seating." Known for using old roller
can't live without them. Those are the
skates to house CDs and the skate-
things you keep." A sigh of relief can
board that holds books below her
be heard across the room. "But
nightstand, I figured she was up to
acquaintances, they come and go.
my filing challenge, and could
They're in good shape, but you really
empathize with my disdain for metal
don't need them. Put them in the bag
cabinets.
with the bow, they're going to your
Smiling, as if she'd just won the lot-
favorite charity. Strangers you simply
tery, she rattled off solutions that even
don't have room for in your life.
I found fascinating. "Old luggage,
They're torn, they're tattered. Throw
wine
crates, hat boxes, you can use
them out."
them
all for storage, and if you stack
It all seems to make sense, as long
them
in the right way, you've got an
as she's talking about someone else's
end table or a nightstand." What's
problem. But when she looks my way
that old saying? One per-
and says, "Now let's talk
son's trash is another one's
about all that extra paper,"
treasure. While she's just as
I found myself feeling pro-
content to help her clients
tective. My files, I thought,
buy new things, Jeanine
are crucial. And while my
Matlow is clearly in heaven
system may not look all
at someone else's garage
that pretty, when a client
sale.
calls, all they care about is
But if you've got more
that their work is at my fin-
conservative
taste or simply
gertips. And as far as the
want
your
ducks
or, in this
trade journals and maga-
case, your clothes in a row,
zines, let's not even go
Cathi Lefton's Closet
there, they're like food for
stein
Debi
Wein
Designs could be your
anyone else. But remaining
answer. "No matter what,
calm, I try to concentrate
no
one
ever
has enough closet space.
on what she has to say. "You're not
Architects think about the way a
the library. You don't have to be the
house is going to appear, so there are
master of information."
beautiful angles; the problem is
She suggests a rip-and-read system.
they're creating those angles out of
"Tear out the articles you want to
what
might have been your bedroom
read and put them in a file that's
closet."
always with you. That way, when
So once you've played Debi's
you're waiting for a client or in a doc-
Friends, Acquaintances and Strangers
tor's waiting room, you can still be
game and parted with the clothes that
productive. And you've cleared all
really weren't your friends, Cathi can
those magazines out of your work
install different levels and cubby holes
space."
to relieve anyone's clutter and, most
All right, that I can handle, but the
importantly, keep you from creating
files are another story. While Debbie
offered great information about color- more. "When there's a place for every-
thing, you can find what you have.
coding files and labeling them so you
You
have a place for your sweaters, so
know where they belong, it was a lit-
you
can
see that you already own four
tle more than I could see myself put-
great black ones."
ting to use, so I decided to call some-
Still not sure you're ready to
one who could help me do the next
become one of them? Rest assured,
best thing — camouflage.
even the experts admit, it won't hap-
Decorating consultant Jeanine
pen in one weekend. But Debi
Matlow is known for her eclectic
style, so much so she named her com- assured me that even a few minutes a
day can make a difference. "I equate it
pany, Conversation Pieces. But what
to getting heavy. It took years to get
drew me to her was the way she looks
there and you can't lose it all
at furniture.
overnight."
"I literally won't buy a piece unless
With that information in hand, I
it has at least two functions. Trunk
placed
a pile of magazines by the
tables, apothecary tables, tables with
front door — the first step on my
two levels. I found this great old
journey to losing the extra 10 pounds
piano bench at a flea market and I
I haven't been able to get rid of. What
put it at the end of the bed. I use it
Debi lovingly calls, "paper weight." 0
for storage, but it's also great for extra
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