Organizing the Bathroom

The bathroom is for _______________. Fill in the blank: bathing, elimination, relaxing, reading, drying hair, putting on make-up, storing necessary supplies, hanging laundry, draping towels, keeping dirty clothes until wash day and lots of other things. We have even known folks who used bathrooms for clothes storage, office space, libraries and junk rooms.

Garden baths, sunken baths and mega baths grace many newer homes. But those of us who live in older homes or small spaces face a challenging proposition when it comes time to organize the stuff we need in the bathroom. Fortunately there are organizing tips and available products that help keep the space uncluttered and the items we need accessible.

The first principle for small spaces is small quantities. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, beauty products and other necessary items should be stored in modest amounts. In very limited space, one to use and a back up is a good principle to follow. Another principle for small spaces is stack if you can. Under sink space can be maximized by using wooden or metal stacking shelves. The under counter corner shelf from Get Organized fits most cabinets. If you have an old fashioned sink with no cabinet underneath, Home Trends sells a sink skirt that is easy to install and allows for hidden storage under the sink. The covered storage space can hold baskets, boxes or bins that will divide you necessities into accessible groupings. These same containers can help group items on counts tops.

There are a host of choices for creating shelving in tubs or showers. If you are faced with the added dilemma of living in a space where you cannot or would rather not permanently mount shelves, look at the standing metal shelf from Home Decorators or the corner bath and shower shelves from various vendors listed below. Very attractive teak and chrome shelves on a tension pole can be found at Hammacher Schlemmer. The shelves can hold the shampoo, soap, shower cap and other bathing necessities. Mirrors that hang on shower heads and have a space for razors and cream are available and provide a handy grouping for guys who shave in the shower.

Click in next time to explore ways to hang towels, store toilet paper and dry hand washables.

Check out the following sites for products:
Hammacher.com
HomeDecorators.com
ShopGetOrganized.com
Solutions.com
ShopHomeTrends.com


Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Finding Space in an Underneath Place

Small spaces are a real challenge. Even with creative use of floor space and wall space, there may not be enough room for the essentials. When the wall won’t hold another shelf and furniture has served as many multiple functions as you can think of, consider looking under things for potential storage.

In the bedroom, the bed is the largest piece of furniture that has potential for storage. Wooden drawers that stack and single wooden drawers on rollers are great places to store clothing that is looking for a home. Plastic rolling storage boxes with a low profile can hold children’s books and games, as well as art supplies or small toys. Several manufacturers make under-bed rolling trays and boxes designed specifically for shoes.

Another potential for storage is under a desk or work table. Rolling files are available that neatly fit into the unused space and an under-desk printer/fax stand can help free up flat surface space.

A decorative box or basket can be placed under a console or coffee table to hold books, magazines or a collection of shells or other memorabilia. Careful selection can create an interesting focal point

Some products to help stimulate ideas for storing underneath furniture may be found at the following web sites:
www.ultimatebed.com
www.abundantearth.com
www.homedepot.com
www.onlinesupplies.com
www.csnofficefurniture.com
www.lillianvernon.com
www.ballard.com
www.shopgetorganized.com


Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Process, Workflow and Planning

Recently, we have been working on organizing an office space that houses a variety of activities and a combination of full time, part time and volunteer employees. Consequently we have been giving a lot of thought to workflow and process as we design a plan.

Processes are easier to understand because they have defined purpose and specific inputs that produce a specific outcome. If you want to bake cake you know the materials and equipment you need. You know you need a pan, a mixing bowl and utensils. You have a recipe to follow that tells you what inputs will produce the cake. They include the ingredients, the mixing sequence the temperature and the baking time. Put all those thing together and you have the process for producing a cake.

There would be another process prior to baking the cake that would include gathering the necessary ingredients and another process after baking the cake that would include cooling time and decorating.

When the processes are ordered to interact with each other in the most efficient manner you have a workflow: gather ingredients, bake the cake, decorate the cake.

When designing any workspace it is important to consider what processes will occur in the space and the workflow for the various processes. That will dictate where people, tools and equipment are placed

A plan is a description of the logically necessary, ordered set of activities required to accomplish a specific goal. It takes into consideration the processes that need to happen and the best sequence, or workflow, for them to occur. A good plan also includes resource allocation and a schedule for the activity to accompli8sh the goal.

These are important concepts to incorporate into your organizational planning whether you are re-organizing your closet or putting together a business office design.

Beverlya nd Kristen
http://www.keytransitions.net/