This week Howards Storage World have released their newest catalogue, The Organised Home, with the promise of practical solutions for simplifying our busy, overfilled lives. With pictures of de-cluttered, organised sanctuaries and clever suggestions for each and every room of the home, it has certainly provided me with some useful ideas for the great home office/craft space makeover which I recently began.
With many Childhood 101 readers like me, working and blogging from home offices or home crafting spaces, I asked Cathy Player, Howard’s organisation expert, for her top tips for organising these areas;
TIP #1 Plan your space – Invest in a quality shelving system that is strong enough to store heavy archive boxes, yet flexible enough to provide a work space and store reference materials. Howards recommends the elfa and easy-build shelving systems can be customised to suit your specific needs and space.
TIP #2 Create zones to sort your paperwork – Everything needs its own place. Key zones for the office include:
- Archive – deep stylish archive boxes can hold any projects and files that you need to keep, but rarely accessed, and should be located at the top or bottom of your shelving, filing and work.
- Middle zone – this area will include all your day-to-day paper filing and storage needs. Set up a “paper in” area using stackable paper trays to prioritise paperwork and bills. Standing folders are ideal for keeping magazines or reference materials easily accessible and organised.
- Lower zone – is your work area so you give yourself plenty of space by storing stationary in your top drawer or desk organiser.
TIP #3 Store all your files in the right location – Ensure you label everything and create a ‘paper out’ area with waste paper bin. To prevent a world of paper creeping back in, dedicate time each week to sort through mail, to pay your bills and to do your filing.
If you, like me, also share your office/craft space with little people regularly underfoot, you know that the space need not only suit your needs but be child friendly too, so when Howards Storage World offered me the opportunity to review two of their family friendly organisation products I jumped at the chance.
The set of two white Suzanne Chalk Boxes (available in a range of colours and sizes) look great and would be useful to any Mum as storage in a home office, craft space, school organisation station, family room or kids play space. The chalk board panel offers a fun and easy way to label what is inside and regular readers will know that I love this combination of practicality with looking great.
Similarly, the Umbra Magnetic Pin Board (available in two sizes) also looks good and provides the perfect place for displaying important reminders or creative inspiration. The perforated magnetic board allows you to use either magnets or pins and being silver, I think it adds a streamlined look, perfect for inspiring a more organised approach.
Given that I have recently repainted (go the green, I was so chuffed to see green featured throughout the catalogue) and made tentative steps towards better organising my space, I must say that the Howards catalogue arrived at the perfect time to help me see my own de-cluttering, organisation process through to completion, so if you don’t mind, I am now off to re-organised my zones with my new mantra … ‘everything needs its own place, everything needs its own place, everything needs…’ 😉
The products mentioned in this review were supplied by Howards Storage World. Visit their website for more information about shopping online, for store locations and to register for the Howards inspirations shopping rewards program.
Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
Read the comments or scroll down to add your own: