Days 2 & 3 - Storage - Organizing

DAY 2: Our second round of organizing work will be even easier: just a little analysis. Consider the size and the shape of the room better yet, take 10 seconds to sketch the room out on a piece of paper, with approximate measurements of the walls marked. Also make note of the size and shape of the stuff you have decided to keep in storage here. This information will heavily influence the kind of storage devices you install in this room. It would take an entire book just to list every one of the nifty little options, but you're a smart person—and you've been in a home improvement store before so I won't bore you with such detail. In very broad terms, here are some of the choices to think about:

• Freestanding open shelves. Very flexible, since you can move the shelves around if you want to reconfigure the room. You get easy access to the stored stuff, since the shelves are open, and you can see all of the stored items easily. • Freestanding lockers and cabinets. Storing your stuff behind closed doors will lend a more orderly look to the room if that's important to you. It also will keep dust off your possessions, meaning there's less cleaning in your future. This approach costs more.

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• Wall-mounted open shelves. They don't eat up any floor space, and you get easy access to the stored items. Mounting shelves on the wall is more hassle, though, and they're a trial to move if you decide to reconfigure the room.

• Wall-mounted cabinets. Again, you get a more orderly look when you close the cabinets, plus better protection for your stuff. But they're a more permanent, less flexible fixture.

• Wall-mounted storage systems. You cover a wall with special paneling (most famously, pegboard) or wire mesh. Hooks, brackets, and bins attach to it, providing storage for all manner of tools and gear, from screwdrivers to electrical cords to skateboards. An excellent way to make scores of smallish objects super-handy and organized.

• Independent hooks and brackets. These include everything from a delicate little hook you hang a key on, to monster brackets you suspend from the ceiling to hold your surfboard.

So it's decision-making time. After analyzing the room, the nature of items you want to store, and the storage gear options, come up with a combination that best meets your goals. Factor into your plan any bins or other storage containers you will need to use in combination with your shelving and cabinets. Complete the sketch of your room, indicating the position of all storage units. As you plan the room, try to cluster all of your storage in one section so that floor space is left over for other purposes-such as an exercise area, a workbench, or a sewing table. Now, what's that sound? Oh, it's an ice cream cone calling your name!

DAY 3: Time to gather and install your storage hardware. Take precise measurements for all of the storage features you need (more on measuring below) and make a thorough shopping list—from the big stuff (shelves and cabinets) right down to the number of hooks you need and mounting screws. You can buy everything at a home improvement store, a discount store, a hardware store, or a container store. Install it and slide your possessions into place. Tired of ice cream? Treat yourself to a big steak dinner. You deserve it.

Excerpted from How to Cheat at Organizing by Jeff Bredenberg Copyright © 2007 by Jeff Bredenberg. Excerpted by permission of Taunton, and Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.