To Read: The Organized Home
Ah, there you are. Hello, Monday. Hello, loves. I'm back in my studio, feeling ready to make up for a bit of lost time last week. Sometimes, when the body is screaming for your attention, it's good to listen, pull the plug on all that's going on, and just rest. So that I did and I'm feeling all the better for it.
Now, then, I've got a pretty hefty stack waiting for my attention after all that impromptu down time, so I'll be diving into that as soon as I tell you about a new book that just came out last week. It's a good one.
The Organized Home by Remodelista covers simple, stylish storage ideas for all over the house. It couldn't have arrived at a better time for me, as a hard-bound, photo-filled companion was especially prescriptionary alongside my cups of tea while on couch rest. I like that the volume is not huge or heavy, yet it's still packed with tips, ideas, and sources for how, exactly, one can go about keeping her spaces calm and organized. Written and photographed with the familiar, pared down, yet warm aesthetic found at Remodelista's online magazine, it was an easy one-evening read from cover to cover.
"For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned." - Benjamin Franklin. This is how the book begins, and it was enough to make me pause, then applaud. While in the midst of my own most recent organizational escapades, I reminded myself of the return on investment these endeavors would have, and it's proven true over and over again. It's a beautiful payoff when the momentum of my day doesn't get sidelined by pauses in looking for misplaced things (or trying to put away things that don't have a home). I was anxious to read on.
Guided by an 8-point manifesto, readers can realize better living through organization. My three favorites of the eight? Buy fewer, better things. Shop your own house. Ditch the plastic. Thankfully, the book goes on to flesh out exactly how we can get from here to there using their prescribed twelve universal storage tactics. Following chapters devoted to specific areas in the home, from the entry, to the kitchen, to the laundry room, show and tell just how it's done. The final section of the book lists sources for the components that may be necessary for you to complete the job. Tiny jars? Bins on wheels? Hooks, peg rails, and storage racks? There you go.
With gift-giving coming right up, followed by January-The-Month-Of-Organizing, perhaps this one would be a win-win for someone you know? Or perhaps it should land on your own wish list!
My other top organization/simple living books:
Organizing From The Inside Out
P.S. Also check out the new Organized Home website that was spawned as a result of the book!