Highs are hitting the 90s, our weekly monsoons have begun, and the mosquitoes are swarming. Summer has arrived early in South Louisiana, and the team at Amazing Spaces is here for it! These temps have us thinking of pina coladas by the pool, getting caught in the rain, and organization projects to give clients the easiest summer ever. Let’s talks Summer Switcheroos.
There is a distinct shift in the attitude of a home when summer hits. Homes with small children move from school-based routines to day camps, pool days, sleepovers, and ball games. Empty nesters may take advantage of the changing weather by scheduling in time at the lake house, an extended vacation, or time out on the boat. Summer represents an overall upheaval of the norm. Vacations and ice cream and cookouts and no bedtime and trying to get in all the fun before summer ends and we resume our regular lives. All this fun can get messy and overwhelming, so here are some ways our teams can come in and help you have a happy home this summer.
Dropspot Switchout
The dropspot: where all the stuff gets put when you walk in the door. We are going to discuss dropspots for homes with school-aged kiddos. During the school year, this spot may look a bit like this.
Now that summer is here, this spot will serve a different purpose. Make this your Summer Station. Keep on hand summer-time essentials like bug spray, sunscreen, sun hats, sandals, and sunglasses. Add-ons like soft coolers to bring to the community pool, a beach tote filled with swim accessories like goggles, favorite toys, etc. If you child attends day camps, have their bag and water bottle here and ready to grab when it’s time to leave.
School Uniform Purge
This is an easy task to accomplish on a rainy or too-hot day. Step 1: Any stained or irreparably holey uniforms should be disposed of. Step 2: Assess if any uniforms may fit again in the fall. These should be stored until needed again. We prefer using clear storage totes because it makes items more easily identifiable, but opaque totes work well too. With any totes, LABELLING is key. Labels should be easy to read and placed on the outward-facing surface of your storage container. For school uniforms, it helps to identify if they are male/female, the school they belong to, the types of items (shirts, oxford blouses, pants, skirts, jumpers, etc.), and sizes included. Step 3: Assess a need for hand-me-downs. Are these items needed for a younger sibling? Will they fit the younger sibling? If so, store according to the guidelines listed in Step 2. Step 4: Donate any other items not needed.
Get Gear Ready
Summertime fun involves a LOT of gear. Swimming gear like flotation devices, goggles, pool toys; fishing gear like tackle, poles, fishing line; boating gear like life jackets, anchors, ropes; camping gear like tents, outdoor stoves, and tarps. Having storage solutions for each of these categories means easier access when you are ready to head out to have fun! We can help you purge existing gear, and while you write up your list of new gear you need, we can have your keepers packed away in activity-appropriate storage containers. We really like water-proof, locking, heavy-duty containers for all things outdoor and especially water-specific.
Interior Refresh
Sometimes you get an envie to bring that summertime change indoors as well. Our interior redesign services can help guide you in updating your home. We can start with something as simple as a furniture shuffle where we reassess furniture placement and make changes to best suit the flow of your home. Maybe you acquired new artwork and need help incorporating it into existing groupings, or you would rather totally rework your art displays throughout your home — we can do that too! We can help with consults on new upholstery schemes or pillow updates. We can rework display vignettes throughout your home. We can even go so far as to help with a color consultation to create a totally new color palate for your home.
Moving Services
It’s too hot to pack and unpack a home on your own. Let our teams at Amazing Spaces pull up in the swagger wagon to get your current home packed into boxes, and unpack your new home into the organized oasis you’ve been dreaming of!
TIP OF THE MONTH
Not so much of a tip as a suggestion: Amazing Spaces gift cards make GREAT Father’s Day gifts. I know, you may not automatically think of organization when you think of Dad, but that’s why this is such a gift. To have a team of experts help him organize his special collections, hunting closet, fishing gear, or alcohol cabinet, is a gift he didn’t know he wanted. 