When Andre and I first set out to redesign our kitchen, two of our most important goals were to increase our storage and create a large pantry. While we were able to achieve both of these in our buildout, we never really took the time to plan the organization of these spaces once they were finished. As we moved everything back into our kitchen, it felt packed and overflowing, even with all the new space to store things. Realizing we didn’t know how to set up a properly functioning organizational system, we turned to Space Camp Organizing to help us devise solutions that would work and that we could continue to maintain.
Working with Julianna and her team was a dream and helped us view our home organization and space differently. First, they did an edit of everything. And, I mean everything! From checking food expiration dates to having us decide what we use daily, we were able to reduce everything in the kitchen significantly. It is so helpful to have someone else there (who has no attachment to any of the stuff!) to sort through things and guide you as you edit. It is pretty wild how much we accumulate over time and don’t even realize we are storing and never using. All our storage shelving is extremely deep, so a lot often gets lost in the back of the cupboard. They created a system of lightweight bins we could pull out as needed. Storing food in removable containers makes it much easier to pull them out, see what you have, and access things as needed. This was a real lightbulb moment for me! Ha! The large assortment of lazy susan turntables in the center of the large shelves makes it so easy to see and grab what you need, when you need it. Also, labeling and organizing all things into like-minded groups makes it easy for everyone in the house to participate in continuing to keep things organized.
Once we tackled the kitchen, we did a refresh on the boys’ room too. I already had a bunch of bins; there was just too much stuff in the room. We did another full edit, clearing out items they didn’t play with anymore. They added simple labels to all the bins so that the boys could also participate in putting things back in the correct place, thus maintaining the organization daily.
Tackling how to organize space effectively so often feels daunting and overwhelming. Space Camp is the answer to this. Their vast experience in the field allows them to implement solutions that work, not just ones that look pretty for the five seconds before your kids arrive and destroy the place again.
So, if you want to get organized but don’t know where to start, Space Camp has an online course that teaches you how to manage your home organization step-by-step. This is a super exciting resource, especially if you are on a budget or don’t live in Los Angeles. Their online course will give you all the tools and guidance you need to transform all your spaces, whether it be your home, business, garage, or more!
Photography by Juliana Slemenda.