I’ll admit it; I’m not a very organized person. Nowhere is this more apparent than the bedroom. My wife has always blamed it on laziness, but I don’t think that’s fair. Sure, there’s the occasional work-shirt on the floor, rather than in a hamper or the closet, but that’s just a small aspect.

The truth it, our bedroom was so unorganized because it wasn’t built for organization. Yes, that may sound like an excuse, but trust me on this. We visited organizing stores, we bought organizing products, we tried what we thought was anything and everything to help our bedroom stay more organized.

That’s when a friend told us about Hold n’Storage and their websites “Design Your Own Closet” feature.

The first step is to draw your floor plan. With their easy-to-use design grid, you can replicate your exact closet specifications (but if that’s not for you they have basic floor plans to choose from).

The next step is figuring out details, like doors and corner. Then you design the walls, and get to put in islands (aka drawers. Don’t worry, I didn’t know that at first either.)

The next step is the coolest part, when the site actually shows you an easy-to-navigate 3D view of your closet. And with just the click of a button, your customized closet can be ordered and on its way to organizing your life.

There is no doubt in my mind, using the Design your own Closet feature changed the way my bedroom runs. This was more beneficial than any visit to an organizing store.

July 4th is approaching and will be here before you know it. You know what that means – a weekend full of BBQ and relaxation. If you don’t want to be driven inside by the darkness, you may need some new outdoor lighting.

There are tons of options for outdoor lighting your backyard. You can choose string lights, which are fun and festive, there are outdoor solar stakes, which simply sit in your garden and light when you need them, candle lanterns for a more traditional look, patio lamps, which always come in handy, and torchieres, which will make you feel like you’re in the French countryside. There are even lighted tables, which are particularly romantic – they glow like a warm fire.

There’s nothing like July 4th at evening – that crepuscular moment when the first fireflies are out and they float on a zephyr. Surrounded by loved ones, gorged on food, your body thanks you, and your mind reels. Thankfully you can throw those shorts that you spilled ketchup on in the laundry and grab some fresh ones from your the organizing products in your bedroom closet... Life is good in the summertime.

Plus when you visit www.HoldNStorage.com you can find a discount coupon code specially for 4th of July that can save you up to 15%.

As July 4th approaches, you want to turn your backyard into a more livable, relaxing paradise. Here are some tips to help prepare your garden for fireworks!

· Patio sets are crucial to any outdoor entertainment. If you have to schlep a barbeque inside, what’s the summer for? Relax in an outdoor cushioned seat, talk about life and love al fresco!

· The sound of dribbling water is one of the most relaxing. To conjure the image of a purling creek, buy a small fountain to relax and soothe your guests.

· Outdoor lighting is a great way to keep a party going into the afterhours. Don’t let the dark end the social scene – buy an outdoor table or floor lamp to shed some light on the subject.

· Once you’ve got the basics covered, it’s time to spruce up your decorative scheme. Bowls, planters, flower baskets and plant stands are great ways to add some color to your garden.

Once you have your outdoors established, organize your inside with custom closets and bathroom storage units. Custom closets for the kitchen and the bedroom can go a long way, and help make the inside of your house look as good as the outside.

Organizing is fun! Really it is. Much like cleaning, organizing is a kind of visible change that makes you feel worthy. If you live in filth and squalor, you probably won’t feel very good about yourself because there’s nothing to be proud of – in fact, you will be most likely ashamed. That’s why you spend time cleaning and organizing before people visit your home, so they can see you at your best.

Closet organizing is crucial to one’s sense of well being. If you have a messy closet, then you probably have a messy mind. You can add closet hangers and closet organizer systems for custom closets. Wood add-ons are a great way to conserve space and add a place for your extra clothes and shoes.

Wire add ons are cool too and are perfect for ties and belts, pants, and shirts and shoes, if you like the look of a wire basket. Getting your closet organized isn’t hard, especially with the help of Hold N Storage. Depending on which you choose, wire or wood make a great addition to any messy closet.

To feel better about yourself and where you live, look at closet organizer systems today. Your mental health is just waiting to improve.

Shoes. I love shoes. Imelda Marcos could compete with me for title of Shoe Queen. But when you have such an overstock of shoes, it can be hard to find a place for them all. They litter the floor of my closet – it’s like walking through a landmine at times, I have to avoid heels so I don’t roll an ankle. When I want to choose a pair, sorting through them is almost impossible. I can’t lie, I’ve even thought about throwing some of the older ones away or giving them to charity, but I can’t bear to part with them. The oldest are my favorites!

I’ve tried shoe cubbies and hangers that stack and organize shoes, but in vain. I recently decided on an over the door shoe rack to help sort my styles. These closet hangers easily manage about half my shoe collection, 36 or so pairs. But I still was left with a wilderness of shoes. Luckily, www.HoldNStorage.com had even more options. I bought a shoe tree, because the idea of a tree that grows shoes that fall to the ground when ripe really tickles my fancy. Now thanks to these closet hangers and closet organizer systems, I can actually use my closet to hang clothes!

Summer’s on the way, and that means warmer weather and…vacations! So what are you waiting for? Get your clothes out of your custom closets and start packing. Here are some of our favorite travel accessories to help you travel in organized style.

Luggage – Don’t break your back when you’re traveling. Choose from Hold N Storage’s range of sturdy bags on wheels that come with front organizer compartments and pockets to hold those extra bits and pieces.

Bags & Cases – A suitcase never seems to be enough when you’re traveling; you always need smaller bags as well. Whether you’re off to the beach or jetting overseas, Hold N Storage has totes, laptop cases, computer cases, shoulder bags, purses and handbags, jewelry and cosmetic bags, waist packs and more.

Auto Organizers – Planning a road trip? Save space and stop your car getting cluttered with maps and brochures and empty Pepsi cans by investing in organizers for the driver’s seat, backseat and trunk, as well as document holders and litter bags.

Traveling Accessories – Don’t forget travel accessories to keep your toiletries and other essentials in order. Hold N Storage has toiletry bags, travel mirrors, grooming bags, tie cases, hair care cases and contact lens organizers.

After your vacation, throw your dirty clothes in your laundry sorter hamper and enjoy being back in your organized home.

Father’s Day is on Sunday, June 20, 2010, and Hold N Storage has custom closets and loads of other storage solutions that every Dad is sure to love. Here are a few of our favorites.

Desk organizers – Is Dad a workaholic, a long-hours-in-the-office corporate kind of a guy? If so, he’ll love Hold N Storage’s range of desk storage solutions, including business card holders, letter trays, mail organizers, desk blotters, desk valets, pencil cups, memo holders, paper clip cups, telephone stands, tape dispensers, stationary sets, desk risers, and baskets and bins.

Tools and hardware – Does dad love hammering away in the garage, making progress on his latest woodwork project? If he is, treat him to a brand new set of hammers, screwdrivers, bit sets, wrenches, pliers, ratchet sets and other tools in a handy carry case that will keep everything neatly in place.

Tie and belt hangers – Has Dad got ties and belts coming out of his ears? Or at least out of his closet? If the answer is yes, then he needs Hold N Storage’s wall mount and hanging tie and belt racks and closet hangers. And for something really special, consider getting Dad a battery-operated rotating tie rack that saves space and makes mornings less stressful.

Stay tuned for more Father's Day gift ideas from www.HoldNStorage.com!

Got the inside of the house all organized with closet organizer systems and bathroom storage units? Summer’s on the way, so now’s the time to get your garage, lawn and garden in order, too. Hold N Storage has got all your outdoor essentials covered.

Lawn and Garden – If you’re going to have a picnic, then you’re going to need outdoor tables and chairs, blankets and umbrellas, plus picnic baskets, totes, backpacks, coolers and flatware/bottle holders to transport your food and drink and keep them cool and fresh.

Garden – Turn your garden into a relaxing oasis that's perfect for summer barbecues or just chilling out with a book. Hold N Storage has patio sets, planters, water fountains, bowls, hose hiders, flower baskets, stools, outdoor lighting, beverage coolers and plant stands to make your backyard beautiful.

Garage Hooks and Tools and Hardware – Hooks are a great way to get your hoses, ladders, garden tools, cleaning equipment off the ground and out of the way. If your hammers and screwdrivers seem to have a mind of their own, organize them in tools and hardware carry cases and storage kits.

Storage Racks and Storage Systems – Make your garage as organized as your custom closets by stowing your carpentry tools into garage cabinets and work stations and storing your bikes and sports, ski and garden equipment in the most space-efficient and least intrusive way with overhead or hanging storage racks.

Is your home overflowing with books, shoes, clothes, blankets, portable heaters, files, papers and more? Spring is here and that means it’s time to de-clutter and invest in closet organizer systems so that your home doesn’t look like a bomb hit it. A little spring cleaning will make your house light and breezy and ready for summer entertaining.

Create a plan for dealing with all that mess and tackle with one room at a time. Throw out broken or damaged items, and create a pile of items that you no longer want but can give away to friends, family or charity, such as clothes and shoes that no longer fit.

Identify items that you rarely use but need to keep (Christmas decorations, for example) and put them in a self-storage unit. Stow your clothes in custom closets, which will help keep them organized.

Bathrooms can be particularly challenging; by the end of winter, they’re usually flowing with half-empty bottles of cold and flu medication and Vitamin C tablets. Invest in bathroom storage units (shelving, caddies, toilet paper holders), which provide a home for all those bits and pieces.

Why not spoil Mom with some funky storage accessories from Hold N Storage this Mother’s Day? Hold N Storage has everything from bathroom storage units and closet organizer systems to food storage items, carts and racks, countertop accessories, food scales, wall mounts, timers and thermometers, and cabinet accessories. Here are some of our favorite gift ideas for Mom.

Banana Holders: You could put your bananas in an ordinary fruit bowl – or you could show them off by letting them hang gracefully on a sleek stand. A fun and practical product that Mom is sure to love!

Bread Bins: Is the kitchen counter littered with overflowing bags of bread? Keep bagels, loaves and pastries fresh and all in the one place in a stylish bread bin with an easy-to-use roller door.

Wicker Laundry Hamper: Spoil Mom with a retro-looking, 1950s-style wicker laundry hamper, available in a cool range of colors, including Mystic Green, Crystal Pink, Purple Ash, Illusion Blue and Lavender.

Countertop Wine Racks: Countertop wine racks are sure to add a touch of class to the kitchen or dining area. Racks feature playful and decorative lines and tilt downwards to keep corks wet for proper storage.

I don’t know about you, but few things compel me from the quiet warmth of my comforter at 6 a.m.—not even the premeditated shriek of my alarm. I mastered the reach-and-snooze motion in high school, and have since trained myself into a last-minute Olympian, an expert in racing the clock when you’re running behind. This worked just fine up until my late twenties as a young professional in Portland, Oregon. Getting ready in the morning was a snap—literally. I’d just snap on the first thing I coordinated, and motion towards the door. But since moving to New York two years ago for a new job, my lifestyle has changed.

Like a confusing prank from Alice in Wonderland, it feels as if my room has shrunken, while my belongings have grown. My apartment is half the size of my old place, and my closet is a fraction of its former self. This wreaked havoc on my late-riser antics. Suddenly, finding tops to match skirts, jackets for the shifting weather and right pair of slacks became a treasure hunt—where were they?

My closet was overwrought with haphazard stacks and disorganized piles, with disproportionate vertical space only heightening the problem. My dressing disasters consistently made me late for morning meetings and important calls with clients. I was given two warnings from my manager. I needed a morning solution stronger than coffee: I needed a closet organizer system.

A colleague suggested the melamine custom closets at Hold N Storage. The smart combinations of shelving, shoe racks and wire add-ons transformed my closet, taking advantage of the high ceilings and making every corner count for storage. I haven’t changed my snooze-and-rise antics—and I’ve been early to work every day this week. I can’t recommend custom closets enough.

Investing in closet hangers is a great way to get organized, but some people need a little more help to keep their clothing in order. Fortunately, www.HoldNStorage.com offers a variety of closet hanger accessories, which offer storage solutions for items of all kinds.

Let’s take a look at some of our favorite closet accessories:

Over the Door Hooks: Perfect for college students and renters, these hooks can fit over most entry and closet doors for additional hanging space without any installation. Over the door hooks are available in all shapes and sizes, from single hangers to stacked units.

Wall-Mounted Racks: For some serious storage, it doesn’t get any better than mounted racks, which are sturdy enough for heavy coats and jackets, as well as bathrobes and towels. Choose a mahogany rack for a luxurious look that will enhance any room.

Valet Bars: No you see them, now you don’t! Valet bars provide convenient extra storage for closet organizer systems, ideal for hanging recently laundered items. Attach the frame to a shelf or wall, then slide and retract the rod as needed.

Like closet organizer systems for the bedroom, bathroom storage units are essential to organizing your toiletries and other bathroom items. Let’s take a look at two of our favorite bathroom storage options:

Shower and Tub Caddies: Most showers and bathtubs include some space to store your shampoo, soap, and other supplies, however this is usually not enough – especially if said shower or tub serves more than one person. To expand your storage options, we recommend a shower or bathtub caddy. These useful tools can be as big or as small as you want, from a stainless steel soap basket to a two-tear caddy featuring additional hooks for razors and loofahs.

Hair Care Storage: Unlike most bathroom supplies, hair products like blow dryers and curling irons pretty much have to stay dry. Depending on the size and layout of your bathroom, you might invest in bathroom storage units designed to adhere directly to the wall, or portable totes that you can remove from the bathroom once you’re finished teasing and setting.

You can find these bathroom storage units and more at www.HoldNStorage.com!

If you’ve decided to invest in a wicker laundry hamper, congratulations! These excellent products can help you stay organized while providing a touch of class to any bedroom or laundry area. But a laundry sorter hamper is only one step on your road to organization – let’s take a look at some other great laundry products you can find at www.HoldNStorage.com.

Drying Racks & Clotheslines: Mechanical driers are well suited for drying towels, sheets, and most cotton clothing, however not all of your delicates can survive such a cycle. Drying racks and clotheslines are affordable, safe tools that can help you dry your delicates – plus, most of them are easily folded up for storage.

Ironing Supplies: Nothing can ruin a pair of freshly washed pants like a whole lot of wrinkles. Even if you’re not interested in ironing all of your clothing, it’s good to have an iron and ironing board around to smooth out the worst creases. Hold N Storage offers a wide selection of ironing board styles, including standard, over-the-door, and tabletop boards.

Laundry Bags: Even if you already own a laundry sorter hamper, laundry bags can be helpful for transporting your clothes to the laundromat or drycleaner, or for vacations. There are plenty of different styles and colors to choose from, ensuring that you’ll find a laundry bag to match your personality.

Every closet is a little different. Some are large and perfectly rectangular, making them easy to fit for closet organizer systems. Others have limited floor space, angled walls, or physical obstructions such as windows and heating vents, which can require some strategic placing when it comes time to add shelves, drawers, hanging towers, and more.

Whether your space is simple or difficult, designing custom closets is easy at www.HoldNStorage.com. At Hold N' Storage, shoppers can actually design their own custom closets online using a 3D planning tool. This intuitive – and free – program lets you plan not just a closet, but your closet. You can add hutches, hangers, wire baskets, and other pieces, all the while designing around your preexisting shelves and doors. Many homeowners pay professional decorators for this level of personalization!

After you’ve selected your components, you can choose between white, cherry, and truffle finishes to ensure that your design will coordinate with the rest of your bedroom. Whether you’ve got a walk-in closet or an oddly shaped reach-in, www.HoldNStorage.com has the perfect custom closets and kits for you.

Whether you’re happy in khakis or forever in blue jeans, your clothes get dirty just like everyone else’s, and they need to be cleaned. But in that limbo state between wearing and washing, items from your wardrobe must rely on one thing: a laundry sorter hamper. Read on for a look at some of your hamper options.

Laundry sorter hamper: Most novice clothes washers employ the throw-everything-in-at-once approach, but at a certain point you have to start taking better care of your clothes, and that means separating lights, darks, and delicates. Available with up to four compartments, a laundry sorter hamper can help you stay organized as you go.

Portable laundry hamper: When Billy Joel wrote “New York State of Mind,” he must have overlooked the trials and tribulations of the laundromat. Whether you live in the Big Apple or not, you can make your laundry trek more bearable with a hamper specifically designed to lug your clothes.

Wicker laundry hamper: For a more aesthetically pleasing look, a wicker laundry hamper is a fantastic addition to any room. Wicker goes with everything – from brushed metal to patterned fabric to, well, more wicker! You can also use a wicker laundry hamper in your family room to store extra blankets and pillows.

Not everyone understands the benefits of closet organizer systems. Out of sight, out of mind, they think. It doesn't matter if your closet is a mess — not as long as you can close the door. That way nobody can see the wrinkled clothing, the shirts falling off of hangers, the sagging closet rod.

It's true, hiding your closet woes will probably fool your guests into thinking you're organized, but actually being organized has more benefits than just keeping up appearances. In fact, closet organizer systems can expedite your morning routine, lower your stress, and maybe even help you find a pair of pants you haven't seen in years.

Wouldn't you like to have more time to read the morning paper — or just to get to work before the boss does? Either way, closet systems will help you get ready faster every morning. Organized closet hangers that aren't all crammed together allow you to see all of your options at once and reduce wrinkles by letting clothes hang freely, which means no more last minute ironing. Best of all, closet organizer systems make it easy to stay organized — they're so intuitive and simple to maintain that you'll be less likely to fall into old habits.

People tend to pick up hangers everywhere — clothing retailers, relatives, dollar stores — but such a hodgepodge of products can take its toll on both the look of your closet and the quality of your clothes. Most decorators recommend picking one or two styles of closet hangers in coordinating materials for optimum function and form.

Let's take a lot at some of your closet hanger options:

Wood. Sturdy and reliable, wooden hangers are available in designs for every type of clothing, including suits, coats, dress shirts, skirts, and trousers.

Padded. Add some French flair to your bedroom with a set of satin padded hangers, which look beautiful with or without clothes on them!

Tie/Belt. The business world expects your ties and belts to stay as well-maintained at the rest of your clothing — why not protect them in your closet? You can even invest in a neat battery-operated rack.

Tiered. If you've got a small closet — or just lots of clothes — then tiered hangers might be just the thing. An essential part of many closet organizer systems, these products offer four, five, or even six tears for compact storage.

I’ll admit it: I like to spend a lot of time in the bathroom, relaxing in the bathtub in an avocado facemask, putting on mascara, eye shadow and lipstick, styling my hair, and applying moisturizing cream at bedtime. What can I say, I’m a woman. So when my husband and I recently moved into a new house with a large bathroom, I went a little crazy. I wanted to turn it into a relaxing, decorative, sweet-smelling place when I could pamper myself to my heart’s content.

Our new bathroom is now not only gorgeous, it’s also functional and well-organized, thanks to the bathroom storage units at Hold N Storage. I have a fantastic hair care rack that hangs on the wall and holds my hair dryer, combs and brushes. For the bathtub, there’s a bathtub caddy which holds shampoos, body lotions, and soaps. A wicker laundry hamper sits in the corner of the bathroom, and on the floor is a magazine rack which keeps reading material in place. And of course, we have a wall cabinet with a nice big mirror on it. And the best thing about my new bathroom? Wrapping myself in a hot towel when I step out of the bathtub. I’m not sure how I ever survived before without my Hold N Storage towel warmers.

I’ve been out of college for about five years now. Sure the beer drinking, pizza, and constant mess was fun – for a time. But now that I’m a more mature older man, I’ve realized that the details are what make a place. When I bring people to my apartment, I don’t want it to look like a college dorm. So I’ve been taking steps to improve my living situation, little by little.

My laundry sorter hamper has been a problem for years. I used to have a large sack that I would lug to the Laundromat – that sucked. Once I got my own washer and drier I upgraded to a plastic basket, which recently splintered and cracked. Now today, I’ve made the final move – to a wicker laundry hamper. I bought this beautiful natural finished bowed front wicker laundry hamper from www.HoldNStorage.com. They have a few different colors and finishes, but I personally prefer the natural look. And now, instead of avoiding laundry, for the first time, I’m actually proud when I do my laundry.

So when people come over, they will admire my laundry storage because they know I’m no longer a kid, and I don’t do my laundry like one.

My girlfriend and I just moved in together. We’re pretty excited about the change but what we weren’t excited about was our closet space. In her words “There isn’t any!” So we thought about wardrobe closet solutions. And finally we decided to customize a closet, because my love has more shoes than Imelda Marcos and up until a few weeks ago, they were just sitting on the floor with no place to go.

So we discovered a wardrobe closet solution in Hold N Storage. We were actually able to design our own closet racks and shoe storage, all online! In just a few easy steps – beginning with the floor plan, working out the details, designing walls, we even put in an island! – we saw it all come together, and then ordered it!


Organization was never her forte, but now that Hold N Storage has given us a wardrobe closet solution, our bedroom closet is neat and full. My love can easily choose which shoes she wants to wear thanks to over the door shoe storage, and I haven’t tripped over any shoes since.
So if you’re looking for wardrobe closet solutions, Hold N Storage will have everything you need. It worked for us, why wouldn’t it work for you?

When we moved in to our new home, it was perfect! With one exception – the pantry. Sure there were cupboards, but with three boys, there just wasn’t enough room to hold all the food. Well, we had this little off closet right outside of the kitchen, and it didn’t have anything in it except for a mop and a broom. So I talked to my husband about kitchen storage solutions and we decided to fix it up with some kitchen organizers and in-cabinet storage.

We got everything we needed from Hold N Storage. They have nice sturdy sliding organizers, and closet organizer systems which made sense out of my small kitchen closets. Now when I go food shopping, I don’t have to think about storage problems! I can buy cans and sodas for the next 6 months, because at last (!) I have enough space to put all of the food away.

Kitchen storage solutions have never been easier and I swear the food doesn’t get eaten as fast with all of these drawers… In fact, some of the time, the boys still forget that the drawers are sliding, since they're still so new, and they say “Moooomm, where are the crackers?” “In the closet organizer system, behind the flour on the sliding drawer!”

Thanks to the great experience we had with Hold N Storage our next project will be installing bathroom storage units…