This is my 4th ORC!  I’ve previously transformed My Tuscan Inspired Kitchen, My Dining Room Reclaimed, and most recently My Master Bedroom Refresh.  If you have followed along with any of my projects, you know that my plans are always fluid.  As I proceed through the weeks, inevitably I stumble across more previous unconsidered possibilities and usually change course.  So hang on for the ride, there will undoubtedly be curves, changes, and surprises in this journey of creating an office space.

With my 5 children all grown and my antique store closed, I’ve been going through the process of purging and creating a home specifically suited for Mr. Blu and me.  It certainly has been interesting, after devoting most of your time to your children and family, to really begin to fashion your home into a special place that you absolutely love.  So far, I’ve transformed 7 areas of our home.  So this project puts me halfway through the entire house with area #8.  And I must say that I am amazed at how much I am enjoying this process of taking my home from functional to fabulous!

The Current Room

This room has been the bedroom to 4 of our 5 children over the past 20 years.  Most recently, it has been used, well, basically for storage and there’s a desk sitting right in the middle of all of the stuff. 

I mean, doesn’t everyone use their antique china cabinet to house their Ryobi collection?  

It is long past time to purge, organize and really design a functional office space.  When I say it’s been used for storage, it has literally been my dumping ground for projects, things waiting to go to the garage, and any decor without a home.  You can see from the photos below that there is exercise equipment, old computers, baskets filled with excess from projects, fabric, picture frames, artwork, antiques, storage bins, flooring, ladders to name a few.

The Organization Plan

1. All displaced items will be returned to their proper place in the house.  All tools go to the garage.  No more using my antique china cabinet for my Ryobi  collection.  All hardware, glue, staples, etc.  will be placed in their proper area in the garage.
2. Paperwork needs to be sorted and purged.  I no longer need the consignment box from The Blue Building Antiques that closed in 2019.  Personal documents will be placed in storage, specifically old tax documents, etc.
3. Shelving will be created for photography props and decor items that I use frequently.  Seasonal items will be placed in a special area.
4. All photography equipment will have its own place as will Silhouette supplies, office supplies, blogging supplies, photography props, seasonal decor, etc.

Room Design

I like the current color of the walls so I will keep the grey tones.  I’m loving the concrete Old World look of this wallpaper by Ever Wallpaper.  One of the walls will be a feature wall with some color and possible some florals.  I just can’t decide!  Look for a mood board in the next post as I iron out the details of my design.

Lighting

I installed this ceiling fan two years ago. 

The wiring need to be addressed as it is connected to a dimmer switch that stopped working some time ago.  That switch needs attention and the fan blades will be painted.  The popcorn ceiling should be removed but I’m not sure I am up to that task!

There is one window in the room that looks out onto our brand new deck.  I am excited to be able to see the summer plants thriving through that window with a view unobstructed by unnecessary clutter!

Closet Revamp

The closet is relatively large for this room.  And of course it is chock full of stuff.  Sewing machines, photography equipment, graduation gowns, clothing, blankets, fabric, books, a doll collection that I’m having trouble parting with, Silhouette supplies.  You name it and it is in this closet.  But not for long.

The wire shelving will be replaced with sturdy wooden shelving.  You can see where we had to access the Primary Bathroom plumbing.  I will build an access panel here.  I built a cubby unit several years back as part of a one board challenge.  Here is that post.  I might put this in the closet for office supplies.

Flooring

We had LVP installed in 2020 throughout the main level of our house.  We had ordered an entire pallet of flooring so there is enough left to do the floor in the new office!  I will install this myself.  Say a prayer for me!  Here is the floor as installed in the dining room.

I am looking at some rugs for the office as well.  We will see what I can find that is within my budget.  Is it weird, though, that when we have new floors installed I love to leave them bare for a while just to enjoy the change?  

The next two weeks will be very busy with finishing the stain on our new deck, trimming trees and shrubs, and participating in several spring blog hops.  We will also sneak in a trip to New Orleans for our anniversary celebration.  

The next 2 weeks will be spent sorting and purging and organizing.  My first big project will be the closet.  I’m so excited to have everything in its place.  I got a taste of this in January with the Declutter Challenge.  I feel like it is all a practice run for when I am able to tackle the mother load…the garage!  It’s coming!  

See you next week!

The post Creating a Home Office Space appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Day One: Kitchen Cabinets

I started the declutter challenge on Day One with the main upper cabinets near my sink.  These cabinets hold my dishes, glassware, mugs, a few appliances that get frequent use like the toaster and crockpot, and our bread.  These are the cabinets that get the most use so they were a great place to start.

Last year, I had removed some items we didn’t use regularly like tea cups and Rubbermaid plastic bottles.  I moved these to a shelf in the guest bedroom.  My plan is to consolidate existing with additional items to a tub and relocate the tub to the garage since I haven’t really used the tea cups or Rubbermaid.  There are many items in the kitchen that do not get regular use but I am not yet ready to discard.  Perhaps after sitting in the garage for 6 months, I will be ready to rehome them.  We can only hope.  But getting them out of the kitchen is the first step.

Here are the dishware and bread cabinets.

Back when I had my store, The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment, I frequented several thrift stores regularly.  I was constantly buying kitchen gadgets, vintage serve ware, plates, and glassware.  As you know, I have a love for all things vintage and antique.  I was scooping up so many cool kitchen items but many just weren’t practical.  I would eventually move them to the store inventory for resale.  But I have held on to quite a bit.  So a lot of those excess pieces are moving to Etsy.  

I also had complimentary glasses from restaurants that we just don’t use.  So, those will be donated.  Basically, I sorted the glasses into sections:  Daily use, coffee mugs, travel tumblers, plastic glasses and tumblers for out doors (by the pool), cocktail glasses and wine glasses.  Eventually, the cocktail and wine glasses will go to a bar area in the dining room once we expand that bar area.  And some glasses were just beat and placed into the trash-like the plastic we use outdoors when gardening or landscaping.

Over the sink is a smaller cupboard that holds pitchers, a coffee grinder, and my small food processor.  I recently added our vitamins and supplements to this area so there were bottles seemingly everywhere.  Four Rubbermaid pitchers are way too many.  We no longer have 5 children seeking Koolaid in the summer.  And since Pop is now in heaven watching over us, I don’t need those gallon pitchers for homemade iced tea.  I am keeping one for summer but it will be in that tote in the garage.  

I used a few Dollar Tree plastic baskets to corral the vitamin bottles.  These will do for now until I find something more attractive and sturdy. 

Day Two:  Kitchen Pantry -Regularly Declutter

Day Two area of concentration was the pantry cupboards.  Mr. Blu does a great job of maintaining these areas.  We did have some outdated and expired items.  So those were trashed.  And I have identified a few areas that need small baskets or bins to better organize items like packets of taco seasoning, gravy mix, ranch mix, etc. I also rehomed some items to the “not currently using bin”.

And here is a smaller cupboard with coffee, spices, etc.  There is not a real wow factor in this pantry cupboard as I have been working hard to maintain this one.  So let’s call this my inspiration!!!  

Day Three:  Kitchen Drawers

The dreaded drawers!  In my kitchen, the drawers and junk drawers go hand in hand.  So I started with the utensil drawers.  Our main utensil drawers was one that I sorted last January (read about that HERE) and it has remained relatively tidy.  This drawer was actually the one area in the entire kitchen requiring the least attention!I continued with the next utensil drawer which merged into the junk category.  The easiest way to tackle this mess was to empty all 3 drawers and begin to sort.  You would not believe the things that a DIY’er tosses into a kitchen drawer.  Electronics, hardware, assorted tools, a small tv (really small), curtain hardware, light bulbs, ten cell phones, cookbooks…we don’t have all day so I will just share the photo.

I sorted items into the following piles:

• old electronics and accessories – cell phones, camcorders cords and chargers, extension cords, power cords for Lord knows what.
• cookbooks.
• hardware – screws, nails, hooks, staples, bolts, zip ties, etc., basically anything that belongs in the garage.
• trash – lids without partners, parts to items long discarded, worn knives and gadgets
• things to donate – items I know we will never use.
• items we frequently use.

Then I placed these items into the 3 drawers.  

These drawers contained happy reminders of a home well loved and lives well lived.  It was fun to sort through old recipes as well.

Day Four: Under Sink

We had so many pots and pan!  I donated a few, moved a couple to the camping tote, and threw a few in the trash.  A future project will be to research drawer slides and lid organizers to make this space more efficient and the pots and pans more easily accessible.

Day Five: Junk Drawer-Ultimate Declutter Task

Like I stated above, I have many junk drawers.  But this one is the original.  It is where we drop the mail, receipts, phone chargers, coupons, etc.  It is now sorted and organized.   A declutter success story!  This will be a weekly task as this drawer is also the “quickly hide it drawers” if someone comes over unexpectedly.  

Day Six: Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies are mostly stored under the sink counter.  This is an area that is easier to maintain since I pull items from here on a daily basis.  I will be looking for some sliding baskets to help make these supplies easier to access.

Day Seven:  Fridge and Freezer

Since upgrading all of our kitchen appliances last year for My Tuscan Inspired Kitchen,  And HERE is the post about the new appliances.  I’ve been very conscious of keeping these areas clutter free and organized.  This was a good opportunity to removed the massive amounts of Holiday Beer from the fridge and relocate it back to the overflow refrigerator in the garage.  Don’t be alarmed as we don’t drink nearly as much Sam Adams as this before photo would lead you to believer.

I’m headed to the grocery store today so I left some space for new items.  Below is one the french drawer in the fridge.  Love this for meats, cheeses, etc.  I will be searching for more organizers that will help keep these items from moving around when the drawer is opened or closed.

My kitchen is completely decluttered and reorganized!  This has been both a liberating and an inspiring challenge.  I am ready for Week 2.  Will you join me?  

Guidelines:

• Remember, go at your own pace…there basically are no rules!
• If you have already tackled the day’s listed task, simply pick another.
• Share your photos at The Blue Building Facebook page.
• Share your tips as well!  I know you have some great secret tips!

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope this challenge has helped you in some way! 

Here is next week’s task list:

The post January Declutter Challenge: Week One Recap appeared first on Shop at Blu.

The challenge runs through the month of January.  I will post the weekly challenge every Monday.  Choose what you like and proceed at your own pace.  Don’t be shy!  I want to hear all of your declutter tips!

Guide for Week One

Inspired by Every Day Savvy’s Blog

My inspiration for this challenge comes from Every Day Savvy.  We are following their graphic so I encourage you to visit their blog for great ideas.

How to Participate

This challenge is live on my Facebook page: The Blue Building Antiques.  I will be sharing my daily progress photos on that page.  Each week I will share my favorite tips and advice from readers as well as my favorite bloggers.  

Move at Your Own Pace

I am headed to the kitchen to tackle those cupboards.  What is your first target area?

The post Declutter Tips: A January Challenge to Declutter appeared first on Shop at Blu.

While I am loving my new kitchen, it is time to pare down and make this gorgeous space work better for our shrinking family.  

Over the years, I have accumulated extra dishes, bowls, pots and pans of every size, silverware, glassware, cups, etc.  Add owning an antique and consignment store into the mix coupled with an addiction to vintage items and you have the perfect formula for clutter! 

I mean, how much of this kitchen display do you thing I packaged and brought home when I closed The Blue Building in 2019?  

With 5 children it is simply easier to have more than enough as opposed to being short.  We never had to run the dishwasher or wash dishes in order to serve a meal.  We are indeed very blessed.

#1 now has a family of his own.  #2 is married as well.  #3 lives nearby in his own home. #4 also lives nearby in her own place as well.  That leaves Mr. Blu, #5, and me!  So our kitchen that at one point served 9 (including my parents), now needs to function for 3.  

I would imagine at some point, extras will be needed when everyone is visiting.  But those items can be stored away and utilized only when visitors are here.  I no longer need 15 dinner plates, 15 soup/cereal bowls, 15 glasses or stock pots in which to cook 2 pounds of spaghetti.  It’s time to pare down and to live more simply.

While I would love to have some state of the art or brand new organizing accessories for my drawers and cabinets, that will come as I exhaust the list of priority projects in our home.  Those items can be so expensive and after all of our improvements in 2020, my budget is a big fat $ZERO!  So, for now, or at least until I clean out the garage and can access my wood working tools to build some new drawer dividers and the like, I will simply gut each drawer, clean the current organizers, donate or store excess items, and refill my cupboards and drawers with just essentials.  

First target…the silverware drawer.  Having run my own antique store for 10 years, I have been to thousands of yard and estate sales.  There is not a kitchen gadget that is safe from me!  I love them.  And if they are vintage…even better.  But, do I NEED them??  More often than not, that answer is no.  

Here is what was in my silverware drawer:

I found my Pampered Chef scraper that has been missing for 18 years!  Actually, I found both!  They were all the way in the back of the drawer under the organizer.  I could probably stop right now because I can’t imagine being more satisfied with this project than I am right now!  But…I will continue.

Being in the antique and consignment business means that you keep “like” things together.  So if you find a beautiful vintage slotted spoon along with its gorgeous matching serving spoon, you keep them together even though you only need a slotted spoon.  This is curse.  And eventually, you must recognize that you don’t need the serving spoon so you must set it free.  Reality is that there is someone out there who needs that serving spoon!  “It’s a crime to separate them,” the voices scream.  Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s a crime for me to have this much crap.  So some of it is going!  

How many sets of vintage measuring spoons does one kitchen need? Or carving knives? 

I dumped it all out on the kitchen table.  While the trusty Rubbermaid silverware drawer organizer was soaking in a bleach bath, I sorted all of the utensils into the following:

• KEEP IN DRAWER for daily use
• move to OCCASIONAL USE basket to be stored in pantry
• move to STORAGE for large parties/visits
• DONATE
• TRASH

                           
 

On the 12th Day of Christmas, my hoarding drawer revealed:

And here is my newly purged drawer:

Much better!  One drawer down and 7 to go…then on to the cupboards and pantry!  This organization task will take me a while.  I must do it in stages because purging, for me, is overwhelming.  So, stay tuned for more progress…a little at a time!

I’m sharing this post as part of a January Organizing Blog Hop with some incredibly creative friends!  Thanks to Sydney from Sydney and Co. for coordinating this hop.   Head on over to check out the other post on great organizational tips!

The post The struggle continues: ORGANIZING! appeared first on Shop at Blu.