Storage Solutions: Jewelry Organizing for a Small Space

I love collecting bowls, especially from thrift, consignment stores and my favorite home specialty stores. I'm probably drawn to them because of their design quality having both form and function. The bowls I like mostly include woven bowls, ceramic bowls and even wooden bowls. Bowls not only come in handy for pasta, soups and salads, they can also hold travel treasures or seasonal details for a vignette, and they are excellent as a functional solution for organizing jewelry in drawers. Since my jewelry amoire is actually downstairs, I keep a portion of my seasonal jewelry a drawer in the bedroom. When I first did this, I set the seasonal jewelry in wooden bowls in the top drawer of my bedside table. However, this Spring and Summer, I've been wearing more jewelry, and found I needed more space. I'd love to have the amoire upstairs with me, but it would be another bulky piece added in our small bedroom. With a little condensing of a larger drawer from the silver chest, I was able to swap my jewelry from the bedside table drawer to the top drawer of the silver chest, organizing it with simple bowls in ceramic, wood, and woven bowls I've collected over time from my favorite home stores and thrift...

 

The wooden square bowls I thrifted in Florida. The two ceramic bowls I picked up last year at Goodwill. The two small woven bowls I found this year, also at Goodwill. Several of the wooden plus black and white bangles I've also found through thrifting and consignment shops. I wear these bangles more now stacked and wear the cuffs a little less.

 

For the square bowls, one has all rings, one is gold earrings, one is for three gold cuffs, and one is for the turquoise I'll wear most.  The wood platter is holding some of my summer necklaces, but the majority of my wooden beads are downstairs on a dress form next to the amoire - which I actually pass on my way out (through the laundry room to get to the garage) so I can still easily grab one on the way out.

 

This silver chest now gives twice as much storage space as the bed-side table did, plus it's easier to see everything at a glance. With the exception of the wooden beads downstairs, plus a small pedestal bowl on this chest, I don't have any jewelry "on display" or hanging outside of the drawers. If I did, our cat Sephora would ave a field-day playing with them! :)

 

 I love this petite white bowl - it's just the right size to hold another category of jewelry: Lucite & Gold. It was only $2 at TurnStyle Consignment. I like the way it works to complete the trio composition on the rattan platter I'm using as a tray. To layer pattern in the bedroom I've picked up a few new blue & white finds at HomeGoods - a vase for flowers and the jar, with its top is great to stash hair ties.

 

Above is my Summer jewelry organized in the bed-side table last year...

 

Above was how it started out - which is what happens over time living in a new space - You start to learn what does and doesn't work for your lifestyle. Sometimes the concept may be right, but needs a tweak - which a simple shift and shopping thrift can help resolve and help improve home organization functionality, which is very important in a small space.

 

This is what the chest looked like when we were first settling into this house (Nov. 2011) 

The black lacquer box + frame + candle tray (holding cuffs) are from HomeGoods.

 

While the second and third drawers remained relatively the same, the top drawer is what got a serious downsizing, and now fits into the bedside table - so it's all still conveniently located adjacent to each other when getting dressed.

 

A dress form is great for layering wood beads - although it's probably three less today.

 

Don't get offended - it's just for the idea - but a garden statue or bust can also work en lieu of a dress form to display beaded necklaces...

 If you prefer you necklaces hanging, maybe inside your closet if you have the space, I think this idea of repurposing shower-hooks and a towel bar is clever.

 

Ideally though, having a chest of drawer trays, inside your closet is the best solution of jewelry organization. The covered storage will help protect your pieces from dust, or worse yet, getting caught on something and breaking. Drawers also make it easier to colorize... which if you have a small space, and you need to use what you have, small bowls are an optional solution.

If you're not going away for a Summer vacay during the July 4th long weekend, closet organizing may be a task to tackle. Usually, the specialty and department stores will have their end of the season clearance deals (to stock up on more jewelry!!), as they start to get their sales floor cleared for Back To School goods... and... Fall. 

What are some ways you organize your jewelry?

For additional organizing tips, see my prior post: 

Closet Organizing For the Gals

Closet Organizing for Him 

Closet Planning & Organization

Thanks for stopping by!

WELCOME 2013 WITH DESIGN RESOLUTIONS IN GREEN

It's a new year and time for some newness! When was the last time you really refreshed the look of your home? Even if it was at the start of the millennium (that was 13 years ago now!) or even if you're renting, your dwelling could be in need of a refresher. Although we may be entering another year of caution - not too many home renovations to be happening as in years past - refreshing the look of your home need not require an entire overhaul. In 2013, why not try a new shot of color (the color of the year: emerald green) and take some time to rethink the design style of your home: re-energize your outlook by what you look at... with a little shift and shopping thrift.

 

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(RE) PURPOSE (RE) USE (RE) CYCLE: Or in a word UPCYCLE! Whether it’s your own pieces stuck in the garage, tucked up in your attic or buried in a closet, refinish and switch out some existing pieces in your spaces to refresh your home for the new year. Find a new use for something old. A pair of side tables together (but not bumped) can become your new coffee table or relocate a ‘matchy’ bedroom bench into the dining room for new seating. You can even update that bench with the look of a slipcover, made simply from a drop cloth. While clearing through the clutter, let go of pieces you know you will not use. Donate undesirable items to to help Sandy Survivors in New Jersey/New York or your local Goodwill, Salvation Army and Vietnam Vets thrift shops. Your trash could be someone else’s treasure and help them to refresh their home. An afternoon activity can be made by holding a garage sale. With a little time and effort organizing, the money you make from the sale you can treat yourself to a new addition or put it towards supplies to re-style your home.

 

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(RE) VAMP your accessories: What you’ve had upstairs, bring down. What you’ve had downstairs, bring up. Check in the garage and closets for some forgotten treasures. Gather similar shapes into a collection. Inexpensive or old pieces can have new life with a simple coat of spray paint or dipped for an on trend two-tone effect! This is the time to try a new color, like all white, grey, or go for the color of the year: EMERALD! Try varying  the finishes: two flat with one high gloss. If groupings aren’t getting enough variations in height, try a stack of books. Books stacked by color create impact, or books turned in reverse create texture. Books can also be unified by covering them in white or tan Kraft paper - you may already have left over from your holiday gift wrapping.

 

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(RE) LAMP your space: Just like you change your accessories every time you change your outfit, change your lamps from room to room. You’ll be amazed how a space is transformed with new lighting at no cost! Minimal updates to refresh lamps can be a quick spritz of spray paint. Add an updated shade in a new shape, color, pattern or cover an existing shade with new fabric.

 

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(RE) PLANT your entrance, terrace, or outdoor living space: Give seasonal style to your stoop! What do you or your guests see when they come up to your home? Have trees or bushes overgrown? Is there a composition or rhythm in your garden? Try adding some colorful or decorative plant containers. Weather-worn chairs can give a rustic touch or paint in a pop of color for a wow effect. Adding chairs to your entry can help give height to your entry composition. Even if you aren’t into flowers, visual interest can be added through contrasts of solid or variegated plants, pops of color through pots, or textures from leaves. Even coordinated decorative pillows on a back patio can expand the living space from inside your home out. Existing outdoor furniture, containers, and even your grill do tend to fade (especially in sunny Arizona and South Florida!) so spruce it up with a fresh coat of spray paint. Even some left over Jacobean wood stain works on a terracotta pot: it will chip away and looked aged over time.

 

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(RE) PAINT your space inside and out: Even if you live in a development with restrictions (i.e. all the same color) chances are, your front door, garage door, or trim (esp. near the garden) could benefit from a fresh coat of paint to make your home look crisp (and even spark inspiration for your neighbors). Over time, no matter what quality of paint you use, it just doesn't look as fresh. Inside, why not try a new neutral (like a warm grey) and an accent wall in a grassy green or indigo blue? Even glossy white moldings can be refreshed in an afternoon. Freshen all doors in another afternoon with a new coat of semi gloss. If you have the freedom, paint your front door a new color. If you can't do outside because of a community association, at least paint the interior face of your door a new color like black, red, yellow, - or go for that shot of emerald green!

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(RE) THINK your space: Do you over use one space and under use of another? Bring balance to your home by re-thinking the way you use your space. For example: A home office littered with magazines and cluttered with books can be reorganized by relocating reading materials to an underused dining room to create a library, or create a reading corner in your great room. Another space solution for the new year can be converting an underused room into a child's craft space or play room. Taking the time now to plan how a space is used, will save you time later when you need it the most.

 

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(RE) ORGANIZE to (RE) Energize: Recycle those old magazines you have stacked in a closet or piled in a corner - but not just by dumping them into the recycling bin: You can also include them into your donations to your local thrift. This is another way to help people people on an even smaller budget than yours. Let go of paper piles, and even go through those boxes of old cards. Ask yourself: Is this really adding any value to my life? When clearing clutter, this is a GREAT question to keep at the top of your mind - It makes it easier to just let things go. Tiny tee shirts you've outgrown can help cloth another - let it go. And to clear clutter even more: take photos of mementos you have put away in storage boxes: use these as the images to create a new gallery wall to tell the story of you. For storage boxes for other items (even Christmas decor) they need not be fancy: You can pick up a pack of 10 office file boxes for $15 at Staples (they stack great, fit through tiny attic spaces and are EZ to carry up stairs because you can't overload them!)

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WELCOME 2013 with the promise to (RE)-Salute your home with a (RE)-Style! Don't get overwhelmed ~ Just tackle over time throughout the year - Organize your plan of attack on Pinterest and with Olioboard. Try some thrift shopping this year or venture out to other areas for a newer assortment (location has a LOT to do with items sold at thrift stores). Try a little furniture refinishing project. Try a refreshed editing approach to your accessories. Try a new color - even white can be a refreshing new color to update a dark  space. Apply yourself and surprise yourself for 2013! And if you live in an already perfect home, then take the time to apply these resolutions to help a friend, a family member or neighbor. You’ll be glad you did...

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WELCOME 2013 with a REFRESHED look!

Thanks for stopping by...

 

Moodboard Monday: Try A New Mix This Fall with Plaid!

There are trends and there are classics. A wildly popular print trend from this past Spring & Summer has to be chevron. Other popular trends from the Spring and Summer have been 80's influences and bright neon colors. Trends aren't for everyone and trends aren't always appropriate for every age group. But sometimes an element from a trend can be added to a wardrobe or space to give it a little pick-me-up. An example of this would be to take a classic black & white sheath dress and pop it with a neon green bag. When developing my personal style, I tend to stay away from trends, unless they REALLY speak to me - than I decide is it something I want to wear? Or is it something I want to look at and live with? Some classics that are also trends very popular for Fall and even going into Spring 2013 are gold, black + gold, black + white, white + gold, and black + white + gold. All are very classic, very sophisticated and very versatile. Another "wildly" popular print of late has been animal prints, especially leopard. Leopard is a wonderful print to use for Fall - it works well the the warmer weather and colors such as golds, camel and browns. But similar to a neon bag, don't over do it on the leopard - use it as an accent to a wardrobe or a space. The organic pattern of a leopard print can easily be combined within a space with another classic print: plaid.

 FALL ReMixed!

Try a NEW mix this Fall & Winter: Animal print + plaid

Plaid is extremely traditional, but is so welcoming during the Fall season, and works well into holiday. Inspiration for fashion or decor for plaid can be full on equestrian, western or even old English and even a rocker look like punk.  A new mix to try this fall can be pairing the traditional plaid with a pop of leopard. The trick in this pairing is keeping the color palette similar in the grouping. I'm experimenting with this mix this Fall...

 

I already had the houndstooth throw and the leopard pillow, but was thrilled when I spotted (and scored!) this pillow pair recently at Goodwill...

 

A great secondhand style find!

 

AL = American Living

Side note + Story Behind the Style: I was even more thrilled to find these AL pillows because they are American Living: a line that was exclusively at JCPenney, designed by Ralph Lauren for the chain. I had helped organize, plan and execute the first cross divisional installation of these AL "shops" just before leaving JCP. As a reward for my contributions, my then store manager, Mack Tracy Jones, gave me a gift of his appreciation: The Ralph Lauren Book. With all the changes happening at JCP, the line has since been dropped, and Mr. Jones has become a District Leader in another state, but we still keep in touch through LinkedIn messages and emails... 

Ok, back to trying a new mix for fall: plaid + animal prints...

 HABA-DASH!

PLAID as a mix of inspiration from haberdashery & equestrian influence.

Don't be surprised if or when you see refreshing prints for Spring 2013 showcasing some plaid. A master at mixing plaid prints has to be Ralph Lauren, especially for his Fall Collection. And if you are into watching period TV vs. reality TV, you'll notice classic plaid textiles featured in shows like Copper, Boardwalk Empire and Downtown Abbey...

 

Ralph Lauren Fall / Winter Collection 2012

Love the top hat!

Merge that fashion look into your decor with a black lamp shade...

 

Over the weekend, I spotted this fantastic DIY lampshade transformation featured at House of Fifty's Facebook page...

 

Check out this EZ DIY and terrific transformation at

The Little Black Door

I hope you are inspired to experiment with a new look for fall plus merge your fashion finds into your decor.

Thanks for stopping by...

Small Space Style Solution: Creating A Summer Entry

After living in one space for five years, and then moving to another, it can take some time to learn the new space. Seeing what familiar piece can fit into a new space in a refreshed way, but still have that familiarity can be a challenge. Something else that can also be a challenge is dealing with smaller space, especially an entry. For our entry in our previous Florida town-home I was able to create seasonal vignettes to welcome guests, set the tone for our home, and flow the dining room space into our great room off the kitchen. But I can't do that here because our layout is different. I had to come up with another way to create an entrance - but in a small space.

 

One element we did have that I am able to reuse in a similar way were the floating shelves stacked in the stairway. One the Florida floating shelves I was able to create a rotating display of photos, decor, wall art - even a Hitchcock inspired "Vertigo" Halloween hallway. Since we don't have an open entry, but a narrow stairway, I utilized the floating shelves concept for our entry. As we come down the stairs from the living area, it's still open, with only two stacked mirrors reflecting the shelving. The shelving was slim enough (same width as the handrail) that it was able to work with the railing wall. I would have liked to have had a table, but it would have interfered with our walking pattern, especially bringing up groceries.

 

Using mirror helps open up a small space.

 

Shelf bracket repuposed for hanging.

Rope was I used to hang the lanterns was from Home Depot, 

but you can also get it at Big Lots.

 

No space for a table in this narrow area.

 

Narrow shelves work great in a small space.

The shelves, I set in May with a few summertime memories from Florida: Photos I've captured in Key Largo, photos Jeff has snapped of us going to Key West, a beach shot I captured in St. Augustine, and a few starfish I also picked up on one of our travels. The newness in blending what we had came from adding in a few rustic elements, like the squared & galvanize lanterns (I got here at Homegoods for $16 ea.) I hung from rope. The brackets are actually shelving brackets I spotted in Home Depot (for only $6 each.) I love the look of a woven grass rug, but since that is out of the budget right now (to do in the living room),  I opted for this oval grass rug in the entryway. It's texture not only relates to the rope, but it picks up on the rope detail on the frames (Habitat for Humanity ReStore - FL) and an oval mirror I scored here at the Goodwill ReDesign Store up in Scottsdale (only $5). Since I collected a few baskets here to work into my summer decor elsewhere in the house, I also added one here to keep the flow (another Goodwill score for only $1.99!)

 

 

Photos I shot in Key Largo - edited to B&W - printed & framed.

 

Merging East Coast memories into the Southwest.

The rustic lanterns & rope details will transition nicely into Fall, as well as holiday - since I had added that type of detail to our holiday decor. On the shelves, I'll be able to switch beach photos for Ansel Adams cacti photos, or other AZ details I've shot on my travels. Do you have a small entrance in your home, apartment, or rental? And you're at a loss of what to do with it to create a welcoming entrance? Try stacked floating shelves. I think I had gotten these online at West Elm back in 2006, but I'm sure other sources are available. These shelves are 48" length x 4 1/2" width from the wall x 1 1/2" thick. Just enough to lean frames or fit a few collectibles or even bottles.

Thank you to those who responded with feedback to my 10 questions I posted (just before this post). I greatly appreciate your input as well as enjoyed reading the comments.

Thanks for stopping by!

LINKING POST TO:

Finding Fabulous - Frugalicious Friday