Feng Shui in the Bedroom & Unfinished Projects

Moving in together is an exciting milestone, but it also comes with its challenges—especially when it comes to merging two sets of belongings into one shared space. Too often, we focus on making room for things rather than making space for the people we love. That’s where decluttering, organizing, and Feng Shui come in to create a balanced, harmonious home.

And speaking of making space… I finally made space on my desktop by editing this video—ten years later.

Yes, you read that right. I filmed this video ten years ago. And then? I let it sit. For a decade. I told myself I’d edit it when I had time. And let’s be honest—we’ve all said that before.

Somehow, even during Covid, when I had all the time in the world, I still didn’t touch it. It was like that one drawer in your house that you swear you’ll organize one day—except my drawer was digital, and it had a ten-year-old video collecting dust.

But here I am, finally finishing it. And honestly? It feels amazing. Not just because the video is done, but because unfinished projects take up mental space, just like physical clutter. The longer we let things linger, the more they weigh on us.

So, I’ve come up with a new motto: Finish it or forget it.

If there’s something sitting on your to-do list, ask yourself:

• Do I still care about this?

• Is it worth finishing?

• If not, can I let it go?

If it matters, finish it. If it doesn’t, free yourself from it. Either way, you win.

Which brings me back to decluttering—because honestly, finishing this video felt a lot like helping my clients clear out an entire closet.

In the project featured in this video, I worked with a couple moving in together. One partner was moving into the other’s home, and the biggest challenge was stuff. The closet was full, the storage situation was tight, and we needed to make room—not just for more belongings, but for both people to feel like they had a home in the space.

We started by decluttering, making intentional decisions about what to keep, what to donate, and what no longer served them. This wasn’t just about getting rid of things—it was about making space for a new chapter in their lives.

To maximize storage, we added a freestanding wardrobe from IKEA to keep everything organized within the bedroom instead of spreading items throughout the house. That one change helped create a sense of unity and balance, rather than making one person feel like a guest in their own home.

Beyond organization, Feng Shui played a key role in setting the tone for a peaceful, supportive relationship. Both partners had a metal element, meaning that neutral colors like whites and grays would enhance their sense of calm and stability. We incorporated these shades into the bedding, curtains, and furniture to create a cohesive and balanced look.

Other important Feng Shui adjustments included:

• Symmetry in the bedroom – Matching nightstands and lamps on either side of the bed create a sense of balance in the relationship.

• Intentional artwork – Instead of family photos, which can introduce external energy into the bedroom, we focused on images that symbolized romance and connection.

• Removing disruptive elements – A large mirror opposite of the window going across the bed was creating too much active energy (chi), making it harder to rest. We moved it inside the closet to maintain function without disrupting sleep.

Your home should reflect the life you’re building together, not just serve as a storage unit for your belongings. By decluttering, organizing, and incorporating Feng Shui, you can create a space that feels intentional, peaceful, and designed to support your relationship.

And beyond your home, think about your unfinished projects. What’s something you’ve been putting off for years? Maybe today is the day you finish it—or finally let it go.

If you’ve been waiting for the right time, consider this your sign. Finish it or forget it.

Want to learn more about your Feng Shui element and the best colors for your space? Leave a comment with your gender and birthdate, and I’ll let you know.

For more personalized organizing and Feng Shui tips, feel free to reach out at info@spacetolove.com.

3 Ways to Label Your Shoe Boxes

Hi, Christel here from Space to Love, and it’s been a while since I have written a blog on organizing and decorating. I’m glad to be here today and share a quick tip on 3 ways to label your shoe boxes.

My closet is pretty organized, but I wanted to take it one step further by adding pictures of the shoes to the boxes.

I used to live in New York, the East Village, in a really, really small apartment. My bedroom was only 6’ x 9’; it’s all about the location and not the space when living in Manhattan. Anyway, for my shoe organization, I bought white shoe boxes from Uline, then I used my roommate’s Polaroid camera to take pictures and double-sided tape to attach them to the boxes.

Fast forward to today, and living in Los Angeles, my room is a little bigger, and I actually have space in my closet for my shoes. Yay!

I have clear bins from the Container Store and am no longer using the white Uline boxes. However, I find it hard to see exactly what shoes are in what box when looking down in front of my closet, trying to get dressed. So, I thought I would recreate the NY shoe system here in LA.

Watch the video below, or keep on reading.

I don’t have a Polaroid camera or a roommate anymore, but I do have a mini photo printer with 2” label tape that prints sticker photos. I went ahead and took pictures of all my shoes, printed them out, and adhered them to the clear shoe boxes.

Space to Love - Before Clear Shoe Bins

Space to Love - After Clear Shoe Bins

Another way to achieve a similar look is to use a regular printer and then laminate them. I uploaded all my pictures to my computer, put them in a Word doc, made each photo 2”x3”, and then printed them out. I used a laminator and paper cutter from Amazon and double-sided tape.

Space to Love

The 3rd way is by using the old favorite, a label maker. This will make sure you know which pair of shoes go back into which box. I would print a label that says the designer’s name and then another to go underneath with the style of the shoe, i.e., Calvin Klein, Gold Wedge. This will make it clear, and you know exactly what’s in the box. Now, your shoes will always go back to where they belong, and this will help you stay organized.

No matter which way you go, make sure your labels are nice and straight:)

Keeping them in bins helps you stay organized, but also, putting them in categories in the closet will help you find what you’re looking for faster. It’s all about saving time. So instead of just randomly putting them back, put them back in categories, i.e., sandals, flats, work heels, dressy heels, boots, sneakers, and so on. Create categories that work best for you.

When I'm looking for my sandals, I know what row to look in and find them quickly. I don’t have that many shoes, so it's not crazy necessary, but when you have triple the amount of shoes or more, it's really great to make your categories and organize your shoes that way. You will thank yourself for it.

Some people ask me, “How many shoes do you have?” or “What do you think the perfect amount of shoes is?” and I think that you want to live within the means of your space. I started this project with 30 pairs of shoes. With that amount, I don't feel like I'm overflowing at all, and I think I'm living within the means of my space. I’m also not overwhelmed by having too many choices when it comes to what shoes to wear; this can be very time-consuming. There are only so many decisions you can make in a day, don’t waste them on what shoes.

All the shoes I do have, I wear and love them. However, I will never pass up an opportunity to go through and do a little decluttering if I can. As I take the pictures of the shoes, I will ask myself these questions…

1- When was the last time I wore them? If longer than six months, Do I plan on wearing them again? If not, donate.

2- Do they hurt my feet? Is it worth it…probably not, donate.

3- Are they in style and still represent who I am? If not, donate.

4- Are they too worn out and can’t be fixed? If yes, trash.

While asking yourself the questions above…feel free to try on all your shoes and walk around; this will make it easier to make those decisions.

I did get rid of two pairs of shoes. I actually liked both of them, but I wore them out too much, so they have definitely seen better days, and I had to let them go. I'm now down to 28 pairs of shoes. I just made some room for new things to come into my life:)

I hope you found this helpful and inspiring. Do you have any shoe-organizing tips that you'd like to share with us at the Space to Love community? Please comment below; we would love to hear from you. Happy organizing!!

4 Guilt Traps to Avoid While Decluttering Your Closet

Over the years while working with organizing clients, I’ve realized what impedes the decluttering process the most, and it is the guilt traps. The traps I’m referring to are items that you don’t like or don’t even want but you can’t let go of because of the guilt you feel. I want to point these guilt items out to you so when you start decluttering your closet you can recognize them as they show up and know how to navigate past them quickly.

1 - It was a gift.

“I can’t donate that, my best friend gave it to me for my birthday and she will know if I got rid of it.” In a situation like this one the chances that she’ll remember are highly unlikely. If she did, what would be the worst thing that would happen? I actually have a personal story about this one: A few years back I bought this beautiful amethyst bracelet with gold trim for a friend of mine. About a year later she was showing me some of her new jewelry and I didn’t see the bracelet I got her. I asked her what happened to it and she told me that she appreciated the gift but she only wears silver. I was initially bummed that she didn’t keep it, but then I realized it was more my style than hers. I had forgotten that she didn’t wear gold, oops! At the end of the day I was glad that she got rid of it since she wasn’t going to wear it…and yes, I’m still really good friends with her. I say go ahead and donate those unwanted gifts. I don’t want my friends or family to keep things they don’t like just because it came from me.

2 - It was expensive.

“I paid so much for that dress and it never fit quite right, I know I will never wear it again but I feel bad just donating it” Some of my clients have trouble letting an item go because of the monetary value. If you are having negative thoughts about something in your space, you are still paying the price for it. Think of your energy as a commodity and what that is worth to you? That Badgley Mischka dress will find a new home where it will be worn and loved. For high-end items that you’d like to resell, check out TheRealReal.

3 - It still has the tag on it.

Here’s a good one, you find it on the sale rack, you buy it with excitement for getting such a good deal (even though you know it’s not great but can’t pass it up for the price) and then you never end up wearing it. Sometimes the fun of it is getting things for a bargain. It made you feel good at the time and that was all it was meant for. You really thought you were going to wear it when you left the store but then it just never left your closet. So, you made a mistake with the purchase, don’t make another mistake by keeping it. Every time you look at that unused garment you are being brought down with guilt and your energy is coming down with it. Check out ThredUP. It’s time to let it go.

4 - I’m going to lose the weight.

You are your best self today no matter what you think. Holding on to clothes that you will fit into “one day” when the weight comes may not be the best way to go about it. Perhaps by the time you lose the weight, those items will be out of style or you will be so excited that you want to buy new clothes. I’ve even had former clients that wanted to keep clothes because they were afraid they might put the weight back on. This is a roller coaster ride you want to get off of. Again, we are talking about our feelings and how they affect our energy. I’ve heard time and time again about people who finally lose the weight right after they got rid of the “old skinny jeans”. Weird, but when you hold on to the past you can never have a new and better future.

I can’t say it enough how important it is to only keep the clothes that make you feel amazing. When you look your best you, will feel your best and people will notice. Keep what you love, everything else can go.

There are so many places to donate clothes and household items The Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, and Vietnam Veterans of America, check to see who is taking donations at this time during COVID.

Happy decluttering:)

3 Steps to Creating the Dressing Room of Your Dreams

As a professional organizer in Los Angeles, I get to work with some amazing people and spaces. I couldn’t wait to design this dressing room for my client. I’ve been working with her for years and she was moving into a bigger home and we were able to use one of the rooms as a dressing room. At first, we were initially thinking of a stand-alone vanity and armoire but, as I thought it over, I had a vision of a kind of walk-in closet. I was familiar with all of her stuff and knew she would need more space for her accessories and shoes.

Here are the 3 steps I used to create the dressing room of her dreams.

First, you want to declutter. I sound like a broken record because I say this all the time but it is so important to have only what you need, use, and love. Everything else will get in the way of your vision. Start by sorting like with like and then pick the best and get rid of the rest.

Second, you want to take inventory of your items. It’s important to know what you have so that you can create the space that you need. How many shoes, scarves, purses, belts and hats do you have? Also, ask yourself, do I want to hang my t-shirts and jeans or fold them? And, if I fold them, will they be in a drawer or on shelves? Think about the socks, underwear, intimates and pj’s you have. How many drawers will that take up?  How many feet of hanging space do you need? Double-hanging in the closet is a better use of the vertical space if you don’t have too many long hanging items. I also took into consideration all the jewelry she owned. There were many necklaces that needed a home. She also had an ample supply of makeup and a vanity so plenty of drawer space was imperative. This brings us right into the next step.

Third, you want to design the space now that you know what you need. I designed the space and then we hired Inspired Closets to build it out for us. Of course, if you don’t want to do the design part they will do it for you. It was easier for me because I already knew what my client needed. So we looked at the layout of the room and picked the wall that would best be suited for the unit. I drew a sketch of what the unit would potentially look like. Starting with the vanity in the middle and then adding shelves for the shoes and purses to the left. On the right side, I added the drawers. The top one was for her jewelry and the rest for socks, pj’s, workout, etc. I wanted to include these cool pull-outs for hanging jewelry that Inspired Closets had, I added those above the drawers. I added double hanging bars in the closet for all her blouses and she also wanted to hang her jeans. Then I gave the sketch to Inspired Closets and they came out and took the final measurements. My client went down to the showroom and picked the finishes and hardware that she liked. All we were waiting for was the vanity mirror with lights to come. We ordered that separately. Inspired Closets really are a dream to work with.

If you are looking to create a space that makes you want to get up and get dressed in the morning, use these three steps. No matter what size space you have you can create a dressing room or area of your dreams.

4 Piles to Pitch: Win Back Your Storage Closet

Yes! Clean out that storage closet once and for all. I just helped a client do this, and I want to share a few things that might be useful for the closet you have been ignoring... and the skeletons inside.

My client had recently moved, and didn't have time to purge or organize before transitioning from old place to new.  As a result, her storage closet was riddled with random items (because it had a door to close and hide it all behind). Sound familiar?  Well, it happens all the time. Time to reclaim your space!

To get started, take everything out of the closet. As you remove items, sort them into piles with similar types of items - put like items with like items.

With my client, as with most clients, the piles looked something like this: the first pile was composed of packing supplies, including empty boxes, bubble wrap, tubes for posters, etc.  A second pile contained decor items that worked in her old place but didn't work in her new home, including items that needed to be returned. Off to the side, we had a pile of stuff that was to be sold on eBay and Craigslist, and finally, my favorite pile, the bag of bags. Over 90% of my clients have at least one of these piles:)

We also had piles of old makeup to go through, bedding to make decisions on, and office supplies to sort. However, the 4 piles I want to focus on are the four piles mentioned above: packing supplies, things that aren't working, stuff to sell, and the bag of bags. By just dealing with the items in these four piles, you will reduce clutter by half.  So, in no particular order, give yourself permission to let go of ---

1 - Items that are not working in the new (or current) space. This is often a frustrating endeavor, but it's time to realize that even alternative facts won't make your drawer organizers from your last residence fit your new space, and those pictures that looked great on your former living room wall don't catch the light in the same way in your new (or now) house. Yet, these items get tucked away in the storage closet in hopes you will find someone to give it to or eventually sell it. A big crutch in the letting go process is the "waiting to give it to someone who will need it" crutch. We always want to help someone out (or in some cases, pass the obligation of the item onto someone else), but then the unwanted item ends up chewing up valuable real estate in your space for way too long. So go ahead, give yourself permission. Donate it. And those things that need to be returned that didn't work for the new space that got shoved in the storage closet to collect dust and be forgotten? Put them in your car with the receipt and make sure it gets returned before it's too late.  Or donate them. 

2 - The eBay and Craigslist pile. My client had fancy and pricey dresses; some still had the tags on them, plus other items she thought could be worth selling. Of course, I'm all for donating it. Too often the ideal amount you think you can get for a given item is a lot more then what you can actually get for it. With my client, we started looking up how much similar dresses were selling for online and found that they were going for $20 or $30, and some were being stolen at $10. So I ask, how much is your time worth? $10/hr? $20/hr?  Because the time you use listing the item, the time spent in sale limbo/haggling with a stranger, the time and energy physically exerted in shipping the item... is the sale really worth the trouble and your time?  I suggest establishing a minimum listing item price of $50 or more to make the listing worthy of your time. If you can get at least $50 for an item, then list it.  If not, donate it.

3 - The pile of packing supplies. It will be easier to let these items go when you realize you are donating most of the stuff you thought you were going to sell. The act of breaking down empty boxes from deliveries alone (ahem...amazon) will reclaim a significant amount of space.

4 - The bag of bags, or should I say the whole closet, considering how they seem to fill up space like some magic growing jello. Like many people, my client was keeping every bag that was ever given to her, and all the ones she paid for like the ones from Ikea, etc. We looked through them all, and kept a select few that were in good shape.  We used some to bag donation items, and, get ready, donated the rest.

How many shopping bags does one household need? If you go shopping and use about 5 recycled bags, then keep that amount in your car, and get rid of the remainder.  Rest assured, more reusable bags will come into your life; someone is always giving away a free bag. Oh! And if you get paper and plastic bags every time you go to the grocer's and keep them for trash, then take one bag and fill it up with other bags; whatever doesn't fit in that one bag, you recycle. You will keep getting more every time you go shopping; have faith that you will not run out.

By focusing on items in these 4 piles, and not worrying about the organizing part yet, we saw a huge difference in reclaimed closet space. My client even had drawers in the closet that (I didn't know she had) she could never get to, now ready to be filled with items worthy of storing. 

So, what can you donate today to win back your storage closet?