Tips and Tricks to Revamp Living Spaces While Staying Home

By JENNIKA INGRAM | Reporter

Many people are maximizing extra hours in their abode while Safer at Home orders are in place to revitalize areas of their kitchen, workspace and media/kids play center that may not be working quite as efficiently as they thought.

“Creating spaces that are calming and visually pleasing makes you feel uplifted and are extraordinarily beneficial during quarantine for our mental health and focus,” Jordan Moore, Happy Space Company co-founder, said to the Palisadian-Post.

Here are some tips and tricks to fix up three key areas of a home.

The Kitchen

One satisfying chore that often gets neglected is focusing on the spice rack.

“Since we are all preparing multiple meals a day from home, organizing your kitchen for efficiency will save you time and effort,” Moore said.

The Happy Space Co. is a home-organizing company co-founded by Moore and fellow Alphabet Streets resident Courtney Lewis.

This may be a good time to go through old spices and discard expired or unused varieties.

“If your spices are expired, it’s time to re-invest in new spices,” according to Nancy Drobnis, founder of The LA Organizer and former Palisadian, who has decluttered and organized countless homes in the Palisades for more than a decade.

“Put a collection of your most frequently used items next to the stove—oils, seasonings, sauces, etc.,” Moore said, adding that turntables are an excellent option for this.

“We like creating little spice and oil stations for our clients,” Moore continued. “We recommend a three-tiered riser or stackable bins for storing them in a cabinet. For an extra special touch, you can buy uniform glass jars and labels online and transfer your spices into them for a finished look.”

Working from Home

Another space in the home that might need more attention, particularly while working from home, is the desk.

A top tip by organizer Giselle Paredes, a former student of Palisades Charter High School who continues to organize homes in the community, is the “less on the desktop, the better.”

Moore added that having a clear workstation increases focus, productivity and even happiness.

“Take this time to switch to paperless,” Moore said. It’s time to tackle the pile of paperwork and file away anything that can’t be accessed online.

“I’m a big fan of scanners,” Drobnis added. Save files as PDFs in folders for easy retrieval.

For everyday files that must be kept, Paredes suggested acrylic file holders.

“This is my favorite gem because it can also be useful to hold personal documents that can be ready to grab and go in any emergency situation,” Paredes explained to the Post.

Then, make the commitment to keep up with paperwork on a weekly basis to maintain your new system, Moore continued.

“Put a few things on your cleared desk that make you happy,” Moore suggested, “such as fresh flowers from the garden, a family photo or pretty candle.”

Entertaining from Home

Fighting off boredom has become paramount for many with kids back home or more hours to fill, so a well-managed entertainment center may be taking on a new importance, especially the children’s area.

Drobnis suggested discarding old media formats (VHS tapes, DVDs) and digitizing home movies: “They can put them on a flashcard, or upload them to the cloud or find a service to do that for them.”

“Being promoted to the new ‘Family Fun at Home Cruise Director’ is tough,” Moore said. “Spend a little time going through the games, toys, equipment, art supplies and crafts. Fix or get rid of items that are broken or no longer being used.”

Also, try keeping similar items together and easily accessible.

“Fun items will be used more if kids know where to find them and where to put them back,” Moore continued.

For younger children, add a photo of what goes inside so they clean up too, Drobnis suggested. Clear bins are great because you can see what’s inside.

With Palisadians in mind, Moore suggested having sunscreen and masks easy to grab, so if you do have the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine, it can be a simple transition to go outdoors.

“Everyone can clear up space by putting things away and making small changes to better accommodate all their belongings,” Paredes concluded.