Order Out of Chaos: Linen Closet and Bathroom Makeover (Slideshow)
Andrea Gerasimo uses some decluttering and feng shui techniques to tackle the space of former EL fitness editor Laine Bergeson.
Bathroom Before
Another snapshot of Bergeson’s bathroom before reordering the space.
Bathroom Before
The bathroom housed a lot of products Bergeson didn’t use every day. Because our brains tend to categorize everything the eye perceives, it’s more tiring to be in a busy-looking room.
Linen Closet Before
Bergeson’s linen closet needed editing. It was host to too many things she didn’t use often (like board games), while more essential items (like toilet paper) got crowded out.
Emptying the Bathroom and Closet
Rather than trying to sort items in a compressed space, we emptied Bergeson’s entire closet and bathroom.
Setting Up Containers
Grouping similar objects in containers makes them easier to find and retrieve.
Going Through Items
Sorting through products from Bergeson’s bathroom.
Organizing Items
We check the expiration date on an ancient bottle of sunscreen.
Sorting Items
Bergeson sorts items for donation, disposal, or disbursement to other areas of the house.
Linen Closet After
The middle shelves of the linen closet now host labeled bins with similar items, making things easy to find — and less likely to tip over. Lighter backup items live on the top shelf (not a great place for heavier items that could tumble down) and a fresh coat of turquoise paint makes it more pleasing and energizing to open the closet door.
Bathroom After
Our goal was to populate the bathroom with things she uses daily — and little else.
Story could be more detailed. And if one doesn’t have 3 or more empty large containers and has to go out to the store to get them it kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?
Story could be more detailed. And if one doesn’t have 3 or more empty large containers and has to go out to the store to get them it kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?