Ah, Organization Week has come to an end! Thanks so much to everyone who participated in Organization Week. I’m feeling motivated and hopeful, and you have all provided me with some clear and easy ways to get a jump-start on getting organized.

Here’s a roundup of our guest bloggers’ websites and blogs:

Penelope Loves Lists

Unclutterer / Unclutter Your Life in One Week (mine is on its way from Amazon)

The Kitchen Designer / Susan Serra Associates Inc.

Turquoise L.A. Blog / Vanessa de Vargas’s Design Site for Turquoise L.A.

The Office Stylist / Sorting with Style

The City Sage

Here are a few more sites I check on for Organizational Inspiration. Please add your favorites in the comments section so I can add them and have a more comprehensive list. I need all the organizing help I can get.

Chez Larsson’s Organization Page

Flylady

February’s Lonnymag is chock full of  FABULOUS jewelry storage ideas.

The Ten Habits of Highly Organized People over at Oprah.com. Oprah’s putting her closet cleanout stuff up on eBay. I spied a pair of Prada Venice Print pumps, size 40 on the cover of the magazine…

Flickr Group Pretty Organized

I’m going to be following Paola as she tackles her home office for the next three weeks.

A great round-up of Storage and Cabinets in this Canadian House & Home (LOVE that magazine) Photo Gallery

by Anne Sage of The City Sage

In the chaos and disorganization of life, there are two constants. One: Polka dots and feathers make everything better. Two: When in doubt, cover it in paper. In a recent attempt to get my odds ‘n’ ends under control, I put both rules to into effect—with great success!

I adore the look of boxes that have been customized using fabric or wrapping paper, but those materials can get expensive. So I grabbed some fabric remnants from a previous project, scanned them, printed the images on regular paper, and used it to cover my box lids. I bought my boxes at OfficeMax and disguised their sides using craft paper, but also try Ikea or an art supply store. Heck, you could even give your old, mismatched shoe boxes a new life!

I’m so thrilled with the result that I want everyone to be able to replicate the look—so I’ve shared a download that allows you to print both of these patterns and their accompanying labels! The PDF prints on 11 x 17 size paper, which covers a medium lid, but you can also print on smaller paper and join multiple pieces as needed. As for the technique I used to cover the lids, just paste the paper in place with a glue stick, then fold and trim the edges as though you were wrapping a present. Happy organizing!

?Dots

Peacock Feathers

by Sayeh Pezeshki, The Office Stylist.

You’ve waited a long time and worked very hard for your own office. Whether it’s your own home office or a promotion at work, your office is something to take pride in. Messy desks, chipped furniture, over flowing letter trays, boring office supply pile-ups, and other office disasters say only one thing: “ I don’t care about my workspace.” If you don’t have the budget to get modern and stylish office furniture, what should you do? How do you tackle your office mess and make your office into a space that feels great to work in?

Here are three important tips to keep handy at all times.

1. Straighten up your desk/office at the end of each workday.
   This seems like an obvious task, yet everyone I have helped now and in the past has told me they never do this. Take just five minutes a day to put away papers, put your pens back in your pen holder, and throw away and trash that’s sitting on your desk or other areas. Be sure to do this every day, right before you leave your office.

End result: Fresh start when you come in the next day, as opposed to the messy start you’re used too.

2. Remove all electronics from your desktop, except for your monitor and keyboard.
   For some unknown reason, I see a lot of people love to put a giant printer, shredder, and other large electronics on top of their desks. I know that it is a little easier to reach on your desk for the sheet you printed out, versus reaching below it, but this is a large disruption in your work flow. Remove all electronics except for your keyboard and monitor, and put away in printer cabinet like these from Ikea, or other furniture store.

Having these items in cabinets will make your office look a lot more spacious and clear than before.

3. Replace boring office items with modern office supplies
   You may think you’re okay with manila file folders, plastic pencil cups, and other traditional office supplies, but think again. Replace your boring, manila file folders with a set of decorative file folders made out of sturdy material that will last longer than you’re used to.

Replacing little items like chewed up promotional pens, stacks of manila file folders, and plastic pen holders are a great way to make a change, without costing you an arm and a leg. Your desktop can still be professional (not boring!) while reflecting your personality.

Clearing your desktop and removing unwanted items will make a tremendous difference in how you feel at your desk. If you were feeling overwhelmed before, clutter may have been a contributing factor. Making small changes will make a big difference in your work environment and the way that you work. If you’re happier sitting at your desk 40 + hours a week, then you’ll reflect that in your work too.

About Sayeh: Recognized as a 2010 Internet Retailer “Hot 100 company,” SortingwithStyle.com is part of a multi-platform media brand created by two time entrepreneur and TV personality Sayeh Pezeshki, “The Office Stylist,” who provides office styling services, consulting and personal shopping for private and corporate clients. For daily tips, insight and items to transform your workspace, visit www.theofficestylist.com

Images via Sorting with Style.com

by Vanessa De Vargas

The following are two offices I’ve designed that balance beauty and organized storage.

For the Encino office (above and immediately below), my client wanted a home office where she could hide
cords and miscellaneous equipment from her twin boys. We wanted to create a space where she could site at her desk and watch the kids play in the other room – the living room is just through the other door.

My client only works on a laptop so there was no need for “extra” computer equipment to be on the desk. We had a custom cabinet made so that all of her files, her printer,  and her fax machine could all be put away. The custom cabinet maker worked closely under our direction, and the cabinet includes two file drawers that slide out, four custom shelves to house all the equipment and three drawers that slide out to hide all of her office supplies and paper.

For the office I did in Santa Monica, my client works a lot from her office so she wanted a place that her clients would come in and feel like they were at home and at ease. She wanted to display her clients press and flyer information so we added two large pin boards to the wall so she could easily see a collage of her clients’ work and flyer information:

We added 4 Lucite shelves behind her desk that would not interrupt her wallpaper niche and visually looks clean and neat. She wanted to display artwork and pictures from her clients and small boxes that she could easily
organize of her clients CD’s and promo information:

We added some small rolling shelf units on the floor so she could keep all her supplies close at hand. This was the best way to utilize the space she she could grab what she needed within arm distance of her desk:

Vanessa De Vargas is an Interior Designer and Consultant, High-end Vintage Designer, E-Decorating specialist, Apartment Therapy Blogger and leader for The Designer Networking Group located in Los Angeles and one of the hosts of Designer Tag Sale.

by Susan Serra, The Kitchen Designer

Organize your kitchen countertops!

GET ORGANIZED!

Susan Serra Associates, Inc. has designed kitchen interiors and other rooms for nearly 20 years in the Long Island/NY metro area. She is also the author of The Kitchen Designer blog.