Why Martha Stewart Is A Genius

I talk a lot about storing art supplies on open shelving so that your kids will have easy access and will constantly be reminded of their presence. Sometimes that just isn’t possible or appealing, so another great option is to store them in a closed cabinet. This was the case with a recent client who has older kids and doesn’t need to constantly remind them of their art supplies. They have a large armoire located in their homeschool room that they wanted to partially use as an art station. Here’s what it looked like before…

With hidden side shelving, it can be really tricky to figure out a functional way to organize everything- and even more tricky to make it easily accessible for kids. When I got stuck on accessing the corners of this awkward space, I turned to Martha Stewart. I have to admit that I haven’t paid too much attention to Martha in the past, but after watching her video (see tip #3 below) I became an instant fan. She is an organizing mastermind!

Below, you can see my design drawing and Mood board for for this art space along with my top 5 tips for organizing your art cabinet.

5 Tips For Organizing Your Art Cabinet

1. Utilize the inside of the doors for hanging storage. You can use pockets like the one featured here, or attach a peg-board for custom organization.
2. Make sure all shelves are accessible by keeping areas open that might block access. For this armoire, the paper trays have slide out drawers, so they can be reached in the back without blocking access to the sides. They aren’t just for paper, either- they can be used to store items in flat packaging as well (ie: the chalk pastels).
3. Use a “Lazy Susan” in hard to reach corners. This is a tip from Martha Stewart that is pure genius! To see her stock an art armoire in action, check out this video. Seriously, this video is mind-blowing.
4. Store grouped items in clear containers with labels.
5. Store your most-used supplies in caddies for easy transport to the table.

As always, if you have any questions about my tips or favorite products, you can e-mail me or post your question below.