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Kenzee is a friend and former work colleague who had recently moved into her home and needed some organizational help. She had a room that was pulling the duty of being her home office and guest room, but it was also the room where all packages, a large toy collection, laundry to be folded, and miscellaneous were stored. We set aside a few Saturday mornings to tackle the problem together.

The room is a pretty standard sized bedroom from the 1950s, two windows, and a small closet. Kenzee needed her desk to stay where it was located so she could see into the living room, where her children are in the afternoon while she is working. The couch needed to remain or a bed needed to take it’s place, so the room could continue to function as a guest room.

On our first day together we tackled:

• Laundry – sorted, folded, and put away
• Toys – organized into four bins to be rotated
• Closet – cleaned out and sorted everything

After that session, I went home armed with various dimensions to plan. Kenzee’s job was to sort and organize everything on her desk and move anything out of the room that didn’t belong there. She also decided to paint the room a lovely shade of pale blue.

The Desk

The desk was left behind by the previous owners, so Kenzee had no emotional tie to it. It was too large for the space and had a shelf on the size but no other storage. While her work required no paperwork or items to store, she does also use the room for her schoolwork and crafting so wanted storage for her personal items. This desk worked perfectly.

The Closet

There was no need to store hanging clothes in the room, so the closet rod and shelf needed to go. We replaced it with an elfa unit of shelves to store the bins of toys, empty laundry baskets, sewing, and decor. We removed the broken doors so the storage was easier to access.

The Guest Bed

Kenzee used the couch to take mini breaks from work, to sit and fold laundry, and as a guest bed. So the only reasonable replacement was going to be a daybed. We added an end table to serve as a nightstand and a mirror so Kenzee (or a guest) can get ready in the morning without tying up the one bathroom in the home. I also had an adjustable height folding table that I wasn’t using any longer, that fits under the bed, which can be used for folding laundry, and larger crafting sessions.

Finishing Touches

While we were putting the room together, we realized that the wall across from Kenzee’s desk was pretty bare. It was the perfect spot to put up some shelves to store makeup, lotions, and decor items.

It has been several weeks since we finished the room and Kenzee reports that the room has no returned to a laundry and toy filled dumping ground. Her desktop is clear and it’s much easier to work, study, and craft.