[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]I was watching the Lego Movie the other day and something struck me as pretty awesome. It was a little detail I’d never given much thought to, but it changed the way I thought about organizing the things in my rig.
Here’s a little background: in the Lego Movie, there are these special lego characters called master builders. They are unique from every other Lego character because these guys and girls can make things without following instructions.
The main character of the movie was not a master builder. He was as far from an independent thinker as you could get. Throughout the movie, this guy was trying to figure out how to build things without using a blueprint. It was comical watching him try to build cool things. Everyone around him was building things like rocket ships, guns with a million functions, airplanes, off-road vehicles, and just about anything anyone could come up with.
The main character, when he was tasked with building something, built a double-decker couch with drink holders and an ice bin, but it was definitely not cool. He was ridiculed by the other characters for this – and many other things he tried to build. Right around the time it was supposed to happen, the main character could suddenly see and build things like a master builder. Now we’re at the point of the movie I was talking about way back at the beginning of this post.
At this point in the movie, the audience finally got to see things from a master builder’s perspective. Nothing was too different. However, instead of focusing on objects that were already built, the master builders were able to look at the individual Lego pieces.
The master builder would quickly scan whatever Lego structures were around him, and then the pieces he needed would get a score. In the movie, this score was represented by a number. Then, the master builder would take the pieces with the best scores and use them to build whatever he was trying to build.
Now, imagine if a person could do this in the real world. It turns out, I happen to know a master builder, and I happen to be married to her.
When Gwen looks at a space that needs organizing, she looks at it like a master builder from the Lego Movie. She’s done it over and over again with spaces in our rig, she has done it at numerous people’s actual homes, and she’s done it inside tons of RV and trailers.
I won’t tell you her secrets, though. I’ll let her do that for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_zigzag el_border_width=”10″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”1. Your Purpose for Organizing”][vc_column_text]I won’t begin to tell you why you need to organize your space. There are billions of people in the world, and that means there are possibly billions of reasons people have for organizing stuff. I can tell you, however, what you can when you have a system for organizing things, whether it’s in your sticks-and-bricks home or your rig.
So, before you really get into your organization project, figure out what you’re organizing. We’ll get to the system in a moment.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4872″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4870″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”2. Getting that Peace of Mind “][vc_column_text]People have been known to have pile and piles of stuff – even in their trailers. I’m even guilty of this sometimes. It gets stressful and overwhelming when you have stuff cluttering your space. It covers up the stuff you’re trying to get into and the piles always seem to get bigger.
So, people organize to give themselves peace of mind. With the organization comes the knowledge that everything has a place and that everything is in its place.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”3. Functionality”][vc_column_text]If you organize a place right, you’ll be able to work with the space after it’s organized. Not only that, you’ll be able to do it in the way you intended and the space should stay organized. If you purposefully organize your space, and every other space in your hose, you can keep it all organized on a large scale, with each space fitting in with the house’s layout.
Your kitchen stuff will be organized in the kitchen, your school stuff will be organized in the school area, and everything else will have a home as well. You’ll find that you’ll be able to fit more into small spaces as well.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4873″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][nectar_single_testimonial testimonial_style=”small_modern” color=”Default” quote=”I look at invisible storage like an adult version of Tetris. Everything fits nicely, but not necessarily in the same place every time.”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”4. What do you want the end result to look like?”][vc_column_text]When I say “look” I’m not talking about how you’re going to actually store the stuff in the space. I’m really just talking about how the space looks after it’s organized. There are really only two ways your storage will appear.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Visible Storage” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left”][vc_column_text]You can also call this an open shelf concept. In essence, your stuff will be organized, but it will be out in the open, or visible to everyone in the hose. Some people, and I’m definitely not one of them, really like being able to see their storage, and see into their storage, without having to get into it.
To do this they have glass cupboards, clear bins, and open shelves. The spaces are all organized, and it’s all out there, for everyone to see.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Invisible Storage” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left”][vc_column_text]This is my personal favorite. It’s storage in places that are out of sight. You can hide it in places like under the couch, behind the chairs. It’s even in places like your cupboards. You utilize bins to keep the spaces organized.
I look at invisible storage like an adult version of Tetris. Everything fits nicely, but not necessarily in the same place every time. It’s easy for others to put away, unlike visible storage – since you don’t have to see it once you’ve put it away.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”5. How are you going to get there?”][vc_column_text]Once you figure out whether your storage is going to be visible or hidden, before you start organizing stuff, you need to do some thinking.
First, you need to take a look at the space available and see what kinds of storage containers can fit in that spot. There are all kinds of sizes and shapes. There really is an unlimited amount of combinations of containers. It just depends on what you’re storing and the size of the space.
Next, you need to divide up the things you’re storing into like groups. We’ll look at my kids’ toys as an example. I divided their toys up into Legos, 18” doll stuff, and games. Do the same thing with what you’re organizing.
Then, you choose the appropriate storage containers based on the amount of stuff in the group and the total space available.
Finally, you get to play Tetris with the containers.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”4875″ alignment=”” animation=”Fade In” img_link_large=”yes” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_zigzag el_border_width=”10″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][nectar_single_testimonial testimonial_style=”small_modern” color=”Extra-Color-2″ quote=”I decided my end goal was something that would fit the needs of my girls – in other words, it had to be as simple as possible.”][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”2/3″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”A real-life example”][vc_column_text]To give you an idea of how this will look, I’ll show you what I did for my daughters’ yarn supplies. My girls love to knit and crochet. So, we bought them a bunch of yarn. They craft nearly every single day, and the spot I was using to store their supplies was not working out.
If the girls weren’t leaving things out, they were just shoving their yarn into the bin and then shoving the bin into the storage space. Eventually, it got to the point where it was actually harder to pull the supplies out than it was to shove them in.
I had to come up with another plan. I thought about it for a little while and I came up with something that I thought would work. In order to do so, I had to consider a bunch of things.
I decided my end goal was something that would fit the needs of my girls – in other words, it had to be as simple as possible. It also had to be in a good spot. I had to look at the available space in our rig and I focused on spots that would hide the yarn supplies the best. I also wanted the yarn to be in a spot that would be easily accessible and near the crafting area.
Additionally, I looked at the mess-size this activity created and compared it to other activities, like games, Legos, and schoolwork. Finally, I looked at how often the yarn was going to be used and compared it to other things the kiddos used, like school books.
I came up with a list of the available spaces. They were above the main couch in the front room; in the cubbies in their room; under the couch in the front room.
Looking at the different spots, I determined that the cupboards wouldn’t work. While they are great for hiding things, and storing things like paper, books, and boxes – things that stack well and are easily organized – the yarn was not any of these things, and they would just be shoved into the space anyway.
I also determined that the room cubbies would not work either. These cubbies were primarily for toys and school work. I didn’t want the yarn to get mixed with these things, and I wanted to make sure the kids kept these things separate. That way they had a place to play with toys – their room – and a place to do their yarn crafts.
The last place was under the couch. There was space available; it kept the kids in the designated craft spot, and it allowed for a larger storage space that would accommodate all the yarn supplies. Finally, it was the easiest place for the kids to grab the yarn.
Once I figured out where to store it I had to figure out how to store it. Fortunately, I found some yarn dispensers. They are great for the yarn because they limit the number of yarn rolls that can be out at once. This allows me to store the extra yarn behind the high-volume stuff.
After we put the yarn in the dispensers, we purchased a gray weaved storage bin from Target that fits under the couch.
Yarn problem solved.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”Wrapping it all up”][vc_column_text]Figure out your storage can be a real pain. But, if you go through the steps I outlined in this post, you’ll be able to get through the storage stage, hopefully, with a smile on your face.
Just remember, it’s easier to get to where you’re going if you know your destination before you start.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]