4 Ways to Maximize That Unorganized Corner

Every other week, Chris and I head over to the studio in Preston's home to record our podcast. He's done an amazing job giving it a cool vibe, but there was one corner that has been hard to ignore:

His studio is his office and he has been using these two carts to house a lot of the paperwork and equipment he accesses daily. We even grab our microphones off the carts before recording. I had some ideas on how we could help as a part of our IKEA's ambassadorship, but I wasn't sure how to approach the situation in a way that was, indeed helpful, and not judgmental or stepping on toes. Fortunately! He could not have been more excited about the idea, saying it has been a dream of his to whip that corner into shape. And that we did:

Here are 4 ways we maximized this corner organizationally and visually:

1. Everything needs a place. A storage solution isn't really a solution if it doesn't fit everything you have or use. We surveyed what Preston had, made a list (cables, microphones, binders, paperwork, software, CDs, records, travel cases, amps, etc.) and shopped for a unit and storage solutions that would fit everything he had. If the things you have have a place, it's so much easier to get and stay organized.

2. Go Vertical with Storage. Although the wall treatment Preston created in this room was so cool (and functional--it buffers the sound waves!), we hated to cover it up, but there was nothing in the room over 4 ft. tall. Not only did this make the whole room feel short and squatty, it left so much of the room's organizational potential untapped. Going vertical with storage saves floor space and adds visual height to any room--especially if you a small amount of square footage or a room with standard height ceilings (like in here). We used this extra tall BILLY/OXBERG Bookcase so that it would go all the way to the ceiling and we could pack even more in there.

We've used BILLY bookcases in the past, particularly with our built-ins that we made in our last home and we still love that, even though these bookcases were designed back in 1979, they've remained timeless. They're discrete, functional, beautiful, and a great storage option that fits perfectly into a variety of styles. Plus! I just learned that a Billy Bookcase is sold every 5 seconds! There's a good reason for that.

3. Concealed Storage Will Keep You Sane. After we made a list of what we had to organize, we realized there were a few items, like traveling mic cases, cables and paperwork, that aren't necessarily pretty to look at, but still needed a place.  I've learned that I work better when my surroundings are visually appealing--and let's face it--real life is not an Instagram post! In order to make organizational solutions work in the long run--every day, not just for a picture--honestly address everything you need to organize. We decided on the half glass/half closed doors for the bookcase so the bottom half remained concealed for bigger, unsightly items and also stocked up on small storage solutions like these baskets, paper organizers, and storage boxes that he could stash cables, paperwork, and loose ends in.

4. Accessorize with Real Life. Whether its microphones, records, cookbooks, paint brushes, fabric swatches or your extensive collection of art and design books (guilty!), storage shouldn't be overrun with all the pretties, so that there's no room for the actual stuff. Instead, let your most visually appealing things take center stage. Here, we made the microphones into sculptures and his records into art. In fact, the only "decor" we added was this plant stand (drool) because every room needs a little green, and a picture of his family.

This was a simple, quick and effective way we whipped this corner into shape, but it was in no way by accident. Truly organizing takes a bit of thought and planning to be successful in the long run, but I can't tell you how much more productive and beautiful it makes life in general.

This post is sponsored by IKEA. We're proud to be a part of their ambassadorship program this year.