rePURPOSE: What to Trash, What to Treasure

rePURPOSING Things: Bicycles

2012-01-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

I really like this fence at bicycle-themed OneSpeed restaurant in East Sacramento.

Looks as if they used most parts of a bike in it.

And the parts they didn't use for the fence they used for - what else? - a bicycle rack!

rePURPOSING Things: Legos

2012-01-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

Renee is a busy working mom. She was frustrated wasting time looking for a pen and paper when she had to take a note near her phone. Looking at her kids' Legos she got the idea to make this:

She was able to customize all the compartments she needs with bricks by the cup from the Lego store. You could easily make this using one small brick bucket, about $7. A large bucket is $14.99. Or just commandeer your kids' Legos.

rePURPOSING Things: Building Materials

2012-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

I saw this attractive fence at the office parking lot of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Central Valley in Sacramento, California. At first I didn't realize what materials they used; I just liked the design.

On closer inspection I saw it was rebar & I- beams! Very clever and perfect for their organization.

rePURPOSING THINGS: You Guess What This Was

2012-01-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

What was this before it was a chandelier?

With a little muslin and electrical cord this agricultural basket has a new life illuminating an old farm table. What a perfect pairing.

rePURPOSING Things: Picture Frame

2011-12-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

The crafter we met earlier put her skills to good use creating a functional framed piece of art:

She rePurposed both a frame and some pegs to create this very sweet home for her threads.

Finishing What She Started

2011-12-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Remember the craft room we were cleaning out? It looked like this:

When I went back to help again it looked like this:

This is one of the many things I love about rePurpose - once I get someone started they invariably get on a roll and complete the job themselves. You get in a rhythm evaluating, eliminating and integrating and you just keep going.

She went from this...

...to this:

She was able to let go of some craft supplies she is no longer interested in, made plans to complete a few projects and got inspired to try some new ones now that she has a bit of space to stretch out in.

Nothing makes me happier than inspiring someone to take control of their environment. My work here is done.

rePURPOSING things: Antique Ceiling Light Fixture

2011-12-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Replaced when she remodeled, the owner wanted to keep this out of the dump and decided she liked the shape. She turned it upside down and - voila! - one-of-a-kind a jewelry holder. Besides holding her earrings, it holds happy memories of the home she loves.

Quick Closet Clean Out

2011-12-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

This Nevada City house is bursting with materials for the couples huge array of projects and interests. Although it is stimulating to visit, guests can stumble on the stuff.

Our objective was to make room behind closed doors to store some things that were taking over their living area.

The hall closet seemed like the best candidate for this. It was fairly well organized but it could be better. Plus we suspected it housed things that the couple no longer needed.

And we were right. We emptied it, evaluated all the contents and eliminated quite a bit. Boxes were packed for garage sale, recycle, return and donate.

We were able to get the bedding off the floor and onto the shelves, use the floor space for luggage and, with the freed-up space, store the folding tables that had been stacked in the hall way.

Not only did they gain some serenity in the living area, but now they know where everything is.

Total time: 1 hour.

Corner to Corner Craft Room Clean-up

2011-11-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we finished the first corner of this room. The edge of the clean and neat bookshelf can be seen on the far right. Now we are moving around the room counter clockwise.

The next thing to tackle is this cute hutch. It sits in front of the window and blocks the light and, along with the printer table, takes up space that could be used for relaxing or for guest seating. The owner has decided that the best thing is to remove it altogether so we need to relocate or discard all it holds.

We did it! She consolidated the jewelry displays with others on the first bookcase, tossed a bunch of stuff and identified an entire stack of hardback craft and decorating books she can sell. Now the hutch is ready for sale, too. Someone is going to love it.

Next: remove the printer table.

We made space for the printer on the desk and wound up with more light from the unblocked window and room for a bench she already owned. It is great spot to TEMPORARILY stack items to take to classes and to read a book to her grandkids.

We have conquered the northeast corner! Total time: one hour.

Next up: the northwest corner desk. Stay tuned.

A New View

2011-11-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Talk about rePurposing! Look at this table and guess what it is made from...

...broken car windows! Encased in whole glass are shards from Ford escorts, a Taurus and a 63 Buick Riviera rear window.

The creator is in the media and entertainment industry so using stage truss for the legs was a stroke of genius.

He is wants to fill it up with more broken glass but I think it is brilliant - in all definitions of the word - just the way it is.

Craft Corner Clean-up

2011-11-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Oooh this challenge is really FUN! This woman has her own craft room filled with lots of fun.. and lots of goodies that she needs to sort, purge and organize:

She does everything: sewing, scrap booking, jewelry making, paper crafting, flower arranging, wedding planning, you name it. She sells her work and even sells supplies to other crafters. But her sweet little studio was overflowing and she needed to get it under control. Her goal was to create some open space to work on her projects and to have easy access to the supplies and materials she sells.

Our strategy was to tackle it in manageable chunks. So we started with the top half of this corner bookshelf:

It is amazing what a bookshelf can hold. We discarded these piles of recycling, donations, yard sale items - plus another box of things to return to family members.

Then we had the pleasure of emptying another shelf in her bedroom of the supplies it held and moving it here:

Wow. Look at the difference! Room to breathe! Total time: 2 hours.

Stay tuned for solutions for the rest of her sweet craft room.

Saving the Shirts

2011-11-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

This client had a baby while she and her husband were on assignment in London. When they moved back home his button-down business shirts were far too formal for the casual California life style. They decided to commemorate their happy time in London by commissioning a quilt for their baby.

Here are the shirts...

cut into strips...

pieced...

and quilted.

The fee for this transformation was donated to Shakti Rising http://www.shaktirisingnp.com, an organization that transforms the lives of young women. Their motto is "Create Change" and this is just what we did with these shirts.

reThinking the Kitchen Cabinets

2011-01-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

When the owners of this kitchen moved in, they put things in the cabinets where they thought - at the time - they should go. Food storage in an corner under-counter turntable...

... and the pots and pans next to the stove.

This certainly seems logical but after months of frustration trying to find small cans in a crowded corner it was time to rethink this arrangement,

Simply swapping the two areas made life easier. The pans and small appliances were easy to the see in the corner cabinet...

...and there was much easier access to the the canned foods now that they are on the pull out shelf.

Digging Out the Paper Piles

2010-12-19T16:52:00.001-08:00

If you are like most people I bet you have a least one stack of papers waiting to be dealt with. This client had several with sentimental family papers she gathered over the years.

She tackled a pile, sorted them and surprised relatives with a package of memories selected just for them.

rePURPOSING Things: Holiday Socks

2010-12-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

Maybe someone gave you some holiday socks and you're not a holiday sock kind of person. An unexpected way to re-gift them is as a wine bag. They would be cute as wrap for any kind bottled product like root beer, spirits, olive oil or even shampoo.

rePURPOSING Things: Cards

2010-12-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Just in time for gift giving, here is a quick and satisfying rePurpose project that will save money and the environment and make you look very clever indeed.

These gift tags - formerly art announcement cards - were made with a 2" hole punch. Use a standard hole punch for the ribbon and you are good to go. Personal and classy, the card stock possibilities are limitless: greeting cards, playing cards, old calendars, postcards.

Better yet, make a stack and give the gift cards as a gift themselves!

Photos Under Control

2010-11-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

The picture below is pretty typical of most homes I visit. Memories are stashed away in boxes and bags and you can't lay your hands on the one photo your want for the upcoming wedding or memorial service. The photo collection has grown too large to even begin to try to organize it.

This is a case where technology can be your friend. If you scan your photos, when you import them into your computer the organizing possibilities are limitless. The same photo can go into multiple albums. A photo of Cousin Ryan at the Coliseum can go into albums for Summer Vacations, Italy, Family, Ryan, etc. And sharing them with friends is easy and free by posting them on-line or emailing them.

You may be tempted to balk at paying for scanning but ask yourself how much you spent developing all those pictures in the first place. It is wasted money if you can't find the photo you want. And scanning them on a home scanner would take a lifetime.

The service I like for photo scanning is scanmyphotos.com. They have a pre-paid box that holds about 2,000 photos. Just put them in size order and in no time at all the pile above will be reduced to a single CD.

For slides I had great results ScanCafe.

When you get your order back, hard as it may seem, toss the originals. And then enjoy your new free space.

Fall Garden De-cluttering

2010-11-21T22:00:00.002-08:00

Although her tools were neatly organized, this avid gardener spent too much of her precious time roaming her yard looking for just the right pot for each plant. They were stashed under the eaves in random places around the house. Here they are mixed in with compost piles.

In less than an hour we gathered all the pots from around the yard and put like with like for an easier gardening experience. We stored the various bags of potting soil in a large garbage container and put it all next to the compost pile. Now everything is within easy reach for the next potting job.

2010-11-14T21:48:00.000-08:00

Hello Fall!

Its time to put your warm weather clothes away and get out your winter ones.

If you used the the hanger trick this is where it comes in handy. Remove the items on the backwards hangers. Then inspect your winter clothes for wear and fit. Those that don't make the cut can join your summer rejects for donation or re-sale.

To make the spring wardrobe switch easier, be sure to use the hanger trick on the clothes you keep.

Here' s a testimonial from Lisa in Menlo Park:

Every time I opened my closet I was filled with dread. I couldn't make decisions about what to wear every morning, because nothing was organized and a lot of it didn't fit. I used to really love coordinating new outfits and felt good about how I looked when I left the house in the morning. But dressing became a chore, and my outlook and appearance was beginning to reflect it.

I had moved and downsized and had tough decisions to make about paring down my wardrobe. Indecisive and reluctant to face reality, I actually had a rack of clothes in my bedroom and was using part of my daughter's closet. I also had gained weight and was storing three or four sizes of clothes -- wishful thinking! It just added to the clutter. Normally a decisive person, I was having a difficult time parting with quality clothing that seemed in good shape. But I was no longer able to judge what looked good. Procrastination ruled and my closet was a mess for almost two years.

Enter Catherine, who was frank about outdated styles. (Shoulder pads? Gone. Ankle-length dresses? Gone. Clothes from the 80s and early 90s, out of there.) She also was not hesitant to tell me what looked good and didn't. And she was efficient -- tackling one closet section at a time, making huge progress in one hour increments.

We separated everything into piles: Toss, donate, consign, and to accommodate my real reluctance, store in the garage my favorite pieces until that day that a diet may actually get me back to a size 6.

I couldn't have done it without her firm guidance. Now, I can open my closet in the morning and have fewer decisions. I don't waste time digging through things that looked good long ago. I know what is there fits, looks good and I am starting to get creative again about outfits. It's a huge relief to look at a less cluttered, more organized space. The first step was admitting I needed some help!

Garage Miracle

2010-11-07T23:21:00.000-08:00

You've seen them, people who have gads of organizing products from the Container Store and still can't find anything. Maybe you are one yourself. One reason I rarely advise clients to purchase organizing gear is that products do not make people organized. People make people organized. You can usually make sense of your stuff with what you have on hand.

Here is a big exception: Fast Track by Rubbermaid. Look at this garage! It is neat and things are up off the floor and easy to find.

This easy-to-install handing unit has tool-specific hooks you can add to it. This one is holding:
2 bistro chairs
1 beach chair
1 folding stool
1 long outdoor extension cord
1 weed trimmer
1 garden fork
1 shovel
2 leaf rakes
1 kneeling pad
1 hedge trimmer
1 stepladder
1 large framed camping backpack

And all in four feet of space!

Seasonal Closet Switch-out Part II

2010-10-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

Here is some simple math. If you have 100 feet of hanging space in your closet you should have 100 feet - or less - of items to hang.

When she ran out of room in her closet, this client set up shop at the foot of her bed. Not only is this unsightly, but it invades her a space which should be serene.

We were able to move all this to her actual closet after discarding some outdated clothes.

Now her room no longer looks like a yard sale.

Seasonal Closet Switch-out

2010-10-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

It is evident that this client really loves clothes. She has loads of them! Even with abundant closet space, she eventually ran of room and started hanging clothes on a portable rack in her bedroom.

The photo below is only about one-fifth of her closet space.

The change of season seemed like a good time to review her wardrobe and discard what was out - worn out, out of style, out of her current size.

After removing SEVENTY-TWO POUNDS (!) of clothes to be consigned, donated or stored - and we're not done yet - this is the result: room to see what she has.

The goal is to have everything in her closet fit, both her and in the closet. The next post will show you where she hung the clothes that spilled over.

A dream job

2010-10-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

How fun is this job? My clients moved into a home with a wine cooler. My assignment: pick up their last five cases of wine stored at The WineBank, a climate controlled wine storage building, and organize it all in their new cooler.

As you can see, they underestimated what was in storage but my little Mini Cooper hauled all SIXTEEN (!) cases.

Then the fun began: unpacking those juicy gems and labeling them for their later enjoyment.

With the wine organized by type it is now easy for them to make their selection for dinner.

rePURPOSING Things: Favorite t-shirts

2010-09-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

A ubiquitous "collectable" is the souvenir t-shirt. Every home has one and in some cases, many, filling up dresser drawers and shelves. The kids won't let you part with the ones they adore but have outgrown.

Here is a way to resurrect them so they are wearable and not just clutter. Simply cut out the design and applique them on a new, inexpensive solid color t-shirt. Easy peasy and the kids will be thrilled!

rePURPOSING Things: Metal Racks

2010-09-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

Metal record racks and plant stands from the 50's come in handy keeping pots and saucers at the ready for gardening inspiration.