Reno of the Month: Reston Homes with Organizational Must-Haves

by Mina Fies, Synergy Design & Construction

School is back in session but many of us are still in recovery mode from all the first day prep work!

Multiple trips to different stores to buy everything from dinosaur pencils to glitter glue to never-ending supplies of hand sanitizers and wipes. Forbes reports the average family spends around $500 per child on back-to-school items.

Now it’s the inevitable collection of backpack contents and “no, you can’t throw it away! I made it for you!” items that start piling up on your kitchen counter. Don’t know where to put stuff? Constantly asked by your family, “Where did you put my… ?”. You are not alone! Consider this:

• Americans spend 9 million hours looking for things (organizedworld.com)
• On average, people spend 6 minutes a day looking for their keys, cell phones and wallets/purses
• According to napo.net, getting rid of clutter eliminates 40% of housework

Given the money spent and time wasted in a cluttered home, this month we’re highlighting how organization can be beautifully accomplished as part of your home remodel. Perhaps some of these features should move to your “must-have” list!

Joys of a well-designed Mud Room

High traffic areas like mud rooms can become nightmarish drop zones. Mud room design should make much more efficient use of space with lots of cubbies, thoughtful storage and built-in cabinetry with ample space for coats, bags and backpacks.

One of our clients even asked us to incorporate a wet-zone to help ease post-swim meet chaos! Having a well-thought out mud room means the whole family has dedicated storage as they enter/exit the house.

Double Duty Laundry

I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise that laundry rooms are no longer just about function either — nothing beats a beautiful, put-together laundry that makes you feel good!

One of our clients wanted a contemporary laundry that served double duty as a craft space. With a young family, having somewhere to put all their “stuff” was also high on the wishlist. We were able to provide this with TONS of storage hidden behind oversized sliding doors.

It’s hard to know exactly what you want if you can’t visualize the space. Whoever you pick as your remodeling partner, ask them if they provide 3D renderings to show how much bang for your remodeling buck you can get with more organization.

Renderings allow you to see conceptually what the space will look like and if the design will work for you and your family.

Purposeful use for every nook and cranny

Most of us have unused areas in our home that are, quite literally, a waste of space. Good design maximizes the use of every square inch of a home. The basement of a recent Leesburg whole home remodel shows two instances of smart use of space for added organization.

In the game room, a void space was used to create storage for a table tennis top and pool cues. The space is accessed by a hidden, flush door that blends into with the wall. The remodel also opened up the space under the basement stairs to create a mini-refuge in the new niche. With built-in drawers and a twin mattress along with a bookshelf, extendable sconce and a nearby outlet, the house is tidy and ready for the grandkids!

Incorporate Built-In storage

Oh, the joy built-in storage can bring! Beautifully designed storage doesn’t mean it loses its functionality. Open shelves are great if you are good with staging; the key is to keep it simple and only display one or two “objets” to provide visual interest and not make a room feel too cluttered.

If open shelving isn’t for you but adding doors to cabinets is going to break the budget, there are lots of great options to hide items in boxes and containers that provide an inexpensive alternative from The Container Store to Target.

Interested in more hints and tips to master your remodel? Read our blogs or sign up to receive information directly in your inbox!