Thinking Outside the Closet: Organizing a Chicago Brownstone
This month, I had the opportunity to help organize a young family in a beautiful brownstone in Chicago’s West Loop. The home, built in 1885, was full of character, charm, toddler love—and, of course, lots of stuff! We all have stuff. But when you live in a unique historic home without the luxury of closets, and you have a couple of toddlers with all of their very necessary belongings, finding a place for everything can become a real brain twister.
That’s when creative organizing solutions become especially important.
Let’s Talk About the “S” Hook!
Oh, my heavens! The S hook turned out to be the perfect solution for the front hallway, where all the coats live. Because the hallway is the first thing you see when you walk through the front door, we wanted to make the most of this narrow space. Traditional plastic hangers were taking up more room than necessary, so we went looking for a better option.
Enter the “S” hooks!
It’s such a simple solution, but sometimes those are the best ones. The S hooks take up very little space, make it easy for everyone to grab a coat, and work beautifully in a narrow hallway where every inch counts. For those of you with a unique space or a storage challenge that doesn’t fit the “typical” organizing solution, this is your reminder to think outside the box!
Next up: The Multi-Purpose Room
When your home doesn’t have a main-floor closet, you have to get creative. So instead of trying to make everything disappear, we gave the room a job. This room became a little bit of everything: A shipping-and-receiving area. A place to set things down and sort them. A home for the “to-dos.” A place for extra coats, bags and household items. And, most importantly, a place for the things that need a home.
Before:
After:
Extra storage and shipping & receiving:
The key was choosing the right-size bins and giving each category a designated place. Because the family has extra coats and bags, we added a clothing rack with shelves for additional bins. Not only did it solve the problem right now, but it’s a solution that can grow with the family as the kids get older and their needs change.
That’s one of my favorite things about organizing: a good system doesn’t just solve today’s problem—it can evolve with you.
And Then We Tackled the Pantry:
We had just enough time to give the pantry some attention, too—and I’m so glad we did! One of my favorite organizing tools for pantries is the 12-by-12 clear bin. They’re versatile, easy to see through and tend to work in all kinds of spaces. But here’s something that might surprise you: I don’t always label pantry bins.
What?! An organizer who doesn’t label?
Hear me out.
The pantry is fluid. It’s dynamic. What your family eats today may look completely different six months from now—especially when you have kids! So rather than permanently assigning a label to every bin, I like to give the space some flexibility. You can change the contents as your family’s needs and tastes change.
The rule is simple:
Like with like.
Before:
After:
And there are a few pantry basics I always recommend:
Check expiration dates.
It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to overlook. Take a few minutes to check dates and discard anything that has expired.
Keep the heavy stuff down low. Drinks, large jars and other heavy items are best stored on lower shelves.
Create categories.
Group similar items together so you can easily find what you’re looking for.
When you have a lot of something, give it a bin.
If you have several varieties of the same type of item, that category probably deserves its own container.
And this is where clear bins really shine. They help you see what you have. Less waste. Fewer duplicate purchases. Easier meal planning. Score!
The Takeaway:
This Chicago home was a great reminder that organizing isn’t about forcing every home into the same system. It’s about looking at the space you have, understanding how your family actually lives, and finding creative solutions that make everyday life easier. An S hook, a multi-purpose room, clear pantry bins, or simply rethinking how a space can function will make a big difference.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to an organized home—and that’s exactly what makes my job so much fun!
