Looking to get your home into tip-top shape before holiday guests arrive in the coming weeks? There’s no time to start prepping like the present! If you’re in need of some handy solutions that will get your space looking nice and streamlined, look no further than the seven products below, which pro organizers rely upon time and time again. They’re more than worth incorporating into your house if you haven’t done so already. 

Mirrors with Jewelry Organizers

No getting-ready space is complete without a full-length mirror that allows you to easily evaluate your outfit, but why not take things a step further? Kinsley Turnipseed, the founder of My Other Mother, LLC, recommends investing in a mirror that also conceals a jewelry organizer—this one, which mounts over a door, is an excellent option. Not only does this solution save space, but it also makes it easy to grab those essential finishing touches—necklaces, bracelets, earrings, or all of the above—without having to rummage through a jewelry box. 

A Woven Basket Cord Charger

Turnipseed is also a proponent of purchasing woven baskets specifically made to conceal chargers and cords, noting that this solution is “aesthetically pleasing and functional” and comes in handy both on countertops and in work stations. 

A Label Maker

If you don’t already own a label maker, consider this your sign to buy one. “Labels are a simple solution that make your things look more organized,” says Jean Prominski, the founder of Sparkle Home Organizing. “They show that you are intentional about what goes where, and that you’ve put energy into keeping it that way.” 

Photo: Jean Prominski

Rotating Spice Racks

There’s nothing better than a spice rack that spins, Prominski explains. “A two-tiered rotating spice rack makes it easy to see what you have, and uses the vertical space well,” she says. Best of all, you can scoop these up for just $10. Solutions like these aren’t just for the kitchen, either. “Utilize in the bathroom to see all of your products or even under the sink to easily access cleaning supplies,” suggests Rachel Gitzen, the founder of Rah and Co.

Stackable Clear Bins

It’s time to stop allowing your makeup to roll around aimlessly within your bathroom drawers. Gitzen is a proponent of sorting products by category within clear bins that make it easy to see everything that you have on hand. 

Photo courtesy of Rachel Glitzen

A Drawer-Sized Knife Block

Free up countertop space by purchasing a knife block that can live inside your utensil drawer, Gitzen offers. You can still access everything you need seamlessly as you cook (and cleanup is still nice and simple, too). 

A Baseball Hat Hanger

Corral your collection of baseball hats once and for all with a designated hanging system that will make it easy to see what you have. “You can see your whole collection, making it easy to pick and even easier to hang back up,” Gitzen says. 

Sarah Lyon is a New York City-based freelance writer, originally from Bethesda, MD. She contributes to a number of national design and lifestyle publications like Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, MyDomaine, the Washington Post, and more. Sarah also works with designers to help them style spaces for photo shoots. Find more shelfies on her Instagram page, @sarahlyon9 

Visit corcoranmce.com to search listings for sale in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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Ready to spruce your space up in honor of the start of a new season? The great news is you certainly don’t have to break the bank while doing so. This fall, we’re embracing traditional touches, warm textures, and moody artwork—you can find all of that and then some below at prices that are almost too good to be true!

Burlwood is having a major resurgence this fall, and this frame couldn’t be prettier. Whether you use it to display an art piece or a family photo, it’ll add tons of character and dimension to any wall or tabletop.

Elevate your morning coffee ritual with a set of four teaspoons that feature a wood and metal combo that is perfect for the season.

Welcome the harvest season into your home by displaying this print in your kitchen or entryway—it comes in a framed canvas, so all you have to do is unwrap it! 

Restyling your coffee table to mark the beginning of autumn is always a nice refresh. This candle would look lovely placed on top of a stack of books and is sure to smell dreamy thanks to its mixture of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and more. 

Kids and adults alike will enjoy snuggling up under this ghost and bat-themed throw. The design says Halloween, while the simple black and white color palette prevents the design from being cheesy or over the top. 

Cluster a few of these ceramic pumpkins on your mantel top or dining room table to instantly bring autumn into your home. Their neutral hue will take you from Halloween to Thanksgiving in a snap. 

Use a printed tray like this one to corral baubles or lotions in your bathroom or on the bedside table. 

Splatterware is majorly in vogue these days, and this mug will make you actually look forward to brewing your own cup of joe at home.

Add instant color to your front entryway with the help of this realistic-looking garland that requires zero maintenance and is suitable for indoor and sheltered outdoor use alike.

These taper candles will liven up your home in an instant and are available in three festive, seasonal hues. Commit to one or mix and match!

Sarah Lyon is a New York City-based freelance writer, originally from Bethesda, MD. She contributes to a number of national design and lifestyle publications like Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, MyDomaine, the Washington Post, and more. Sarah also works with designers to help them style spaces for photo shoots. Find more shelfies on her Instagram page, @sarahlyon9 

Visit corcoranmce.com to search listings for sale in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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Home staging isn’t just for buyers – it’s a blueprint for how you can live better.

It’s a proven real estate strategy: a well-staged home brings stronger offers. In fact, most staged homes sell faster and at a higher price than unstaged homes. And professional home stagers are skilled at weighing a number of design and logistical factors as they lay out a room to create a welcoming scene that invites buyers to picture themselves living there. 

But the benefits of home staging go beyond getting a property ready for its close-up, and smart homeowners are “staging for living” as a way to create harmony within their four walls while they live there. Removing excess “visual noise” while also highlighting intentional focal points and easy transitions throughout the home allows for less psychological and physical stress, letting the rooms “guide” behavior and creating an intentional and comforting vibe. Plus, it’s easier to clean!

By applying a few of the tactics professional stagers use, you can give your home a refresh that keeps you feeling focused and calm, and provides an easy template for keeping your home in tip-top shape for welcoming visitors.

Start With a Stager’s Eye

Stagers know that creating a cohesive and inviting space is more than just rearranging furniture and plumping some decorative pillows. How people move within a space matters as much as what the room is designed for. When laying out your home, keep these important things in mind:

• Flow: You’ll want to create ways to physically and visually move throughout the home, placing furniture so that pathways are unobstructed and guide people in practical ways throughout the space. Don’t block walkways or windows and scale furniture so that it doesn’t restrict movement or lines of vision. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that furniture has to be stacked against a wall. Look for ways to configure furniture to create intimate conversation areas or “float” pieces to divide a larger room.
• Focal point: Create interest in a room by finding a dominant feature and drawing eyes toward it. Think: the wall behind a bed, a fireplace, a picture window, a favorite piece of artwork, or a stellar antique. Arrange furniture to angle it toward the focal point and use lighting to create additional depth and interest.
• Color discipline: Ever heard of the 60-30-10 rule? It’s a design tool that creates a proportional and cohesive palette across rooms. The largest proportion is your primary color and should be used for wall paint and large furniture, while 30 percent in your secondary hue is used for window treatments, specialty trim, and accent furniture – all in support of the primary color. The final 10 percent is an accent shade for smaller decorative pieces, pillows, blankets, etc. These proportions prevent your chosen colors from feeling too overpowering or, alternatively, from being too minimal to notice.
• Lighting: It’s one of the most important elements in a space, so choosing the correct lighting scale is essential. Decide what type of lighting you need – a combination of ambient, task, and accent – and layer it throughout the room. Note: you’ll need more lighting than you think so use this opportunity to be creative.

Declutter, Declutter, Declutter

There’s no getting around it: the fastest way to bring peace and calm to your home is to fill it with less stuff. 

The good news is that there are any number of decluttering methods for inspiration – KonMari, Swedish Death Cleaning, Four Boxes, etc. – to get you started on the path to getting that “stuff” out of your home. You won’t need to go as bare bones and depersonalized as homes that are on the market; your home should reflect your personality and be comfortable. The goal here is to remove visual distractions, create clean and open spaces, and give the things in your home that bring joy and excitement a chance to shine. Think of it as curating your favorite things rather than cataloging everything you own. 

• Be brave! Aim to remove a third of items and retain what has a purpose, is practical, or is meaningful. 
• Make sure what remains has a place to be stored or showcased.
• Keep flat surfaces as clear and tidy as possible and resist the urge to place too many accessories on counters, tables, and shelves.
• Make the small repairs or upgrades you’ve been putting off. For example, matching faceplates for light switches and outlets are an easy way to create visual uniformity, while patching holes and wall cracks can prevent long-term damage.
• Spend 10 minutes a day (or an hour a week) putting items away or removing them if they aren’t useful. Maintenance is key to keeping the clutter at bay.
• Apartment dwellers, you have options, too! 

Putting It All Together

With the home cleared and cleaned and the flow mapped out, you’re ready to bring everything together to create and maintain the perfect scene for each room. 

• “Shop” your home for furniture or accessories that might work better in a different context. For example, repurpose a small bedroom bookcase into a cocktail mini-bar that showcases your special glassware. Rotate pieces throughout the home depending on the season or activities within the home. 
• Buy seasonal items that can add new energy to a space without having to redecorate. 
• Develop systems throughout the home to prevent clutter and keep a healthy flow throughout. Have specific places and holders for keys, phones, leashes … anything that’s easy to put down but easy to forget where. This will reduce stress and keep clutter to a minimum. 
• If you find yourself pulled off-track, imagine you’re visiting an upscale hotel or a fun vacation rental and imagine the things they have on display and what is tucked away to create a serene, welcoming stay. Or stop by an open house and look at how the home has been staged to get re-inspired. 

At the end of the day, staging for living isn’t about creating a showroom – it’s about curating a home that works for you. By blending comfort with intention, you create spaces that feel open yet inviting, organized yet personal. The payoff is more than just a beautiful room: it’s the daily ease of moving through your home with less stress, more focus, and a calm that carries into every part of your life.

Whether you’re thinking of making a move or just want an idea of how you could live better in your current home, our Corcoran McEnearney team can walk you through your own ‘live better now, sell better later” plan.

Karisue Wyson

Karisue Wyson is the Director of Education for Corcoran McEnearney and was previously a Top Producing Realtor® in the Alexandria Office.

Visit corcoranmce.com to search listings for sale in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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