Organizing for the 21st Century Family

Over the years I have worked with some amazing interior designers on client projects and one of our most recent collaborations was on a family home featured in the cover story of The Washington Post Magazine Fall Home and Design issue. 

Like many of our clients, this client’s top priority was quality family time, and with two small children, their time was a precious commodity. They wanted things at their fingertips in ways that aided them in the raising of their family, designs that they could readily keep up with, and the flexibility to adapt systems as their needs evolved. In blunt terms, this wasn’t about just bringing in bins and making things look pretty, but instead introducing solutions that worked with the family’s lifestyle and complemented their newly renovated home’s aesthetic. 

HOW TO INCORPORATE ORGANIZATION WITH YOUR HOME’S AESTHETIC

They had already invested in their dream home and it was out job to add the final bits of functionality, creating a spot for everything in their home to be stored that made sense based on how they lived their life. Just because something fits in a drawer or in a closet doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the best spot for it to stay. Have you ever stored batteries in a random drawer because it seemed like a great idea at the time (and they fit in the drawer, so why not), but when it comes time to actually need the batteries you can’t remember where you actually put them so you end up buying more to replace them? Yeah, that’s super frustrating. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. 

We worked throughout the house to make sure everything was categorized, organized, and easy to see and access so that no time was wasted spent running around looking for what they needed, wanted, or thought that they had but couldn’t locate. From the kitchen to the pantry to the kid’s toy storage and everywhere in between, we created systems so that everything had a place–one that was intuitive, easy to use daily and sustainable over many years and life changes. This means using clear containers so that everything could be seen for quick grab-and-go situations, toy storage that tied in with their family room’s color scheme, and bathroom organization that made getting ready in the morning a breeze. 

Organizing should not be confined to color-coded bins or include rigid systems that don’t align with how you and your family function. It’s possible to create systems in your home that make your daily routines easier and allow for you to manage your family’s needs and lifestyles more efficiently. Does this sound too far-fetched? Are you wondering how to achieve this lifestyle or do you have specific questions that are holding you back from getting started?

I’m going to be on The Washington Post’s Home Front LIVE chat this Thursday (October 6, 11:00 AM EST) to discuss all things organizing. Please tune in! I’m going to try to answer as many questions as possible and address all of your organizing dilemmas, so let me know what you want to read about.

Xo,
Rachel