Organizing the office

When it comes to home office organization, many of us probably rely on memory to sift through piles of documents and supplies. Some of us have designated areas for paper, small appliances, office equipment, etc., but could use a bit more organization to make things easier. For each of the ideas below, try using one of our desks to establish a specific, organized working spot that won’t cause headaches.

Cherry Computer Desk

1. Invest in adequate furniture.

Home offices need a clear work area, and that means providing adequate space for computer hardware and peripheral equipment, a spot for reference materials, file space and a location for frequently referenced supplies and paper. Make sure your office furniture provides ample space for work and storage.

2. Establish activity centers.

The efficient office should be zoned into activity areas:

• The Work Center, which includes a clear workspace, the computer and frequently-used office products.
• The Reference Center, which includes binders, manuals, dictionary and professional books and materials.
• The Supply Center, which contains office and paper supplies.

3. Properly place the hardware and peripherals.

• Position your equipment by frequency of use. If the printer is used daily, it should be within easy reach. If the CPU is only accessed for troubleshooting, it can be placed under or next to the desk. If a scanner is rarely used, it can be placed outside the work area.
• When setting up hardware, be conscious of access to drives, trays and cords. Don't block access to drawers or take up leg room with tangled cords.

4. Conceal Cables and Wires

Here are seven tips for containing unruly wires and caring for media and computer equipment.

• Fold mailing labels back on themselves around each cord and label the wire. Don't forget to label the cords that connect different components to each other, as well as the cord to the electric supply.
• Bundle like wires together to cut down on cord clutter. For example, keep computer speaker wires with stereo speaker wires.
• Use a surge protector for all delicate electronic equipment. Check the back to make sure it's UL listed and is a transient voltage surge protector. High-end protectors are built with replaceable fuses and will last longer than less-expensive models that might not work after a large surge.
• Used fabric softener sheets are the perfect lint and static-free rags for cleaning CDs and DVDs. Handle CDs by the rim to cut down on fingerprints. The backside of the CD carries the information and is the side that needs cleaning. Use the dryer sheet and stroke out to the edge from the center of the CD, instead of a circular motion.
• Stacking equipment makes the most efficient use of space in a media center or office space. Be careful not to stack any equipment with venting on the top (such as amps or satellite receivers) because they might get too warm. Use chair-leg protectors (small plastic cups) as spacers between these pieces of equipment when stacking.
• To clean a TV screen, use a lint-free cloth such as an old T-shirt. Spray the cloth with water (instead of spritzing the set itself) and wipe clean. Never use an abrasive substance on the screen. Never use window cleaner to clean a computer screen; stick to a lint-free cloth and consult with your monitor's manual for the proper way to clean it.

5. Establish a paper processing area.

• Create an area within your Work Center for papers that need immediate action.
• Store paper associated with clients or ongoing projects in an area that is easily accessible and within your view.
• Establish a permanent filing system for papers you will reference, but not on a regular basis.

Click on the link for more information: http://www.hgtv.com/organizing/quick-tips-for-home-office-organization/index.html

And check out our website for more great inventory options: www.homedecorliquidators.com/

Home organization made easy

Pigsty. Black hole. Hurricane went through here. A mess. We’ve all heard the descriptions while growing up, and probably still question why our parents demanded that we clean our bedrooms. There are safety and hygiene concerns, sure, but we can’t deny that sense of satisfaction when we see how much space we have, and how open and bright things become. Below are seven minor alterations you could try for organizing your bedroom while still keeping the place uniquely “you.”

1. Opt for Storage Under the Bed 

Get more mileage out of the horizontal space in your bedroom with storage under the bed.  It's a great extension of your closet, allowing you to rotate your seasonal items or even store bigger, bulkier items like backpacks, purses and blankets. Plus, the storage is hidden if you have a bedskirt. Stick a label on the outside of each drawer so when you peek under the bed you'll know exactly what you're looking at. Short on linen closet space? Another idea is to keep extra sheets for your bed here.

Or try one of our beds with built-in drawers.

2. Tame the Shoe Pile 

One of the quickest fixes to a bedroom closet overrun with shoes is to invest in a shoe rack. Bags tend to sag and take up valuable hanging space, which most people can't afford to give up. Plus, an expanding tiered shoe rack below your clothes keeps them accessible and away from dirtying or staining materials. If you have a mountain of shoes, don't throw anything out! Get all 20 pairs of identical black heels lined up nicely. If you enjoy abundance, often in about a year you'll give in to those 20 pairs and be ready to let some go.

3. Get Your Jewelry in Order 

If your necklace collection has outgrown its jewelry box, but you don't have enough for a jewelry armoire, try a hanging organizer. These organizers usually come with or snap onto a hanger and have plenty of clear pockets so nothing gets tangled. Earrings, rings, bracelets and even watches will all have a home here. Added bonus: Having it in your bedroom closet encourages you to wear jewelry more often.

4. Create a Reading Nook 

Rescue your reading chair from clothes and magazines by adding proper organization to a bedroom's reading nook. Next to a comfortable chair, place a side table with drawers and/or shelves to keep piles of books off the floor. Keep one shelf for library books and another for your permanent collections. Magazines are best grouped in a magazine rack. To promote an uncluttered feeling, make sure you have fewer books than fit the space. If you read in bed, you can use a small bookcase as your bedside table.

For this idea, try one of our arm chairs.

5. Make Your Bed Every Day 

Remember when Mom used to force you to make your bed each morning? She was practicing the basic tenet of staying organized. Don't think of [organization] as 'putting things away,' but think of it as positioning [something] for its next use. Treat your bed as the sanctuary it is by positioning it for use every day. If you spend three minutes each morning to tuck and fold, you'll develop a habit of keeping order in the room, which may translate into motivation for picking up the pile of clothes on the floor.

6. Take Proper Care of Specialty Garments 

If your closet is a haven for vintage clothing or your wedding dress, take steps to organize them by making sure they're cared for. Get everything professionally cleaned, then choose hanger or box storage. If hung, get a quality hanger and wrap the dress or garment in muslin. If boxed, make sure the cardboard is acid-free and wrap each fold or crease in the clothing with acid-free tissue paper. Be sure to hang or store out of the way of your regular wardrobe, and check every year for damage.

7. Toy-Proof a Child's Bedroom 

To tidy up toys, purchase some canvas clothes hampers or crunch baskets, like those from the Container Store. They're soft for your child and great for concealing clutter. Use different sizes for toys, like a smaller one for books and art supplies and a larger one for balls or stuffed animals. Involve your child in the organizing process — you can even turn it into a game — so he or she will be more likely to tidy up after playtime.

Click on the link for more information: http://www.hgtv.com/organizing/quick-tips-for-organizing-bedrooms/index.html

And Check out our website for more great inventory options: www.homedecorliquidators.com/

Brightening a room with kitchen carts and mirrors

With fall in full color and winter fast approaching, light becomes a precious commodity, especially if you’re prone to seasonal affective disorder. You can help counter it by brightening a room with cheerful furniture, glass pieces or mirrors, and by de-cluttering the feel of your space by investing in some new storage pieces. To do this, try some of our kitchen carts and mirrors.

To start, you need a platform. Our granite kitchen cart is a great choice, with its dark hue, simple, metal-lined mirrors, and its open shelves underneath provide unique possibilities for decoration or plants. If you want a lighter platform, our white and wooden kitchen cart will reflect light and help make the room brighter. If you’d rather something more stationary, try one of our nightstands. This not only provides a nice flat surface, but also extra storage space in the drawers.

Granite kitchen cart

White kitchen cart

Next, you need a mirror. The dark tones in the matrix gold mirror match well with the granite kitchen cart, and its golden hues will match the white kitchen cart’s wooden surface. The mirror will reflect natural light into the room and brighten it during the day. This tactic is clever if you don’t have many windows particular rooms, or if those windows face away from the sun.

Matrix gold mirror

Check out our website for more great inventory options: www.homedecorliquidators.com/

Furniture tips for remodeling a trailer

Got a trailer you’d like to remodel? Do you want some extra comfort for that cross-country road trip? Our furniture would fit great inside one. Try one of our couches, futons, coffee tables.

To get you started, here are a few items of ours that would fit inside a trailer and provide comfort while you travel, tailgate, or even camp.

Bicast Chocolate 2 piece Sofa/Loveseat (4170)

6783 Crossville 3 pack Occasional Set

Futon sofa bed

Check out our website for more great inventory options: www.homedecorliquidators.com/

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Heading Out On Your Own? The Art Of Manliness Can Help

Know someone who is moving out on their own for this first time? Send them this article...

My little brother is in the process of getting his first real apartment, and as excited as I am for him, I feel for him, too. There's such a steep learning curve to living on your own, and after 10 years in grown-up apartments, I still have so much to learn. While there are a few words of wisdom I could pass on to him (sleeping in a closet is fine but only for about a year, the coolest streets are usually also the noisiest), he'd be much better off with a comprehensive guide…

My friend Michelle introduced me to The Art Of Manliness, and we're both hooked. I've barely scratched the surface of their impressive archives, but they do indeed seem to be "reviving the lost art of manliness". There's a beautiful, Ron Swansonesque timelessness to the skills and style they celebrate, and the topics covered are far-reaching and thoughtful.

With their Heading Out On Your Own: 31 Basic Life Skills In 31 Days series, the great minds at The Art Of Manliness have compiled an amazing reference for anyone heading out into the world — or anyone who's been out on their own for awhile but could use a little help. Some of my favorite topics are Essential Etiquette for Young Men ("Our forbearers saw no contradiction in being ruggedly manly and a refined gentleman"), Living With Roommates, Create A Weekly Attack Plan (I love a good attack plan! Why am I not doing this?), and the Day 1 entry Develop A Self-Reliant Mentality. But really, they're all so good, and they're only up to Day 20. Though the tagline is 31 skills in 31 days, I'd probably advise my brother — and myself — to tackle one article per week. Each one is so chock full of information, they each deserve some mulling over. I have no doubt that my brother's new adult life is going to be a smashing success — but there's always A Man's Guide To Moving Back In With His Parents… While Maintaining At Least A Little Dignity, just in case.

Read more here. 

Displaying Personal Photos: Cozy and Homey? Or Awkward?

Do you decorate your home with your guests in mind? Or with your own taste and comforts?

My older sister got married this summer, and due to a credit with her photographer, I was told that I could choose one or two of the wedding photos as a print for myself. On hearing this, the question that came to mind (besides which of the 691 gorgeous images to go for) was: Is it okay to put these things up in my home?!

The last time Apartment Therapy spoke about displaying personal photos, be it wedding or otherwise, there were a lot of opinions raised. I know many people who believe that personal photos have no place in the public areas of a home, and should be relegated to bedrooms and upstairs hallways only. I've got to admit, I've always been somewhat flummoxed by this view. After all, just how "public" are our homes really, and shouldn't we be decorating them for ourselves, not for the preferences of people who occasionally drop by?

However, when I look around my home, it seems that I've internalized this common view without even realizing it. In this digital age, I have Facebook albums and iPhoto events a-plenty, and occasionally even manage to have a photobook printed up. But these are items which I have to make an effort to peruse, not ones displayed, with pride, where I'll see them every day. Instead, my walls are adorned with prints, paintings and vintage paraphernalia, with not a single human representation among them.

And here's the thing — I love looking at other people's photos. Whether it's wedding portraits, photos from a recent holiday or old snaps from childhood, there's something about glimpsing the special moments, grand and mundane, of people's lives. They're conversation fodder, and in my opinion, help make a house feel loved and lived in. So, why wouldn't I share similar pics in my own home?

On reflection, I think I would. In fact, have made it a goal of mine to get some of my favourite images off my laptop and into some picture frames before the year is out. So now, the only question I'm concerned with is which of my sister's wedding pictures to choose (the one of her and me laughing our heads off in our parents' backyard is the current frontrunner).

But what do you think? Do personal photos have a place in the home? Do you draw the line at wedding pictures or ones of children, or is it the more, the merrier?

Read more here.

Tips To Help You Enjoy the Transition to Autumn

Are you ready for autumn? Here are a few ways to make the transition from summer a little easier!

A new season is approaching and along with that inevitably comes change: a change in light, a change in weather, a change in lifestyle. Depending on where you live it can either be drastic or just a little blip; either way there are things you can do to make the transition easier. Follow me after the jump to find out how...

Bring the Outdoors In: One of the things we tend to love about summer is all of the outdoor nature time. Well, just because you are gonna be staying in more doesn't mean you have to shut the outdoors out. Start bringing in bright, cheery flower bouquets and new hearty plants. Look for indoor plants that work double duty, like English Ivy, they are not only beautiful and can make you happy but clean the air as well.

Purify the Air: Since we just mentioned cleaning the air with house plants let's take it a step farther. With windows shutting out the cold air, less circulation, and furniture off-gassing you're gonna want to keep the air clean with a Hepa Air Purifier.

Fall Cleaning: Spring shouldn't be the only season where your home gets a fresh new face. Before you go into cuddle up on the couch nesting mode, clean up all the nooks and crannies so you can hunker down in a squeaky clean space.

Get Cooking: Stews, soups, and pies are the smell of fall. If you love to cook this is surely something to look forward to. Stock up your pantry with new, fresh ingredients so you are ready on a whim to whip up your favorite fall recipes.

Brighten Up: Since you will be spending more time indoors this would be a good opportunity to add in some new bright and lively colors to your place. Get some new throw pillows, blankets, or accessories that will keep your home happy and energizing. If you are really daring, try painting an accent wall for the new season.

Bring Out The Faves: What are your favorite things about fall? Is it a great sweater, the best boots, a warm down comforter, a magnificent tea? Well, start to place them in your line of sight so you can get excited about their appearance back in your life in the not too distant future.

Get Moving: Don't let the natural slow down slow you down. Make sure you still move your body. If you will need to move your routine inside, you should start preparing for that now. Not only will it keep you in shape, but it will help your brain stay happy and positive through the coming months.

Be Social: It's easy to just get lost in your own world once it gets chilly and holiday seasons begin but don't let it. Make dates now for gatherings, dinner parties and holiday cheer so you are all scheduled and ready to go. Read more here. 

Want more ideas to make autumn awesome? Check out our blog entry "Easy Ways to Decorate for Autumn" and get inspired!