Organization. The key to living in a small home, successfully. The key to success in business, the key to so many many different kinds of success. To say our studio was unorganized is an understatement. At some point in time, it became a dumping ground for things we didn’t know where they should go and for items that needed to be dealt with at a later time. The stacks of unopened mail flooded the desk and the disheveling of so many different items in a dual purpose space were simply out of control. I knew I needed help!
I absolutely love to organize and to admit that I needed help was a little difficult but sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is exactly what you need in a space to revitalize the space and your motivation. I connected with Nicole from Simply Seaside Organizing on Instagram a while ago and was so excited when she offered to collaborate and help me get the studio organized.
The studio is a multi purpose space. On any given day, it can house guests, be an office, be an exercise space, be an art studio for the kids or be a photography studio for me. It also acts as extra storage for our tiny home so making sure it’s organized needed to be a top priority. Nicole came in to do her thing and even though the space itself isn’t totally done yet, I’m so excited to share with you what she came up with!
The first thing Nicole did was undo everything that was there previously. She took down everything from the desk and sorted it out into piles on the floor and on the bed. She took all the accessories, papers, books, you name it… everything except the computer came down. What I loved about this was that it gave a clean slate to start putting it back together in a neater more organized fashion.
There were piles and piles of paper and opened mail that Nicole urged me to organize, file away, or shred and it was so helpful.
Nicole then took all the supplies that were sitting on the desk or thrown in the little drawers and organized them into drawer organizers by categories. Tech and photography stuff on one side and office supply needs on the other. It has made such a visual impact on what I have. I no longer by post its every time I see them because I know I have some right in my desk.
As stated earlier, the studio is sort of an all purpose space. It stores all our biking needs, it’s my office and work space, Ryan’s study space, a guest house and a workout space. I love that Nicole took all of this into consideration when organizing the space. She took the unused cubby and rolling side cart and dedicated those spaces to workout gear and hosting supplies for guests. It was such a great touch.
I still have a ways to go with the studio, like re-framing degrees and certificates for Ryan and getting up some of my vintage art work and decor oh and finish painting the cracks of our DIY shiplap… but I’m so happy with the organization and the little kick-start that Nicole did. The simplified organization makes it easier to host guests all summer and to clean up before and after guests too. I can find all my workout gear and can easily sit down to work at the computer knowing I have a clear space!
I can’t wait to finish up the rest of the space this summer and really get to utilize and enjoy the studio for the next 2 years! Thank you to Nicole for coming over and helping jump start our organization! If you’re local to Southern California and struggling with where to start or are feeling overwhelmed with being unorganized, Nicole is your gal!
-Brandi
