The Posh Blog

Even with houses being bigger today than they were 50 years ago many are still not being built with enough storage in the right places.  So in many homes it is important to maximize every inch of storage space you have.  Here are three space saving tips for using the back of the door to help you get the most out of your kitchen.

If you have a pantry door in your kitchen in most cases you can use the back of the door to add a spice rack.  There are many different types and some even have adjustable shelves.  See my previous post Organizing Spices-Behind the Door.

The clear over the door shoe organizers have approximately 24 pockets where you can store stuff.  These pockets are perfect for holding spices, teas, cooking gadgets and more.  See photo above for an example.

Another way to use the back of a door is to use the back of a cabinet door.  You can find baskets that you can mount on the back of a cabinet door that hold lids, plastic baggies, foil, gadgets and more.  This is often space that is underused and if you are short on storage it can be worth it. 

Tip from the Pro:  Before you actually install anything on the back of a door be sure that the door will actually close after you install the item.  To do this measure the depth of the item you are installing and how much space you have between the door (when closed) and any shelves or other items.  This will save you hours of hard work and frustration.

Where can you find some hidden space in your kitchen? 

Enjoy your new found space!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

Children’s Room Challenge Number 1. I recently polled some parents and found that one common challenge in children’s rooms is what to do with stuffed animals.  They’re cute and cuddly, big and bulky and your child just can’t live without them!  So here are a few ideas on what you can do with your child’s stuffed animals.

First, use the one in one out rule.  It’s a must!  Children will pick up new stuffed animals throughout the year and it’s best to keep the number down.  Stuffed animals seem to multiple over night!  Letting one go for every new animal is a great way to keep your child’s stuffed animal population from exploding!  Discuss this with your child prior to their birthday or a holiday so they know what the rules are.

Second, have a place to donate the stuffed animals.  Many children have an emotional tie to the stuffed animal, so it can be helpful to make your child feel like the animal is going to “a good home” or to a child who doesn’t have any toys.  Some police stations accept stuffed animals in excellent condition that they can keep in patrol cars and hand out in situations where the children need to be removed from a harmful home situation.  Some women’s and children’s shelters also accept donations of stuffed animals that are in good condition. Again, think of what would help inspire your child to donate.  Be sure to call these agencies before taking a bag of stuffed animals too. 

The third thing is storage.  Now that you are limiting the intake of new stuffed animals and you have donated some you are down to the animals that are important to your child.  Because stuffed animals collect dust, I recommend keeping the majority of them in a closet or enclosed container.  One product I like to use is the Animal Sorter from Ikea (or IKEA PS FANGST) shown to the left.  It comes in two sizes and multiple colors and hangs on the rod in your child’s closet.  It has multiple compartments for “stuffing” stuffed animals, it’s like a condo for stuffed animals.  Another option for smaller stuffed animals is a behind the door shoe organizer.  I LOVE these!  I like the clear ones so you can see exactly what is inside.  Smaller stuffed animals like Beanie Babies, Barbies, even Transformers, etc. fit nicely in these small pockets.

Stay tuned for next week’s Children’s Room Challenge: Children’s Clothes!!!

Here’s to fewer stuffed animals!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

 Hooks: Hooks are very inexpensive and they come in all shapes, styles, and finishes.  Hooks are great because they help you take advantage of vertical wall space that is often unused.  You can use them for anything from those bulky bar-b-que tools in your pantry to creating a stylish handbag display in your closet.  Hooks are inexpensive and easy to quick solution.  I also love the Command Hooks by 3M on the back of a door or on a mirror.  They hold well, don’t require nails and are removable!  You can find hooks at most home improvement stores, The Container Store, Ikea, and Bed Bath and Beyond.  Price range:  $.99 up. 

Over the door shoe bags:  This is my favorite product of the year!  These are typically canvas or clear plastic bags that can hang from hooks on the back of a door.  They typically have 24 pockets.  Most people use this for shoes, but you can use them for anything from laundry products, children’s toys, office supplies, beauty products in a dorm, even snacks or teas in a pantry.  Again, I love this product because you are using a space that many people don’t think about using.  You can find these at Bed Bath & Beyond, The Container Store, Target, Wal-mart, just about anywhere. 

Price range:  $19.99 

Shelf Stackers: I love shelf stackers.  These are just not used enough.  The problem is that often times kitchen shelves or pantry shelves are spread too far apart and you can only adjust the height of your shelves so much before you create an unusable space.  The solution is to add a shelf stacker, which looks like a wire table for your plate.  The come in all shapes and sizes and you can use them to double your storage in a cabinet.  You can have plates on the bottom and then easily put cups on the top without having cups toppling over.  You can find these at The Container Store and Target. 

Price range: $3.99-$17.99 

Getting a little oasis of organization doesn’t have to cost a fortune!   

Enjoy!

Angela

If you love taking pictures like I do, then you probably want to have a camera close at hand.  If you have small children, like I do, or you simply want to win the next big jack pot on “America’s Funniest Home Video’s” then you may also want to keep a video camera near by.  So where do you store the camera so it is easy to get to but doesn’t add clutter to your counters?   

The back of the closet door of course!  Adding simple over the door hooks to the back of the door creates a quick and easy solution that requires minimal assembly.  Hooks can be purchased at The Container Store and Bed Bath and Beyond for about $2.99 for a package of two.  

The key to using your camera and video camera is to have them readily available when you need them.  Storing the camera upstairs in a hall closet when all the action is taking place downstairs in the family room isn’t going to help you capture that special moment.  If you like to take the camera with you to the park or other activities you should keep the camera near the door or near other things you grab as you are heading out the door.   

Again, I have found that many people are not utilizing the back of the doors for additional storage space.  This can instantly give you storage space all over the house that is easily accessible.    

Finding the camera when you need it…now that’s the good life!  

Enjoy,

Angela

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

One of my favorite things to do is help people find more space when they thought they were using every inch possible.  Time and time again, I find that people are not using the back of their pantry door.  This is such a great hidden treasure that should be used!  Because this area is typically very narrow this is a great place to install a spice rack.  You can purchase spice racks that need to be installed with hardware or racks that have over the door and under the door hooks to mount the rack.  You can find racks that have stationary shelves like the one pictured here or racks with adjustable shelves.  The Container Store offers the best variety I have seen and has a system that offers adjustable shelves that are available in a variety of depths.    

When you are organizing your spices you can organize them by category, alphabetically, or both!  I like to organize spices by category first, for example I would group the sweet (baking) spices together and the savory spices together.  Then in the shelf or pantry I alphabetize them from left to right.  Remember to think about how your mind works and what works best for you.  If breaking the spices up into categories seems overwhelming or confusing then keep it simple and stick with alphabetical order.   

Some of the categories you can see in the photo are baking spices, savory spices, oils and vinegars, drink mixes, and spice mixes.  To keep the communication lines open we labeled the category on the left hand side of the spice rack.  Labeling is important so everyone including guests and husbands know where things go.   

Your husband actually putting the spices back where they belong, now that’s the good life!

Enjoy,

Angela   

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

This is the second post in my ongoing series called Back of the Door Organizing, or doorganizing^TM as I like to call it.  This series focuses on different ways you can use the back of the door to get organized.  

It’s Fall and that means it’s time for sweaters and jackets.  If you have small children you may have experienced the same frustration I did last year.  Last year my daughter would take off her jacket or sweater and toss it on the sofa.  The problem was that my three year old daughter was too short to reach the hangers in the coat closet so I would have to hang up her sweaters for her.   

I put on my thinking cap and tried to think of a solution to help me with my problem.  The first and easiest thing was to teach my daughter to put to her jacket on the door knob of the coat closet door.  This worked, but was not ideal because I still had to put the sweater back in the closet.  After more thought, I found the perfect solution.  It’s the Command ^TM Adhesive Hooks by 3M®.  These adhesive hooks are different than any other on the market and are removable and reusable.  The Command ^TM adhesive allows the hook to be placed on a painted, wood, or wallpaper surfaces and then removed easily without damaging the wall surface.   

Finally, a great hook I could use on the back of my coat closet door!  I installed three hooks on the back of the door at a height my daughter could reach.  The good thing is that if I need to remove the hooks for any reason or adjust the height I can.   

The hooks come in a variety of sizes and you can get basic plastic or the more stylish brushed nickel finish like I got.   You can purchase these hooks at The Container Store, Target, and many home stores. 

My four year old hanging up her jacket on her own…now that’s the good life! 

Enjoy,

Angela   

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.