Archive for the ‘Home Organization’ Category

Five Ways to Organize Your Bathroom Using What You Already Have

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 04/26/2012 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

In an effort to save money, conserve resources and keep your home put together, we found a few ways to get and keep your bathroom organized using everyday items that are already in your home.

Photo found at: http://bit.ly/ICCTSl

  1. Repurpose glass jars (mason jars, spaghetti sauce containers, etc.) to store items like cotton balls, bobby pins, hair ties, buttons and other miscellaneous items that often end up scattered throughout junk drawers and bathroom cabinets. A perk—colorful items, cotton balls, cotton swabs, etc. display nicely and can be grouped on bathroom counters for easy access or stored in closets and out-of-sight.
  2. Small crates or window boxes are the perfect size for storing items like extra towels and toilet paper in the bathroom. Plus, they add a little vintage vibe to the room.
  3. Choose a small glass or cup to store items like mascara, makeup brushes, toothbrushes or small pieces of jewelry—pretty for display or convenient for tucking into drawers and cabinets.
  4. Use an antique saucer or a small plate as a soap dish on your counter.
  5. In a rush to leave but hair tools and appliances are too hot to put away? Simply stick them inside an oven mitt and store them.

Need more than a few, quick fixes? Make sure to visit the Merillat Step-By-Step Bathroom Planner to start designing your dream bathroom today. For more organization solutions, check out Merillat.com.

What are your best unconventional organization tips for the bathroom?

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We Want to Hear About Your Morning Madness!

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 04/18/2012 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

We get it – mornings can be challenging! Whether it’s topsy turvy toiletries, drawer disorder or hamper headaches, we want to know what organization challenge makes your morning crazy.

Stop by our Morning Madness promotion on Facebook and enter for a chance to win a $500 VISA® gift card. You can enter once a day per Facebook account through May 16. You also can learn more about Merillat’s organization solutions featured at Merillat.com.

 

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Making Your Kitchen Work Smarter

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 03/22/2012 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

 

As you welcome spring into your home, what’s on your spring-cleaning list to tackle? For many of us, the change of the season is the perfect time to reenergize and reorganize our home. If jam-packed cabinets, unorganized shelves and catchall drawers are tops on your to-do list, maybe it’s time to think about a storage upgrade! Incorporating optimal storage into your kitchen design—especially in tight quarters—will make life less hectic and allow you to make the most of the space you do have.

Get a Grip on Pots & Pans

Storing large pots and pans can be a pain even for the most dedicated chef. To get a grip on cookware, check out the Merillat Masterpiece® Base Deep Drawer Peg Board Kit or the Merillat Masterpiece Base Cookware Storage Roll Out here.

Spiced Up Storage

With so many other items to keep organized in the kitchen, storing spices is often an afterthought. In many kitchens, spices end up scattered throughout cabinets and drawers. Merillat has several solutions for keeping spices visible and within reach such as the Merillat Classic® Base Spice Tray Insert or the Merillat Classic Base Pantry Roll Out here.

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

While corner cabinets add more storage space, items can easily disappear to the back of the cabinet leaving them out of sight, out of mind. Corner cabinets like the Merillat Classic Base Blind Cabinet with Lazy Susan and the Merillat Masterpiece Base Blind Corner with Swing Out will keep whatever you store there handy at all times. Check them out here.

For more space-maximizing solutions for the kitchen and bathroom, visit Merillat.com.

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We Want to Hear About Your Kitchen Challenge!

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 03/07/2012 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

Let’s face it – considering the traffic, use and wear-and-tear the average kitchen sees – we could all use some help in the organization department. Whether you suffer from cluttered cabinets, a sloppy spice rack, problematic pots and pan storage or unruly rubbish, we have some great options to restore order in these all-important areas.

Stop by our Organization Overhaul promotion on Facebook and enter for a chance to win a $500 Visa® gift card. You can enter once a day per Facebook account through this Sunday, March 11. Share your organizational challenge and learn more about Merillat’s organization solutions at Merillat.com.

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5 Ways to Create a Welcoming Guest Bathroom

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 11/14/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

Are you expecting guests over the holidays? Whether they spend a week or just a day, make them feel welcome by taking a few minutes to spruce up your guest bathroom. Clean the room thoroughly, and then incorporate a few of these ideas.

1. Set out a stack of fluffy towels on the bathroom vanity or elsewhere in a basket. Top it with a package of monogrammed hand soaps tied with ribbon and a tag that says, “Welcome!”

2. Be sure your guests have a hook or two to hang towels, robes or pajamas. If your guest bathroom doesn’t have enough hooks or towel bars, temporary hooks can be applied to walls or doors without damaging paint.

3. Create an attractive place for storing extra toilet paper where it will be visible to guests, like a basket on the toilet tank. Or stock up the vanity cabinet and let your guests know where to find it so they don’t have to ask you later. Include a box of tissues, too.

4. Place a pump of hand lotion next to the sink. A light scent is nice, but consider that your guest may have a fragrance allergy so avoid anything too strong.

5. Leave a new toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, and a small bottle of mouthwash inside the medicine cabinet, with a note that reads, “Help yourself!”

Your guests are so sure to feel welcome, they might even clean the bathroom before they leave!

 

 

 

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6 Steps for Organizing Your Pantry for the Holidays

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 11/08/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

6 Steps for Organizing Your Pantry for the Holidays

Turkey. Cornbread stuffing. Pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving will soon be upon us, ushering in the holiday cooking season. Which means that now is the time to get your kitchen—and especially your pantry—organized! An hour spent before the cooking flurry begins will save you many more in the weeks ahead. Follow these steps for a clean and well-organized pantry.

  1. Clear the countertop closest to your pantry area of any small appliances or other items.
  2. Remove the contents of your pantry cabinets and stack everything on the countertop.
  3. Gently wipe down the cabinet doors first and then the insides of the cabinets. Use a damp cloth with mild soap or a cleaning product designed for wood furniture. Dry with a clean towel or rag. (See a previous blog post for more information about how to clean your Merillat cabinets.)
  4. Reorganize the space by thinking about how often you reach for each item. Designate one area or shelf for baking supplies and another for soups and vegetables. A corner cabinet with Lazy Susan may be a good place for cereal and breakfast items. If space is at a premium, install a spice rack on the inside of a door. Group together any items you use only for holidays, like Christmas cookie sprinkles or cupcake liners.
  5. Assess each pantry staple as you move it to its new home. Check expiration dates on spices and canned goods and toss anything old. Empty any half-full bags of pasta or flour into a canister to consolidate space and to keep them from spilling.
  6. Make a shopping list of any supplies that are low or out, especially those items you’ll need for your holiday recipes. Be sure to leave room for these items in your newly organized pantry so they can be put away as soon as you return from shopping.

All that’s left to do is wipe down the countertop and take out the garbage. Your pantry is ready to tackle any cooking the holidays bring!

Just for fun: what’s an item found in your pantry only during the holidays? Leave a comment and let us know.

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Combating Countertop Clutter

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 04/08/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

An important part of running an efficient kitchen is combating clutter on every front. The first step, of course, is to clear out unused items and reorganize your kitchen. See our post on Winning the Battle against Kitchen Clutter for tips on decluttering your kitchen.

Once your kitchen is in order, you’re going to want to keep it that way. Clean and clear countertops are often the first casualty in the war against clutter, so we recommend the following strategies to help keep you on course.

The Basics

It may seem obvious, but good housekeeping basics such as cleaning messes up right away and putting plates directly in the dishwasher instead of the sink are the best defense against unwanted accumulation. A little clutter can quickly add up to a big mess in a busy kitchen. Developing good habits and staying ahead of those messes is much easier than spending hours playing catch up. Being able to walk right into a tidy kitchen to whip up a dish when you are inspired to cook is a reward in and of itself!

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3 Options for Wine Storage

Posted by: Merillat Marketing on 01/02/2011 | Permalinks | Trackbacks

Serious wine drinkers often pine for a wine refrigerator to store whites and reds at their premium temperatures. But as the housing downsizing trend continues, most homeowners don’t have kitchen space to devote to a specialty appliance—nor do they have a devoted wine cellar. While other storage options don’t provide temperature precision, there are plenty of ways to store your vino collection, even in small spaces.

Casual Wine Storage

If you don’t go through a lot of wine, a corner of your dining room buffet or an accent table might be the perfect space for your stash. Avoid a cluttered look by arranging several bottles together on a silver platter or other decorative tray. For added flair, group this with a few wine glasses or a pretty bowl of corks.

Built-in Storage

If your collection is larger, Merillat offers a number of built-in wine storage options for kitchen cabinets and dining room sideboards. Built-in options are ideal since they are the most stable, can be designed for areas that would otherwise be wasted space, and blend in to surrounding cabinetry.

Freestanding Storage

But if a remodel isn’t in your near future, a freestanding wine rack may serve well temporarily. Wine racks come in a huge range of sizes and styles and can be tucked into dining room corners, set atop bookcases, or stowed inside a cabinet. The best locations will be areas out of direct light and with the most stable temperature. Avoid the top and either side of a refrigerator or other sources of heat. Laying the bottles on their sides, as most wine racks are designed to do, keeps the corks from drying out and letting air in.

 

Is wine storage a priority in your home? Where do you store wine currently?

 

 

 

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