Bins, baskets, boxes help organize stuff

DEAR GAIL: I just started back to work and it has become overwhelming for me to keep things picked up, especially in our family room. Do you have any tips on ways to reduce or at least control everyday clutter? Thanks -- Joni

DEAR JODI: It is so hard to keep up with our homes when we work, have a family and also need down time. Heck, it's just me, my husband, our sheltie and birds and I have trouble keeping up. So I take my hat off to all those with children; I don't know how you do it. But here are some ideas and things that I've done that should help.

First, I want it out of sight as much as possible but handy. So my favorite clutter-control items are small-to-medium boxes, baskets, bins and storage drawers. They can't be so big that they create a pile that I have to dig through to get to the bottom, like some of those giant one-pocket purses. I want to be able to easily get to what I want without moving more than one thing out of the way. Now, my husband will tell you that I can really pack things in, and I do with storage items in the garage or closets, but not for everyday items. I'm OK to move a couple of boxes to get to my holiday decorations, we only have so much space and I use it well.

I use decorative boxes and baskets with lids if they are going to be in plain sight; I don't want to see what I'm storing, like remote controls. At the end of the night I gather them up, because we have way too many, and put them in the box until tomorrow. If you find that the remotes are just getting placed on top of the box, then use one without a top; there's a better chance that they'll at least get inside the box and off the table.

If you have a side or coffee table with drawers, use them for your everyday items, such as remotes, magazines, TV guide and pens. Drawers are great, but like everything else they can become a hole, so use drawer organizers to keep them tidy. Once you have to start digging for something, it's time to empty the drawer and reorganize it.

Buy baskets, boxes, bins and storage drawers that stack; place these inside door storage you have in the room. This allows you to quickly get what you want and put it away. If you just stack items on top of each other behind the doors, it becomes a junk pile that topples out when you open the doors. I personally like small plastic bins and storage drawers. They're inexpensive and durable.

For the items I get out on a daily basis, I place them in a bin that I put on top of the drawer. I can grab it, get what I want and put it back. They also work great under your kitchen and bathroom counters. There's no more losing what's in the back of the cabinets or buying things you don't need just because you can't seem to find them. It was the best thing I've ever done to keep those areas organized and clean.

One of my all-time favorites is storage ottomans. At the end of the night our feet are up and if I'm cold, a blanket is right there. It's where we place our Wii controls, accessories and games; they're easy to get at and off the table.

Do you have stacks of magazines? Maybe it's time to weed through them. How often do you really look through all of them? But if you're just a keeper, store them in magazine holders in a bookcase instead of piled on the floor or table. If they're overtaking the area, keep in mind that most magazines are online, plus you can search to find that article you thought about, which might take days to find in your pile. It's just a thought.

For newspapers, I place ours in an old wine crate each day. It's decorative, they're all in one place, off the counters and ready for recycling day.

Family rooms are one of the most used rooms in our homes, so things need to be tidy, but handy. As the saying goes, "A place for everything and everything in its place." It will help bring peace to your home, reduce your cleaning time and frustration when looking for something, because you'll know where it is.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.