Practical Storage 2013 Decorating Ideas : House Tours from BHG

After she lost most of her possessions in Hurricane Katrina, Amanda Catalanotto, professional organizer and homeowner, rebuilt her family's house with style and function in mind.

Pretty & Clutter-Free

The living room's calming palette of neutrals with gray-blue and green is used throughout the home. The soothing palette belies the hardworking storage strategies Amanda Catalanotto, professional organizer, uses in every nook and cranny to optimize storage space.

Fresh Way to Display
The round tray on this ottoman creates an extra surface to display mementos and fresh flowers.

Dining Storage
Wrapped in the gray blue and green palette, the dining room is stylish and storage packed. The buffet on the side wall provides plenty of space to store special occasion dinnerware and other necessities for entertaining.

Office Storage
This roomy storage unit combines lateral file drawers with open shelves for office supplies and equipment. Its low height allows space on top for decorative bins in easy reach.

Get The Look: Decorative baskets are an easy way to corral papers, photos, and other office essentials. Add labels for decoration and easy organization. To turn a deep drawer or wicker basket into file storage, insert an adjustable hanging file frame from any office supply store. They typically come in the standard legal and letter file size.

Bedroom Storage

The calming palette of neutrals with gray blue and green carries into the master bedroom. To add more storage beside the bed, professional organizer Amanda Catalanotto used a small scale chest of drawers in place of a smaller nightstand.

Organized Closet
This spacious walk in closet has a pre designated storage place for each item. Double rods for hanging clothes, drawers for folded clothes, and shoe rack shelves make it easy to keep the closet organized. The cute and convenient bins on the top shelves are a stylish way to store small, out of season items.

Hideaway Mirror
Mirrors are essential for getting dressed. Install a thin mirror to keep it from taking up valuable space in the closet. This mirror can be tucked away between the wall and hanging clothing for easy storage.

Laundry Room Storage
Brighten utilitarian spaces by adding attractive touches such as blooming plants and decorative boxes on a shelf to hold small or less frequently used items.

Organized Kid's Closet
Baskets for socks and jars for coins keep a kid's closet tidy. Dual rods maximize clothing storage and make it easy to separate play clothing from special occasion clothing.

Designer Tip: "Labels help kids stay organized," Amanda Catalanotto, professional organizer, says. Labeling kids' baskets and drawers makes it easy for them to see where things go when it's time to clean up.

One Organized Family
"It's important to feel wonderful in a room, because that will inspire you to keep it organized," Amanda Catalanotto, professional organizer, says.