15 UHeart Organizing: Making Big Things Happen in a Small Workspace

Home offices are one of my favorite spaces to organize, as even simple updates can dramatically change a person's work flow and attitude. And I have seen everything from full functioning rooms filled with wall-to-wall storage, to an entire office stored inside of a portable box. What everyone uses and needs to work from home varies, but that is what is so interesting to me. I love reading people's office storage stories, and finding out the specifics behind what works (and also what doesn't). And regardless if you have a designated room or use a small nook in your kitchen, just gazing at clutter free desks can be inspirational in so many ways. I know I am always inclined to go do a quick refresh of my work surface after seeing one online, in a magazine or even in a movie.

My lovely lady friends, Casey & Bridget of DIY Playbook, always have a way of making the most of limited space. I am head over heels smitten with their clean and beautiful aesthetic, and truly enjoy reading their tips for living small and carving out functional nooks around their homes. Casey doesn't have the space in her abode to dedicate an entire room solely to blog writing and bill paying, but she did manage to set up a room within a room. And it's beautiful. And minimal. And I love it. Here she is now with more details and tips.

We've written about our small space solutions here on iHeart Organizing before. You can check out our small space secret storage ideas in this post. But today, we wanted to tackle another small space issue, creating an organized and functional work area when you don't have a dedicated office space.

I live in downtown Chicago in a 2-bedroom condo (you can tour it right here); one of our bedrooms acts as a guest room, and the other is our master bedroom. Of course we would have loved another bedroom so we could turn it into an office, but unfortunately we just don't have that kind of setup. Instead of complaining about our limited space, we've attempted to make the most of it! That's why we added a small work area to our master bedroom.

Now I know what you're thinking... An office in your master bedroom? Isn't that a BAD idea? How can you create a calming oasis to rest, when you have WORK in your relaxing space?

The answer is 2-fold. First of all, this is really the only feasible spot for a desk and chair. So we've done our best to make it work for us. Second of all, if you create a work zone like ours, then I promise it won't be a chaotic mess in your master bedroom. Instead it will just be another cute nook that happens to hold some stylish desk supplies.


5 TIPS FOR A HOME WORK SPACE

Tip #1: Find a Spot & Get Creative

We already told you our solution for our work setup. We had a blank wall in our master bedroom that was just big enough for a desk and chair. So I found a slim desk, a comfy chair (that could be used anywhere around the house!), and created my own little "office space."

Any small area in your home can work for this. I recommend choosing slim and streamlined furniture, instead of any bulky desks or chairs. If we have an extra guest for dinner, I can just use our office desk chair because it fits right in with the rest of our home. You certainly do not need an entire room for your office, just find a spot and make it work for you!


Tip #2: Keep it Tidy

The main reason this setup works for our household, is because we keep things very tidy. We have minimal items on the desktop and don't allow anything to clutter up the surface for more than a few hours. A lamp, monitor, a stylish pen holder, and simple accessories are all we keep out on a daily basis.

Inside the middle drawer, we stash our wireless keyboard, mouse pad, and mouse. Whenever I'm powering up the monitor for the day, I simply take these bad boys out and put them in the "on" position. Keeping the surface from becoming too packed really helps our work space look (& work) that much better.


Tip #3: Have a Paperwork Plan

The number one thing that can take any office space from cute to chaotic is excess paperwork. That's why you MUST have a paperwork plan when you setup your office space. We have a file cabinet that we keep in our guest room closet, and cute storage bins in there as well. These areas hold all of our important documents. Instead of letting anything sit out on our desk, we immediately file it away. Paying our bills electronically also cuts down on a lot of important papers.

Because our printer is wireless, we house it in our family room built-ins. That keeps our master bedroom work space from getting too clogged up with bulky items and electronics.


Tip #4: Hide Electronic Cords

Speaking of cords, when you have a sleek desk like ours you don't want to make it look messy with tangled cords all over the place. Because our desk is so slim, you can see just about everything going on under the desk. To cut back on this visual clutter, I used command hooks on the leg of the desk to hide the cord for the lamp (more on how to do that in this post). Since the lamp is a permanent fixture on our desktop, I hid the cord along the length of the desk’s back leg and base, running it all the way down and over to a nearby outlet. I simply placed a hook every few inches so I could string the cord along and secure it as I went.

We also have a large jute pouf that sits under our desk. It has multiple purposes. It adds some texture to the space, is a nice spot to put your feet up when you're working, and it also hides some of the electronic cords from the monitor.


Tip #5: Use Secret Storage

Clearly we have a big obsession with secret storage, as we utilize it in just about every single project around our homes. The most obvious way to keep this area organized is to utilize the storage in the drawers.

Our desk only comes with 3, but all of them work overtime to make sure this area stays functioning well. If you're buying a desk for your work space, consider finding a desk with even more drawers and storage. That way all of the clutter can hide away and be out of view.

Also, have your accessories work double-duty. This small box actually holds all of my business cards. So it's functional, and fashionable. Don't clutter your desk up with too many secret storage items, but do make sure that the ones you have displayed work for you.

So there you have it, tips to make your home work space work harder for you. Our office-in-the-bedroom situation isn't ideal, but it certainly works well for us! Sometimes you just need to get creative to find a solution for your home and your lifestyle. And heck, it certainly beats the "workspace" we were using before we brought this area into our bedroom (i.e. me sitting in the middle of our bed on my computer). My back certainly thanks me.

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Hey There! We're Bridget and Casey, the best friends, Chicago gals, and editors behind The DIY Playbook. Even though we consider ourselves busy girls with full-time jobs, husbands, and never ending to-do lists, we believe there is always time to add personality to our homes. On our blog, we strive to inspire our readers to inject their sparkling personalities into their own spaces with affordable and attainable solutions. We heart Instagram, can't turn down a cup of coffee, have no clue what we're doing in the kitchen, and are beyond excited to be part of the IHeart Organizing team!

12 UHeart Organizing: Creative Ways to Organize Your Home's Paint Colors

I really needed today's paint color organization tips, and will be using them as we freshen up our laundry room (which is where all of our paint is stored).  I have always been a color lover and our home reflects that; whether it is through a painted piece of furniture, our brightly painted front door or the walls throughout.  The number of touch-up jars and colors that I try to keep track of is a little insane.  Even if you have a simple and serene color palette for your home, most likely you have a variety of colors, shades and finishes in each of your spaces.

So how do you keep track of it all?  I have tried a few methods, and none have really stuck all that well.  I actually find myself googling my own blog when I am at home improvement stores, which is a nice option, but not always reliable if I have left out any details.

That said, the gals from DIY Playbook are here today to share a few different options, all of which are quick, easy and inexpensive (even free) to do!  Thanks for the ideas and the push ladies!

When it comes to home decorating, we've found that one of the HARDEST decisions starts right at the very beginning. What color do I paint the walls? When you have thousands of paint colors to choose from, it can be incredibly overwhelming! Trust us, we we've been there before.

But today, we're not going to chat about choosing the perfect paint color (we've already blogged about that topic). Instead, we're going to chat about what you do after you choose the color & paint the walls. How do you make sure that you never ever forget the name of the winning colors that you painted throughout your home? Because you put so much time and thought into choosing the absolute perfect color, we want to make sure that you have that paint color information on-hand and organized! That way you can easily buy new paint for touch-ups, or know the exact color number & sheen when you want to add a color to a new room in your house.

So let's dive right into the 4 different options we created to save and organize this crucial information.


Secret Paint Information in your Switch Plate Cover
Project Cost: $0
Time to Create: 2 minutes

I recently painted our new guest room (full room reveal here) a very dark & moody navy color (Valspar's "Dutch Licorice" to be exact). I was incredibly nervous to bring such a dramatic color into our bright home, but I'm happy I stepped outside of the box and tried something new. Because I love this color so much, I want to make sure I never forget the paint information.

So the information is recorded right in the room...

It is on the back of the light switch cover! Pretty clever, right?

I simply used a flathead screwdriver to take the outlet cover off.

Then I grabbed a sharpie and wrote the information on the back of this valuable real estate. I included the brand, color, paint color number, and finish directly onto the switch cover plate.

Rookie Tip: If you're adding this information while you're painting the space, add a small thumb print of paint on the back. That way you can always bring the cover plate switch with you to the store if you need them to match it for any reason.

Once all of the vital info was recorded, I screwed it back on and called it a day! Now if I ever have to buy more paint for touch-ups, I will know exactly which color to buy (and so do any future home owners).


DIY Paint Stick Library
Project Cost: Less than $5
Time to Create: 15 minutes plus dry time

This next idea is a great resource for those of you who may prefer to have a tangible item you can physically pick-up, refer back to, or even bring to the hardware store as a reference.

We love the paint stick library because it's almost free to create, takes up next to no space to store, yet it is a wealth of information to have on hand for the long-term! So let's first talk about the cost of this DIY project. Since paint sticks are free at hardware stores, the only expense (outside of the paint of course) is the binder ring, which costs about $2-5 for a whole package online or at an office supply store. And having a whole package of these rings in the house is super valuable because they tend to be useful in organizing just about anything (like these super easy Christmas Card books we put together each year).

To get started on this project, you're going to want to pick up one free paint stick for each paint color you'll be documenting... and if the hardware store doesn't mind, maybe grab a few extra for future paint colors you may want to add to your collection someday.

Using a drill and a pilot bit, drill a tiny pilot hole at the very top of each of your paint sticks, being careful not to break the paint stick in the process of drilling each hole.

Once you have a pilot hole at the top of each paint stick, it's pretty much business as usual for these sticks.

You should use each stick to stir the paint cans like you normally would, but instead of throwing that stick in the garbage when you're done with it, you're going to save it & set it on the top of the can's lid until the paint is dry.

Once the paint is dry, use a marker to write down the paint's information. We included the paint brand, the name of the color, the number of that color, and the sheen. However, we don't necessarily think that's the only important information that can be noted. You can also include other important details such as how many coats it took to cover the wall with this paint, what room this paint was used in, how much paint you have leftover after the project, and even where you are storing that extra paint. Heck... if you have a memory like me, there is no such thing as documenting too many details on these paint sticks!

Rookie Tip: Use the back of the paint sticks if you need more room to write necessary information!

After you've documented all of the information you want on the paint stick, you'll slip each paint stick through the binder ring.

And just like that, you have created your very own paint stick library that cost you next to nothing.

We hung our paint stick library in the garage so we can quickly & easily access it. However this library can stay in a drawer, hang on a hook inside a cabinet or closet, or even be stacked on top of your leftover paint cans.

The best part of this simple paint stick library is that you can also add more paint sticks to this collection as your paint collection grows. Paint a room in your home a new color and you can easily create a new paint stick and add it to the bunch... without much effort at all.

If you want an even EASIER version of this same concept, you can create a paint stick library using paint swatches instead of paint sticks... a paint swatch library. Simply collect a free paint swatch for each color paint you used in your home, punch a hole in the corner of each swatch, and bind them together with that same handy-dandy binder clip!

You can add the same notes that we mentioned with the paint stick library by writing them right on the front or back of the paint swatch. This paint swatch library is super convenient because you can throw it in your bag and have it on-hand when you stop at the hardware store to pick up some more paint. It's also helpful to have this information on hand when you're out shopping for home decor and want to see if that new purchase will "match" your space without having to haul it home only to realize it doesn't match and you have to take it back. #hatewhenthathappens


Tech Savvy Paint Storage
Cost: $0

Time to Create: 3 minutes per paint color

Now this last strategy for remembering and organizing your home's paint information is perfect for those people who don't necessarily need a tangible item to refer back to, but instead would rather keep this information saved via technology. And just like those last strategies, this one is very inexpensive.... FREE if we're really keeping track.

If you're not the person who needs to see/touch/hold/manipulate an actual paint swatch, then storing this information on your phone is a great way to make sure you always have it with you and always know where it is. Granted, the true colors of the paint may be a bit skewed depending on the camera quality of your phone, but this technique is the perfect way to cut-down on clutter while still staying organized and informed.

Just like you did with the paint swatch library, you're going to collect a paint swatch for each of the paint colors in your home.

For each color, you're going to lay it on a piece of paper and write down all of the facts that you need to know about this color.

Then, instead of creating a tangible item with this information, we took a picture of the swatch and notes.

Rookie Tip: It's important to use a dark marker when writing this information on the paper. This helped us see the font very clearly in the cell phone photos.

From there, you can save each paint photo to whatever venue works best for you and your lifestyle. Maybe you save each photo in Google Drive, maybe to a specific photo album on your phone, maybe on Dropbox or maybe as an email attachment.  As we all know, the techy possibilities are endless!
Regardless of where you choose to store these images, we hope you keep these photos in a place that is safe and will be quick and easy for you to find. If you're tech savvy, we love this simple idea because you'll ALWAYS have your paint information with you and will not have to store anymore "stuff" around your house.


So are you ready to get your home's paint colors organized?! With minimal time, effort, and money, you can make sure that you never ever forget the colors you meticulously chose for your home's walls.

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Hey There! We're Bridget and Casey, the best friends, Chicago gals, and editors behind The DIY Playbook. Even though we consider ourselves busy girls with full-time jobs, husbands, and never ending to-do lists, we believe there is always time to add personality to our homes. On our blog, we strive to inspire our readers to inject their sparkling personalities into their own spaces with affordable and attainable solutions. We heart Instagram, can't turn down a cup of coffee, have no clue what we're doing in the kitchen, and are beyond excited to be part of the IHeart Organizing team!

33 UHeart Organizing: Small Space Secret Storage Ideas

The main reason I decided to bring on a contributing team of writers, is because I wanted to add a little diversity to my content.  There are only so many nooks and crannies of my own home that I can organize and share, and at the end of the day, my tips can't possibly hit home with every reader.

That said, over the years I have received endless requests for tips relating to apartment living, as well as small space organizational solutions.  I haven't resided in an apartment for almost 15 years now, however, the lovely ladies of the DIY Playbook blog know a thing or two about making the most of limited space.  Not only do they have some great tips to share today, they also have great taste and style. #fangirl

I am honored to have Bridget and Casey back today to share their favorite secret storage tips.

It's true, we heart hidden storage... A lot. We love this type of storage partly because it's a pretty and very effective way to de-clutter our homes, but mostly because we both live in very small spaces and storage space is very limited (Casey lives in a condo in downtown Chicago and Bridget's house is a small ranch right outside the city. Both about 1,200 square feet).

Instead of complaining about our limited closet space or lack of basements/large garages, we embrace the small spaces we have by living with less and making the space we do have available work as efficiently as possible. We are not ones to toot our own horns (we're actually quite the opposite of that), but we do have to admit that living in these small spaces has forced us to get pretty creative and become pretty good at hiding our "stuff". Sometimes so good that we forget where we stored it! #oops

(Tip: that's where Jen's amazing label tutorials come in very handy.)

Today, we are going to share five of our best tricks and favorite ways to incorporate hidden storage into our spaces. We will first identify some of the "issues" we have faced over the years in our small spaces, and then focus on how we resolved these issues in a functional, yet fashionable way!

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PROBLEM #1:  I have a small closet and it's bursting with clothing!

SOLUTION #1:  First things first, you need to downsize your stuff in order to have it fit into the spaces that you do have. We are big fans of the "one thing in, one thing out" method. If we buy a new sweater, we better find an old sweater we never wear, and donate it immediately before we can bring anything new into our closets. Then, we take all of the items that we do love and want in our homes and get them organized. Because both of our closets are pretty small, we only keep seasonal items out. All out-of-season clothing, shoes, and accessories are stored elsewhere.

I utilize the space under our beds for these items. These storage bins from Ikea come in handy, and I love that they have a zippered top so my items won't get dusty.

When the change of season happens, I neatly fold all of my seasonal items and place them into these storage bins. One has shoes, one holds clothing, and another holds accessories. It's a great way to utilize free space, while keeping my items secure and out of the way.

Plus, my master bedroom still looks neat and tidy!

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PROBLEM #2:  Some of the rooms in my house don't have proper closets.

SOLUTION #2:  Choose furniture that allows you to hide storage while still being stylish!

Our small house came with even smaller closets, so creating alternative storage space in each room is important to keep our essentials hidden. Like Casey, I change out my clothes every season to maximize my closet's storage space, but even that doesn't solve all of my storage problems. Instead of complaining about the fact that our closet space is a little less than desirable, I have come to terms with this reality and try to keep it in mind when buying clothes… but also when buying furniture. You may be wondering what closets have to do with buying furniture, and I can't blame you. Allow me to explain. Do you see that trunk pictured above?

I scored that trunk for $10 (!!) at a local garage sale. Not only do I love that it is gold, glamorous and cost me only ten bucks, but I especially love all the secret storage it offers in my office.

Before that trunk, I had a regular coffee table that was super cute, but offered very minimal storage. Once I swapped that old table out with this trunk, I realized that trying to incorporate hidden storage when purchasing furniture can make a HUGE difference. Of course a trunk is not always a reality for everyone, but keeping this "strategy" in the back of your mind when purchasing furniture is important. Instead of a regular bench at the end of your bed, try to find one that doubles as a storage bench. Instead of an exposed coffee table with zero storage, why not look for one that has a few cabinets or drawers to hide a few things? Even if these pieces don't offer a TON of new storage, every little bit helps!

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PROBLEM #3:  I don't have an extra room, office, or basement to hide ugly, yet functional, items... like a printer, electronic cords and everything else that makes my home function.

SOLUTION #3:  Camouflage is key! Use creative solutions to store these everyday items in plain sight, where no one would even notice that they're there.

When you looked at that last picture of my office, did you notice the ugly printer sitting out? You probably didn't, but if you look close enough... it is there, hidden inside that basket on the bottom of that shelving unit!

In our small house with limited closet space and no basement, we don't have any extra space to hide functional items (yet total eyesores) like our printer. We love having a printer in the house and use it frequently, but we didn't exactly love the idea of leaving it out for all of our guests to see.

Without a closet or hidden space to turn to, we were forced to get creative and try our best to make this household item camouflage with the rest of our decor, yet still keep it accessible so we could print easily. Using a basket from HomeGoods, I used this tutorial to hide the printer in plain sight. I absolutely love that it blends in with the rest of the room, yet is still very functional and accessible!

Another nuisance that comes from office supplies and electronics, are cords. We too have struggled to keep our mess of tangled wires neat and organized. For our main electronics and their chargers, we both DIY'ed charging stations for our bedside nightstands.

This was an easy DIY that made a big impact in our bedrooms (you can check out the step-by-step here for Bridget's, and this one for Casey's).  We no longer have messy wires exposed, and our other cords are neatly wrapped up and easy to reach in our charging stations.

We keep our less frequently used cords & chargers in a box right on our built-ins (if you squint real hard you’ll see the large gray box on the right side!).

They're neatly wrapped up, labeled with washi tape, held together with clothespins, and you would never know they were hiding in plain sight right in our family room.

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PROBLEM #4:  I want to utilize my open-shelving for storage, but if I do, they aren't pretty anymore!

SOLUTION #4:  Secret storage can double as home decor... We promise!

It's true, you have our word that open shelving can be both pretty and functional at the same time. Take these shelves for instance, pretty decorative right? Well, sprinkled throughout this decorated shelf are secret opportunities to store stuff. The basket on the top shelf is home to some of our vases that are currently not in use, yet you would never know that just by looking. And do you see the box in the bottom left-hand corner of the shelf?

This DIY box is actually home to my mailing essentials. I can easily grab this box off of our shelf and find envelopes, stationery, postage stamps, an array of washi tape, and pretty much any other snail mail essential.

Baskets and decorative boxes are such great tools to help your shelves look pretty, yet stay pretty darn functional, all at the same time!

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PROBLEM #5:  I don't have a linen closet.

SOLUTION #5:  Our Chicago condo doesn't have a proper "linen closet." When we first moved in, I was really confused as to where the heck I should store our medicine, extra towels, washcloths, and toiletries. But instead of just shoving these items somewhere, I got creative.

I used this small amount of space we have in our "hallway" and added a tall dresser.

This bad boy holds clear shoe boxes with our medicine, some drawers hold towels, and others hold extra toiletries. It isn't a proper "linen closet," but it works just as well for our household. Just goes to show that sometimes you have to think outside the box to come up with solutions in a small space.

So what do you think? Are there spaces in your home that you can "sneak" in a little extra storage? With just a few tricks and a little creativity, you can make your space functional... while still looking fabulous! If we can do it, we promise that you can too.

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Hey There! We're Bridget and Casey, best friends, Chicago gals, and editors behind The DIY Playbook. Even though we consider ourselves busy girls with full-time jobs, husbands, and never ending to-do lists, we believe there is always time to add personality to our homes. On our blog, we strive to inspire our readers to inject their sparkling personalities into their own spaces with affordable and attainable solutions. We heart Instagram, can't turn down a cup of coffee, have no clue what we're doing in the kitchen, and are beyond excited to be part of the iHeart Organizing team!