Staying at home has left many of us shocked to see how we fill our own spaces… with the best and worst of ourselves. We're looking at professional organizer Maura Fitzgerald's kitchen for organization inspiration, and some how to's on how to tidy up your home.
Staying at home has left many of us shocked to see how we fill our own spaces… with the best and worst of ourselves. We’re all looking for new ways to organize both our thoughts and our things to stay zen, focused, and ready for anything (yes, even cooking) at a moment’s notice.
Which is why we’re turning to a professional. Maura Fitzgerald is a luxury organizational design specialist whose company Fitz Just Right creates functional designs for the home and the workplace. FJR touts that style and function should meet in the middle, saving you time, bringing you calmness, and providing you a true sense of capability.
Meet Maura and her space:
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- Organizing Philosophy in One Sentence: Your closed door spaces should have as much intention and be as pretty as your living spaces.
- Pantry Must-Haves: Lazy Susans. They make deep spaces or high/tall spaces completely accessible.
- Favorite Food Items in Your Pantry: My tea. (And my wine).
- Space To Most Likely Get Disorganized: Countertops! It’s easy to leave an influx of mail and paperwork scattered about, and to forget to put away small appliances after mealtime.
- Most Notorious Mess-Maker In Your Home: This answer should be the kids. But in reality my husband cooks and does not clean as he goes. He waits until the end to white knight the whole thing. Drives me bananas.
- Labels. Love Them or Leave Them: LOOOVE them! Labels make an organized home foolproof for the hubby and the children, gasp! Anyone can put away the groceries, laundry and clean up toys so that all these tasks don’t fall on just mom.
- Worst Bargain: Bulk buying! It doesn’t save anyone enough money to make overstuffed cabinets and pantries worth it. You save only pennies but sacrifice your sanity. And guarding your sanity is the best thing a person can do these days.
- Favorite Kitchen Accessory: My Caraway Set and organizing tools! Literally! Second is my white SMEG Toaster. ;) I also love my marble kitchen utensil holder by Williams Sonoma.
- Caraway Cookware. Countertop or Cabinet: Cabinet for me! But the cookware is certainly pretty enough to stand alone on a countertop. As you may have guessed I’m just partial to clear countertops. Although the Dutch Oven does live on my stovetop and gets tons of compliments.
- Organizing Mantra: Function and aesthetic are not mutually exclusive. They go together! Making a space functional AND pretty is how we approach every single project.
- Clear Containers or Original Packaging: Clear containers all the way. Original packaging takes up way too much space and is generally not that visually appealing.
- Favorite Kitchen / Pantry Splurge: My Caraway Cookware Set with the cabinet organizers! By far!
- Dream Dinner Guest: Marie Kondo! She seems so sweet. I want to tell a dirty joke and see if she’ll laugh.
- Last Kitchen Item You Bought: Marie Kondo’s new line at The Container Store. It’s genius and gorgeous on so many levels!
- Secret Organizing Hack: Start small with a drawer or a medicine cabinet. My bet is you’ll get hooked pretty quickly.
- Favorite Kitchen Memory: Late night dance parties with my girls. Oops, I mean family dinners with my husband and kids. ;)
Follow Maura at @fitzjustrightny for more organizational inspo!
