Organize your yard for outdoor entertaining

Social distance outdoors with a smile! By organizing your backyard right, you can safely enjoy the warm summer weather from the comfort of your own yard.

After you’ve cleared clutter from your yard, it’s important to plan a functional space that stays organized and allows you to enjoy the great outdoors. Especially at a time when social distancing is essential, you can create a space that also allows for safe entertaining.

Having designated sitting and play areas can increase the usability of your yard and maintain organization because each space has a purpose and its own storage solutions. This way, each member of your family can also enjoy the yard without getting in the way or having to move items around before use.

Organization is much more than just a one-time project. Setting up the right space in your backyard can help you make sure it stays that way. An important part of any outdoor space is seating. Set-up a space that is large enough to accommodate whatever furniture you have, whether it’s a lounge set or outdoor table. Having extra room for additional seating if needed is also a good idea. Make sure that enough space can between the seats so people can maintain proper distance if necessary. 

Storage solutions, whether it is an ottoman and/or shelving unit, should also be placed practically in this area and easy to access when items need to be put away. Seat covers, cushions, and other entertaining items need to have a safe and weather-protected place to be stored when they aren’t in use, and it is more functional to have a dedicated storage place close to where they are used.

While backyard sports and activities can take place throughout a yard, make sure that your storage space for toys and other gardening tools is close enough to access but out of the way enough that it doesn’t get in the way when the backyard is in use. The shed or storage cabinet should be easy for everyone in your family to access so toys and other equipment can be stored easily after they’re used.

 During the summer, make sure you enjoy your time outside by setting up a functional backyard that everyone in your family can use!

Lending a Helping Hand

A few months ago, Calm Order received a call from MKL Design Studios – one of their clients was in the middle of moving into a new home when a member of their family had a health emergency.

The clients were in the middle of two homes, with some of their belongings already in their new home, but the majority of their items still in their current home. Moving became a low priority in the midst of visiting the hospital and caring for their loved one.

When Calm Order received the news, Karen and her team jumped at the chance of giving a helping hand. Within a couple of hours of getting the call, Calm Order had assembled a team of organizers and movers, all willing to donate their time for free to help out the family. They also booked a time to start the moving and unpacking process to take place in the next couple of days and got to work with the preparations needed. This included doing a quick survey of the current and new home to develop a plan of action. In this time, Calm Order was also able to connect with the client to get a full picture of their move, lifestyle, and new home to develop the best organization plan for unpacking in their new home.

On the day of the move, the team started working at 9:00 a.m. including the owner of MKL Design Studios, her daughters, and a team from Get A Move On, which donated all the boxes and packing materials the team used throughout the move. Over 18 people in total came to help – and as Karen described, it was a true sense of the community coming together to help a fellow neighbour in their time of need.

The first step was to clear out the larger items that didn’t require packing, like larger furniture and appliances. The moving team got started on loading those items up and taking them to the new house, while the organizing team started to pack boxes with smaller household items. The first rooms the team focused on were the kitchen and the bedrooms, as these homes require the most time to unpack and organize. They’re also the most used and needed to be ready for the homeowners to use at the end of the day.

From here, part of the organizing team moved on to the new house to focus on unpacking while the rest of the team continued to pack up the rest of the house and the garage. In a matter of hours, the small but determined team had everything in the former house packed, moved, and unpacked to an organized state in the new house. The client was able to spend the morning and afternoon visiting their family member at the hospital and return to a finished house at the end of the day.

For everyone involved in the project, it was a pleasure to be able to help a fellow community member out. Moving can be a stressful process at the best of times but is the last thing on anyone’s mind when an emergency occurs. Calm Order and the rest of the team were happy to be able to help this individual and their family get unpacked in a new and organized home!

Areas to Organize Outside the Home

Now that it seems like the nicer weather is here to stay, why not take the time to get your outdoor areas organized? From your backyard to your garage, there is much to get in order so you can enjoy the warmer season ahead!

Garage

The garage can accumulate a lot of clutter. For many, the garage is a major source of storage and can quickly fill up with everything from outdoor gear to holiday decorations and extra household items. Take some time to go through any boxes, cabinets and shelves in your garage to take stock of what you have. Then, determine that items you actually use and need, and what items are old, damaged, or unused. Also consider whether or not some items might be best stored elsewhere in your home or shed where they are more often used.

When putting items back, be sure to group like items together. For example, keep all the sports equipment together and all the hardware tools together. To maximize available space and keep items orderly, use every available space and get creative. Consider using hooks or pegboards to keep tools neat and easy to access. Labelling items in shelves or containers can also make them easier to find and keep track of, especially for smaller items.

Backyard

Whatever size of backyard you have, there are always a lot of “things” that can accumulate around the yard. Even though it’s an outdoor space, think of your backyard as another room in your home – a place with storage and order. 

Having a shed can be a great way to make sure items like toys and maintenance tools are put away.  You can also consider alternative options like bike racks and outdoor toy chests to prevent these items from cluttering the lawn when they’re not in use. Hoses, sprinklers and watering cans can also be safely stored away when you’re done using them by installing larger hooks or storage cabinets outside your shed or home.

Shed

The shed can be a perfect place to keep items commonly used in your backyard. This will save you the trip of going into your garage or into the house and can keep additional clutter from accumulating in these spaces. Items like gardening tools, outdoor toys, and lawn care equipment can easily be stored in a shed so they organized and easy to grab when needed. Install shelving units, hooks, or cupboards to store items if your shed allows. Many out-of-the-box solutions come with the option of adding adjustable shelving so you can make the space work for your needs. You’ll have a much easier time finding your gardening gloves if they’re hanging from a hook instead of rooting around in boxes or on the floor of the shed.

 Remember to put items away in their proper place when you’re done using them. Don’t just put them down wherever or leave them outside. Make putting items away a regular habit for you and any other family members. Not only will this keep the space organized, but it will also make sure items are protected from getting lost or damaged.

Patio

This area of your backyard comes with its own set of clutter like furniture, accessories, barbecue equipment, decorations, and sometimes more toys. However, there are many different ways to incorporate storage solutions that won’t take up too much space or diminish the overall look of the space. Decorative outdoor shelves can be a great way to display plants and also keep them organized in one area. Look for outdoor furniture and ottomans that double as storage chests or drawers to keep cushions, pillows and towels when not in use.

Although it may be tempting to add decorative pieces to your patio, be careful not to crowd it with unnecessary clutter. A few key pieces are a great way to make a space more inviting, but keep in mind that the more you have, the more you have to buy, clean and store. Just like rooms inside your home, having too many items can take up valuable space on your patio and in your wallet. Instead, utilize the natural beauty of the great outdoors to enhance your space!