Storage bench

Yesterday I mentioned I bought a new storage bench for my bedroom. These 100 year old houses lack storage and I needed a place to store quilts and blankets during the off season ... these 100 year old houses are drafty too.

The storage bench didn't make it upstairs because we keep sitting&eating, laying&reading, sprawling&eating&reading on it while it is in the kitchen. I also think it looks really good in the kitchen beside on top of the Turkish rug.  SO I gathered my scattered kitchen renovation purchases and placed them INTO the storage bench. Perfect. A place to store and keep my kitchen things organizated and a place for kids to sloth around on.

I have only purchased three items for this kitchen reno.  And I had stored them in logical places around my house such as the bathroom wallpaper sat on top of the toilet tank leaning against the wall. And the magnetic knife holder x's 2, ended up in a basket in my bedroom. My bedroom, you wonder?! Well yes. I bought two, one for the kitchen and another for my sons room. Once I finish painting the wall, I will install the magnetic knife holder on to the freshly painted wall and stick his collection of cars to it. Cool idea, inspired by this. Exactly LIKE this.

Source: style-files.com via Sara on Pinterest

I have also bought one portion of a piece of an appliance. A pipe thing. You know, one of those purchases made after having a very long discussion about fridges with a Best Buy appliance person. A how-can-I-thank-you-end-this-too-long-conversation-I-just-quickly-faded-and-need-to-get-out-of-here-I-suppose-I-could-purchase-this-thing-and-in a effort to show you how I value your time and knowledge-leave-because-mall-air-has-just-exhausted-me kind of purchases. I have not even looked at it again. BUT I WILL be ready to hook up the ice maker when the time comes. This very important item was placed inside a discarded kitchen cabinet which is stored in my basement. When I first put it there, I thought that would be a great place to store all my purchased kitchen renovation items. Until NOW (yea, the other 2 items were too nice to put in that old grungy cupboard)

SO, lest I buy ANY MORE things and stuff them into logical places around my house and start forgetting where I have stored the stuff ... well I NOW have a very convenient place to keep all my kitchen reno things. And I can open the lid of my storage bench, look at them, take an inventory and give a knowing nod and smile of approval.

No sooner do I lift the bench, turn around to ready the camera and my styling assistant has done her magic. She is QUICK, my girl.  And for those who are counting, I said I had put THREE [kitchen]things in here, but there are 4, the 4th being the hexagon marble floor sample.

Three items - kind of pathetic. The kitchen was gutted almost a year ago. And three items is all I have to show for my renovation project to date, well besides the obvious gutted part.  Ah, but wait, I also have my  my collection of samples (2), and folder (1) of notes&diagrams (15) and ideas (72) that is currently stored in a fabric grocery bag neatly placed on my console in the dining room. This stuff can easily get misplaced due to the dining room now being a resting place for excess kitchen stuff from rearranging kitchen every week (2).

I may as well toss in the kitchen research magazines and books too. There is no way that storage bench is going upstairs now, now that it is brimming of inspiration and proof of a project in the works.

IKEA toy bin = recycle organization

Turn unorganized heaping piles and messes into something easy to get at and appealing to look at. (Mind the ugly walls, the kitchen is gutted and readying for a renovation.)

















I like recycling and organizing the stuff. I like putting the papers in the paper bag, the tins and plastic in the containers. The bottles back to the store. But I have to say, I seem to accumulate more recyclables now and they got a little out of hand. Previous to the kitchen gutting, I had some semblance to my recycling stuff. Post gut and for the past few months the piles spread out and piled up and got a little crazy.

For the time being, without any counters or cupboards, I used big empty diaper boxes for collecting the main recyclables.And then we would bring the blue bin up, dump the boxes into blue bin and take bin curbside. Im not sure why I don't just keep the blue bin up here??? I'm sure I had a reason, but I forget what it  is!

The door handle was heavily used with hanging bags holding other bags. Rice bag held plastic bags, Cotton bag held kitchen laundry. Another hidden cotton bag held grocery bags. And the paper bag, holding paint stuff - as I am painting the stairway.  (Backpack will find its new home next week.)

Small clementine fruit crate holding magazines, flyers, envelopes.

Ya know, when I lived in Ottawa, Canada one can stick a note on the mailbox refusing flyers, junk mail. That doesn't go over so well here in CNY. I suppose that is because the junk mailers have gotten hold of your name and have addressed the junk to you.

Oh look, here is a neat pile. Old magazines.

Trip to IKEA. Spot the toy bin and shelf organizer. Purchase it and build it with my little building associate, Lucy. (Building tip: I used a power drill for the plastic "sliders" (that the bins slip into) The drill was able to force the sliders flat which helps the bins slide in and out easily.  I did the first few manually and I couldn't get the sliders flat against the clapboard ... and it was MUCH quicker to use the power drill)

And everything is tidy again.

Now if I can only find a decent place to plop my counter top compost bucket.

Back to school preparation, storage idea

Helmets have taken over our basement stairway. A too small skateboard helmet, a new bike helmet (10 dollars via a city program, thankfully). And a too small bike helmet. My bike helmet. A too big bike helmet for Lucy.  A ski helmet. It goes on. And on.  We are tripping over helmets.

A simple solution would be a universal helmet for all wheel type sports. But this isn't the case, I am told. Also, their heads keep growing. This I did not know! Shoes each year. Yes. Helmets each year, hmmm. We do double time with ski helmet and ice skating helmet. But if he takes up hockey.... Triple duty for the bike/scooter/skateboard helmet. We are a biking family and I strongly abide to biking laws, even for myself. 

Maybe it is the numerous out grown helmets. I am torn ... do I keep them for Lucy (I am a bit surprised at how quickly my son grows out of helmets). Or do I bring them to a 2nd hand store and get new ones when she needs them. After all there is a 7 year age difference.  Like child car seats, I wonder if the Salvation Army cannot take the helmets either. Lawsuit liabilities.  The garage is no good, squirrels and spiders live there. I suppose I can make a trip up to the attic, but that would require me remembering to haul the collection of helmets with me.


For the past year, they have been hanging nicely make.do.with.whats.there on left over curtain hardware on the side door. (I'll spare you the before picture, until I actually complete this little project) This is also where backpacks (the "back to school" reference in title connection:)) reside. Things are constantly falling off the hooks, so mostly they collect in a pile on the floor.  And to add to it, this area became a dumping ground for other sports equipment -> lacrosse stix, tennis rackets.... It IS dangerous!

The time has come to take back this area. Make it more safe. Make it more purposeful. I started painting it last week. I also got this idea to build a recessed shelf/cubby hole to toss and hide extra shoes. Ill need the contract-her for that. And this weekend we are headed to my parents farm for some family time, cousin play AND a trip to IKEA.

I have had this little picture on my design board at home. It is now in my wallet ready for our IKEA shopping trip. It is the simplest solution for backpacks and helmets.  And a bit stylish if I do say so.

Yep, a rail and S hooks. The ceramic container is optional, but pretty.

I'm not a participant of "back to school shopping" or any other kind of advertising that occurs months before the actual event.  It is the middle of summer. We will live in the summer until the last few days.  But a trip to IKEA has sort of got me into the spirit of this back to school shopping. At least in the home organizing sense.

(post script: The after pictures)

And since back to school equates to fall ... all these other projects started to get in my head and needed organizing:
1) Vestibule - replace floor, fix cracks in wall, paint wall (gray & white) fix main door, insert glass in 2nd door and stain and varathane door In progress

2) Chaz closet - make (plumbing) shelf (open up space); hang curtain/door. paint wall, tear out vinyl floor. not in this order.

3) My room - remove closet door and widen opening and replace with sliding door -> will let more light into room and closet. make closet more accessible. and by removing door that swings into room, I will have more options for moving king size bed to different walls. Right now its against the windows and if I dont get replacement windows in this fall, it will be kind of chilly on our heads.


4a) tear vinyl floor out of Lucy's closet. sand, stain and varathane hardwood (found a check for 3 dollars written in 1969; some old hockey cards and paperclips) In progress
4b) remove vinyl floor from Chaz's closet. sand stain and varathane hardwood

5) basement stairway: painting in progress. add rail and S hooks in basement stairway - hang backpacks. Add shelf for ... stuff, add hooks for helmets.

6) replacement windows for 5 windows upstairs my/chaz room

7) downstairs bathroom - insert sliding door. chalkboard paint it. AND hopefully remodel the entire room, if I can make a decision on tile.

8) tile kitchen floor.

9) Orange / now peacock blue room -> reclaiming it for my work space (from storage place) In progress

10)  Oh yeah, and the dining room light and two "live" units. The electrician. In progress

Small storage solution: Letterpress tray

Antique letterpress trays are great for displaying small toys or objects.

The other day I made passing mention of organizing my sons lego people here and thought I would expand on the idea.

I originally bought the tray to display/store his hot wheels collection in it, but his lego people made it there first.  He is able to see all his people and sometimes he even puts them back!

The trays have different sized compartments, which is useful for the wider, armored men or, motorcycles.

I have yet to try a hot wheel in a slot as it seems perfect for people. The cars may fit in some of the longer ones, but that is where we put the lego horses, alligators, motorcycles, etc.

p.s. There always seems to be some trays listed on ebay that go for a decent price, for antique stuff. (20$, if I recall correctly)

p.s.s Look at the lipstick on the lego women! Secret agent women with lipstick!

Small storage solutions: upcycle: cigar boxes

In the open, displayed on bookshelves:

Collection of cigar boxes, circa 1998

Collection of coasters, matches & notes from travels

Magazine clippings of things I liked

Buttons

In the supply room, shelved:

Miscellaneous beads

Colour coded beads

On the desk, decorated:

A decorated jewelery box

♥Mothers day gift from 2nd grader♥