Room Reorg, phase 1

After coming home from Donna Downey's Artist Inspired workshop, I didn't feel so inspired in this room. So much stuff and clutter! So after a few weeks of contemplating a plan, I set to clearing some of it out... I debated on moving my big desk to the opposite wall so the art desk and computer desk were on the same wall, but when I started moving the computer desk around with other shelving, I didn't like the flow of it. So I left the large furniture in the same locations and worked around it.

I'm almost embarrassed to show these pictures...This is how it looks to move from a nice large extra bedroom to a nice small extra bedroom. Lucky-LAD got the big room. Oh, believe me, I debated on not giving him the big room, but I did. Maybe I should reconsider. We seem to spend more time in here than in his room, if you don't count sleeping! At least I have a room. I'm not sure I could survive in a corner of a room, or a nook, etc...

BEFORE:

To the left of the computer desk is another shelf, well two, that are loaded with computer stuff, printers, papers, and more clutter. The wooden cabinet to the right is an old thread cabinet and it holds lots of different stuff, inks, stamps, pens, scissors, and more misc. The top lifts up, but as you can see, not very often... I love this cabinet but it's just not fitting in here right now. Then comes the clip-it-up on top of a small roll-around-cabinet. I really like the idea of the clip-it-up but it takes up a large amount of space. Then the closet is full of stuff-supplies, projects in process, more stuff...

To the right of the closet is my art desk. This is a huge desk my dad made for me. It has two shelves and 3 drawers and lots of space and a shelf underneath. Hardly an inch of work space is showing. Usually I have open work space, but since getting back from Raleigh, things have just piled here... To the left of the desk, behind the closet door, I found a shelf to fit (it's a over the toilet type) it's only 9 or 10 inches deep, in order to fit. Took a while to figure out something to go in that space and it's not very heavy duty, but it works OK for light weight, less used stuff.

Here's the room with the wooden cabinet and the shelf system it was setting on cleared out and replaced with a shelf that had actually been to the left of my computer desk. It's not as deep and is perfect for 12" deep type stuff. We'll not speak of where all the stuff went, but it's not in here any more. Sigh, it already feels better.

I think my most clever change was adding this board on top of the closet doors. I could fasten it to the wall just above the closet at some point, but let's face it, I've been in this room for over 3 years and have never closed the closet doors, why do I think I might begin to do that now (if I even could). I did try to figure out how to remove the doors completely a year or so ago, but never could get the hardware to give it up, so they stayed. The containers on top of the shelf had been setting on the art desk top shelf. They are just repruposed snack containers. I decided a long time ago to remove ribbon from spools and just store by color in these large containers and it works just fine.

I had all my buttons in a glass vase and decided to transfer then to a plastic container to also go on the shelf, so I called in the reinforcements. I'm still finding random buttons in different locations...

My flowers had all been in small containers, mostly the ones they were purchased in. I was so tired of knocking them over every time I reached for one, I just dumped them all into this large snack container. This thing is probably 18 inches tall, who knew I had so many flowers!

All the empty containers that can now live somewhere else.

AFTER:

For this shelf I tried to put all my supplies in one location. Paper, paint, embellishments, stamps, inks, etc.

Bottom of this shelf contains 12x12 paper, cardstock, etc, stored in Cropper Hoppers. This is where it was on the old shelf unit, you just couldn't see it for all the crap stacked in front of it! Up from that (black containers) is my Library of Memories (Photo Freedom) system, mostly empty drawers, but hopeful to be filled, then a basket, then embellishment drawers sorted by colors-these were moved from the closet. Next shelf up is 3 drawers of paint, by color, then brad/eyelet/metal/etc containers, then inks, and boxes with bigger metal embelishments and tags, etc. These items were moved from the closet to these shelves. Next shelf up are 12x12 drawers that need to have the contents sorted thru. There's really not much in them now, one holds chipboard, they will probably become work-in-progress storage or something. Then top shelf has craft paint, art journal texture tools, punches, rubber stamps, etc.

The closet was fairly organized already. Albums, page refills, page protectors, etc stored on upper shelves. Glues, mini albums, lots of raw materials here. More paper storage. Some memoribilia storage, a couple of large drawer units with supplies like adhesive, etc. They need gone thru but they are at least contained. LOM photo albums, behind other stuff. The two units in front of the closet are roll-arounds. The white one has a file folder drawer in the bottom that I discovered is full of empty folders. Looks like I had labeled them in preparation to filling them, but forgot!. I like these b/c I can roll them around and I put my paper cutter on one and use it instead of it setting on my desk.

And my favorite part, the shelf! Ribbons on right. Old laces, flowers and buttons on the left. The left hand sewing basket was my Grandma Bertha's and it has ribbon in it. The next basket I found last week at JBKnacker. I didn't really need the basket, but I wanted what was in it and it all came together!

My desk and the area to the left of my computer desk is still in progress. Maybe by the end of the weekend I can get this finished up. I have lots of magazines and idea books that have no home yet. And lots of computer stuff that needs relocated...This all just leads to needing to organize the basement...sigh, one project leads to 10 more...

...more to come...eventually!

PS...Apparently I'm not alone in my clutter dilemma. My friend Janet, a master organizer, has taken on a major task of reorganizing Scrapbooker X's space (name changed to protect the innocent). Scrapbooker X was going on vacation and teased Janet and another friend that they should come over and organize her space while she was gone, and the silly girls took her up on the offer!

See part 1 here

part 2 here

part 3 here.

It's also a work in progress!