Order in the House (Pamela Porter)

New Storage Products

Written on February 11, 2010 at 9:04 am, by Order in the House (Pamela Porter)

I’m just back from the New York International Gift Fair where I spied these must-haves for organization lovers. Check out company websites for pricing details and retail locations near you!

1 .This non-shedding stoneware pup by Johathan Adler will keep your favorite reads in order. If you can’t swing the $150 price tag, check out the designer’s resin version for $40 at Barnes & Noble.

2. As a decoupage lover, I’ve always been a fan of Margaret Josephs’ cheery company The MacBeth Collection. This spring, she offers all new patterns in which to dress her wide range of metal containers.

3. Resource International uses 100% post-consumer material for these sturdy fiberboard Cargo collection of boxes, bins, and cases.

4. Because my on-the-run lunches too often consist of handfulls of M&Ms, Thorsten Van Elten won me over with this glazed earthenware dish. Ah, M&M heaven!

5. This bamboo Tuck storage box from Umbra swivels into a compact 5-inch cube. I’m also hooked on their new magnetic and beak clip bird hook.

6. Danica Studio caught my eye with their fabric-covered office accessories. Hmmm….I think an office makeover is in my near future.

7. I couldn’t resist this blue ceramic bird container from Lazy Susan. Perhaps another home for my stash of M&Ms?

8. If you love lacquer (and who doesn’t) let these accessories from Pacific Connections help you stay organized.

Here’s to Order in the House….both yours and mine! Have fun containing your clutter with these and other storage-savvy products. If you find a storage solution you can’t live without, share it with us at DIY’s page on Facebook.

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Team DIY Storage Challenge 2010!

Written on January 7, 2010 at 11:48 am, by Order in the House (Pamela Porter)

January is Get Organized month for all of us at DIYideas.com, and we’re on assignment to tidy up at least one space at home or work that’s cluttered, unsightly, or otherwise not acceptable. Editor Beth Eslinger will tackle her basement, associate editor Bethany Kohoutek has her eye on her work space at the office, and designer Katie Laporte plans to create a storage-packed craft/studio haven (go Katie!).

What about you? What will you organize this month? DIY challenges you to join the Get Organized party by sharing with us your best organizational endeavor. We’ll chose one reader’s space to feature here, on Team DIY Blog, and DIYIdeas.com!

Here’s the skinny:

1. By January 15 (that’s next Friday!) identify your trouble spot (a room, a drawer, a closet, piles of paperwork), snap a digital photo, and upload it here.

2. Whip that space into shape. Use baskets, bins, labels, shelves, or other storage-savvy tricks to gain control of the mess. In the meantime, visit the gallery to view and comment on other readers’ storage headaches.

3. By January 31, upload a photo of your now picture-perfect space.

Here are some inspiring “after” photos to get your ideas rolling.

We can’t wait to see your pictures! And speaking of pictures, my own personal organizing challenge this month is to organize nearly seven years of digital family photos, which currently eat oodles of space in my iPhoto library.

In my next post, I’ll share my solutions for printing (or not printing), organizing, storing, and backing up digital photos. I welcome your input. E-mail me directly at pamela@porterstudios.com to tell me what works or doesn’t work for you.

In looking ahead, I hope you’ll join me in committing to organize one space a month in 2010! In February I’ll somehow corral all my “chargables” such as phones, iPods, and cameras. Perhaps I’ll invest in a lovely charging station like this one from Kangaroom or maybe I’ll put my DIY skills to work and make one myself.

I’ll sort out the linen closet in March, and I have my heart set on these beautiful baskets from Organize.com.

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