The Organized Home: Design Solutions for Clutter-Free Living

by Randall Koll, Casey Ellis

The Organized Home is not merely a practical book about labeling boxes and finding more storage spaceûit's about great design. It's also about living smart and living with style.Interior designer and lifestyle consultant Randall Koll and design writer Casey Ellis emphasize the intelligent and imaginative use of furniture and accessory choices to ensure that function goes hand-in-hand with good looks. This beautiful volume offers professional advice, surprising and clever solutions, insights into creating positive household habits, and inspiring full-color photographs detailing every room in the home.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2004

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a good thing I read this book, I might not have been able find good solutions for my floweri arranging table or my mini-bar without it. Obviously the authors have no children or their kid's section might have been realistic and they did not include a sewing space. Phooney on them. The kitchens were lovely and the master bedrooms where inviting. Overall, same old same old.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

There isn't a lot of organizing in comparison to other organizing books. This one seems to focus on preparing your huge house for loads of entertainment events....I do not host entertainment events and I do not have a huge house.

I also do not have a flower arrangement table or a min-bar/bar/wet bar/whatever either. No do I have a large entryway, a large kitchen or something else like that for that matter. While I won't ever be able to fit any sort of furniture in my entryway, I do appreciate that they let you think outside of the box, encouraging repurposing furniture to places traditionalists would loath. Buffet table in your nice entryway, sure! Trunk instead of a coffee table (already doing this in the tiny tv cave), do it! Some of their ideas sound good....but I lack the space. lol

They did have some funny bits though.

Page 72 - "If feeling annoyed by having picked up the same dirty sweatshirt or gym shoes too many times, hide the basket and make the guilty parties beg."

Page 110 - "When dealing with a truly horrific room inhabited by a teenager, simply shutting the door between the onset of puberty and the beginning of freshman year in college is probably the best policy."

[Sam (Hissing Potatoes) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Far less about organizing than preparing your home for the vast amount of entertaining the authors seem to think people do, and even that advice is superficial and limited to big houses. A lot of words that don't really say anything. The pictures are nice enough.

[Gwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent premise: "Unlike many other books on organization, this one does not preach that clutter control is simply a matter of hardening your heart, gathering up a clutch of garbage bags, and throwing away piles of possessions based on arbitrary guidelines. We wouldn't dream of declaring that you must discard clothes you haven't worn in a year or that you should stop buying artwork because you are running out of wall space. Who are we to say how many pairs of shoes or signed lithographs you should own? We only ask you to open your eyes, evaluate the way your home does or doesn't work now, and consider some offbeat, even quirky, uses of furniture and accessories to make it both better organized and more attractive." (9)

While much of the book is your standard "repurposing" advice (Use a trunk instead of a coffee table! Use a small dresser in place of a nightstand! Use a buffet table in an entryway!), there are a few good nuggets, most importantly: figuring out how YOUR house works and going from there. There's not just one particular way to organize/unclutter that everyone has to follow.

Hidden within the gorgeous pictures (with accessible ideas) are some gems with personality:

* "When dealing with a truly horrific room inhabited by a teenager, simply shutting the door between the onset of puberty and the beginning of freshman year in college is probably the best policy." (110)

* "If feeling annoyed by having picked up the same dirty sweatshirt or gym shoes too many times, hide the basket and make the guilty parties beg." (72)

This book also has a weird love of the tansu and Ikea...neither of which I can really complain about because I love both, but if Japanese design and/or Ikea style are not to your liking, this book may not be the best option for you.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first found this book when I was in middle school. I don't remember what drew me to it as a 13-year old, but I remember finding it very comforting. I come from a long line of packrats and clutterbugs, and seeing an alternative - seeing a way to control one's surroundings - was very formative for me. Time and time again I have returned to this book, to gaze at the serene interiors, imagine my future home, and just let go.

[Zoey · Rating 1 out of 5]

“The ideal audience for this book seems to be people with grand homes who like to have dinner parties with place settings and hostess gifts, and whose furniture and decor reflect the changing seasons. I'm not quite there yet, but I did appreciate suggestions on keeping things clean and orderly. Behind all that beauty are functional furniture, sensical arrangements, and well-stocked supplies.”

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting book with lots of pictures and ideas for storage, bookshelves, functional furniture and ideas for controlling clutter, entertaining, and daily rituals. Good reading and viewing but no wonderful ideas for my life and home.

[wueasa]

quick look in sussex stationers. ea. chapter summarised at end. looks quite good.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly practical!

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

final chapter "Celebrating in the Organized Home" is particularly innovative & helpful