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Summary: The Organized Home
Review: Great design and organization ideas. Loved the sections on preparing for parties. A fun writing style that does not talk down to the reader about style and design.
Rating: 
Summary: Born Organized
Review: I am already a very organized person, but I found this book to be really helpful! It's full of cool & classy ideas. It's a must have for anyone who needs ideas for Spring cleaning and decorating/organizing. The "Queer Eye" guys would definitely agree! The only reason why I gave it 4 stars, rather than 5+ is because I would've like to see 'before and after' pictures. Buy it, love it, live it and get organized!
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Summary: BUY THIS BOOK!
Review: I am in love with this book. Instead of telling me what a slob I am or that I should just toss all clutter, the authors understand what its like to have collections of stuff and busy lives. There are so many "home organization" (and i use that term loosely) books out there and instead of focusing on how to organize your home and indirectly your life, they pound into you that one must always get rid of stuff. This is not the case with the wonderful Casey Ellis and Randall Koll! I can live clutter free and organized. Yes, junk mail gets thrown away as soon as it enters the house but I now have lovely baskets to organize the myriad of magazines that cross my threshold and I can actually get to the things I use most and sleep well knowing that my linen closet could be in photo shoot.
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Summary: Lavish, lovely and oh so organized!
Review: I enjoy functional yet eye-catching rooms with a feel of luxury to the space - comfortable and classy ....So when I came across the book "The Organized Home: Design Solutions for Clutter-Free Living" it immediately appealed to me.
The book is filled with lavish photographs of beautiful rooms that are pleasing to the eye. But the rooms go beyond the pretty/decorator look because each is designed with simple solutions to organize the space so the home becomes a refuge from our hectic lifes. It becomes a place of peace. Organized and restful.
Though I have read a number of organization books, this one introduced me to some lovely new ideas. How to use a tansu(or chest), how screens can be used to hide and divide, why you should always have a mirror in the hallway and much more.
The hardcover book 10" by 8" with its glossy cover is pretty to place on the coffee table and so packed with solutions you will refer to it constantly. It includes chapters on organizing by design, creating a first impression, adding life to the living room, creating a double duty dining room, taming childrens rooms and taking a fresh look at laundry and mud rooms among others.
Each chapter takes an indepth look to give you tips and techniques to make your home glow. One of my favorites is the kitchen section. In this section the authors teach you how to cut clutter, plan for get togethers, organize your kitchen gear and display collections. The nitty gritty is covered not just surface information. Not only are you given quick and easy ways to increase your storage for example you are also encouraged to label your spices with the date of purchase, rotate your dishes and take inventory of your cutlery. Little things that make your kitchen function at its best. And this is done room by room.
A super read, packed with information and very inspiring!
Lee Mellott
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Summary: Who moved my cheese spreader ?
Review: I have been digging out of piles of clutter my whole life. My college room was so messy that my parents thought a category five hurricane had passed through. Not much has improved through the years as I really could use a visit from the Fab Five. Finally, though, Ms. Ellis and Mr. Koll have published a concise compendeum of hints and ideas to help me gain control. The writing is clever and the pictures are terrific. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants(and most probably needs)some sage advice on domestic improvement. Next, would they please write a companion piece on weight control to fix my only remaining problem?
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Summary: I'm So Organized, IT HURTS.
Review: I received this book as a gift, and when you get a book about organizing as a gift, you tend to examine what it is that's, well, wrong with you. I hunkered down for what I expected would be the dreaded lecture on setting up a neat little corner for bill-paying. But no! I opened a beautiful book! Witty and smart. Great writing, not just about organizing options, but on useful design theory. Gorgeous inspiring photos! Things that seemed like I could actually do them, and not just mentally file them away as something my neurotic professional organizer aunt would do. Tips on keeping a functional kitchen have improved my good-but-lazy cook ass already! I love that this book does not require an instant remodel of everything you already have. It offers useful suggestions you can do one at a time, and some bigger ideas to mull over for when le grand remodel is actually possible. Thank you, Casey Ellis and Randall Koll! I must now buy five more copies to give as gifts! (Do you think people would take that the wrong way?)
Rating:
Summary: Born organized
Review: I'm already a very organized/neat person, but even I could use this book! It's perfect for anyone who wants to clean up, redecorate, and get organized...even for people who are neat, but could use some helpful, hip, and classy ideas. I'm sure the "Queer Eye" guys would approve of this book as well! I think the only thing that's lacking is 'before and after' pictures (thus, 4 stars rather than 5). Buy it, love it, live it and be organized!
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Summary: Perfect for City Living
Review: Living in the big city certainly has its challenges, especially when it comes to getting and staying organized. Casey Ellis and Randall Koll have given me some great ideas to keep our city town home organized and free from clutter. This is a MUST read for anyone who is "space challenged". Thank goodness spring starts off cold in Boston - I know what I will be doing over the next few weekends! Thanks for all the ideas!
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Summary: Newlywed Review
Review: Loved the book. Wished I could make all my spaces look half as lovely. The catch? I'm newly married and trying to combine 2 furnished households into 1, on top of the wedding gifts.
I would have loved helpul hints on decluttering what we already have. Or how to sort through what to keep and reuse in the new space and what to toss out!
I'll use this book as inspiration!!!
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Summary: Gorgeous and Inspirational
Review: The Organized Home by Randall Koll and Casey Ellis is gorgeous and inspirational. The writing is both instructive and entertaining. Every page has beautiful photos and endless clever suggestions. The ideas are perfect for every modern home - whether you live in the suburbs or cities. For example, as an urban dweller, we have our laundry in the garage. It never occurred to me to create an actual "laundry room" - until now our washer and dryer was squished between the rakes, shovels and auto supplies. Now I have dozens of ideas of how to make this area as beautiful as the rest of our home. This is the kind of book you can read and browse through year after year. The layout and design are so inviting. There aren't too many books that are both functional and as attractive as a 'coffee table book'. I think the thing I like best about this book is that it's both INSPIRING - yet REALISTIC. These aren't supermodel homes - they're just gorgeous
real homes. This book is a perfect housewarming gift!
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