So, have you decorated your garage yet? Ok, so maybe you haven’t looked at it this way, but I think we can all agree that it needs to organized! I love this post from Jessica – a self-professed DIY and blog junkie about creating your dream garage. If the garage is not your area of responsibility, feel free to forward this post to your personal garage manager.

A well organized garage is every homeowners dream; unfortunately the garage is one room in the home that doesn’t always receive the love it deserves. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t use my garage for random items that have no place, excess storage and well, garbage. Just because we don’t spend as much time in there as we do in the kitchen, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t still be a space that can be enjoyed.

One of the main reasons my garage gets neglected is because I never go in there. It houses the boyfriend’s project car and the many, many tools he “requires” to work on it and therefore looks like this most of the year:

Now, just because I don’t currently have the garage of my dreams doesn’t mean I don’t think about what it would be like. Someday we’ll move, and when we do you can bet I’ll be staking claim over part of that garage and putting it to good use. Until then though, I’ll just keep on gathering my ideas to share with people like you, who are able to implement a few changes!

Start by heading out and picking up some storage bins to keep similar items in one spot. Rubbermaid bins are great for organizing gardening supplies, cords, decorations, etc, but anything similar will do just fine. The great thing about these is that they make it really easy to stack things on top of one another, clearing up extra floor space in the process.

Another key ingredient to a well organized garage is shelving.  Whether you purchase shelving or make it the DIY way it can be a huge space saver. Look at how nice this looks without the clutter:

(Via)

I really like the idea of putting a shelf above the door tracks too. There is a ton of used potential up there!

(Via)

The next big contributors to a well organized garage are hooks and racks. You have no idea how useful they actually are until you have them installed. While I don’t have them in my garage I do make use of hooks all over my house and honestly don’t think I can ever have enough. They’re great for hanging things like extension cords, ropes, rakes, shovels and more.

This garage has made use of everything we’ve talked about so far – bins, shelves, hooks, and racks. What I wouldn’t give for a garage like that.

(Via)

Truthfully, getting things organized can be the easy part, keeping them that way is what often gets us in trouble. The best way to ensure that your newly organized garage stays that way is to give everything a place. This is actually one of the biggest problems with our current garage – we put a lot of stuff in there at random, never actually knowing where things should go. It’s a lot easier to put things away when they actually have a home. If you need to, try labeling your shelves and bins accordingly so that unused items, like gardening tools for example, always end up in the same place.

Jessi is a DIY enthusiast and writer with a big thing for organization. When she’s not guest posting on other blogs or working here, she’s taking on projects at home and hanging out with her awesome dog, Abby.  

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Welcome to Guest Poster Samantha Peters! She is a blogger who enjoys writing about ways to turn rooms within a house into more usable and enjoyable spaces (amen to that!).   Samantha currently lives in San Diego, California where she lives with her dog Leona. I can totally relate to her quest to make the living room livable in the real world.

(via flickr)

Ever since I remodeled several years back, I have always prided myself on my living room’s layout and design. It has plush tan couches, a Persian rug that is possibly the most valuable item in the house, and a cozy yellow lighting scheme that throws soft shadows onto the fireplace and windowsills. Most recently, I used painting contractors last year to add more color and warmth to the walls.

There’s no doubt that I am pleased with my living room’s design. There’s just one problem: the room gets almost no use.

My family considers our home’s common spaces to be the kitchen, the family room, and at times even the basement. We gather in the kitchen to talk and in the living room to watch television. We spend time in our bedrooms and track into the dining room whenever guests are being entertained.

But the living room? My design successes notwithstanding, the room goes all but unused.

I’d like that to change. While the living room has largely replaced the Victorian parlor as the formal center of a house, I don’t want my home’s largest room to gather dust and grow neglected. Furthermore, while I like the room’s look and am glad it possesses an elegant and clean feel, I also want it to feel more as though people live in it. The best way to do that, well, is to encourage that they actually do.

Here are a few changes I plan to make with that goal in mind:

Maximize Light

I don’t want to introduce a TV to the living room, meaning that perhaps its best allure is as a great place to relax and read a book. With that goal in mind, I am going to reposition one of the couches so that it can fully take advantage of the room’s Southern exposure. This would then make for a great place to drink coffee and read the paper on a Saturday morning.

Keep A Library

I don’t mean adding a bookshelf and cramming hundreds of books into my living room. Instead, I’m going to get a new end-table with built in shelves and a newspaper rack. My family and I can use this table to store any books and magazines that we are currently reading, once again furthering my goal of making the living room a reading destination in the home.

Use The Fireplace

Probably the most unique feature of my living room is that it’s the only room in the house with a fireplace. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ve used the fireplace for several years. Hauling in wood, struggling with the lighter, and dealing with the smoke proved too much of a hassle. I’ve decided, in light of this, to change over to an automatic, gas-burning fireplace with synthetic logs. Sure, doing so sacrifices some of the authenticity and charm, but I’m hoping that this will translate into much higher degrees of family-wide use, especially during the winter months.

Add A Coffee Table

The addition of a coffee table will meld well with the room’s existing design and may even bring more traffic to the now-unused couches. I say this because my kids are constantly carrying their laptops around the house and doing work at the kitchen table and at the table in our family room. A new coffee table in the living room provides one more workplace option.

Hopefully these steps will help me get more use out of my living room. And, hopefully, they will give you some ideas if you’ve experienced the same problem. But for now I’m off to make some tea and curl up with a book. I’ll be in the living room, of course.

Great info Samantha, and good luck getting your family into the living room without a TV in there! If anyone can do it, I know you can with this great plan! ~Susan

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One home in need, 17 rooms (spaces) to makeover, $25,000 total budget (which include flooring, renovation, paint, furniture, window treatments, accessories etc.), and one year to get it done. Can this lion house be tamed?

We moved in exactly one year ago today, rolled up our sleeves, did some strategic shopping and went for it. It was a fun challenge, and has resulted in a house that now feels like a home.

Here is the movie version, or you can check out each room with links to details below.

Front Door

Foyer/Stairs/Entry Way

Living Room

Family Room

Side Porch

Dining Room

Powder Room (link to post coming soon)

Kitchen

Laundry Room

Girls Bedroom

Tween Bedroom

Kids Bathroom

Guest Bedroom

Home Office

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Basement

Whew! And lastly, I’m so happy to declare this project done, I submitted it to the This Old House readers remodel contest! Click here to see it, and please vote that it’s “a real winner!”

~Thanks!

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I have a confession to make. I have closet envy. I shouldn’t – I actually scored my own walk-in closet in my current house. I even wrote “hers” above the door in case anyone needs clarification of ownership.

But what I have in space is tempered by efficiency. I have no closet system. Just the racks that came with the house, augmented by canvas shoe bags that sag like…{fill in the blank}.

So when my good friend of many years called me to come see her new Elfa Closet, I checked my jealously at the door and ran over to check it out. We all love a good closet story, right?

We’ve seen the promises of miracles on The Container Store website – the closets featured look so uncluttered and delightful. But what about elfa in the “real” world? I had to see it for myself, and of course, share it with you!

Before I show you the real deal, lets drool over some amazing Elfa closets from The Container Store website.

Now this is a beautiful closet with amazing width and depth. You don’t often find a square shaped closet. All it needs is a poofy ottoman under the crystal chandelier, and I could live in here.

In real life, most will opt for a variety of colors in their wardrobe.

Such a clean look. It reminds me of the dressing area at Ann Taylor Loft.

Now I’m showing you this one last, because it reminds me of my friends new closet.

Ok, here is Elfa in the real world. First, lets look at “her side.”

Now, his side.

There are many things I covet appreciate about her new closet. First, the automatic lights (not an Elfa thing, but the first thing that struck me), the impressive shoe display with boot hangers, and the spacious and attractive drawers.

I was also impressed by how simple the installation was. It’s a simple concept that didn’t take long to install.

I’m inspired to consider my own Elfa solution later this year. But for now, at least I’ve claimed my turf.

How do you keep your closet organized? Or is that one of your new year resolutions?

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As you take down your holiday decor, be sure to bring in all the props you’ll need to stay warm until (perpetually elusive) spring arrives.  And color is a great way to make warmth happen!

Understanding what emotion colors represent, current color trends and practical ways to implement those colors just might help you make it through yet another winter.

Meaning of Color:

Color is both inspirational and influential. Stimulating hues can affect us emotionally, physically and yes, even behaviorally.

For colder months when you’re hunkered down inside, reds, yellows and purples just might warm you up and help you forget about yet another snowstorm! Remember this chart? Which color best represents what you want to feel over the colder months?

If you’re looking to paint this winter, check out these inspirational winter color palettes from Benjamin Moore!

Trends:

There are some interesting color trends which are greatly influenced by what is going on in the world around us. Two in particular work well to ward off the cold weather blues: 1) Farm and 2) Heritage.

For 2011, there has been a trend towards colors from the farm. It represents a back-to-basics attitude. The classic peas, corn and carrots from the 70’s are back in style!

Going into 2012, you’ll see more heritage colors – comforting colors that tie us to our heritage. You’ll see rich, saturated neutrals, organic warm tones.

Practical Implementation:

There is no limit to the number of ways you can bring seasonal colors into your home. Paint is powerful, but you can also add splashes of colorful warmth in other ways:

1. Add some textured throws to curl up in
2. Toss some colorful pillows around – for the sofa and also big comfy floor pillows
3. Add area rugs – layer them over carpet, or angle an existing rug for a fun change
4. Find colorful wall art, or make your own with your favorite colors on a canvas
5. Hang your favorite quilt on the wall
6. Large, bold vases with colorful faux flowers can bring in warm colors
7. Candles, candles candles!

Here is my favorite winter nesting spot – warm colors, chunky throw, and soft pillow. Add a cup of coffee and a candle, and I’m all set!

How will you staying warm this winter?

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I miss my old laundry closet in my last house. It was 2nd floor, and it’s only purpose was providing clean clothes.

Now I have a laundry room off the kitchen, which forces certain mudroom functionality on a space overwhelmed by needs, especially since I no longer even have a mudroom. There is great temptation to overwork this little space.

Here’s how the room looked when we moved in.

All we did was update the curtain, the overhead light fixture (which you can’t see in this picture, you’ll have to trust me), and added colorful storage bins to stylishly hide clutter.

This was my inspiration room (from Crate and Barrel):

While I love the pop of color against the soothing gray palette, I was happy leaving one room unpainted in this house, since it was a rather happy yellow. That, and I’m tired of painting. Seriously!

One of my favorite organizational obsession is microfiber rags. I use them for everything. So I found this pretty french pail to keep them at arms reach after I launder them.

We installed a coat rack from our last home, but I don’t let the kids hang their backpacks in there. This is my room, not theirs. And I do have  a few taller cleaning essentials stored in this space, but they’re good about staying the corner, since I’m the only one who uses them. Don’t you think the orange sweeper offers a nice pop of color?

There’s more to the organizational story than meets the eye in photos. By purchasing a new tall kitchen step-on can, I was able to move cleaning products out of the laundry room to underneath the sink. I was also able to move paper storage to the pantry from the laundry room by using a small shelf unit that was formerly in this room.

If I’m expected to run a dozen loads of laundry per week, I can’t let this room multitask to the point of clutter mahem.

This is Mom’s room. Keep out!

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Basements rarely get top priority when you move into a house. This was the case for us.  It was already finished when we bought it a year ago. Finished, but not particularly inviting. Dark gray walls, gray berber carpet, and mismatched furniture. We had other rooms to focus on.

But that all changed on a random August night – hurricane Irene was not kind to us.

But after adding a second sump pump with a battery backup, we fearlessly set out to refinish the finished basement. One catch – most of the furniture and many toys were lost in the great flood of 2011. So we started with a refreshingly clean slate.

We had the walls redone and carpet replaced, then we (meaning us, ourselves) painted the whole darn thing DIY style (whew). We opted for a lighter, neutral palate. While there is good height and many pot lights down there, it’s still a basement with only a few windows.

Below are some before and after pictures. But first, a few things to look for:

• We added a yoga space.
• We moved the TV to the former art nook, and move the art area to a more open space.
• There is remarkably little furniture. But we did reuse the old mirrors we took out of upstairs bathrooms to create a fun dance area. Zumba, anyone?
• Can you pick out the few pieces of furniture that made it?

First, here’s a view from one end:

And from the other:

We moved the TV from this space to create a tween-friendly hang out nook:

Here it is a little closer.

The art nook shown here was moved so we could make that space the TV/Wii area. It’s across from the tween hang-out zone. And note Mom’s yoga space. Namaste ya’ll!

We lost the piano (moment of silence, please), but gained more space for the art area.

While this was not necessarily on our 2011 list to complete, I’m thrilled to have it done – and just in time for my tween’s big slumber party next week.

What did I learn? That losing things you thought you needed was a freeing experience. If you haven’t used it in the past year, it’s adding clutter to your life. For me, the new yoga space symbolizes that life lesson.

What spaces do you plan to declutter in the new year? Or are you going to wait for a natural disaster?

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My daughter turns 11 today! December birthday’s can be tough, especially now that she’s a tween (or is that pre-teen?). It’s a challenge to separate birthday from Christmas, as documented a couple years ago in the “How to make a December Birthday Special” post. But she’s older now, and I really need to step up my mom-game.

I wanted to surprise her, so I’m tweaking her room while she’s at school. Yes, we recently designed her room when we moved earlier this year, as document in the “A Blue Tween Room for Girls.” Remember this room? –>

Because she loves art and has a passion (understatement) for horses, we found her a lovely horse painting from HomeGoods as inspiration.

Slight problem, however. Her room has red accents, and there is no red in this painting. Since she’s been asking for some green in her room, we went for a quick accessory fix.

By simply replacing the lamp shades, and swapping out the throw and a pillow for green (also from HomeGoods) we changed the vibe of the room, and for only $39 {happy dance}.

And of course, since December birthday’s are awkward, we lit up her room with a birthday tree, and her favorite Breyer horses.

Happy Birthday Amelia. I love you, and hope you enjoy your new room (and keep it picked up).

Giddy up!

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Looking for a unique and tasty appetizer to serve over the holidays? Here’s an easy and memorable treat to share at your next party! It’s both delicious and beautiful!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound sushi quality tuna, diced
• I juice orange
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce
• Guacamole or avocado, diced
• Chipotle (crushed) sauce or canned chipotle peppers, very finely diced
• 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
• 2-3 Leeks, cleaned and sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• Tostitos scoops

Directions:

• Combine the juice from the orange with the soy sauce to marinate tuna in a small bowl for about ½ hour (can refrigerate longer if you like)
• Sauté leeks in oil until tender and crispy, then set aside on paper towel to drain and cool
• Combine mayo with 1 teaspoon chipotle sauce (taste to check heat and add more if you like)
• Cut up avocado or use guacamole when assembling

Now here’s the fun part – assembly!

• Place 1 teaspoon of guacamole or avocado in a Tostitos scoop
• Nestle a couple pieces of tuna on the avocado
• Top with chipotle mayo and leeks

Tip: don’t assemble these too far in advance of your guests arriving as the chips could get soggy.

Rather, have fun assembling them at the kitchen island (which is where everyone hangs out anyway). Just have your ingredients ready and “wow” your guests with your agile assembly skills. It’s more fun than hibachi for your guests! Tip jar optional.

A huge thanks to my friend Veronica for not only making this for me, but also sharing her secret recipe with all the fabulous YHOB readers!

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If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you probably know that I subscribe to a “less is more” approach to decorating – both in terms of dollars spent and clutter avoided. This year we have a new home to decorate, but I purposely kept the holiday decor simple yet again. And you may recognize a few elements from my Christmas Decor post from two years ago – I didn’t spend a penny on anything new this year (except for $12.50 to dress up the lion statues out front)!

Let’s start in the family room. In keeping with the birch tree color palate for this room, we traded out the earthy orange accents for festive red! By having such a neutral base, the accent color can change seasonally, just like leaves on a birch tree!

The lighted wreath on the mantel takes center stage, and although I’m not typically a symmetrical gal, I like the simplicity of this arrangement. Recognize those red lanterns? Yup – they came from my side porch.

We hung a few colorful bulbs on the faux ficus in the corner, which look great during the day, and reflect nicely off the lights in the tree at night.

We hung a couple wreaths over the windows.

Now follow me to the dining room. My initial idea was to display three oversized holiday bulbs on a cake plate.

But I ended up favoring a flameless candle with silver and gold pine cone ornaments.

Bonus – I had enough ornaments to hang on the chandelier as well!

Now on to the living room! A simple vignette on an end table was all we needed in here since the Christmas tree is in this room.

I’m hoping this is the last year for our old artificial tree. It has served us well, but I’m hoping to go back to real next year.

My daughters did a thoughtful job decorating the tree this year. We used ribbons of gold, copper, purple and pink and handmade jeweled garland. And what the ornaments are lacking in theme is made up for in personal relevance. Each ornament holds family memories.

So we didn’t go overboard, but the house feels like a home, and we’ll be able to take everything down in about 45 minutes come January. {Woot woot!}

What is your favorite holiday display in your home?

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