So two days in and I finished my first room. Remember-this is basically where we started:
The closet, the cupboard in the wall there (which is weird but oh well) and a built in you can’t see were all packed with stuff.
Here are the after shots! I moved the dresser to the left of the bed and removed a small night table, then I moved the chest from the foot of the bed over to the right side where the dresser and a small filing cabinet (now removed) were.
I completely emptied out the built in you see here. It was full of my sewing stuff-but it wasn’t really a good place for it at all!
Now the reason I wanted the chest gone from the foot of the bed is I needed the room for setting up a tripod now that the other end of the room is offically set up as my video recording and photography area!
This is going to save me a lot of work time-I always had to try to clear a spot and clean up and move in lights, backdrops etc every time I wanted to take a photo or do a vide0! With it all set up the process should be easier. I even was able to set up the homemade light box I did a month or two back.
I’ve already used it to take photos for a blog post next week on rainbow jello–although I really need to use a light on either side instead of trying to use the daylight there.
The closet, the built in and the cupboard have all been emptied out completely. Most of that stuff wound up downstairs in the front parlor.
My intent is to empty out poorly organized closets etc along the way. Of course if things are obviously garbage or unneeded I will get them out of the house immediately, but all the “homeless” stuff is being moved downstairs. I’ll eventually do a massive sort through and reorganizing and figure out if that stuff really needs to be kept and if it needs to go into semi-permanent “storage” status in the barn/basement or if it deserves a home in one of the now empty closets.
Today I’m on to another room-the “craft/unused” room. This particular oddity not only acts as a hallway between the front of the house and the back of the house, but it also has the stairs up to our 3rd floor master bedroom. Not only that but the room is further chopped up by a window and the door to my craft closet.
That table you see on the left? It now has twice as much stuff on it and around it. And that table you barely see on the right? It’s covered with some miscellaneous office type stuff. Blech. I’m standing in one door taking the picture and directly to my right is another door leading to the closet. That dark verticle line you see on the left? That’s the edge of the other doorframe leading to the front of the house. The stairs lead up to our bedroom.
This really is the most awkward room! We’ve tried using it as the kids playroom when they were younger, an arts and craft room, even as my office. None of them really seem to work well. No wonder it’s become a dumping ground for stuff! We have priced the idea of moving the laundry room up here (since our laundry room is in the downstairs guest bathroom-so whenever guests go to the bathroom they see all my undone laundry. Lovely) but are still undecided.
Let’s see what I can get done in here~wish me luck!
Lora says
Thank you for the updates. I’m tackling a similar project here, but my progress has been slower. My work-at-home job is taking more time than usual because one of my co-workers is away. Despite that, I hope to make considerable progress even before she gets back (in three weeks).
amyrlin says
Even though you have more to do it looks as though you have got a lot accomplished!
Now if I could convince you to fly to Az in helping me? I think I am moving this month so I suppose it is major clean out time, luckily we were in this house for a year and abo0ut a half, I never unpacked completely, so this time I will have to get rid of some things (mainly outgrown clothes from the kiddos and toys!)
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
Lora-I had a gangbuster first 2 days, but then my neck and back acted up from all the lifting, bending, carrying etc. . . so room #2 has gone significantly more slowly! But hey-as long as we work on it we are progressing right?
Amyrlin-Hahaha. I’m having a hard enough time with my own stuff no less someone else s! Good luck with the move–I absolutely positively HATE moving.
Lucretia says
Love the filming studio and cloud chamber! This sounds like such an awesome undertaking – looks like it’s going well so far.
Moving has helped us pare down significantly, but my office needs organizing still!
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
Thanks Lu! I’m planning on doing a lot more video in the future since I’ve got that organized now.
I thought I had cleared some stuff out when we moved-but I swear, in the 4 years we’ve been in this house it has MULTIPLIED. Grrr.
Julie @ Freedom 48 says
Looks like you’ve made some great progress! I love how satisfying it is to clean up and purge unwanted things. Once everything is cleaned and organized it feels like you’re living in a whole new house =)
Jenn @ Frugal Upstate says
Thanks Julie! I’m hoping for that ‘new house’ feeling when I eventually, someday get done 😉