Welcome! We’re suppose to share some of the ways that we organize in our homes so let’s get right to it. But first, let me just say, I’m not super organized so I’m looking forward to getting some new ideas and maybe you’ll pick up a few things here as well.
Like a lot of people, I use baskets to help keep things tidy. This basket holds our everyday placemats. I roll them up so that it’s easy to see what we have and to save space. They’re kept in my dining room in a small narrow bookcase that I use as a buffet. It’s my daughter’s job to set the table for dinner and it’s her pleasant task to choose which placemat we will be using. Keeping them in the dining room makes it easier for her to do her job.
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This basket hold the magazines that I’m currently reading. I like that it has handles because it makes it easier to move around the house with me.
I go through my magazines and I remove the pictures or articles that I want to keep. I then file them according to category such as Spring Ideas, Homekeeping, Gardening etc. I keep very few magazines in tact. The only decorating ones that I keep are ME Home Companion (so sad it’s out of production), a few select old Victoria’s and random issues of various magazines that I think have so many good ideas it wouldn’t pay to tear out pages.
I keep the files in that toile bin on my night stand
When you have a house that’s old and on the smaller side ( a 1960’s, 1900 sq ft split foyer) you look for furniture that can be used for more than one thing. My coffee table is a chest that I keep my extra vases in it.
A picture from Fall 2007
My kitchen doesn’t have a pantry but I do have three bathrooms – one of which we rarely use. So I transformed that shower stall into my pantry.
I use see through bins and jars to help organize things.
This vintage bread bin in my kitchen holds dog toys and treats. I tried keeping bread in it but the bread would always get moldy so quickly. It still looks cute in my kitchen but hides something necessary. Toys to keep Maxie busy!
I’m working on my craft area and one of the photos I saved as inspiration is this one from Country Living.
It looks organized but not so pristine that you wouldn’t want to do anything for fear of messing it up!
I’m so happy I found you. As if was not enough the beautiful pictures you have, you still give us such good ideas.Thank you.
Alfazema
My goodness, your bathroom turned pantry is amazing! I love your other organizing ideas as well.
Such great idea….still chuckling at the bathroom. Too fun!!
Lots of great ideas! I use my bread tin in the laundry room to put washing podwer in. I guess it looks out of place. But I needed it there. Have a good week.
Lorri
I am so stealing your placemat basket idea for my dining room. Do you ever use vinyl placemats? How do you store them?
Your bathroom pantry is a stroke of genius. Love that!
I need to use your basket ideas. I love baskets~…and I can already think of a drawer I could use for something else if I got the placemats out of it and into a basket.
Have an awesome week.
Oh I will! I love organizing ideas. I remember your keeping a pantry in a shower, but hadn’t realized it was because it was the third bathroom. In that case, it makes much more sense than it did to me the first time I read about it…from someone else talking about it, I believe.
Great ideas…oh, and I was just thinking of taking off the handles of my basket used for magazines…now I won’t!
I didn’t know ME was stopping.
Both Cottage Living and Country Home are no longer being published, either.
LOVE seeing the pic of your “shower” again.
Manuela —
What great organizational ideas! I love your coffee table storage and the pantry in your shower. Genius!
Thanks for sharing!
Jen
Good Morning Manuela!! You’ve done it yet again…what a fabulous post. Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring (as always :).
God Bless.
Warmly,
Traceyxox
My goodness Manuela, you look pretty organized to me xoxox Clarice
our house was built in 1912, I love all your ideas. thanks for sharing.
Okay, I’m so enjoying your bathroom pantry. Too cool! That was great ingenuity!
I’m a basket lover, too. They hide and stash a lot! Good ideas, as always. Sally
I love the shower idea!
Your file folders are so pretty, they inspire me to file and organize. I think I’ll go buy some pretty files and start working on our tax returns.
Very inspiring!
That shower idea is FANTASTIC!! HA! I love it, that is killing me. You say you are not very organized but you sure look like it. Your home is beautiful and I love all the ideas.
Great ideas. The bathroom one is funny but a great idea. Cute house. mishelle
I love how you organized your blankets and that file holder. Very pretty! Still smiling over the pantry/shower stall. Now THAT’s unique!
Great idea to put a pantry in your bathroom! I have some pretty black and white toile folders similar to yours that I also put magazine pages in. I need a box to keep them all in like you do. You have such beautiful things!
Love the file box that you use for your magazine clippings. You have a beautiful home.
Great ideas Manuela! I love your inspiration picture for your craft area.
That craft area is so great!!!
Thanks for sharing your ideas!!!!
I LOVE how you use your extra shower as a pantry! Sometimes people are too afraid to think that ‘out of the box’. I have a friend who uses her extra shower to store baby gear! Great ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Great ideas, Miss M! I have to agree with Clarice, you look pretty organized to me too! 😉 ThanX for the tips.
Loved visiting your blog. I’m going to add it to my list of cool blogs I like to visit. I turned our bathroom tub area in to a relaxing spot for my spoiled furkids. 🙂 Your pantry idea is great.
Penny and the Poodle Girls in Dunwoody, GA
Wow It is hard to notice the organizing it looks like something out of a magazine. Just beautiful. That shower trick is very neat unfortunately I need more showers. It is so neat how you edged the shelves. Thanks for sharing
Everything looks so beautiful and neat. I love the toile container with hanging files for yoyr beautiful inspirations! Your home is just so pretty, I love your style!
You are so fabulous! Love that you didn’t just shove a shelf into your tub and leave it white and boring – you took the time to make it wonderful! I also love that you’re using the bread box for the dog toys!
xoxo
I love what you did in your shower – genius!
Now that’s thinking outside the box, pantry in the shower! I love your files, and the bookcases look great.
Good for you to use you space WISELY!! Love the idea with the shower! I really like the place-mat idea too.
Love the pantry in the spare bathroom, what a wonderful idea…And have you have the patience to cut articles out of magazines and then file them away so nice…..I cut and lose…and can I thank you again for turning me onto Goodwill…I am thrilled about the Pottery Barn plates I got there yesterday…My friend in Jersey said she never would have thought to look at Goodwill for anything for the home, she thought they just sold used clothing….
Beautiful living room! You are very organized in my opinion.
Love that office! Everything close at hand and organized….
Manuela, you look pretty darn organized to me. Great ideas!
It all looks great…your whole blog! Thanks for the tips!
-Kim
Love all of your uses for baskets…great ideas…and beautiful too!
Wonderful site! Will add to my list of daily reads. I LOVE your huge mirror above your sofa.
~Liz
http://www.AGiveawayADay.blogspot.com
Great ideas…I’ve been organizing too…something about a new year brings that out in so many of us! I would love for you to visit me sometime to compare notes!
I would have never dreamed to make a shower stall into a pantry but it works perfectly! Thanks for the inspiration.
Nancy
http://www.basketmasterweavings.blogspot.com
You have some good ideas! I really like how you organize your magazine pages you save. It’s a really pretty idea. I don’t keep too many mags together either, so my extra pages often go in my household planner in page protectors, filed under specific areas of the house. Having them on my nightstand sure would remind me of them more often so that I could go through them for inspiration.
Have a great week,
Jen
I keep a notebook similar to your recipe binder, with all the magazine clippings that inspire me. Are you sure about ME Home Companion no longer being available. My Mom has given me a subscription every Christmas for several many years now. I devour them over and over. This year no subscription…that was on my to do list was subscribe myself. Please do shed some light on this.
Hi, just found you from the Georgia Blogger’s Friends award I received from Susan. I’m in Acworth. You have a lovely home and I enjoyed reading your posts.
Manuela, I think you are one of the more organized people around. I remember you sharing your pantry with us and I cleaned ours at that very day I read about yours. See what influences you have? 🙂
No I wish my craft room looked like that – better yet, I WISH I HAD a craft room.
Thank you for sharing your tips.
xo
Becky
Ok….. I am not buying it….”Your not super organized”…. honey you are ….SUPER ….. at all you do
HUgs
Linda
I wish I could make myself cut up my magazines. I save Country Living, Romantic Country, Romantic Homes, Mary E, and Somerset Studios. Needless to say my “baskets” are all overflowing!
I love the placemat idea and how you made it so accessible for your daughter. Maybe I would be more motivated to file things if I got some toile files like you have!
Everything looks lovely (and organized!)!
I love your decor…everything is not only organized but pretty! I love that craft room…what a dream! 🙂 Ashley
What a great job you have done. Everything really looks beautiful. Wow and I love the bathtub pantry…brilliant if I do say so myself! Can’t wait to come back and see everything else you have done!
Blessings,
Debbie
I’m always looking for more ways to hide things in the house. I have the same problem with my bread container also. Right now it doesn’t have anything in it. Now I am going to try to figure out something that I can put in it besides the bread! lol I’m currently looking to buy some more furniture to put things in. I need more storage, especially with 2 kids!
Thanks for the ideas
Angela
I missed this post, but I’m so glad I found it now. You are so organized, and I love all of your hints for organization. Makes me feel like I need to get up from this chair and go organize something. laurie
oh my gosh I love the pantry in the shower! So creative! If only I had an extra shower or two! The inspiration for your craft room is beautiful!
Thanks for the great ideas!!
Jen
Hello!
This is my first visit, but, it won’t be the last! I loved reading your blog and looking at all the great pictures! I am wondering if you could tell me where you got your couch covering? I love that!
Thanks!
SherryB in AZ
http://www.youravon.com/sherrybeeson
I love your toile files for magazine pages. I keep mine in an ugly ol’ brown folder that’s falling apart – because I’ve had it so long. I’m planning to transform that situation soon. 🙂
I love the organizing of the Magazine inspiration pages from magazines. What a great idea!