Formula Z/S
Using Pegboards to Organize a Home Office
The Strategies
- Put frequently used items toward the bottom, saving the upper reaches for fixtures, like a clock.
- If a constantly disappearing stapler or ruler is the bane of your home-office existence, tie a colorful piece of ribbon to it, designate a hook, and let it dangle.
- With a metal pegboard, add magnetic accessories to tack up reminders for meetings or to hold paper clips (or jelly beans, for a p.m. sugar rush).
- To control a jumble of wires, consider installing an extra pegboard behind your desk, almost to the floor. Anchor the cords with a row of hooks.
The Gear
- Wall Control EZ Wall Organizer Panels (16 by 32 inches), $45 for a pack of 2 panels.
To buy: wallcontrol.com. - Shelf Assembly, $12.50 (16 by 4 inches) or $21 (16 by 9 inches).
To buy: wallcontrol.com. - Lipper International See & Store Canister (for paper clips), $10 for a set of 5.
To buy: target.com.
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Using Pegboards to Organize Your Closet
The Strategies
- Arrange your morning-routine items neatly and visibly to avoid wasting time riffling through drawers and cabinets.
- Create a mini–dressing station, with a mirror next to your necklaces, a pocket for moisturizer, and a small shelf for lip gloss, so you can check yourself before stepping out. To give your spirits a lift, display a souvenir from your last vacation.
- Hang favorite earrings and other accessories from hooks to keep them from getting tangled.
- Place trailing items, such as scarves and belts, on the bottom, so they don't block smaller items, like a collapsible umbrella, up top.
- Avoid extra-long pegs in shallow closets. They can catch on hanging clothes.
The Gear
- Blomus stainless-steel panels, $35 each.
- Hooks, $5 for a set of 5.
- Long shelf, $8.
To buy: All at letterfolders.com.
Using Pegboards to Organize a Laundry Room
The Strategies
- Position detergents and other laundry products on a shelf to the side so you won't have to reach over the washer and dryer.
- Keep seldom used but easily misplaced household items, like a flyswatter and a flashlight, on the board, too.
- Clear the path around the machines, reserving floor space for in and out laundry baskets.
- Employ two-inch pegs to hook an ironing board by its feet and support a shelf that holds bottles of cleaning products.
- Clip rubber gloves together and hang them to dry.
- If you want to paint a pegboard, use spray paint rather than a roller. That way, you won't clog the holes.
The Gear
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Using Pegboards to Organize a Kid's Room
The Strategies
- Hang all the gear that would normally be tossed on the floor or a dresser, so gadgets like iPods and headphones aren't crunched underfoot or under a textbook.
- Present the pegboard as a way for your child to express herself, then let her design it. As her tastes evolve from American Girl to Abercrombie, she can replace what's on the wall.
- Consider a checkered combination pegboard and magnetic Wipe-Erase board. Frame the entire board to finish the look.
The Gear
- Style Tile System, $174 for 16-inch square panels (set of 4), a frame, and 10 hooks.
To buy: pbteen.com. - Mallen basket with handle, $4.
To buy: ikea.com for stores. - Three by Three Seattle Spot-on! Mini Magnet Hook, $9 for 4.
To buy: fridgedoor.com. - Oxo Good Grips Magnetic All-Purpose Clip, $7 for 4.
To buy: oxo.com.
