Photo Courtesy The Container Store

Graham’s quick tips:
 • To make the most of your cupboards, drawers and pantry, it's important to purchase organizing products that maximize the space. Drawer dividers, Lazy Susans, stackable shelving, containers and baskets make a kitchen more functional.
• Avoid buying everything in bulk. Those items usually take up more room.
• Say “no” to mugs and plastic cups. A few are all you need.

Office Space
As the economy slows, more and more Americans are working from their homes. However, the average home office is rarely used just for work. It’s a museum for all kinds of paper, school projects, phone bills and junk mail.

“We have more paper than ever before,” says Nancy Nemitz of Create the Space. “We thought computers would solve the paper issue, but we’re afraid our computers will crash, so we print everything out… and as the paper increases, so does the stress.”

Nemitz says the best way to get started in an office is to decide what the office will be used for and how long you want to keep everything. Set a deadline – six months, two years, five years – and after this period of time, recycle or shred it.

The next step is to determine whether you are a piler or a filer. Do your documents need to be kept in files in the cabinet, or do you feel more comfortable having them stacked on top of the desk?

For filers, Nemitz recommends investing in high-quality files that will last longer and will look and feel better in the office. “Even if it’s something as simple as having all the same color files, these things all have a huge impact on how the office feels and works.”

For pilers, products created by Pendaflex (which even has an “I hate filing” community on its Website) can help organize those stacks of papers without having to open a drawer.