Guest Post - Totebox Uses of Plastic Storage Boxes

At Totebox, our plastic storage boxes and euro containers are one of the most versatile storage options. With the right high-quality plastic crates, you can find a great storage solution for domestic and industrial uses. They’re strong and durable as well as resistant to damage. This is why our plastic storage boxes are reusable. Unlike other storage boxes made of materials such as cardboard or low-quality plastic.

Because our plastic storage boxes are resilient and tough this ensures they're friendly to the environment. Our storage containers will not need replacing, even after many uses. This means you can reuse the plastic storage box again and again. Allowing you to save the money you would spend on replacing low-quality alternatives.

Our plastic storage boxes are already a cost-effective storage solution. One that doesn’t sacrifice on quality. This means you will be able to save money on storage containers that you can invest in other parts of your storage needs. And as they’re durable, you will not need to replace them, even after many uses.

To show more benefits of our plastic storage boxes, we’ve put together an insightful infographic below. Check out the benefits now:

Guest Post - How to Use your Backyard to Maximise Storage Space

Whatever the size of your yard, from the smallest patios to the largest of lawns, smart storage is an absolute must. Here are some simple and effective tips on creating beautiful and practical storage solutions in your very own backyard.

Go vertical 

Hook it up and remove clutter from the ground. Hanging tools effectively in your shed or backyard area can help maximize your preexisting storage space. Organizers are a must-have in this regard. They come in all shapes and sizes, allowing you the freedom to let it hang saving valuable floor space. Organizers with many small pockets can be great for garden tools while a shoe organizers might be the perfect extra shelf. Keeping your tools organized eliminates clutter spilling from your shed and allows for quick and easy access, saving you time.

If you don't have the luxury of a shed, try hanging your tools off your fence. This can be a great solution for quick and easy access, eliminating messy piles of tools in your backyard. Consider breaking symmetry and hanging your tools off your fence in an interesting layout. Combined with vertical planters, this can be a great way to create a signature look on a backyard wall. Make use of the area you have, and you'll soon realize you had much more space than you ever thought. 

Bring your dining room outside

Dining sets take up a huge amount of room in your home. Yet for all this sacrificed space, how often do you actually sit around your dining room table? Create more room in your home and design a beautiful outdoor dining area. Making the most out of your outdoor dining area requires some thought but can be a great way of using your back yard to maximize your own storage. 

Transformable spaces

Consider a dynamic design when buying furniture. Fluid furniture set-ups allow for simple transitions between living and entertaining guests. Keep lightweight, multipart and foldable options in mind for both space-saving and functionality. These options allow for a cozy family retreat that can be easily transformed into the perfect hosting environment.  

Gazebos and other fixed structures offer a great place to enjoy your backyard, but they simply take up too much space. Setting up your outdoor living areas with retractable roller blinds can allow for a quick transition between open and closed. With options to shelter from the elements or create open plan living, blinds are a great way to maximize potential and space in your outdoor area. 

Utilize, utilize, utilize

Put it to use. Make the most out of all the preexisting structures in your backyard. If you have a retaining wall, try converting it into a lush vegetable garden or using it for extra seating. If you have an outdoor bench, consider utilizing the hollow space for storing outdoor cushions or kids’ toys. Think about how you can make old features multi-functional and take advantage of the space you already have.

Let the light in 

Just as white rooms are perceived to be bigger, backyards full of natural light feel naturally larger and more open. Invest some money in quality landscaping, trim everything back, and you will be amazed at the extra space it creates. Be careful when adding new plants to your garden, research their final size and consider their placement. Careful consideration can help preserve your backyards open feel and save you money on landscaping in the long run.

Storage in your backyard can require some creative thinking. Without the luxury of storage space that inside areas afford backyards can often end up cluttered and unappealing. However, this doesn't need to be the case. Follow these simple steps, and you will be well on the way to a beautiful, clutter-free outdoor oasis.

Author bio:

Harper Reid enjoys sharing tips on making homes more functional and organised. When not busy writing, she likes to catch up on the latest interior design trends. Connect with Harper on her personal blog.

Guest Post - Smart Storage Solutions for a Productive Home Office

Storage space is a crucial element of any productive, full-fledged home office. If you ask me, it is quite difficult to be organized while your work environment is in disarray. Ideally, you have a whole separate room set up as an office, but even then there are some practical challenges to tackle. The good news is that there is no shortage of smart and creative solutions that keep clutter and mess at bay. You do not even have to break the bank to make a difference. So, here is how to turn your office work-ready.

Box and file it

Storage boxes are a common unit that can hold basic office supplies like paper, cords and envelopes. They do the trick just fine, but you should make an effort to label them. That way, you will be able to find everything quickly. Another popular organizational tool comes in the form of file cabinets below the work surface. You cannot deny their utility, although some people deem them unsightly. Well, a bit of spray paint, color-coding and new handles work miracles in terms of visual appeal.

Divide and conquer small items

Next, focus on smaller items and knick-knacks. It is easy to lose sight of them or give up due to their peskiness, but solutions like DIY mail organizers or even old muffin tins are highly effective in dealing with this nuisance. Use them to store bills, keys, paper clips, pencils, business cards, etc. Also, before you invest in new storage, see if you have some old mugs and masonry jars lying around. They are a great tool to keep your desk space tidy and clean.

Commercial-grade greatness

You can always take your game to the next level by drawing inspiration from corporate environments. Do your research and find providers of versatile commercial storage solutions in your area. You can go for various environmentally-friendly contemporary units that will make working in your home base of operations a pure joy. From small wall hooks to large, multi-tier shelving, the commercial storage world is teeming with possibilities.

Wall-mounted storage

Furthermore, try to maximize the vertical dimension to save floor space (and keep it dust-free more easily while you are at it). Open shelving is an office staple that is easy to set up and can serve as storage for various items and supplies. As an added bonus, you can place potted plants and framed pictures for a splash of personality and style. And if you fancy DIY projects, feel free to create your custom box or dowel shelves. Another option is to hang a rod and clip system on the wall to store small devices, important notes and other items. The list goes on.

Built-in solutions

In case you are feeling pressed for space, do not fret. Take advantage of built-in and custom-made storage units like integrated shelves and purpose-built bookcases and chests of drawers. They make good use of every inch of available space, even those awkward and corner areas. What is more, you can keep things you do not need on a daily basis out of sight. The only thing is that it may cost you more to integrate these units. In my opinion, though, they pay dividends.

Plenty of storage sets a nice stage for good work habits and uninterrupted workflow. Namely, fostering a positive change in your immediate surroundings reflects on your work performance. Every piece counts and adds up, regardless of how small it is. So, it is time to set order to your zone of productivity and banish clutter for good. Feel free to get creative and explore DIY options— add a utilitarian feel and stylish touches. You will be able to keep the work mojo going and get more things done every day.

Lillian Connors can’t resist the urge to embark on a myriad of green living/home improvement projects and spread the word about them. She cherishes the notion that sustainable housing and gardening will not only make us far less dependent on others regarding the dwellings we inhabit, but also contribute to our planet being a better place to live on. You can check her out on Twitter

Interview - Isabelle Dervaux, Family Photo Curator

Photo Credit: Tamara Gillon

If a photo is worth a thousand words what happens when you have thousands of photos? Most if not all of our clients ask us what to do with their photos. First, we want to get them all together and store them safely (not in a hot attic or wet garage) and then we can decide what “action” applies to the photos. For some simply keeping them safe is the next and final step but for some other ideas we spoke with Photo Organizer Isabelle Dervaux.

What do you do for your clients?

I help families make sense of the tens of thousands of photos they accumulate over time and create systems that keep them organized. We now take more than 3–5,000 photos per year. Those photos pile up, and given enough time can cause a certain amount of what I call digital anxiety. So you could say I also relieve them of that anxiety while I help them make meaningful projects from the pictures they love.

How did you get started?

It actually started as I began organizing my own family photos when we moved from San Francisco to New York. It was difficult at first to find all of those pictures—scattered among boxes of print photos and digital photos on hard drives, old laptops, and even thumb drives—and once all the photos were in a single location, to not get overwhelmed by hundreds of scans or entire collections that had been duplicated by accident! But there were also moments of joy, like discovering the digital photos of a weekend camping when the kids were young that I thought were lost and now miraculously appeared.

I developed my own methods to get through all the road-blocks and when finished with several projects, felt a real sense of accomplishment as well as a weight lifted from my shoulders. I realized other people must be facing the same issues with their own family photos that I had faced and started working with others to help them organize and find joy in their own photo collections.

If someone is interested, what is the process?

First, we schedule a free 30-minute phone consultation. We have a conversation about what’s important: do they want to organize their digital collection to make photos easier to find? Are they looking to design family albums for their young children? Are they concerned about boxes of old family pictures gathering dust? Once we’ve determined the challenges they’re facing, we set priorities and goals and I recommend a strategy that suits their needs.

I like working side-by-side with my clients—I often work at their homes, so we can share a more detailed view of the family, who the relatives are and what events are most important. We work in manageable chunks, usually once a week over the course of a month, but occasionally for three or more months if we’re dealing with a larger print collection or bigger project.

When tackling a digital photo collection, we start by tracking down every device and storage system the pictures may be found on. Once we’ve gathered and moved the photos to one place, we find a strategy that best suits the client and start organizing and curating their collection with a concrete step-by-step action plan. I teach my clients just enough tech shortcuts and insights to give them the confidence and tools they need to continue organizing their photos, and empower them to make beautiful slideshows and albums on their own.

What makes you different?

Beyond organizing their pictures and sorting out years of photos in a systematic way, our work together also becomes an opportunity to teach my clients about photography and design. I come to this work through a long career as an illustrator, and I love to share the same principles with my clients that I taught in my illustration class at Parsons School of Design. When we find great photos in the course of our work, we analyze what makes them so good—the light, the emotion, the composition, for example—so they can then go on to recreate those same conditions again, on their own. When my clients learn how to recognize their best photos, they also learn how to take better photos, and that reduces their need to edit later on. So the benefits of what I teach my clients extend far beyond the actual time I spend with them.

What is the storytelling aspect of photo organizing?

I’m always on the lookout for engaging, strong images that will provoke conversations and foster deeper connections between family members and friends. Photos are a means of communication. I teach my clients to really look at and read their images rather than just viewing them as one-off snapshots. The way images are edited, grouped and sequenced has a big impact on a photo album. When making an album, you’re making it for yourself, but you’re also creating it for others to view. That means creating a story arc and giving context to the time period, the people in the photos, and information that will keep the viewer hooked—you want them to keep them interested and turning the pages without yawning!

Can you recall any projects that stood out or were especially exciting—or challenging?

I once helped a client find a year’s worth of photos she thought she had lost, including pictures of her daughter as a newborn through her first birthday. I was so happy to help a mom get her daughter’s first year back!

Going through photos can be especially difficult if you’ve recently lost a close family member or friend. I have helped soften the process for clients who want to honor the memory of those who are gone—together we work on finding the most expressive pictures, and create photo stories by which to remember their loved ones.

On a lighter note, I work with many families who travel all over the world. I have gone to virtually every continent through my work, and I love discovering new places as if I were there.