Reader Space: A Glorious Gift Wrap Station

Reader Space: A Glorious Gift Wrap Station

Reader Space

I truly love when you all pop over your proudly organized spaces.  In fact, in terms of blogging, I don't think much makes me happier.  I really enjoy celebrating with you, sharing your ideas and utilizing your tips and tricks within the projects we also do in our own home.

Today's storage project is a perfect example of how you inspire me.  Although we already have a gift wrap station that we use frequently and are over-the-moon happy with, the combination of pieces selected for this project got my wheels turning.

Maria blogs over at Graceful Order and we are kindred organizing spirits.  I love that she enjoys sharing practical solutions, yet you can also tell she puts a piece of her heart into everything she works on.  Her recent gift wrap storage station is no exception; created from a combination of thought and attention to detail, it is sure to keep her in the giving spirit year after year.

But if you are like me and already have a gift wrap station, or maybe don't find the need for so much storage dedicated to a single activity, I urge you to read on and check out the organizational items she selected for this project anyway.  This smart little setup could be used in endless ways, and I hope it sparks and idea or two for you as well.

What is the main function of the space?

"When we moved into our home eleven years ago, my husband and I had so many plans for our home. We wanted to build a pool, remodel the kitchen, build out the closets and have wrap-around storage in our garage. My awesome husband, who happens to be super handy, decided to tackle the garage project first since he couldn't exactly build the pool (although I'm sure he toyed with the idea). I wanted storage for all of our entertaining items and a designated space for all of my gift wrapping supplies. I thought I needed a full cabinet but it tuned out that half the cabinet was plenty of space (the remainder of the items are party supplies)."


Any superstar tips for keeping it organized? 

"Keeping this space organized is pretty easy since everything has a home. Even when I am in a rush and I can't put everything back right away, it is a breeze to quickly get it back in order. A tip that I have is to not over-buy items. I am guilty of buying way too much gift wrapping paper because I love the patterns and then I end up using a gift bag when I am in a time crunch. Right now my gift wrapping drawer is completely full so when that cute paper at HomeGoods starts to whisper to me during checkout, I look in the other direction. By the way, why do they always put the gift wrap bins by the checkout area? They probably know that we have already lowered our defenses and are more susceptible to pretty floral prints! There's a master plan behind this, I tell ya!"


What items did you find were essential when organizing this space and why? 

"Adding drawers to the cabinets made a huge difference in how organized the space remains. This space has pretty much looked like this for 11 years and only the items change but the systems stay the same. The drawers make it so easy to put things back where they belong. I also think that adding the bins that hold birthday cards and an area to place extra gifts made a huge difference. I can walk away from this space with a wrapped gift and even a card in hand." 

What did you do to go the extra mile and "make it pretty"?

"It's not too difficult to make this space pretty because gift wrap and bows are already beautiful. I did separate the bows into color families using inexpensive plastic shoe boxes. This makes the drawers look neater but also helps me wrap items faster without making a mess, while looking for the right color bow."


How has it impacted your life for the better?

"I have to say that during the holidays or months that are full of birthdays, having this gift wrapping station is awesome! Putting gifts together can be hectic when you have little ones that are constantly invited to birthday parties. I used to have rolls of gift wrap in one closet and greeting cards in another and now I have everything in one spot and it's one thing less to stress about. Seriously, it's the little things that make a huge difference. Anything that brings more order and calm to my home has my vote. Mind you I am writing this while my youngest is crying hysterically over an animal cracker whose head fell off. Sigh. If anyone needs me I will be in my kitchen re-attaching the head of an edible hippo."

Maria's handy husband built her the cabinets of her dreams, and after a few trips to IKEA, she was able to customize them to create the exact storage she desired for her party and gift wrap supplies.  Looking at the combination of wire and solid drawers, I can think of so many ways that these additions would take any storage cabinet to the next level.  Pair the drawers with additional interior organizers and dividers and you have yourself a winning combination.  Truly, anytime you can create pull-out storage solutions, you are making your life a trillion times easier.

This setup would work beautifully for children's toys and clothing, crafts, home decor accessories, garage maintenance items, cleaning supplies, a pantry, linens and even home office products.

Here are my favorite IKEA pull out storage components, many of which come with the necessary hardware/rails for easy installation.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

As always, I am so grateful that Maria took the time to share her project and story with me and also allowed me to share it with all of you.  Let's keep the momentum going and continue to celebrate each and every organizing project we tackle and accomplish together!  You can see more of Maria's project and snag every last detail of the story on her blog here.

How would you make the most of this splendid cabinet setup? 

*  All images courtesy of Graceful Order

 

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life, big or small.  They can be anything from an organized drawer or cabinet to an entire room.  Please submit your story and photos to iheartreaderspace@gmail.com, and I would heart to feature them right here on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and taken in natural day-light if possible.  Please include a description of the project and how it has changed your life or routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!

Reader Space: A Home Office Created with Heart

Reader Space: A Home Office Created with Heart

Reader Space

Let's just declare this the, "If at first you don't succeed, try and try again" week.  Okay? Because I am in!

And before we enjoy today's amazing space, I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you so much for your kind comments on this week's kitchen post.  I am still in the process of replying to comments, but I have enjoyed reading each one.  And I agree, I am probably being too hard on myself, but it is hard to admit mistakes to myself, to my husband, to our family and to the internet world.  Especially when those mistakes may ultimately require a redo or may have been costly.  But you know what I loved most?  Hearing your stories!  And knowing that some of you are on your 7th lighting fixture or 4th dining chair.  I don't believe in settling and I appreciate hearing I am not alone, just as much as you appreciate hearing trials and errors from bloggers.  It is so fun to relate with others in similar situations, so again, THANK YOU!

Today's reader, Liz from Love Grows Wild, created an absolutely stunning and serene home office.  But it didn't happen quickly and she didn't settle.  Her story really stuck out to me, and I couldn't wait to share it with you.  It's OK to make changes and updates to your spaces until you love them.  It is OK to DIY and then change your mind.  It is OK to plug away at a space until your personality and style finally shines through.  Liz's home office is a testament to that!

And her blog?!  Let's just say, it's a keeper.  I love checking in on her inspiring photography and beautiful projects.  You may remember her magical mint desk that went viral last year.

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"A whole year… yes, I know. What the heck took me so long, right? When I started this makeover last summer, I really wanted to challenge myself. I didn’t want to just slap a couple pictures on the wall, maybe paint a piece of furniture, and call it a day. I wanted to design a room from top to bottom that was beautiful, functional, organized, and 100% me. The problem was, (as I would soon discover) that I didn’t exactly know what 'me' was."

But with time, Liz discovered her style and created an absolutely beautiful space.  I asked Liz to stop by today to share her home office story with us.  A home office that was created with heart. 


What is the main function of the space?

"This room functions as our home office as well as a space to run my business. As I blogger, I needed this room to serve several different purposes: an area to work on the computer, plenty of space to do DIY projects, and a light, bright spot to shoot photography in. Getting this room organized was key to being able to accomplish all these tasks!"


Any superstar tips for keeping it organized?

"Get rid of anything you don't use on a regular basis and have a spot for everything you keep! Clutter tends to drive me crazy, so I regularly purge our home of items we no longer use or don't have space for. Depending on the item, I'll either donate or sell on Craigslist and garage sales. Then, once I know what is going to stay in the house, I find a specific spot for everything. I'm known to make a huge mess when in the office when working on projects for the blog, but because everything has its place, clean-up is a breeze!"


What items did you find were essential when organizing this space and why?

"I knew I was going to need a lot of storage space for this room, and I happened to have an antique china hutch in our dining room wasn't being used. We moved the big china hutch into our office and updated it from dark wood to clean, bright white using chalk paint. I added large glass jars, wood crates, and photo boxes to the shelves to hold a lot of my craft supplies and used the bottom half to hold office supplies. The large hutch really makes a statement in the room and added a TON of storage for us!"


What did you do to go the extra mile and "make it pretty"?

"I painted the walls and a lot of the furniture white and added some lovely vintage pieces that gave the room my signature farmhouse style. Rather than placing my desk up against the wall, I floated it in front of a sunny window to make a much more enjoyable place to work all day.

In the china hutch, I used glass jars to hold spools of pretty ribbon and paint brushes, which both stores them and creates a beautiful display.

To add style and functionality to the plain white photo boxes in the hutch, I created little vintage labels on my computer and added them to the boxes using double-sided tape." 


What items did you DIY to stay on a budget?

"Rather than purchasing brand new furniture for the room, I re-purposed and re-finished a lot of pieces we already had. The hutch from the dining room and an old cabinet and book case were painted white to give the room a cohesive look, and I found my desk (which is actually a farmhouse dining room table!) for a great price at an antique store. I also brought in a round braided rug from our patio to use under my desk and made a DIY framed dry erase board to help keep me organized!"

How has it impacted your life for the better?

"Before I started this makeover on the office, the room was cluttered and uninspiring. The walls were dark gray, not a single piece of furniture matched, and I didn't have anything organized. Now that the room is finished, I'm able to get so much more work done in a day! It functions as I need it to and is a beautiful space to be in everyday."

__________

Crazy beautiful, right?  Liz took her time to create a cohesive and thought out space that she can now use with a smile.  Her hutch paired with her glass jars, decorative boxes and crates is about the most beautiful combination I have seen.  I am also smitten with her bookcase and all of her special touches throughout.  You can tell she gave each piece her special touch, and carefully considered each item she added.  A combination of old and new, everything she has done works in harmony to create a very peaceful place to work each day.

We live in a very fast paced world, and it is easy to just want everything done, right now!  I know that I am not the most patient person when it comes to living in chaos and half-finished spaces.  But take your time my friends.  It is always worth it in the end.

Liz shared her entire home office story as well as how she ultimately found her personal style, on her blog here.  I hope you have a full cup of coffee and some time on your hands, because once you hop over, you will want to stay awhile to enjoy a plethora of project inspiration.

*  All images courtesy of Love Grows Wild

 

ATTENTION!!  Want to be featured in a Reader Space edition?  Have an awesome organizing story to share?  I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life, big or small.  They can be anything from an organized drawer or cabinet to an entire room.  Please submit your story and photos to iheartreaderspace@gmail.com, and I would heart to feature them right here on the blog!!  Photos should be high resolution and unedited.  Please include a description of the project and how it has changed your life or routine for the better!  Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice!  Only love goes on at this blog!