
