Your House In Order

Like many of you, I work from home.  My home is a tiny 800 square foot cottage in Venice, California.  My office is the larger of two bedrooms – about 120 square feet – in the front of the house. The room evolved from a guest room into a home office when I left my…

You may think that we professional organizers are tough, non-nonsense individuals who live in clutter-free, perfectly organized homes.  You may think we are heartless creatures who will make you throw out cherished items that have only sentimental value.  Most likely you think that we operate to a standard that is impossible for you ever to…

I’ve been a renter for the last 18 years in the same small house.  I don’t bother my landlord with much, but recently I could no longer ignore the decrepitude of my refrigerator.  It was time to ask for a new fridge. The cubic footage of the new unit was the same as the old…

If you’re like me, you want the tools you use every day close at hand.  If you work in a small home office you know that real estate is at a premium.  If you had to choose ten office tools you use the most, what would they be?  This is my list: 1. Pens and…

DO choose an office location in your favorite part of the house.  Your home office should be comfortable and inviting. You want to work in a pleasant location, not someplace dreary and forbidding. DON’T choose a office location just because the space is available.  There may be lots of room in your garage, or basement,…

A fellow organizer turned me on to these mega rubber bands and I love them!  They’re called file bands. Use them to wrap around a stack of files going into the archives. Wrap them around an accordian file to keep it closed.  Don’t confine them to the office – they’re just as handy in the…

The other day my modem died and I was suddenly e-adrift.  I couldn’t check email, I couldn’t get on the internet, I couldn’t see facebook.  What a revelation!  I didn’t realize how much time I spent checking email, only to find offers from retailers jamming up my inbox. You can control how you receive and…

Filing fills most people with dread because they think it is the most BORING thing on earth.  Granted, filing is not sexy, but if you want an efficient office, you need to learn how to file. There’s nothing mysterious about filing.  Remember that filing is a method of RETRIEVAL, not a method of storage. Name…

Are you ready to work from home? I assume you already have a location in mind for your office – a place where you would be happy spending 6 – 8 hours a day.  Once you know where you will be working, here’s what you need to make it happen: Desk – This may seem…

What I do for a living is organize home offices.  I help people plan their space, organize their files, refine their processes and procedures, and set up systems for the most efficient use of their time and space.  I’m pretty good at it. My own home office works well.  My desk is well-lit in a…