Interior Design Today - Episode 018

Welcome to the Interior Design Today radio show with Mary Knackstedt.In our 18th episode, Mary talks about storage. Are things where you use them? There's no point in storing things in the basement or the third floor if you're using it in the dining room or the living room. Are your cabinets properly designed for what you're keeping in them? Is it a matter that I have to move everything in and out of the cabinet in order to reach something that I use rather often? Look carefully at your storage. Just remember, the things that were important to you last year or last month may not be the items that you're using today. Things change according to season, but more than that, they change according to our interests and the types of things we're doing and the people that are around us. There are times when games are very important, yet there are other times when we have no guests around and we don't play games for months or years. There are certain things we use as part of our desk, but if we have the same type of containers that we had a few years ago, it doesn't make sense because so much of it is done on our computers. A lot of it is stored there. I see many people who do not have a file cabinet or drawer. I have to admit that this is not completely my style because I still like a certain amount of paper and reference books, and I haven't yet put it all on my iPad or Kindle. Maybe I will at some point. There's something about a book that I really like. If you ever saw the way I live, you would know that books are really important to me. Maybe a little bit too important. I really enjoy reading and having books, but again, I must admit that they require constant weeding and reorganizing because my taste or interests change. Something that is an important topic to me, which I'm working with intensely, perhaps a month from now, I may not touch that item for many months. Still, I want them where I can find them. The same thing is true when looking at our china, our silver, and things we use for our table or kitchen. I used to often laugh, I had someone who helped me in my home. Every Monday morning, she rearranged everything in the kitchen cabinets, and every Friday when she left, I rearranged them back the way I wanted them. This is often the case with many people. Look at your bathroom. Is that hair dryer where you use it? Is it really convenient? Is it also out of the way when you're not using it? Each particular part of our house has its specific needs. One of the things I have found that is so important is accommodating what we use, where we use it. We want to be able to reach for it conveniently. We want to be able to access it without any form of destruction, either to ourselves or in the sense to the item. I often laugh when I look at our showroom. I'm not very tall, and those that have worked here that are quite tall always put things on the top shelf. Of course, that doesn't work for me. Another thing that one should consider is: what is convenient for you? How high should your cabinets be? How should your book cases and other storage units be designed? Consider not only the item but also the people using them. When I walk into a child's room and the parents exclaim, "My child is such a mess; never hangs up their clothing!" The child is 3 feet high and the clothing rod is 5 feet high. When the closets are designed for their convenience, often their behavior patterns change. It's really not a lot different with adults. When something works, we enjoy it. It all fits and it all meshes. When it gets slightly out of order, that's quite another thing.Some of my friends who are organizational specialists, especially Barbara Hemphill, often says that once you reach a certain point where things are so chaotic and out of order, you really can't fix it yourself. You often think of all the items and how special they are. Maybe, in reality, they are not so special.Look at the spaces you're living in. Do they really compliment the behaviors that you want to be happening in those spaces. The question is, "How much does the storage and the organizational process relate to the functions of that room?" I find that it is really key. Before we begin any design, we look at how does it work? What do I need to really perform all the tasks that I want to happen in this space appropriately? Storage needs to be reviewed on a regular basis because what you are using is constantly changing as much as your lifestyle is changing. You're spending a lot for the cost of the space that you occupy, whether you purchased it or are renting it, it is an expensive investment. Let's make sure it works for you, and your storage is a major part of it.Please subscribe to the video or audio version of the radio show via iTunes or listen to it at http://interiordesigntodaypodcast.blogger.com via the following MP3 Link.