May 2011

Friday 05.27.11

Barney's or Forever 21?

Have you ever wondered what sets a store apart that looks like this, compared to….

Barney's New York, Organized, Shopping, NEAT Method

This??

Forever 21, unorganized, shopping, clothes, NEAT Method

Besides the absolute obvious, which is that the clothes from Barney’s New York are going to cost you significantly more than Forever 21, as organizers we see this scene completely different.

Lets be honest, Forever 21 is great to find that trendy piece that you have been dying to try, but as total type A’s, we can barely walk in the store without having a nervous breakdown.  That led us to wonder, why does a store like Barney’s always look so much better than a store like Forever 21?  There are probably many valid reasons that could be concluded, but, as organizers we like to think that we have the best answer.

Barney’s has made the choice to set a precedent in their store: sleek, stylish and ORGANIZED.  When you walk into Barney’s, you pick up a shirt that is folded and then do your very best to fold it EXACTLY the way you found it.  This happens without fail whether you are typically an organized person or not.  This is because you do not want to ruin how beautiful the store looks.

But what about Forever 21?  Have you honestly ever seen someone pick something up there and fold it nicely??  No.  You haven’t.  People pick things up, carry it with them, decide they don’t want it, and discard it at the nearest table, rack, or (our worst nightmare) the floor!

As organizers, we see every type of closet there is: walk-ins, reach-ins, shared, etc.  Before we begin, many of our clients have closets that look like….how shall we put this… like Forever 21.  One of the biggest concerns that we hear time and time again is, “So now you are going to make it look nice but let’s be serious, I will never be able to keep it this way.”  Well, here is your answer:

Being organized will turn you from Forever 21 to Barney’s! You will love to shop your own closet so much that when you take something out you will actually want to fold it and put it back where it belongs and not on the floor.  Why?  Because you wouldn’t dare throw a Barney’s garment on the floor would you?? Take a look at your closet right now – are you more Forever 21 or Barney’s?  If you are NEAT you will have a shopable closet that makes you want to stay organized.  If you are more of a Forever 21, save yourself the money of buying new clothes because you can’t find the ones you own and get NEAT! 

Thursday 05.19.11

We're Wondering...

Mail organization, filing, organized, neat, NEAT Method

We’re Wondering….which areas of your home cause the most stress when it comes to disorganization??? Is it your closet? Kitchen? Or….our all time favorite, the Mail?  Believe it or not, ever client gives the answer we are expecting. And from that answer….we ALWAYS have the same conclusion.  Please give your feedback where your clutter concerns lie. We need to prove that our theory works (fingers crossed) or we may be finding new professions!

 
Stay tuned for our response once we hear your answers!
 
Wednesday 05.11.11

We're Wondering...Wednesdays: Color Me Crazy!

This week we are looking for your input – Ashley and I LOVE to organize closets but when it comes to putting the clothes away our color coding preferences differ.  This is clearly a total type A issue, but we hope that you can help us settle this once and for all.  Ashley is the master of light to dark but when I try to do it, I just can’t get it right – is red brighter than green!?  When I color code, I am the queen of the standby, ROY G BIV.  This may be the former teacher coming out of me, who knows!  Today, we thought it would be fun to ask you, the reader, to tell us what you think.  We used Ashley’s closet as our test case.  Ashley worked on her light to dark and I made a rainbow – which one do you like best??

Light to Dark??

Organized Closet, Home organization, matching hangers, NEAT Method

Or rainbow?

Organized Closet, Home organization, matching hangers, NEAT Method
Saturday 05.07.11

To: You ... Love: NEAT

As you know, a few weeks back we were OBSESSED with Martha’s stickers for food and think that every NEAT reader should have them.  Not only can you use them in your refrigerator for produce but you can also put them on frozen goods in the freezer.  We constantly tell our clients that not keeping track of dated foods/spices is making you SEEM like a bad cook.  Today we are giving you a the gift of organization and the opportunity to stay on top of your cooking skills.

When you click the link below, you will find your own personal stickers to put on your produce and frozen goods made by yours truly.  Once you have the document, purchase and print these stickers out on the Avery 5264 labels.  We hope you enjoy our replica of Martha’s fabulous idea!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Calendar, Martha Stewart, NEAT Method, Organize, Freezer organization,

Download NEAT food stickers here!

Wednesday 05.04.11

We're Wondering...Wednesdays

As Professional Organizers, we are constantly faced with life's hardest questions (sarcasm).  In all seriousness, NEAT pays close attention to even the smallest of details in our clients' home so that they can enjoy the 'perks' of an organized life.  WE, at NEAT, thought that it would be fun to share some of these questions with you.  We will also give you our opinion to the dilemmas we are faced with while organizing.  Please feel free to share your opinion with us! xo NEAT

Shoe organization, Closet, organized, pretty closet, NEAT Method

SHOES!!!!  Whould they face out...

...or...

In??

We have run into this questions while organizing MANY times.  In pictures, I think we can all agree that shes facing out look AMAZING!!  Shoes can be so photogenic can't they?? After testing both ways, here are some things that NEAT has learned that we wanted to share with you:

1.  Nothing looks better faced out than a cute pair of heels or a sleek pair of dress shoes BUT what about the running shoes?  We can tell you that if you you have the space, and it is mostly at eye level they should all face out.  If your shoe space is higher up, the running shoes are better facing in so that you can grab them easier.

2.  Shoes that are facing in are easier to pull out when you need them however shoes facing out  are easy to find when you are looking for a specific pair.  

NEAT's Conclusion:  Shoes facing out will always 'look' better however, you need to do what works best for your closet.  If you have a walk-in closet with adjustable wooden shelves, you should definitely have your shoes facing out.  However, not everyone can have their dream closet so if your shoes fit better facing in on a shelf that is hard to reach than do it.  Function must take priority when working in a small space.

*Photos found here

Brand and Website Design: Verdant Brand
Website Development: fourfightingfoxes
Copyright © 2012 Neat Method All rights reserved.