We're Hosting A Home Based Business Event

Join The Shelving Store for an fun and informational evening as we host The Home Based Business Event in conjunction with the Madison Heights Chamber Of Commerce from 4:00pm-8:00pm on Thursday, December 3, 2009.

This evening will be filled with opportunities to meet and mingle with fellow Metro-Detroiters while enjoying fabulous food and drinks! You can also enter to win one of 3 fantastic prizes!

The Shelving Store has helped arrange for a series of guest speakers to help you learn how to get organized and create your own Home Based Business to supplement your income! Earn extra cash for the holidays, save for college, retirement, or even earn enough to quit your day job. Our guest speakers include an Avon Representative, a Send Out Cards Representative, and a Professional Home Organizer! They will be on hand to present you with valuable information as well as answer any questions.

Of course, Design and Organizational Experts from The Shelving Store will also be on hand to provide advice on getting organized for the holidays and offering holiday gift ideas for everyone on your list!

For more information on our Home Based Business Event, visit our Facebook Page!

Please RSVP to Amy Knowles aknowles@shelving.com

See You At The Home Based Business Event
-The Shelving Guy

Organizing The Shelving Store

We pride ourselves on being the home organizational experts, but we're also great at organizing work spaces too. It should be no surprise that we at The Shelving Store use our own products to keep our store, warehouse and offices organized!

One of our favorite products to use around the office is Chrome Wire Shelving- we use it everywhere! In our warehouse, we assembled a chrome wire shelving unit that serves as a storage area for extra printers and office supplies. We have built several chrome units that serve as computer desks as well. These shelving units are sturdy enough to handle the dust and dirt that can accumulate in our busy warehouse and the vented shelves simplify the cleaning process.

Many of our employees have built custom chrome wire shelving units to use near their desks as well. These custom shelving units are great for extra storage. Using the smaller units underneath their desks helps our employees securely store their personal belongings nearby while not taking up desk, drawer or floor space. Chrome wire document holders and utility baskets are great wire shelving add-ons our employees love to help keep papers and work organized.

Keep Your Home & Workplace Organized
The Shelving Guy

More College Organizing Tips

Since college orientation is right around the corner, as organization experts, we feel we must provide those college goers with more tips to help them stay organized throughout the school year!

In the last post regarding college organization, we suggested some of our products that we know will work with your dorm. Now that you have the products you need, it is important to remember these few tips to not overload those storage solutions with too much stuff, this will only result in more clutter!

When packing your bags, make sure you only take the essentials. Your space may be smaller than you anticipated, so try not bring too many clothes. If you find that you have more room once you get there, you can always go shopping or grab some extra items from home on your next break.

Make sure you devote one area to study. Keep all of your office supplies, textbooks and computer here. If you get up late one morning and need to grab your completed homework, it will make your life easier knowing exactly where it is!

Take advantage of vertical spaces- you may not have much horizontal space, but feel free to stack those shelves and boxes and bins to the ceiling to store your items. Having more floor space available will also make your space seem larger and more roomy.

Keep Your Dorm Organized
The Shelving Guy

Storage Solutions For College Dorms

When it is time to send the kids off to college for the first time, or just setting them up in their first apartments, parents know that space is limited. At The Shelving Store, we have helped lots of parents get their kids ready for college dorm living with our stylish and functional storage solutions.

We recently hooked up one parent with our Element Folding Shelves. These space savers are great for dorms because they easily fold up when not in use, or when traveling between home and school on breaks. Students can store their shoes, clothes, books and even display pictures of their BFF on these shelves, and easily pack them away when visitors come by or when it’s time to move back home.

College kids are also sure to love our space saving Umbra Flybrary bookshelf. This decorative bookshelf provides students with a practical and unique way to store their textbooks when they are out having fun!

We have tons of other products to help college kids get organized on campus too. When it comes to college dorms, trust the Shelving Store for stylish storage solutions students and parents can appreciate!

Keep your home organized,

The Shelving Guy

Help For Hair Salons!

Here at The Shelving Store, we pride ourselves in offering custom storage solutions for any space! Here’s how our organizational experts helped one local salon owner discover the decorative storage solution she was seeking for her modern, ultra chic hair salon!

One particularity rainy afternoon, a trendy salon owner came to The Shelving Store with an organizational emergency: How can I display my salon hair products in a way that matches my contemporary orange and green decor?

Our solution: Decorative Glass Art Shelving. Like all of our decorative shelving, Glass Art Shelving can help you not only get organized, but create a trendy display area all your own- perfect for her salon. She loved the unique shapes the shelving was available in. Plus the sleek clear designs coordinated perfectly with her trendy decor!

One more organizational emergency solved! If you find yourself in an storage dilemma, visit The Shelving Store for your custom storage solution!

Keep Your Home Organized
The Shelving Guy

Summer Organization Tips

It is summer and that means that your living space will be expanding to include your front and back lawn. You will still have to clean up the living room, kitchen and bath, but now you can add the yard to the to-do list. Here are 5 summer organization tips that will help you spend less time cleaning up and more time relaxing in the sun.

1. The lawn-mower, weed whacker, and hedge trimmer are going to get used just about every week now that warm weather and sunshine are in the forecast. Having a designated place to keep them is key. A sleek and functional utility rack with hooks to hang things like rakes and brooms and other outdoor tools will help free space on the floor and make finding things a lot easier. If you’re a gardener, a small carrying case for your tools will be very handy and keep your tools clean.

2. Childrens toys can make your lawn look chaotic. Get a large storage bin with a lid for all the toys to go in once children are done playing with them. This will keep toys protected from rain and bugs. Make sure your kids know where it is and that all things must be put back once they are finished playing. Stackable bins are also a great idea, especially for keeping certain toys separate.

3. Lots of outdoor play can mean lots of indoor clean up. Be sure you have a large mat for wiping feet at each door entrance. A shoe tray can be helpful for the shoes that are soaked or caked with mud. Don’t forget that clothing can get just as dirty. Keeping a umbra crunch can near the door most often used is a great idea.

4. Summer usually means you now have two dining rooms, the one indoors and the one on the patio outside. If you have cushioned chairs and benches, having plastic bins to throw them in each night will be a big life saver especially if rain is expected.

5. Maintaining the Barbeque is something that many of us forget to do. Before the grilled season begins, make sure your grill is clean and ready. Spraying a no-heat oven cleaner inside and letting it set for a day will help soften the grime. Use a metal brush to scrape away the grease and food from the grill. A great way to prevent build-up on grills is to spray your grill with a non-stick skillet spray before heating.

So, Grab the family and get started preparing for another great summer. With these helpful tips your summer will be relaxing and worry free.

Laundry Room Contest!

Blog Post- Laundry Room Contest

It is official. Our Ugliest Laundry Room Contest is underway. We are looking for the most disorganized laundry room in America!

If you are not ashamed of your dirty laundry, submit your dirtiest laundry room photo along with a short description to contest@theshelvingstore.com or mail them to:

The Shelving Store, Inc.

1444 East 11 Mile Road

Madison Heights, MI 48071

and you could win a customized plan for your laundry room as well as the shelving package that goes with this it!

We will post all of the submissions on our website and from June 1 to July 6, 2009 America will decide which laundry room deserves the title of dirtiest and the Shelving Store Makeover! The winner will be notified on July 7, 2009 by email.

We will then feature the before and after photos of the ugliest laundry room on our website!

Check out the contest page for more complete contest rules and regulations. Do not delay, enter today to win your Shelving Store Makeover! Good Luck!

Keeping Your Home Organized,

The Shelving Guy

Not Enough Space?

If you find yourself holding a random household item and asking yourself where can I put this? only to resort to cramming it into an already too full drawer or closet, then you are in desperate need of some organization.

One of the most stressful things in household clean-up is trying to figure out where things should go. If you feel like there are not enough surfaces or spots in your home for your knickknacks, books, toiletries, clothes etc. Then you are in need of an some organizational solutions.

Not enough space for decorative items?
Collectible items, art or picture frames can add up fast. Perhaps a decorative shelf would best display your most prized possessions. Try Zen shelving or Glass Art Shelving for a unique look. Even Chrome Wire Shelving can function great for those die hard collectors who need more space to show off their assortments.

Is your closet a hopeless case?
Many closets lack one thing, space! Using a Elfa Closet Storage Solution will eliminate closet clutter for good! Place lower shelving for shoes and shirts, and pull out wire storage bins for socks and scarfs. You will be amazed by how fun getting dressed will become.

Not enough space for work, school or business items?
Books and papers can make your home look like a cluttered nightmare. Thankfully you can have a clear work space in no time with an Elfa desk or perhaps some wall mounted shelves. Finally having a spot for pens and paper can really help you think clearer and work better!

Bathroom lacking sufficient cabinet space?
You may be looking for some functional and really amazing stackable bins. It is hard to keep toiletries organized and there never seems to be enough room. Increase the size of your sink cabinet with Akro nesting bins. With these bins, keeping bathroom cleaners separate from hair products and shaving cream separate from hairbrushes will be no problem at all.

Kitchen storage a big a problem?
Cooking can be a hassle if everything you need is behind something or stacked underneath five others things. Maybe a gliding drawer would be the answer to your prayers. No longer reaching to the back of the cupboard, but simply pulling out an mini-glider and having everything in your eyes view. If it is the pantry that needs more room, maybe a mounted door kit would be that extra space you have been looking for.

Getting organized is easy and fun especially with so many different choices. With new shelving and storage perhaps next time you are cleaning up house, you will not be asking yourself Where can I put this? but saying happily, What can I put here?.

The Basics Of Home Organization

So you meant to do your spring cleaning a couple months ago, but it is still one of the looming items on your ever growing to-do list. Well, here at The Shelving Store, we are experts on home organization and we have 3 simple steps to help get your spring organization tasks scratched off your list for good!

1.) Make a list- we know you can do it! You have a million to-do lists in your head right? Simply write down the areas of your home that need organizing and what items you need to help you do it, for example, storage boxes and shelving units

2.) Go Shopping- but do not forget your shopping list on your kitchen table this time. Purchase only the items on your list that you need to get organized- no impulse buying more items you have no place to put!

3.) Get To Work- Turn on some of your favorite tunes, and start cleaning- you can even get your kids to help you out! Only organize one room at a time so you can actually see your progress. Soon your clutter will be turned into clean in almost no time!

Congratulations! You now have an organized home, and something else scratched off your to-do list, so now you can move on to something you really do not want to tackle….like the dishes.

Organize Your Closet

Searching for an outfit every morning should be a breeze, not a constant struggle with your messy closet. Organizing your closet is necessary in order to simplify your morning routine and clear your room of the mess that is supposed to act as your clothing storage space.

To start organizing your closet, remove all items so you can see exactly what you have. Remove items that do not belong and get rid of clothes that you have not worn within a year. Donate these clothing items to organizations such as Goodwill Industries or the Salvation Army so others can benefit from them.

Separate items that you wear everyday from clothing items that are only worn on special occasions. For example, Christmas sweaters, party dresses, and other seasonal items should be kept in another closet or in storage until you need them.

Before returning clothing to your closet, add some storage solutions to help keep it organized:

• Free standing chrome wire shelves can store items that need to be hung as well as larger items that are folded or too bulky for normal shelving.

• elfa® two drawer units are short and simple but work great for extra storage under longer hanging items. Clothing items that can be folded will fit perfectly into these drawers.

• Contemporary Umbra hooks can be placed on your closet door to hang belts, coats, or other accessories that normally get in your way.

• elfa® solid or ventilated wire shelves are perfect for the extra shelf space that you are looking for. Shoes and purses can be placed on these shelves while remaining convenient for you to reach.

When returning clothes to your now organized closet space, separate them by color, design, style, or season so you can quickly find what you need. Choose ways that you can stick with and remember to keep your newly organized closet clean and manageable.

January is Get Organized Month

Getting organized this new year is a resolution that will be effortless to keep! It is GO Month and The Shelving Store offers solutions to home organization problems. Getting organized is easy with the help of storage solutions that fit your needs. Many home storage needs are offered by The Shelving Store:

• Boxes and bins that stack and nest are offered in many colors and varieties to keep your children interested in cleaning up their messes. By giving children a way to get organized, you are contributing to their organization skills. Children who know how to clean and organize are likely to continue the trend as adults.

• Organizing the garage will be easy using bulk storage shelving, chrome wire shelving, or storage kits to fill the whole wall. Separating tools, garden gear, and athletic equipment will create a better garage space.

• Closets can be organized using chrome wire shelving, Umbra hooks, or clothing storage kits. Elfa ® offers storage kits for walk-in or reach-in closets that provide visibility of the contents, accessibility to the things that you need most, and flexibility to change as your needs do. Elfa ® is a storage system that offers different components that can be combined in a countless number of ways which allows you to create your own custom storage solutions.

• Kitchen organization can be completed with chrome wire shelves placed in a pantry, storage racks to hang on doors, or Easy Gliders that create space in just about any deep cabinet environment.

Let The Shelving Store help you organize your home and office and keep your life in order. Having clutter can create stressful situations at home or work and may intensify exhaustion. Remove clutter and stay organized with The Shelving Store. It is time to create a better you!

Get Organized for the New Year

The new year is just around the corner! January is Get Organized month which is dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of getting organized. It is the perfect month to get organized and start your new year off right. January became GO Month because getting organized is one of the top New Year's resolutions.

One purpose of GO Month is to help those who have Chronic Disorganization, which can be caused by neurologically-based conditions, but most of us can just use GO month as a great time to get organized. Being disorganized is not a hopeless situation since organization is a skill that can be obtained with practice. From Piles to Smiles, a Professional Organizing Service, says to figure out the causes of your disorganization then take the steps to improve it. Most causes are:

• Not having a place for something

• Inconvenient storage areas

• Having more items than storage space

The National Association of Professional Organizers gives four tips to organize your home:

• Organize the Children's Place by having bins and boxes on lower shelves so they can be reached. Providing low hooks to hang jackets and book bags will also help with clutter.

• Make the garage work for you by deciding how you want to use the space, getting rid of things that do not work, and considering floor-to-ceiling possibilities for shelving and racks.

• Love your closets. Pull out everything you do not wear, decide what you want available and what you want in storage, choose good lighting, and hang items together.

• Customize your kitchen by storing things that work together in the same area, using draw dividers, placing glasses near the sink or refrigerator, and putting snacks in a convenient drawer or cupboard.

Do not wait any longer to organize your life. GO Month is the perfect time to start a new you. Create storage spaces in your home and office now and and start the new year organized.

Metro Detroiters: Organize your Homes Quickly, Effortlessly and Affordably with The Shelving Store!

Home storage is one of the fastest growing trends in home improvement, however Southeast Michigan has been lacking in these specialty stores…Not Any More!

One of the few U.S. retailers to offer the elfa® shelving and storage systems, The Shelving Store provides home storage solutions to Metro Detroit through our extensive online e-store and the convenience of our brand new show room in Madison Heights--offering in-home customized installations!

Visit our 1,800 square foot new home storage showroom offering a unique and visually pleasing, boutique shopping experience. The user-friendly layout of the showroom is divided into specific lifestyle sections for each room in your home including the closet, kitchen, office, laundry room, living space, kid’s space and garage.

The Shelving Store designers will come directly to your home and do all the measuring, as well as the complete customized installation. This is a distinctive advantage to our Metro Detroit customers!

Come by and see for yourself! The showroom (in the front space of the Madison Heights distribution center) is located at:
1444 East 11 Mile Road
Madison Heights, MI 48071
800.637.9508

TheShelvingStore.com Launch

We recently launched our new web site, http://www.theshelvingstore.com/, and we'd like to know what you think. The web site is a feature-rich online store designed to make home storage shopping an engaging and easy process. The Shelving Store is one of the few authorized U.S. dealers of elfa(r) modular shelving and drawer systems, famous for their outstanding production, quality and engineering.

The Shelving Store blog's sole intent is to share information. Which means we welcome all visitors and invite your comments. If you look up the meaning of blog, a term you will often see associated with it is "open". That's what we'd like to create-an open dialogue focusing on all things at The Shelving Store! If you have ideas or suggestions of topics you'd like to see covered or discussed, start typing!