6 tips to having . . . . . . a
guest-ready home 24/7
Mary Daniels
Published June 3, 2007
Organizing
expert Vicki Norris calls it the "Doorbell Dilemma." A friend
or neighbor stops by without warning and your home is not
exactly ready for company. You make your way to the door in a
state of high anxiety, tossing stuff in a nearby closet, then
stand in the doorway trying to shield the mess within. Norris,
author of the new book, "Restoring Order to Your Home"(Harvest
House, 215 pages, $11.95) and a featured expert on HGTV's
"Mission: Organization," calls this tack -- frantically
rushing about hiding clutter, hanging up coats and kicking the
shoes in a closet before opening the door -- the "dash and
stash." But the syndrome can be avoided entirely with
permanent solutions for making your home guest-ready 24/7, she
says. Just focus on the three areas of the home where guests
are typically invited: the entryway, the kitchen and the
family room.
Organizing doesn't have to mean time-consuming, she says. It's
just a matter of figuring out a system that works best for
you, by finding a purpose for each space and personalizing
your home. Here are her how-to's for being able to confidently
present the three most important spaces in your home in the
best light.
THE ENTRYWAY
1. The "clutter capture" system. First, Norris says, judge
the quantity of each item that lands in the foyer or
entryway. Do you see a few shoes or a small mountain of
them? A handful of coats or a closet-full? Once you have
figured that out, select storage that can handle it. For a
few coats, a row of antique-looking hooks can do the job.
For a slew of shoes, you might want a shoe bench. If you
prefer clutter to be invisible, purchase a narrow armoire
with doors that close on it.
2. Get personal. Personalize your entryway with a display of
family photos or fresh flowers. Having these items on tables
will prevent clutter from accumulating.
THE KITCHEN
3. The Command Center. This is the most popular place in the
home in which to invite guests. Yet the kitchen has a way of
accumulating papers, mail and possessions. Turn it into the
Command Center, she says. Search and sort. Dedicate "real
estate," even if just a corner of the counter top with a
drawer or cabinet for supplies, for daily drop-offs such as
mail and newspapers.
4. Bind it up. Create a binder to serve as a permanent
reference for take-out menus, coupons, gift certificates and
frequently needed phone numbers, such as the dry cleaner,
doctor, florist, hairstylist, pizza deliverer.
THE FAMILY ROOM
5. The "household superhighway." Norris calls this the most
trafficked room in the home. She recommends determining the
room's main use. Is it an entertainment hub where you gather
to play games or watch TV? Having an intention will set
boundaries for what things are really needed in this room.
Delete the rest.
6. The carryout carry-all. Set aside a "go elsewhere" basket
so at the end of each day you can relocate items that don't
belong in the family room to their proper place. In a large
family, each member might need a "go elsewhere" basket. Keep
surfaces such as tables and ottomans clear so you can use
them to, say, pull out a puzzle. "By clearing out the
clutter and reclaiming your space, you create more time for
the things that are truly important in your life," she says.
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mdaniels@tribune.com
Copyright © 2007,
Chicago Tribune
