Something that is a continual battle for us is the pile of papers...it is never ending!! I have tried several organizing solutions and they have ultimately failed for us. I feel they have failed for us because we didn't invest in the time to think about our daily habits and how areas in our home were being used. So back to the drawing board again, but this time I started taking notes on how we used certain areas in our home and what habits we developed.
One of the biggest things I noticed was that we were entering our home through the front door as opposed to the garage door like it was in the past. We had already converted our downstairs closet into a mini mudroom, where we keep our daily shoes, coats (when needed), etc. Now, I felt we needed a drop zone right at the entrance. We already had this great table at the entrance, technically it is a buffet table from Ikea, but for us it is our entryway table. Now of course, I didn't want this area to become the "drop everything when you walk in the front door area," so I have come up with a "system" that is working really well for us.
Since our biggest problem was the mail and what to do with the ever growing pile, I want to focus on that for today's post. I wanted a holding place for the mail until I was able to sort through it properly, which is usually when the girls are napping or after bedtime. In order for it to work for me, it has to be easily accessible and done quickly. After checking the mail, I do a quick sort through it and immediately take out the junk mail and shred it. We moved our shredder into the kitchen a while back and that is about the one thing that has been working for us. What is left is placed in a bin on top of the table until later that day or the next.
Now what is left is usually the grocery ads, magazines, and bills. Most of our bills are electronic so that has definitely helped on managing the paper piles, but those that are still paper are placed in my home binder. The magazines are in a basket next to the table, so that really only leaves the grocery ads and a few other things. Let's talk about the bin on top of the table. I purchased a wooden bin at Home Goods on clearance a little over a month ago, it wasn't the perfect color for me, but nothing spray paint couldn't fix!!
The color I was originally thinking of going with wasn't a paint+primer combo, but I did have a white semi-gloss that did have a primer built-in. So I decided to put a coat of that spray paint on first and see if I wanted to keep it white or use the other color I had leftover as well. I did like the white, but in the end I wanted a little more color in the entryway.
After that first coat of primer dried, I sprayed two thin coats of my favorite spray paint color - of course letting it dry about 20 minutes in between each coat.
I should probably find a new spray paint color obsession, but why fix what isn't broken (at least for me)!!
The yellow chevron tray is used to not only hold my sunglasses, but also a spot for the outgoing mail. The spot makes it easy to quickly grab and go, and I can't leave without my shades!
Here is a full shot of the entryway table so you can get an idea of where everything is placed.
I do need to dwindle down my pile of magazines and I am slowly working on that, but for now they have a nice little spot. Some of the magazines I will probably never be able to part with it and that is definitely my Better Homes & Garden Storage ones....I just love looking at their covers #dorkalert!!
On my trip to Home Goods, I also found this cute little bowl and thought it would be perfect to hide/hold my chapstick and ponytails. I typically need both in an accessible spot (home of all girls except for my hubbie)!
That only leaves the lamp, which I just absolutely love. I know #dorkalert again, but I am really crushing on Navy and Teal right now. So I wanted to bring in a navy lamp that I have had my eye on for some time at Target. And to top it off, I found a lamp shade for it that was on clearance...score one for this momma!!
I am also loving the soft touch of gold for the base of the lamp, although nobody tell that to my twenty year old self!! So, what solutions are working for you when it comes to paper piles?? Please share!!!
With much love,
Kristin
where is the console table unit from?
ReplyDeleteI purchased it from Ikea, but I can't seem to find it on their website now. It was apart of the Hemnes series in gray-brown.
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