Thinking outside the box has become a catch phrase for ideas not usually considered. There are several ways of coming up with these unconventional solutions: brainstorming, eliminating negative thoughts, even taking a shower. As an organizer, especially in New York City with limited space, finding new ways for storage is critical.
For example, when I was on ABC’s Good Morning America, Jon Berman joked about my having a “boot tower” hidden behind a chair. “Why so many boots?” he asked off camera. The answer was not because of a boot fetish or an Imelda Marcos obsession, but simply because in New York City walking is another mode of transportation. Sure sneakers are the obvious choice, but they’re not appropriate for every day and after awhile (and several miles) carrying shoes to change into starts to hurt your back.
In warmer months, women have more choices for footwear such as loafers and sandals, but as the weather changes, those choices are reduced. While they make wingtips for women, I don’t want a copy of a man’s shoe. I want something feminine that’s also fashionable, comfortable and keeps my feet happy and warm.
Which brings me bac
k to that outside the box way of looking at things. Last spring I removed the old steam radiator from my bedroom since the living room and bathroom radiators do the job. The bedroom unit was under a window bench and I soon found myself with – get this – a 32”w x 23”h x 14”d storage space, approximately the size of a large box. For those in the burbs laughing right now, you’re going to have to take my word for it when I tell you this was heaven.
Immediately a list of what I could store came to mind. Toilet paper, luggage, cleaning supplies. The list was endless. Then I remembered my boots and soon ideas of how to store them came next. Sideways in boxes? On shelves? I looked on Pinterest.com, home of “outside the box” thinking, and that’s when I saw the solution. I drew a sketch and showed my personal carpenter, who’s like a wood whisperer. After one or two iterations and a few hours one afternoon, the idea, a simple idea really, became reality.
While thinking outside the box can be great, sometimes thinking inside the box works too.
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