THE DESIGNERS
Janine Carendi, Furniture builder, designer; Area Interior Design, New York City; areainteriordesign.com. Named one of Domino magazine's 2008 10 Decorators on the Verge.
Brian Patrick Flynn, Designer and principal; Six Foot Five Creative Interior Design, Atlanta, and host of TBS' "Movie and a Makeover" series. www.sixfootfivecreative.com
Mallory Mathison, Designer and principal; Mallory Mathison Fine Interior Design, Atlanta; www.mallorymathison.com. Named one of Domino magazine's 2008 10 Decorators on the Verge.
MAIN ENTRYWAY
Carendi: Eliminate mail before it piles up. Toss junk mail into a pretty bin or basket at the entrance; transfer it to your larger recycling bin later.
Flynn: Place a cabinet or table just inside the door, with a large bowl or basket on top for keys, sunglasses, mail. Deal with contents when there is time.
Mathison: Keep woven baskets with lids -- one for each family member -- underneath the entryway table, or cover table with a floor-length cloth to hide baskets. Stash clutter on arrival; retrieve it later. Alternative: a chest of drawers for shoes (on the bottom), gloves and hats (in the middle) and keys, cell phones and chargers (in the top drawer).
KITCHEN COUNTERS
Carendi: Keep large, lightweight basket at one end of a counter for everything that finds its way into the kitchen; carry basket around the house weekly to return contents to where they belong.