The Konmari method–and tidying up in general–has grown increasingly popular in the past few months. Whether you are spring cleaning or getting ready to remodel your home, you can find real value in organizing your belongings. Today, we’re going to focus on using the Konmari method (or any organizing strategy!) to make planning your remodel or build easier.

Getting organized showcases your home’s character–as it is!
When your home is cluttered, it’s tough to appreciate what you already have. We start seeing the boxes, totes, and piles instead of the way natural light pours through the windows, or a room’s cozy proportions, or the nice decor hidden under the piles. We start to overlook the charming parts of the house, and often fail to notice that there are maintenance needs that should be obvious. Keeping things tidy allows you to appreciate what you have now while planning for something new.

Getting organized helps you get clear on your values
When getting ready for a remodel or a new house, it’s critical to know yourself–and be honest about what you value. If you are a book lover with several overflowing bookshelves, are you really going to switch to an e-reader when your new home or remodel is done? It is better to plan accessible, beautiful storage for the books you love than to force yourself to forgo something that brings you joy. The same goes for collections and hobbies: if there are items/activities that fulfill you, work with your designer to plan for a place for them instead of hiding your favorite things away in boxes and bins.

Getting organized makes sure you don’t waste precious space
I often help people plan for a remodeling after they’ve given up on cleaning, since they know everything is going to be removed anyway. This actually makes the design process harder. Having a concise inventory of what will be staying with you helps plan for the correct amount of storage and display. Beginning in a new space with the proper storage/display makes keeping the house organized easier going forward.

Getting organized helps you choose the right storage space
Careful storage is better than a lot of storage. Walk-in closets are not better if they are just black holes where you only access the first 24” in the front. If you do best being able to see everything at once, plan for flat closets that open to view. Big linen closets stuffed full of old pillows no one wants to use can be replaced with more storage in the bathroom, a small closet by the bedrooms, and then an out-of-season bedding area elsewhere.

Getting organized saves you money in the long run!
There is a real cost to storing things you don’t really want or need. I’ve helped people plan for large garages and finished basements to store the same (large!) quantity of boxed-up items they have in their current home. Each part of this storage has a cost: the construction cost; the ongoing heating/cooling costs; the maintenance and insurance costs for that square footage. Are the things in those bins worth keeping after considering the construction and future dollars you are committing to them? This can also be true of “buyer club” shopping: what is the cost of the extra space you are using to save a few dollars on bulk paper towels?

By being deliberate with what you keep in your home, you can find more joy in what you already have and save money in the long run–all while working with your designer to create a space that serves you better. If you think your home could use an update, new closets, or a do-over, get in touch to schedule a consultation.

In late 2016, two clients broke ground on a beautiful rural site in Michigan. Their energy-efficient farmhouse has been featured on the blog, first here and then again here. With the project being built hundreds of miles away, regular site visits are a challenge for me, so it was a delight to receive an email from the clients with updates. All the text quoted below is from the homeowners, lightly edited.

“The really good news is that the design of the house is working out very well. The layout provides good separation between public and private spaces. It’s great to roll out of bed and into the kitchen. The house is cheerful and full of sunlight. The small front foyer is a delightful detail that is enjoyed from the music room, and the staircase invites further exploration to the second floor. Sight lines are long but broken up by small angles and structural details. The great music room is wonderful: it can accommodate 2 lazy retirees or a small crowd of energetic children + dinner guests. The long narrow dining hall is perfect for buffet dinners; guests drift into the music room to have their meal, rather than hanging out in the kitchen (hooray for efficient galley kitchens). We are hard pressed to think of how to improve the design, given the challenges of the property with its drainage swales, cemetery and neighboring pipeline. Thank you Mary for your expert input, patience and perseverance during the design process. Yes, we finally got the stairs in the right spot!

“Roxel insulation [a kind of bat insulation made from stone and other minerals, and pictured above] has changed their name to Rock Wool. So far, we are oblivious of its existence: warm walls, no smells, no nothing. We have noticed a very nice reduction in sound transmission from outside noises. We missed an opportunity by not having it installed in some of the interior walls. Absolutely, we would specify it again.

“We are very sympathetic about the allergies. We have noticed a dramatic reduction in dust with the complete lack of carpeting. Hooray. The Sherwin-Williams low/no VOC interior paints are excellent: no smells or off-gassing. The Summit engineered wood flooring is wonderfully neutral. No smells. It is absolutely worth the added expense to specify the no-VOC materials.

Above, the custom-sized towel bars are just one of hundreds of details that make the house unique.

“In-floor hydronic heat is different. We like it. The neighbor’s children love it on their bare toes. Clean, no wind chills, no dust flying around. In spite of all kinds of pumps, valves and mechanisms spinning away night and day during December (pre-Christmas low = -14°), the electric bill was about $75. The propane bill was considerably higher! We need to get curtains in the windows to cut down on heat transfer. Yes, the wood stove really works to keep things warm, and the AC circulation fan does a good job of distributing the heat throughout the house. One consequence of hot water heat is a dry house. Good news: the house has finally dried out after last winter’s drenching, and we have gaps along the caulk fills all over the place. The other downside is a tendency to have scratchy noses; we just need to purchase a small portable humidifier to take care of that problem. After fighting the mildew in our Lakeville home, it is a vast relief not to have to live with that health hazard.

“We are anxiously waiting for spring and all kinds of major projects. Final grading to deal with ponds of water; gutters and downs; hardscaping and landscaping; lots of tree planting and gardening. Meanwhile, we are applying the final rehab details to our shower and hope to start using it in the next week. Progress.”

Do you need plans (“blueprints”) for your new home?

Are you planning a new home and have a pretty good idea what you want and some ideas of how you want the house to look?

Recognizing that not all people need the same level of design service, VIVUS now offers a plan-creation service for those people who need fewer design options and less-detailed customization.

Your home will be drawn custom for you, with the layout and the look that you want, on your building site. When finished, your plans will allow you to get construction pricing, to secure a building permit, and allow you to make all the selections that will go into the finished project. We work with you to provide a home that is exciting, functional, and attuned to your budget.

Additionally, if there are rooms or details you want to be further customized (built-ins in a great room, or custom-made cabinetry and details in the kitchen) those services can be added to make your new home reflect your style and allow you to get accurate construction pricing including those more-detailed areas.

Find more information here.

Don’t know which level of service you need (home plans vs. highly customized home)? Schedule a meeting and we can help you decide which arrangement better suits your needs.

Northfield has recently been named the best city in the U.S. for a well-rounded retirement, according to MONEY Magazine.

Well, now the secret is out! But what they didn’t say in the article is that it is a great town for those who belong to any age group.

Here is the article and some feedback from our local newspaper.

And here is the original article.

Whether you are contemplating a move to our area or already live here, VIVUS is available to help make your home the best retreat in your corner of the world.

Downtown Northfield’s Bridge Square, (Photo courtesy of Northfield News website)

Have you noticed that laundry rooms are all of a sudden center-stage? There are so many accessories, furnishings and design ideas for the laundry room.

Why? I think the advent of new machines are one of the drivers. Today’s options include front-load, top-load, water-saving, high-efficiency and stackable. You only used to have to worry about selecting by capacity and features. Now too you have more color choices than white (and maybe almond). Race-car red would make wash-day an adventure. How about royal blue to make you feel regal, in command of your loyal sock-subjects?

Maybe laundry domains have become more popular because our clothes-care takes up a significant portion of our daily lives, and an organized, attractive room just takes some of the drudgery out of the chore.

Given a convenient, easy-to-use and attractive space, maybe all the kids (cool or otherwise) will be excited to be doing laundry.