July 23, 2020

Organization Inspirations

About Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living offers multiple care levels for seniors in more than 600 communities nationwide. Brookdale helps you find the right care plan for yourself or your loved one. With amenities such as transportation services, salons and private dining rooms and activities such as gardening, fitness classes and trivia nights Brookdale caters to a wide range of interests and needs.

Guest blogger Kristen Murney shares small space organization ideas.

We’ve all been there—face-to-face with the insurmountable task of tidying something. Be it as small as your wallet or as large as your basement or garage, we have all looked at the project and thought, “it’s too much!” This can be especially challenging when you are considering downsizing to move in to a senior community.

Guest blogger Kristen Murney shares small space organization ideas.

But as the saying goes, “the longest journey begins with the first step.”

Getting Started

If you’re looking at the forest as a whole, you will get overwhelmed with all of the trees. But by selecting one tree (or task) at a time, you will be surprised how quickly you make progress!

Begin with deciding what you will need in your new space. Whether you are moving to a smaller place or trying to update your existing home, now is the time to truly weigh how necessary “things” are.

Before and after image of an organized closet.

For example, if you want to organize your clothing or a closet space, start by laying all of your pants, shorts and skirts out onto your bed. Try everything on. Donate items that don’t fit, are out of style or that you simply know you won’t wear. Then organize the remaining items into categories, and place them back into their appropriate drawers or on hangers. DONE!

Now do the same with your shirts, ties, socks, jewelry, etc. Just take one category at a time, and you’ll find that, when you’re done, getting dressed each day is much less overwhelming.

Pro tip: when you have two clothes-hanging bars in your closet, one over top of the other, hang your pants ABOVE your shirts. It seems backwards, but makes your closet look much bigger and actually makes it easier to see your shirts when they are at the lower level.

Now do the same with your shirts, ties, socks, jewelry, etc. Just take one category at a time, and you’ll find that, when you’re done, getting dressed each day is much less overwhelming.

Be Creative

The best storage and organization solutions are frequently discovered when you realize that you don’t always have to follow the rules. Many products are available for storing things, like packed lunches or pairs of shoes. But what if you tried these storage containers for something new?

That compartmentalized lunch box also makes a great drawer organizer for your makeup or toiletries in your bathroom. That over-the-door shoe organizer? Try putting one on the inside of your coat closet for storing scarves, gloves and umbrellas. Or even better, those shoe organizers make great see-through storage on the inside of your linen closet door. It’s a great way to store medicines and extra supplies, such as shampoo, soap and toothpaste.

When decluttering and organizing, especially when preparing for a move into a senior living community, always keep your end-goal in mind. You want your space to feel tidy, clean and cozy. Make organization a priority, and you’ll be surprised how quickly you settle in to your newly defined home!

Kristen Murney is the owner of TEN by Kristen. As an interior decorator and professional organizer, Kristen is constantly using her knowledge of feng shui to help her clients improve the spaces around them. From homes to businesses and from closets to kitchens, TEN by Kristen is a great resource for anyone looking to make some improvements to their surroundings!

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