54 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JANUARY 2019
PRESS HOME
HERE’S TO ORGANIZING AND DECLUTTERING IN 2019
continued from page 53 ORGANIZATION
Occasionally, Braun visits clients’
homes to conduct an in-depth feng
shui assessment using the bagua
energy map, five elements theory
and other tools and techniques. She
offers step-by-step guidance to make
personal feng shui adjustments, including
organizing ideas, furniture
recommendations, room-by-room
color and art selection, and more.
Here, she offers tips and suggests
solutions for reining in the mess and
creating calm from chaos.
“My approach is, first know the
goals of the space," she says. “Then
declutter. Get rid of items that don’t
work for the area. Next, decide what
needs to be there to make the tasks of
the room function smoothly. Know
resources that can build closets,
shelves, etc. or purchase items like
furniture, organizing supplies
that will help maintain the room’s
function.”
Finally, add decorative touches
that will enhance the space without
cluttering it up again.
“After the holidays, it’s important
to return decorations to organized
storage,” she says. “This will make
next year's decorating simple.”
Use clear, labeled containers and
sort, organize, and store by groupings
of like items or by area where
displayed. For example, containers
labelled “fireplace mantel” should
hold stuff like candles and stockings.
Get rid of old or unwanted toys and
clothing. To avoid paper clutter, set
up a paper management system and
holiday recipes in a binder or box.
Design pro Sandra Asdourian, of
Sandra Asdourian Interiors in Babylon
Village, injects organizational elements
into her renovation projects,
based on her clients’ needs.
“Great design starts with the floor
plan, organizing and understanding
how the family will be living in the
space,” she says.
For example, in a well-used guest
bedroom she designed, the clients entertained
a lot of overnight weekend
guests. They required extra storage
for additional bedding and linens.
So, she installed a storage bed. The
bed frame easily lifts with a hidden
hydraulic mechanism. This way, they
could organize the extra linens without
sacrificing closet space.
“We also needed to organize an
easy space to entertain, so the clients
and their guests could move from the
kitchen to the great room to the balcony
with ease,” Asdourian explains.
PLANNING:
1. Identify why you want to get organized
2. Write it down and keep it visibly posted
3. Make a plan
4: Mark a date on your calendar
5: When done, reward yourself
“They used the combined spaces with
the dining room as a buffet and bar
area for their guests.”
Braun’s longtime client Pam, of
Commack, says she realized she
wasn't staying on top of the clutter
in her house. Her worst enemy was
paper. The dining room table and
home office desks were always
piled high with catalogs, mail, and
other documents.
“I wanted to invite friends over but
was postponing that until the house
was back in order, but that never happened,”
Pam says. “I found Cynthia,
thank goodness, and just the first day
she accomplished what would have
taken me weeks...This has been a life
changer!”
“Great design starts with the floor plan,
organizing and understanding how the family will
be living in the space,”
– says Design Pro Sandra Asdourian.
CHICO’S
(631) 689-6426
Fall inLove in Stony Br��k V illage
ROCKY POINT JEWELERS WEST
(631) 751-3751
Lafonn earrings
MIRABELLE AT THREE VILLAGE INN
(631) 751-0555
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization presents
A “Taste” of Stony Brook
Sunday, February 26, 6 - 8 pm
Participating shops to date include:
Chico’s (celebrating 25 years in the Stony Brook Village Center),
Brew Cheese, Village Florist & Events, Blue Salon & Spa
and Village Coffee Market
$35 pp. All proceeds go to breast cancer research at Stony Brook Medicine. (631) 689-5888
111 Main Street, Stony Brook • (631) 751-2244 • stonybrookvillage.com
VILLAGE FLORIST
& EVENTS
(631) 467-0385
•Food Tastings
•Fashion Show- Vintage and
Current Outfits
•Featuring Roberta Fabiano
Roberta Fabiano has appeared on numerous television
shows including NBC’s Today Show with Peter Duchin
and has performed for many presidents including
Ronald Reagan at his White House Christmas party!
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