How We Gave a Local Social Media Influencer the Multi-Purpose Room of Her Dreams
As professional organizers, we take pride in our ability to conquer just about any clutter crisis that comes our way. We love nothing more than tackling new challenges and using our creativity to find solutions tailored to our clients’ unique needs.
Recently, we had the pleasure of working with a local social media influencer who needed help with her mudroom/entryway. She needed the space to function as a laundry room, mudroom, utility room, and workspace for managing her social media partnerships and promotions. At first glance, all of these categories were in the room but were completely jumbled together with no system in place. It was clear that we needed to completely re-imagine this space and make it work for her specific needs. So, we jumped in and got started!
Our first step was to declutter. We sorted everything in the mudroom into piles for keep, donate, and toss. Any items that were still in good condition were donated, and anything beyond repair was sent to the trash. Because we were dealing with multiple categories in one space, we made a point to be intentional about the categories that would stay in this room and those that needed to be moved out. Since this room was located near the front door, we needed to keep only high-use categories in there and not waste space on unnecessary or infrequently used items.
For instance, our client occasionally uses clothes and costumes for social media content which were all being stored in the mudroom. Although used for work, we could not justify keeping these items in the mudroom because of how much space they took up and how infrequently she used them. So, we found a spare closet in a guest bedroom that stored the costumes perfectly, freeing up vital space in the mudroom for frequently used items like winter coats and dog care items.
With a clear idea of what items needed to stay in the mudroom, we got to work creating zones. In small spaces with multiple functions, clear zones are crucial to avoid confusion and keep systems from failing.
The first zone we created was for laundry, which made the most sense to put directly next to the washer and dryer. As there was still ample shelf space available, we brainstormed which categories made the most sense to add in, and we found that laundry and utility usually mingle well together, so the utility items found their home here.
As part of her job, our client frequently mails out and returns clothing and accessories which usually requires a table-top surface. Because of the extra shelf space and the countertop surface in this laundry area, we created one of two work zones. This zone held all of her mailing supplies in addition to bins that will store items in need of being mailed out or returned to a store.
Next, we shifted our attention to the mudroom portion of the space. This category had a fairly straightforward spot as there were hanging bars and shelving to store her coats and shoes. We also added in a few labeled bins for accessories she may need easy access to as she’s coming and going (hats, gloves, dog walking items, etc.).
Finally, we created a second work zone for our client’s social media promotions. We worked closely with her to design a unique system for the products she receives, which are ever-changing and in constant rotation. So, we landed on a three-category system spanning three different shelves using our favorite bin. The categories became “To Test”, “To Share” or “To Donate” capturing the three stages that she typically goes through with the products that are being sent to her.
By decluttering, streamlining categories, and labeling everything, we ended up with more space than we started with. From the beginning, our client had hoped to be able to move her gifting and crafting items into the mudroom which was currently creating clutter in the living room. We enlisted another favorite product of ours and utilized the remaining two shelves to store these categories, and it all fit perfectly!
Overall, this space became functional and organized, meeting all of our client’s needs, and we had a blast in the process! Aside from creating zones, finding the best products to maximize the space and labeling everything really made all the difference. If you have any questions about the products we used in this project or how we decided on the right products, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
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