The Art of Organization

Conquer the closet and more tips for tidiness

An organized closet makes for a happy homeowner.

Photo by Jerry McClure

We’ve all been there: the mad dash to dress for an event and your left shoe has pulled a disappearing act. The frantic pantry search for that one ingredient you need to complete your signature dish. The elusive car keys, the vanishing billfold, the glove that got away.

Striving for order and organization this year? Here are a few techniques, compliments of Dave Perry Miller & Associates, to help you stay in sync.

Conquering the closet
We turned to Real Simple, the de facto publication for home organization, to help us make sense of a chaotic closet. Following this checklist, the publication’s experts recommend hanging additional rods (easy breezy to install) so you can spread out clothing and identify pieces clearly and swiftly.

Real Simple’s experts also advise using baskets to store off-season accessories, as well as installing a valet hook for dry cleaning or to plan outfits for parties.

Managing the mud room
Mud rooms are forever prone to messiness. HGTV provides “22 Storage and Decorating Ideas” to help you make the most of the typically small space.

Of importance: a bench for taking off and putting on shoes, for preparing a backpack or book bag, or for providing a place to wait for the rest of the crew. HGTV’s experts say other must-haves include hooks (for children, label each hook and make them low enough so the little ones can hang up their own coats and gear), an umbrella basket and a full-length mirror.

Another tip: have one basket for keys and wallets, and one for hats and gloves. These items often go missing so now they’ll have a cozy home — and you’ll save time and energy searching for them.

Putting the pantry in order
Get in the zone. This is one of the best ideas we’ve discovered for organizing the pantry, and it comes courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. BH&G’s experts recommend “zoning,” or keeping your food in order by creating categories and then designating pantry real estate for each.

This way, similar items are in one area, giving you a crystal clear snapshot of what you have, so you can save time hunting for that bottle of Tahitian vanilla extract or jar of herbs de Provence.

Do you have organization tips to share? We welcome your thoughts and ideas. Please use the space below to comment.

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Dave Perry Miller & Associates is a premiere residential real estate firm with five locations that specialize in marketing the key areas of the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Uptown, Lakewood, East Dallas and Kessler Park. Dave Perry-Miller & Associates is a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Luxury Portfolio International. For more information on luxury living, please contact Dave Perry Miller & Associates at 214-369-6000. Also visit daveperrymiller.com/blog for the latest news in Dallas real estate.

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greener grass in tx

Texas blossoms as No. 1 best state for gardening and homesteading

Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash

Texas is an ideal place to homestead, the study found.

If social media is any indicator, homesteading has been one of the hottest trends of 2024. And Texas is leading the charge as the No. 1 best state for homesteading and gardening, according to a new report by First Saturday Lime.

Analysts at First Saturday Lime, an insect repellant company featured on Shark Tank, evaluated the "suitability for sustainable living" across all 50 states based on six factors: Climate, community interest (a.k.a online search trends), gardening resources, farmland costs, and others.

The Lone Star State led the nation with the most farms and ranches on the market and the highest total acreage for sale. As of the study's publication, there were 7,520 total properties for sale, spanning more than 2.19 million acres of land.

Texas also ranked favorably for its farmland affordability. The state came in at No. 9 nationally with its average farmland price coming out to $2,800 per acre, the report said.

For comparison, New Mexico (which ranked No. 11 overall) had the most affordable average price per acre of farmland at just $700 per acre. Massachusetts (No. 48) and Connecticut (No. 42), however, tied for the most expensive price per acre, at $14,300.

Among the three remaining categories in the study, Texas performed the worst for its "gardens on Yelp per capita" rank. The study calculated Texas has 0.30 gardening and community garden establishments on Yelp per capita, placing Texas at No. 49.

Meanwhile, Texas' historically hot weather meant it ranked No. 43 out of all 50 states in the "favorable climate" rank, and the state earned a middle-of-the-road No. 35 rank in the "search interest per capita" category.

"Homesteading and gardening are growing in popularity, but some states provide better opportunities than others," the report's author wrote. "Whether you're after fresh produce or the freedom of self-sufficiency, choosing the right state can make all the difference."

Following behind Texas to complete the top three best states for homesteading and gardening are Oregon (No. 2) and Washington (No. 3), two notoriously rainy West Coast states.

Meanwhile, three East Coast states ranked at the bottom of the list as the worst states for homesteading and gardening: Rhode Island (No. 50), New Jersey (No. 49), and Massachusetts (No. 48).

The top 10 best states for homesteading and gardening are:

No. 1 – Texas
No. 2 – Oregon
No. 3 – Washington
No. 4 – Vermont
No. 5 – Delaware
No. 6 – Arizona
No. 7 – Wyoming
No. 8 – Montana
No. 9 – Hawaii
No. 10 – Colorado

The study sourced its data from Yelp, Google Trends, and the UDSA to determine each state's ranking.

gardening sustainability nature farmers