hack Archives - Malia Lynn Blog

Happy 2017 everyone! If your 2016 was anything like ours, then things may have been a little crazy. J and I are super thankful for the experiences, (and hopefully growth) that have come from 2016, but we are so very happy to enter into 2017 and leave 2016 behind.

In gearing up for the new year and getting refreshed, I thought I would share with you all some of my favorite organization tips and tricks. I’m a huge advocate for an organized home/workspace, and can truly tell a major difference in how I feel and how focused I am when our home is put together. Just look at this eye candy:

From: http://www.thehomeedit.com/blog/2016/2/20/the-x-pencil-and-paper-co-shopping-list

From: http://www.marthastewart.com/1502454/diy-home-projects

From: http://www.bloominghomestead.com/2016/02/pantryorganization.html

From: http://www.popsugar.com/home/photo-gallery/37140497/image/37140506/Drawer-Organizers

Even though I love organization, I’m not always the best at actually controlling the whole “stuff” factor. Just ask our realtors, Karin Head and Brad Klosterman from the Head Team, about their meetings with us to minimize and simplify prior to listing our condo back in the summer (more on that here and here).

So, while I am starting a 100 day “purge sesh,” in the mean time I’ve included some of my all time favorite ways to control the mess while getting rid of it as well.
These racks are amazing. They essentially double your cabinet space and provide sooooo much more storage than you would even ever expect. I’m obsessed with them, and LOVE the difference they’ve made in our kitchen.

These bins have been prime time. I first ordered them when we were focused on figuring out how to utilize storage while staging our home. They’re great quality, and almost a year later have held up incredibly well!

I LOVE acrylic storage. Whether it’s for makeup, drawer organization, or just general use, acrylic storage works in any and every type of room. It’s clean-looking (as long as it’s decently organized) and due to its see-through nature you never have to guess what’s where, which is honestly half of the appeal.

Today, I worked on organizing my jewelry and my leaning shelves in my home office:

Funny how even after only four months in a new place my home office preview is no longer as organized/ clean as it was! Time to get refocused and reorganized!

What are your goals for 2017?! I would love to hear them!

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Ikea Rast Hack Hey everyone, and happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful season of celebrating, and were hopefully able to squeeze some rest in-between the ~~chaos~~ fun of the holidays. Today’s Ikea hack is super easy and super cheap (two of my favorite things!) I had so much fun changing this piece up.

These drawers are the perfect size for nightstands, while also providing extremely convenient storage for books, chargers, glasses (J’s choice), or PJ’s, socks, and leggings (my choice). Side note: These are the PJ’s I’m currently obsessed with, and I love having an organized and convenient spot for them now.

For this DIY project, I completed two units and used these supplies:

Ikea Rast Drawer Unit x 2

Rust-O-Leum Chalk Spray Paint in Linen White x 4 (If only doing one unit get 2)

Drawer Pulls Hardware Pack x 2 (If only doing one unit, get 1 pack – you will have extra with 2 for two units)

Wax Finish (optional)

Sprayer Grip (optional)

Safety Eyewear (optional but strongly recommended)

Step 1: Following the included instructions, assemble your Ikea Rast Unit. *Do not attach to the wall until after you have completed spray-painting the drawers, unless you are able to do so without damaging other items inside of the room you intend to complete the project. (As always, be safe and only spray paint in well-ventilated areas)

Step 2: In a well-ventilated area (preferably outside) begin spraying your unit with even & smooth strokes. Following the instructions on the can, allow time to dry after your first layer. (If you prefer an even smoother finish, lightly sand and wipe down the unit before you begin spraying. I did not sand ours, but it’s totally personal preference!)

Step 3: After the first layer has dried, repeat step 2 until desired coverage is reached.

Optional Step: Once your unit is painted and dried, seal the chalk paint with this wax. Since we are using ours as nightstands, I didn’t feel they needed as much protection from use as another piece of furniture covered in chalk paint, like a desk or coffee table, might, but this is totally a personal preference choice as well.

Step 4: Attach hardware!

For me, picking out and attaching the hardware was the most fun step of the whole project. I love what we chose but definitely debated quite a bit on what style of hardware I wanted to use. These were some of my other favorites:

*Once all hardware is attached and your drawers are finished, follow the included instructions with your unit to attach them to the wall (optional but recommended by Ikea)*

Now you can fill them up with your things and stage them!