Organization Tips From A Celebrity Style Guru

March 17, 2009 - PRLog -- Spring is here, and it’s time to lighten your load.  Lisa Adams, closet designer to the stars and green-luxury leader, can help.  Adams and her company, LA Closet Design, have procured a list of easy, organizational ‘must-do’s’ that work as well for a Hollywood starlet’s hideaway as for a suburban family of four.  Following these simple and inexpensive tips is sure to result in a less-chaotic, leaner, and cleaner home.

LISA ADAMS’ ‘SPRING CLEANSE’ TIPS:
1)    Literally, start thinking “in the box.”  Using baskets and bins to help contain the smaller/ loose items in your closet is a great way to keep things organized and under control.  Pull-out tie and belt trays and pull-out slats are an organized way to store your ties, belts, pants and scarves. Baskets and bins are also great for playrooms, living rooms, kitchens and family areas.

2)    Start organizing one room at a time, and organize the room in sections.  Organize until you can see the kitchen countertop or a section on the floor, and then move on to the area adjacent to it.  Think in terms of baby steps to organization.

3)     Make the organizing process fun.  This might require changing your mindset—even telling yourself that you are exercising and burning calories.  You can turn on some music and ‘exercise-organize’!

4)     In playrooms: Labeled bins and/or baskets should line the room, so kids know where to store their toys after play.
                     
5)     In foyers: Include specific space for coats, scarves, gloves and umbrellas. Using hangers with multiple hooks attached to them is a great way to consolidate—each member of the family keeps their items on one multi-hook hanger.

6)     In home offices: Label boxes and file cabinets.  For example, color code your files and note that labels marked with a red star contain tax records, and those with blue stars hold household bills.  Or, separate them into “active,” “passive,” or “dead.”  Only active files should take up space in your home office.  Passive files should be stored in the attic/garage and dead files should be shredded.

7)    Re-evaluate each piece of “clutter.”  If your home was destroyed by a fire or flood, would you really miss this item?  This is a simple exercise to determine and help people to get rid of things they may think they want.  At the end of the exercise, you find out what is truly important to you.

8)   The Golden Rule:  every time you bring something new in, something old needs to go.  Most people do not keep this balance in their home; hence, the towering piles of toys and clothes that add up over time to create an overwhelming mess.  Create a donation bin in your home, and make this a weekly event.  If you work little purges into your normal cleaning routine, then it will soon become like second nature instead of a dreaded, overwhelming chore.  It will also show you how many items you purchase without thinking about if you actually need them.

9)    In the closet: Create a system for your hanging items and items stored in drawers.  You can organize by color, brand, fabric, etc.  Then, stick to the system!  Dividers in drawers and pull-out shelves can also be used to keep things organized and stacked properly (e.g. lingerie, undergarments, purses, etc.).

10)    In the closet: Pull-out valet hooks are a great tool for getting you ready for tomorrow.  Laying out your work outfit the night before can get you out the door much faster. Make sure everything that you need is on the hook, and you will zoom through your morning routine.  

Lisa Adams also recommends visiting her website, www.laclosetdesign.com, for a wide array of products that assist with maximizing organization, including storage boxes, shoe accessories, specialty hangers and laundry baskets.

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Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Lisa Adams holds two graduate degrees and an MBA from Pepperdine University. As president of the Wardrobe Division for Troy Adams Design, Lisa created wardrobe spaces for a notable client base including Eddie Murphy, Carmen Electra, Robert Cort, and Jewel. The launch of LA Closet Design gives Adams the opportunity to expound upon her design expertise and aesthetic vision, taking customized wardrobe spaces from concept to completion.

LA Closet Design is located in the renowned Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, California. Offering full-scale, completely customizable wardrobe storage and design consulting as well as personal shopping and wardrobe styling services, LA Closet Design goes beyond constructing a functional space to create a luxurious and highly personalized environment for client’s most treasured belongings. To contact Lisa Adams, CEO and Designer, please call 310-289-1311. www.laclosetdesign.com.