Archives for June 2007

10 Places to find hidden clutter

Earlier in the week, I discussed the idea that just because something has a place in your home doesn’t mean that it’s the best place for that object. In fact, just because you have space to store an object doesn’t mean that you should.

If you want to have a home where everything is in its best place, here are 10 places to start looking for hidden clutter:

  1. Under beds. When I was in junior high, my mom found a “tennis ball” under my bed while she was replacing my mattress. Except it wasn’t a tennis ball, it was a furry, rotten apple. The space under people’s beds can be scary. Clear out the clutter (and the bad apples) from under your bed.
  2. Closets. If you’re like most Americans, you have sheets, towels, board games, coats, scarves, umbrellas, scrap-booking supplies, exercise videos, outdated spices, shoes, empty boxes, and hundreds of other items that you never use cluttering up your closets. Linen closets, coat closets, pantries, and wardrobes are full of clutter that you can get rid of now.

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Posted by Erin on Jun 20, 2007 | 12 Comments | Tweet This

The load thing

We’ve been on a big charging station kick here lately, so reader Leigh sent in this way cool design. This thing looks like a unitasker, but at about $13 it’s not such a bad way to turn what could be a cable eyesore into a stylish accent.

The Load-Thing comes flat-pack and you fold it yourself. It hooks up to your electric socket and then the device you’re charging (iPod, cell phone, camera, whatever) sits on it. So, is this thing clutter itself or a very neat solution?

Posted by Jerry on Jun 19, 2007 | 11 Comments | Tweet This

Surround sound without the cable clutter

Looking for a surround sound system, but you really don’t want all those wires running around the room to every speaker? Well, here are a couple of options that you may want to look at before you buy that five speaker set.

Polk Audio’s SurroundBar (pictured): The SurroundBar measures in at 42.62 by 4.44 by 5.12 inches (W x H x D).

Yamaha YSP-800: The YSP-800 measures in at 31.5 x 6 x 4.5 inches (W x H x D).

One can not expect to have the same sound quality from these units compared to a full 5.1 surround system, but from the reviews I have read the sound quality is surprisingly good. A step down in sound quality for a easy to set up single speaker system may be the trade-off you are looking for. Also, think of the lack of wires!

Posted by Matt on Jun 19, 2007 | 5 Comments | Tweet This

Extreme minimalism Monday: traditional Japanese bedding

Do you really need one of those pesky “beds” taking up space in your home?

If not, consider sleeping on a Japanese futon laid out over a beautiful tatami mat floor. The futon will fold up in thirds for easy storage in a closet and you’ll be left with more functional space during waking hours.

The extreme minimalist knows that comfort should be left to the materialists.

Posted by PJ on Jun 18, 2007 | 21 Comments | Tweet This

Using what you already own

In preparation for a dinner party I threw the other night, I brought down my sugar bowl off the high shelf of my cupboard. The bowl was a wedding gift, and it hasn’t received much use over the years. It’s attractive, though, and durable. I held it in my hands for a few seconds, and then decided that after the dinner I would store it in the same, easily accessible space in my cupboard as the salt and pepper shakers. Since then, I’ve reached into the sugar bowl for my morning coffee’s sugar instead of into the big sugar storage canister as I had been doing.

Reclaiming my sugar bowl started me thinking about other items in my house that I already own and store, but that I don’t use. I like to think of myself as someone who leads an uncluttered life, but I was shocked to find many things I store and don’t regularly use — things I could be using, and want to use.

What’s the point of having good china if it is never used.

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Posted by Erin on Jun 18, 2007 | 13 Comments | Tweet This

The first step in organizing your pots and pans

For those of you that get as frustrated as I do when trying to stack your pots, pans, and lids, here is a cheap and easy way to organize your lids. The Door Mount Lid Rack keeps the lids in order so you can stack your pots and pans in a nice and orderly fashion. The lids get in the way of the stacking process, but this little rack easily solves the problem and for only $8 you can’t go wrong.

Posted by Matt on Jun 17, 2007 | 8 Comments | Tweet This

Are you a clutterer?

Want to take a clutter quiz? Might you be at risk of surrounding yourself in clutter? Gretchen at the Happiness Project developed a series of questions to help readers of her blog determine if they might be candidates for clutter.

My favorite question?

[Does this] sound like something you’d say … “This is perfectly useful, I can’t just throw it away.”

Enjoy the diversion, and let us know how you scored. I know that I am definitely diagnosed!

Posted by Erin on Jun 16, 2007 | 4 Comments | Tweet This

The quest for the perfect charging station, part 3

Well, this little device that we saw on Gizmodo may just take the cake. The WildCharge wireless charging station is simple and intriguing. The charger is nothing more than a mouse pad sized gadget that you lay your device on when it needs to be recharged. That’s right, you don’t even need to plug the device into anything, so goodbye to those cables!

You simply lay your iPod, cellphone, or PDA on the surface, and the charging begins. The WildCharge just might end the quest for the perfect charging station. They aren’t available until July 9, so mark it on your calendar and see how this thing performs.


Posted by Matt on Jun 15, 2007 | 7 Comments | Tweet This

Reader question: Procrastination ender

A reader (whose name we’ll omit to protect the inocent) asked us the following question:

I am married to an attorney and he is very disorganized and procrastinates with everything he does. What advice would you give him or how could I motivate him to act on practices like sending out bills to clients.

This is kind of a strange question to ask a bunch of organizers, but if you think about it, you won’t get any organizing done if you keep putting things off. Big projects, like organizing a home or a business, often go undone because people feel paralyzed by the enormity of the undertaking. As David Allen teaches, you can’t “do” a project, you can only complete steps along the way. Making a list of each physical step you have to take toward a goal is helpful because each individual step will be relatively easy, so you won’t put it off. Instead of thinking “damn, I have to send out the client bills,” you’ll think, “(step one) I need to go through my calendar and make a list of the clients I worked with this month.” “Send out bills” is an amorphous and oppressive task, while “go through calendar” is a five-minute no-brainer.

The only other tip I’d give is to seek professional help in the form of Neil Fiore’s “The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play.” Notice that I phrased the to-dos as “I have to X” and “I need to Y.” Fiore says that if you really feel this way, you’ll procrastinate because you’re doing things you don’t want to do, but instead have to do. He has some great suggestions for moving to a state of, “I want to send out the bills, what’s step one?”

Posted by Jerry on Jun 15, 2007 | 9 Comments | Tweet This

Rid your shower of bottle clutter

Your shower should be a serene place where you can escape the outside world for a short time each day. You shouldn’t be distracted by a multitude of containers all over the walls and/or floor of your shower. The Better Living Dispenser Classic IV eliminates the need for the bottles that get in your way.

Let’s face it, those bottles are designed to fall over easily and scare the heck out of your loved ones in the next room. The bottles I recently knocked over are nearly empty, so they need to be perfectly balanced on their heads to get the last of the liquid out. (We are frugal and the need to use every last drop of shampoo is a must.) This dispenser eliminates the bottles, the balancing act, and the false alarm of a shower disaster. If you need more storage space, The Better Living Ulti-Mate Dispenser Classic IV includes a soap tray, mirror, and hooks to store your razor.

Posted by Matt on Jun 14, 2007 | 26 Comments | Tweet This

Will “Witricity” save us from cable clutter?

One can only hope that the end of the power cord is near. The recent news that a group of MIT researchers have developed a wireless way to deliver electricity to a device is very welcome here at Unclutterer.

The team of researchers were able to power a 60 watt light bulb from seven feet away. This is a promising step in what is hopefully an inevitable extinction of the dreaded wire mess that surely lurks in your home or office.

From the Daily Tech:

…the WiTricity project does not transmit biologically harmful electromagnetic radiation during operation. Additionally, line-of-sight issues present in microwave technology disappear with WiTricity; magnetic fields are more-or-less unaffected by non-metallic materials in most environments.

The most current WiTricity experiments use coils approximately 20″ in diameter and operate at distances of approximately two meters. The team hopes to eventually power a notebook from a several meters away.

Posted by Matt on Jun 14, 2007 | 9 Comments | Tweet This

Reader question: End table filing cabinets?

Reader Sarah asked us the following question:

I’m preparing to move from a large suburban home into a small urban apartment for one year, and I want to take a minimum of files with me. Ideally I’d find an attractive lidded file basket or box that could do double duty as an end table in my living room. Any suggestions?

My favorite, multi-purpose filing cabinet is the Jeeves Filing Cabinet from Levenger. It stores hanging files in letter and legal sizes, your briefcase, includes a lap desk, and can also serve as an end table or footstool. It comes in two wood finishes and even is on wheels. This is one valuable piece of furniture if you’re limited on space and do not have a traditional home office.

I hope that this helps, and good luck with the move!

Posted by Erin on Jun 14, 2007 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: Chocolate fondue fountain

Who doesn’t love chocolate? I guess someone with an allergic reaction to it, but other than that, most if not all people love their chocolate. So why not by a contraption to make a fountain of flowing chocolate? If you are not in the catering business, then don’t even think of buying such a food toy.

If you absolutely must have a fountain flowing with chocolate at your next event, just go out and rent one. Why buy this and store it away just to use it once a year? Although, if I owned one I may want to run it 24/7 just in case I needed a chocolate fix.

Posted by Matt on Jun 13, 2007 | 12 Comments | Tweet This

Reader question: Storing binders in a home office

A reader sent us the following question:

Love your site, your style, your ideas. I’m a professional organizer and have a client who uses binders regularly in his home office. However, they tend to fall over (since they’re not necessarily square, more triangular in shape when vertical) so they don’t work so well with bookends. Any suggestions? My client is a DWR fan and style is important. Let me know if you have any brilliant ideas for keeping his binders from tipping over!

In my experience, the best binder storage solution is the Binder Storage Carousel. The whole of the storage system is based on the idea that notebooks are triangular in shape instead of square. In addition to the tower model, there are also desktop styles. Unfortunately, though, all styles typically come with a high price tag commonly associated with corporate office furniture.

A google search for “binder storage carousel” will yield you dozens of companies that make similar products. The carousels usually look the same way, so I would find out about construction and materials before making a suggestion to your client. Personally, the mid-century modernist in me loves the sleek, metal, industrial look of these.

Let us know if this helps! Also, let’s open up the comments section for other suggestions from our readers …

Posted by Erin on Jun 13, 2007 | 11 Comments | Tweet This

Incredible folding furniture!

Numerous websites have linked to the following video, and this is one of those times when we must jump on the bandwagon. In this brief film, designer Nils Frederking showcases his incredible, folding furniture:

The design is so sleek, functional, and space-saving that it makes our Unclutterer hearts go pitter-patter.

Posted by Erin on Jun 12, 2007 | 3 Comments | Tweet This

Clutter-free patio furniture ideas

My house has a front porch that runs the full length of the front of the house. The view from inside the house is terrific and uncluttered when there isn’t any patio furniture clogging up the porch. However, there are times when I entertain when having furniture out there would be nice.

Faced with this problem of only sort-of wanting patio furniture, I eventually decided to buy two types of furniture for my porch. The first is what I call indoor-outdoor furniture: pieces that I can use inside my house 99 percent of the time, but that I can take outside without fear of damage from the elements. The second type is what I call temporary furniture: pieces that are inflatable, totally kitsch, and easy to store.

The dual purpose seating I purchased (chair one and chair two) helps me both inside with much needed seating and outside during social gatherings. The inflatable furniture easily stores flat when not in use on a utility closet shelf, and also has the bonus of being a great conversation starter.

When looking for outdoor furniture, consider keeping your yard or porch typically clutter free by only using outdoor-indoor furniture and temporary, inflatable pieces.

Posted by Erin on Jun 12, 2007 | 5 Comments | Tweet This

Police drummer Stewart Copeland enjoys simple life

In a recent Reuters interview, Police drummer Stewart Copeland talks about his simple living:

I have one house (in Los Angeles), I drive a Jeep Cherokee, I live very simply. I discovered in life that I have the same joy in divestment as I once got as a young man in acquisition. I have the perfect house. I’m never leaving this house that I’m in. I might trade my Jeep in for some environment-friendly vehicle of some kind. But I’m not into fancy cars. My watch is a Casio. I live very simply, and I’ve discovered that half of the so-called luxuries that people strive for do not provide happiness. My happiness comes from my children, my wife, my house that I love that I live in.

Here at Unclutterer, we like to encourage people to find joy in divestment and discourage needless acquisitions. I’m sure as a young rockstar Mr. Copeland had his fair share of needless acquisitions. It is nice to see he has found joy in simplifying his life.

Posted by Matt on Jun 11, 2007 | 6 Comments | Tweet This

Lose weight without gaining clutter

So you are thinking of purchasing some exercise equipment to get into shape at home? You may want to reconsider. Some of you out there probably don’t even have a room to store that stationary bike or that treadmill. Unless you have a home gym, you are going to have create a hybrid room. A laundry/exercise room or possibly a office/weight room? And don’t even think of setting that thing up in your bedroom.

Try joining a gym or find other ways to get into shape without purchasing a bulky piece of equipment. Why not walk, run, or ride your bike around your neighborhood or local park. Why stay inside on a treadmill or an exercise bike when you can do the same activity outside? When the weather doesn’t cooperate take your workout to a gym. You don’t even need a gym to jump rope, do sit-ups, or push-ups. The amount of cardiovascular activity you get from jumping rope is just as good as any clunky machine that you bring into your home and the jump rope will fit nicely in a small drawer.

And for those of you that have ancient equipment that is used for nothing more than a clothes rack, take the initiative to get rid of that clutter and then go for a jog.

Posted by Matt on Jun 11, 2007 | 11 Comments | Tweet This

Wallet alternatives

I’ve had a traditional wallet ever since I’ve had cash and a bank card to tote around. I’m increasingly tire of sticking the wallet in my front pocket (yes, I carry my wallet in my front pocket) along with all the other things I carry when I go out on a walk.

Over the years my cellphones have become smaller and sleeker, but my wallet has stayed the same unforgiving size. Since I have the the storage space I keep things in it that I don’t really need. So, I decided to look for some alternatives to the traditional bifold that I currently use. Here are the most intriguing items I came across:

  • SlimSlimmy: (Pictured) Made out of leather it looks quite traditional, but the size is anything but.
  • Jimi: Much less conventional looking. It is made from 100% recycled materials and the description states that it “is perfect for snowboarding, cycling, loitering, hiking, traveling, trampolining, nightclubbing, base jumping and line dancing.” Wow, quite versatile for you extreme sport types and uh, line dancers.
  • The Original Taxi Wallet: This one seems a bit too feminine for me, but I guess I could go for the black or brown one. It is made from Italian calfskin leather, which doesn’t really make a difference to me either way.
  • Slimmy: From the makers of the SlimSlimmy, the Slimmy is a bit less slim and looks like the wallet alternative I may settle on.
  • ALL-ETT Billfold: Proclaims to be “The thinnest wallet ever made!” It doesn’t look too fashionable, but I don’t really care about that. It is the thinnest.

I can’t recommend one since I have yet to purchase an alternative to my wallet. Is there anyone out there that has any recommendations?

Posted by Matt on Jun 9, 2007 | 47 Comments | Tweet This

The end of the chip-clip

I don’t know how I found this, but it’s very clever. The chip bag clip is a unitasker I don’t resent too much because chips go stale easily and it saves us from having to transfer them to another container. I personally use binder clips that I also use for papers. My mom uses clothespins. But after this, maybe we won’t need either.

Posted by Jerry on Jun 8, 2007 | 11 Comments | Tweet This