I just found out I’m WFH until next year. Help me transform my home office!

I need help with my home office!

Want workspace zen? Look no further. We're officially launching our home office edit at Maison Market to add daily joy to your WFH setup. See our favorite products in action below!

Hands up who’s commuting? Us neither. Seven months into the global pandemic and millions of us are still WFH. At Maison Haven, we’ve seen a huge uptick in clients asking us to transform their home offices. Which is why we’re adding a dedicated Home Office section to our shop! We’ve pulled together our favorite products that are guaranteed to reduce clutter, increase productivity and save you time (and sanity). So, whether your current workspace is a whole swanky room or a corner of your kitchen table, our greatest hits will transform it fast.

P.S. If you want more detailed help with your office, read on to find out how to access our FREE 5-day ‘home office transformation’ course!

1. White magazine files

There’s a reason we use these files in every office we transform. They’re chic, versatile and make great use of vertical storage. Either line them up on a shelf, or add them to your desk. We love to add custom labels to create a personalized system.

2. Acrylic file box

Our motto: if it looks beautiful it’s more likely to stay that way. Which is why we’re focused on using products that inspire us. There’s no reason your filing system shouldn’t look fabulous. Step one: acrylic box. Step two: pretty hanging file. Step three: attach custom label to front. Voila! A beautiful filing system.

3. Drawer organizers

Drawers are the most overlooked storage real estate. Keep them neat and you’re 99% of the way there. Our go-to dividers are these gorgeous, gold-tipped acrylic ones because...why the hell not?

4. Mail sorter

Are you the kind of person who opens their mail daily, or do you let it build up into a paper mountain (no judgement here!) To keep on top of your mail, build in a daily habit. This mail sorter is great because it gives you somewhere to stash your mail when you walk through the door, but it’s not so large that you can let three months’ worth of bills go unopened (you’ll thank us in the end). And it’s portable, so if a kitchen table is all you got, no problem.

5. Labels

You know our mantra: label EVERYTHING. Nothing maintains a system like a sprinkling of pretty labels. Our office starter kit is a selection of our most-used labels. Add them to magazine files, file boxes, basically anything that doesn’t move.

6. Archive files

These are ideal for storing stationery supplies, paper and other ugly office paraphernalia (printer cartridges, we’re looking at you…)

7. Planner printable

The organized day doesn’t just stop at the decluttered desk. We also love to add shape and rhythm to a client’s day. Our gorgeous planner printable allows you to stay one step ahead every day of the week. You’re welcome!

Want more?

Sign up for our FREE 5-day WFH course and whip your home office into shape fast

WHAT YOU GET:

• 5 daily prompts to kickstart your transformation

• Access to our #5quickwins strategy

• 20% off our signature office labels

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How to create the ideal learning space

create a virtual classroom that lasts

Homeschooling isn’t going anywhere (sigh). Don’t panic - our quick and easy tips will set up a space that goes the distance (one less thing to worry about, right?!)

School’s in session! Our Fast 5 tips will help you get the best out of your kids’ learning space. Trust us, the right workspace will transform the way your child learns (and the way you teach – bet you never thought you’d see that one on your resume!). Take notes!

Embrace a space

Some may believe the three most important factors in determining the desirability of any real estate are location, location, location. But it’s 2020 and times have changed. You really can make any space in your home work. Find an area with little to no distractions, plenty of natural light (a desk lamp will do too), strong wi-fi and easy access to outlets. Final challenge? Ditch the clutter. If that feels like a challenge for you, we have just the caddy for the job (add these inserts to keep supplies neat). It’s pretty, portable and you can personalize it. Plus it’s perfect if your kitchen or dining room table have been doing double-duty and there’s a quick shift change after the final school bell.

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Stick to the schedule

Going paperless when it comes to your bills may be en vogue but paper is priceless and calendar is king when it comes to the school schedule. Sticking to a schedule is our secret for maintaining sanity and we treat it as sacred. Lately it can be near impossible to have a screen-free day which makes us love our School Schedule Printable even more. Remember to program time for play breaks and brain breaks because all work and no play makes everyone dull. Building healthy rituals into the calendar promotes that ‘going to school’ and ‘leaving school’ atmosphere. Print it, plan it and post it - where all can see. Can you say, “same page!”.

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Choose quality over quantity

The global pandemic may have us hoarding toilet paper but this should not be the approach taken for surviving remote learning. Instead focus on quality over quantity. Your home does not need to look like the inside of Staples and you do not need endless supplies. Focus on creating a grab-and-go system for the students in your life. Then easily maintain your system by having a refill structure in place. Our top high quality grab-and-go goodies also look beautiful displayed in your home making for a very easy clean-up. We love Stockmar crayons , Faber watercolors, sharpened Prisma colored pencils and heavy weight drawing paper.

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Tame the art

Covid may have hidden our smiles and made hugs a thing of the past but it hasn’t damped the creative spirit. Artistic ability, square footage and birth order usually play into the display, file, garbage pile decision-making process. We fully support (without judgement) whichever decision is right for you.

Display. We adore this meaningful, one-of-a-kind coffee table book by Printworks. Each page is framed and ready to be filled with doodles by your little Picasso. Bring life to your tabletop or bookshelf all while controlling the clutter and celebrating your child.

File. All hail the beautiful, simple and chic Archive Art Box. A great storage solution for art and completed homework. Easy to label, easy to store and easy to manage when you reach capacity and want to review.

Garbage Pile. This is perhaps the toughest choice because of the embedded guilt. We recommend the 21st Century alternative Artkive, a company that transforms your child’s art into a book. You keep the book and toss the original. All without the guilt.

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Stay flexible

Maison Haven loves nothing more than creating an organizing oasis, but quarantine has taught us that flexibility is a must for survival. Navigating unchartered waters takes grace and ease (mixed with a little humility, coffee and wine). It’s helpful to remember change is the only constant. Your child’s needs will shift throughout the year and with that so will you’re the organizational and storage systems you created. With this fluidity in mind, we are pleased to introduce you our favorite multi-talented products ready to show up for you.

We love these magazine holders. Sturdy, sophisticated and understated, they look good in any room and the metal label holder makes it extremely easy to label with a child’s name, a school subject or theme depending upon the need. Now it’s all in one place within arm’s reach.

There is nothing lazy about the Acrylic Turntable. With removeable dividers, it’s great for storing both craft and desk supplies, displaying mini projects and holding study snacks.

No back to (home)school is complete without super sticky post-it. Use the built in easel or stick it on a table or wall without damaging the surface. Perfect for teaching moments and math problems now and once school’s out use it for family game night, to-do lists or chore charts.

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- SHOP THE STORY -

Custom Caddy

Daily School Schedule

Custom art box

Great Art Book

Acrylic Turntable

If fast isn't your speed...

…become a Haven Insider and take a deep dive into our FREE Home Classroom 101 course. Daily prompts, insider tips, free printables and all our favorite products. See you there!

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How to pack like a pro

How to pack like a pro

Image credit: Hey Sunny Jess

So, it turns out summer vacation, Covid-style, is proving tricky to navigate. Five months into the global pandemic and we’re scrabbling to keep up with shifting guidelines, state quarantines and international travel restrictions. But one thing’s for sure: the spirit of vacation lives on. Whether you’re opting for a staycation or dipping your toe in international waters, our Fast 5 packing guide will take the sting out of the prep work (which is one less thing to worry about, right?!)

Visualize & plan

Overpacking is the most common mistake people make, so adopt our golden rule: pack outfits, not things. Our clothes go straight from a color-coded closet onto a color-coded rail, which makes it much easier to create a cohesive capsule wardrobe. The best way to ensure you only take what you need? Use a packing list. It encourages you to plan out your vacation must-brings before you start filling your suitcase. Really think through your trip. Hot vs cold? Car vs plane? House vs hotel? Oh, and don’t leave packing to the last minute. Enjoy the process of pulling together your dream outfits - it’s all part of the fun.

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Pull & edit

Armed with your packing list, pull out your clothes by category. Workout, beach, loungewear, dresses etc. Then separate into outfits and lay them on your bed or floor so you get the overview. This will allow you to curate your ideal vacation wardrobe without sacrificing style or space (and avoids the ‘oops I’ve packed 15 white tees’ mistake). Be ruthless. If you’re struggling, follow the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 approach. For a weeklong trip, pack five tops, four dresses, three bottoms, two pairs of shoes and one hat. Feeling overwhelmed? Focus on quality over quantity. And, for goodness sake, only pack items that make you feel like a million bucks. This is your vacay!

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Organize & pack

We have a fool-proof system when it comes to packing a suitcase (obviously). Always start with your shoes. Stash them in dust-bags and lay them at the bottom of the suitcase as flat as possible, ready to pack clothes on top. With slides and sandals, slot one inside the other to maximize the space. Some people roll but we love to lay clothes as flat as possible. And, remember, delicate fabrics go on top, right at the last minute. When it comes to underwear, keep it simple. A set for each day, plus a couple of extras just in case. Taking a sun hat? Fill the crown with smaller items like underwear or swimwear to maintain the shape. And we swear by packing cubes, too. They’re great for organizing and compressing clothes. Our final pack hack? Place your dresses in the suitcase on slim hangers so they’re ready to hang the moment you arrive. Trust us, the joy of opening your suitcase and being able to unpack at lightning speed is addictive.

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Travel-sized & double duty

Don’t take a vacation from looking your best because the TSA guidelines were created by a man with no skincare regime. If your best-loved products aren’t available in travel size, try refillable travel-sized bottles. Worried about space? Focus on multi-purpose products. Our double-duty favorites include BB Cream (even your complexion + add shimmer to your legs and collarbone), lip balm (hydrate your lip + tame your tresses + soften your cuticles) and micellar water (remove makeup + balance your skin). Pare down your make-up kit with a dual lip-cheek stain and a bronzer/highlighter that can double as an eyeshadow. Pack your clear case in the top left (the bottom when the suitcase is standing) to ensure ease of access and afford the most protection from any unfortunate cabin pressure spillage.

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Relax & let loose

Even the perfect pack can result in creases! To ensure a wrinkle-free getaway, we recommend traveling with our favorite trusty side-kick, a portable and lightweight steamer. It will have you looking super-fresh no matter how long the journey. Pro tip: we always pack a gorgeous fabric spray to ensure we get at least two wears out of dry-clean-only garments. Oh, one final thing. Add a couple of drops of essential oils to a cotton pad and stash in your suitcase. That way, your clothes come out smelling divine the other end. Bon voyage!

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- SHOP THE STORY -

Packing List

Packing Cubes

Slim Hangers

Portable Steamer

Grapefruit Essential Oil

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Pantry

Pantry

We take you behind-the-scenes of a project and break down exactly how we did it. Follow our guide and whip your panty into shape, fast!

THE BRIEF: transform this pantry into a streamlined, functioning space for a family of four.

THE APPROACH: we used Maison Haven’s signatures 3-step technique: edit, organize, style. We worked with the client to edit out any food items that were out of date or unlikely to be used. We created a personalized system, and then we sprinkled the visual fairy dust!

1..

Zones

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Whenever we’re designing a pantry system we spend time talking through not just what a client eats, but how they eat. Is their breakfast leisurely or rushed? Do cereal and snacks need to be on a lower shelf so little hands can access? Is the client cooking dinner from scratch most nights? Rule of thumb is this: anything you’re reaching for more than twice a week needs to be prime real estate. No bending down, no reaching up high. In this case, we designated each shelf a separate zone: the bottom is Breakfast, then Snacks, then Dinner, then Baking.

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2. STORAGE

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We measure a space at least twice before we decide on containers. And we also decide on a color palette in advance (in this case, whites and neutrals). The larger white baskets work well for bulkier items. Then we pepper in smaller white baskets to store prettier items, and break up the visual. For this client, we agreed on acrylic jars rather than glass so the kids couldn’t break them (where possible we love to purge packaging and decant dried goods into jars - so much easier to see what you have!) We added our custom labels to make it even easier to maintain the system, as well as our cooking labels to scribble down cooking instructions and Use By dates. One of our favorite pantry tricks is a bamboo turntable. They are great at maximizing shelf space and corralling items like cans and jars.

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3. INSERTS

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We always create a system within a system so that large baskets don’t become a hot mess. In this case, we added inserts to keep snack items neatly lined up. So much easier to grab and go!

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4. REFILLS

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The refill zone is a pantry’s secret weapon. It’s all very well designing a beautiful system, but it needs to be realistic, too. We always factor in a refill area for any multiples or excess. If you’re decanting pasta and have some left over, stash it in the Refill basket. Three bottles of olive oil? They go here too. Just remember to always, always check your refills before your next grocery shop.

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Fun fact

Can you spot the Wellness baskets at the top? Increasingly, we’re adding Wellness Zones to our clients’ pantries. These contain vitamins, protein powders, collagen and smoothie shakes. Even easier to stay on the healthy bandwagon! 

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SHOP THE STORY

- Custom Basket -

- Cooking Label -

- Hamptons Basket -

- Bamboo Turntable -

- Pantry Label Kit -

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I want to organize my home but I need help getting motivated!

Q: Five months into the pandemic, can you help me get motivated?

A: Consider us your virtual cheerleaders. These simple mindset shifts will change the way you organize

We know. We’re not used to spending this much time at home either. At first it was a novelty, but fast-forward five months and there’s Nowhere. To. Hide. You kick each week off determined to whip your home into shape, only to find things sliding back to normal by hump day. The key is to identify your organizing style and build a system around it. Break it down into manageable goals. Rather than ‘I want to organize my house’, which feels vague and unwieldy, switch it to: ‘I will create a system that makes my pantry work’. Take it a room at a time. Make it specific. Ready? Let's go!

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I vow...to create space

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Skip this step at your peril. Take one room at a time and make a ruthless choice to trash/donate/consign all the things you don't need. Some people advise starting small with an easy-to-tackle spot in your room. We say: go big or go home. Once you’ve nailed the space that makes you scream, the rest of the house will seem like small fry. Need some inspo? Look at the photograph above. Our client was struggling to part with her excess clothes, so we pulled out a third of her closet. She was blown away by the result. Not only was there space for her clothes to breathe, it was much easier to create outfits because everything was visible. She vowed to adopt the ‘one in one out’ rule and remove one item from her wardrobe any time she was adding to it. Remember, sometimes you need a visual kickstart. Also remember: space is your friend.

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I vow...to transform my entryway

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There’s a reason we spend time getting clients’ entry points right. The way you enter your home sets the tone for the rest of the house. If your entryway is a car-crash of coats, shoes, bags and other paraphernalia, then shoot this zone to the top of your to-do list. Design a drop zone that works for you. Short on space? Your system could be as simple as a standalone coat rack or hooks behind a door. Got drawers? Invest in some dividers. Finally, adopt our ‘60-second rule’. When you arrive home, spend 60 seconds putting things in their place. Not only does it clear your head but it makes it easier to leave the house, too.

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I vow...to make the

effort

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Yes, we’ll share our decluttering secrets, cheerlead the hell out of you, and help you design a system that works. But maintaining your system? That’s up to you. Be honest with yourself. If you truly want a home that works hard - a home that looks and feel great - then repeat after us: I will make the effort. There are no shortcuts. Once the system is in place, STICK TO IT. Did you know that 80% of cleaning is picking stuff up and putting it away? Utter madness. Tidy a room before you leave it. Return items to their place. Don’t leave a mess to fester. Get into the habit of doing it as you go along. Trust us, the pay-off is worth it.

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I vow...to live smart

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Organizing your home shouldn’t break the bank. We love to repurpose (we call it our Shop My Home technique!) We’ve used everything from vintage hampers to upcycled shoe boxes. It doesn’t have to be expensive to work. Also, actually use what you have. Finish the last inch of toothpaste, the last drops of olive oil, the last roll of kitchen paper. Don’t buy multiples of things. You’ll waste less, consume less, and bring less clutter into your home. Finally, adopt the one-in-one-out rule. Make a pact with yourself to donate/consign an item each time you buy something new. This will be EXCRUCIATING in the beginning. But once the habit is formed, you’ll wonder what took you so long. Keep a container handy in each zone for items to purge. Then do it (this is very important).

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I vow...to make it pretty

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One of our best-kept secrets? We make a visual statement with the way we organize. We color-code. We use stylish storage. We go the extra mile. Why? There are real psychological benefits to maintaining this kind of visual order. Dr. Sally Augustin, PhD, an environmental psychologist says it’s possible that an organized and visually stimulating space can make its owner feel calmer and less stressed. She says: “Bring the complexity in your refrigerator down to a moderate level, and when you open the door, you would have a positive response.” That positive response means you’re more likely to keep it that way. Amen to that!

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