You can have BOTH, a stylish and tidy home and space. If you are tired of boring decor in your organized home or you are trying to organize your home without compromising style, then this episode is for you! In this episode, we talked to Magdalena Mendez, Interior Decorator and owner of Experimenting with Decor, LLC about ways you can keep your space tidy and stylish no matter your budget or creativity level.
In this episode we talk about:
- How to find your design style
- How finding your style will keep you organized long term
- Maximizing storage space without sacrificing style
- Common mistakes people make when organizing their space and how to avoid them
Where to find Magdalena Mendez online:
instagram.com/experimentingwithdecor
Mentioned in this Episode:
Laundry Room DIY Project
Bathroom Shelving with Style DIY Project
The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!
Connect with Stephanie
https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/
Review the Transcript:
Stephanie
Did you know that finding your Decor Style and maintaining an organized space are not mutually exclusive, you know, they can coexist. So in this episode, we will be exploring the intersection between interior decorating and organizing a space. We'll be talking to Manila Mendez, an interior decorator and owner of experimenting with decor, who will be sharing her tips and insights on how to create a space that is both beautiful and functional. So I came across some of that a lads videos when I was trying to find shelving ideas for a laundry room. And then I quickly became a huge fan of hers and all of her home decor tutorials, and DIY project videos. She is such a smart and creative creator. And I think you're going to really enjoy her videos as well, which I have put a link to her Instagram and social media channels over in shownotes. But then, when I saw her make a video about how you don't have to compromise style for functionality, I immediately sent her a message asking her to be on the podcast because I knew she wouldn't be the perfect guest for all of you. This is a big hurdle for our community where you want to be organized and stay organized, but you feel like it's really boring. You don't just want a boring space. And so you don't keep going because you get stuck on the creative side. And so I really hope that my conversation with Bethenny law gives you a little bit of inspiration and creativity and relief to know that you can help both you can have functionality and the style to make your space a lot more welcoming, and that it's a reflection of who you are. So enjoy the episode. And we'll get straight to it. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. I'm your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well then let's go. All right.
Stephanie
Hi, Magdalena. Hello, hello, I am so glad that you are here with us today. I'm so excited. I have been such a big fan of yours. for a really long time I follow your Instagram and all of your ideas. And you're such an inspiration. And so we are I'm thrilled to have you here, but also very lucky that our listeners get to pick your brain a little bit and then ask you some of these really important questions that have become a hurdle for some when they're trying to get more organized. So I'm so glad and so thankful that you accepted our invitation to be here today. Well,
Magdalena Mendez
thank you for inviting me, honestly. It's a pleasure.
Stephanie
I did. Okay, so what we're gonna do, as everyone knows, our community knows, we just get straight to the nitty gritty like we tried to be as productive and straight to the point as possible. So what we're going to do is just get right, right into it. And with their first question. So as I introduced on vanilla before, she's an interior decorator. So today's conversation is all about design, all about decorating, and really finding that happy medium. So the first is, how does somebody know that it's a design hurdle? And how can someone find their style, if they've never explored this? So you know, somebody's like, I keep organizing, I keep organizing, I keep decluttering and I keep doing all the things that the pros say, but and I keep finding the things that bring me joy. But every time I enter my room and my space, it still gives me the feeling.
Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, well, I feel like if your space doesn't make you happy, then we need to change it right? I'm always on my page. That's what my main thing is, if it's not making you happy, then we can make some changes. And a lot of times people don't understand how, how big of an importance design really is to a space because like you were saying like they're just don't feel like it's just right. And so whenever that happens, bring in that design, which does make a difference. So let's just say that you're, you know, you're organized and everything but you're it's not that fitting right? I always recommend people to go on Pinterest go check what you like, you know, if you'd like if you'd like a certain style, let's just say that you like colorful everything really come for furniture. It's kind of like Mitch match or whatever you might like an eclectic style, like that rustic, you know, chipped paint kind of thing to vintage stuff you know, you might like that rustic design you know you like clean lines, neutral style neutral colors, and you might like the modern style so it all just plays into the fact that where what we do in our home like what we like
Stephanie
so first so you would go okay, go somewhere like Pinterest or magazine or wherever go and explore on pot explore compile like a list, like a good idea book for you. And then should people identify what that style is? Especially if like you're a beginning, beginner, right? And you're starting to gravitate towards a certain type of picture imagery. Okay, so you put it in your book, you put it in your Pinterest, then what would you suggest? Like, figuring out what the common denominator is? Is there one style or piece of something that holds it together? So that you can go from there?
Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, well, it's honestly, there's one, when we talk about design, it expands. It's a vast, right? It's so many things. Because if you like, let's just say you like farmhouse. Now there's like modern farmhouse, or industrial farmhouse. And so there's so many things that you can do, but like, once you kind of get the gist of what you like, then you can kind of modify from there, you know, you can kind of explore what you like, because at the end of the day, yes, designers and, you know, interior decorators, and all of that stuff, they, they have what, you know, ideas and all that stuff, but You're your own person, I used to like my clients, like, I can recommend something, but you're living in this house. So if you don't like something, you know, you're the one I'm not gonna live there. I might like you, but you might not, you know, so it's like, you're gonna have to try to eat but exactly how you're saying you have to find that common denominator, right? You have to find that style first. So if you like that, follow, you know, stuff, you know, then you gotta address see what's common when you go, when you make that list. When you go to that Pinterest, you start cleaning up the stuff that you like, or even the magazines or start cutting out the things that you'd like to see what's common on all of these. And then once you figure that out, then you can kind of go into Google, or, you know, I tried on my page, I tried to, like, show people different styles so that they can know like, what I really, really like this, I really like this first one I really like, you know, so that you can kind of figure out okay, well, I kind of like the eclectic design, I've kind of like the farmhouse style, you know, and so then it's easier for you to kind of make everything a home in your in your space.
Stephanie
Yeah, and something that I've admired about you, with what you just said is that you've always, you've always said, whether your video or your content, you can always customize it like to use so you could find something that yes, you know, is the trendy word of the day or the year or whatever. But you customize a lot of your pieces, which is one of your signature messages, like, hey, figure out what you like, and it all works together. And then let's work on customizing it for you. So that it looks like it belongs. It's not just, you know, cookie cutter trend or something like that. Right?
Magdalena Mendez
Right. And I feel like not a lot of people. I mean, I've been in this line of work, maybe like two, three years, right. And, and not a lot of people can afford an interior designer or interior decorator. So what I do on my page is I show people like, it doesn't matter. Like you don't have to hire somebody, and this is coming from me that I get hired for the job. You don't have to hire somebody so that, you know, to get your style, like, you can modify things, you don't have to have a big budget, you don't have to, like do all these, you know, extravagant things, so that to get your style. I mean, sometimes people and a lot of times people hire me because they're just lost. And they just need that they just want the help, you know, and so I'm always there to help. But like they should say, when I was doing my laundry room, which, if you know my laundry will went super viral. And every time I posted it just like gets millions and millions of views. But at the time when I first started when I was first doing that room, I was here at my house if you didn't notice my ID and I don't I didn't go to school for this or anything like that. I just, I just started you know, doing my home. So I started in 2018 Just trying to explore, like, what my style is what I like what I don't like, you know, all of that stuff. And so I just kind of explored a little bit and then people really started liking what I did you know, so I when I did my laundry room, I didn't have a lot of money. So I said let me just figure something out. Right my head scene was real popular that hexagon it was really popular and so what I did was I just I didn't have money to toilet so I just did it you know I did it with my with the with a pen and a paint you know so but at the end of the day is just sometimes you just have to just explore you might not like it like I did that with paint so it's easy. Just paint over it is easy just to like, you know, do something like that so that it does it. You know you don't like it then you could just
Stephanie
I mean it's your will. It's your gift, it is your gift and you do get to share it with the rest of us but for those They don't necessarily either they don't feel like they have the gift. Or they don't, you know, some of us just, we just have to admit it at some point, like, I tried. And it's just I guess, that's where you know, you your inspiration comes in where they get to hire somebody like you that can help them along the way. So to either get them started, or just to do it all for us.
Magdalena Mendez
Honestly, like, what I do a lot of times is also some people just hire me as a consultation. So I'll go in, I'll do a consultation, we walked through the space, and I give them all my ideas, I give them what I think will look best in their home. And then from there, they can take the ideas and do it themselves, or they can hire me, and then I'll do it for them. So it's just like, sometimes you just need that little push, like, wait. You know, a lot of times when I do this consultation, sometimes they're like, We didn't even see that, like, I didn't even realize that I could happen, you know. And so then they start, like, they'll get inspiration, like, you know what I can I can do this, you know, and so that's what I want people to, they come to my page, I want them to stiffen inspiration to actually do something, so they can love where they
Stephanie
live. And we do oh, here, we totally do. Okay, so let's talk, let's transition over to those that feel like they don't need to start over completely, or they don't want to start over completely or just starting over completely is overwhelming. So we have a big part of our community that gets very overwhelmed with the thought of having to empty an entire space and just start over, like, that's just too much, no, they're more, they'd like to do it little by little, and then gain momentum from there. So what is some advice that you would give listeners that are not ready to gut the entire space, out room, the paint, you know, like, do the whole thing from scratch, just kind of start dabbling into it, but make a big impact.
Magdalena Mendez
Right. Um, so I know, this is cliche, but paint does a really, really big difference. I mean, even if it's just a beach wall, you know, we do a feature wall, it's just something that, you know, you don't have to paint all of them was just try negatives, just say you're doing a bedroom, do one behind your bed, or, you know, something like that, and then just make that your focal point so that you can feel like, hey, there's actually a change. And then from there, you can move on to bedding or you can move on to a rug, you know, move on like that, you know, at some sconces or whatever. And just like little by little, I've noticed this and you know, if you do something smaller space, people tend to like, Wait, let me let me explore a little bit more, let me explain. So and then paint is very inexpensive. You don't like it, you can always paint over it, you know? And so I feel like that's like a it's a small detail, but it does make a big difference.
Stephanie
Yeah, yeah, I, I'm so afraid of paint. But you're right. You are, you have inspired me. I don't know why I feel like this, this, this overwhelming this, like, if I do it, I can't go back. But you right, you can
Magdalena Mendez
just paint over it, paint over it. And honestly, just try one wall. Yeah, sure, if Did you want even half a wall? You know, let's try
Stephanie
the nurse. If you're like me, she's helping us through this part of our trauma and PTSD that we once had.
Magdalena Mendez
There's people that I've seen, they just do like a, you know, half circle behind the bed, it's just what like, the walls are all the same. They're just like one half circle behind their bed, if that just gonna bring you that little bit of, you know, inspiration just to go in and just do a little bit, you know, push you out of your limitedness.
Stephanie
I like that. I love that. Okay, so let's go into so we talked about design, let's talk a little bit about the merge between design and organizing. So, of course, you know, that's, that's what I do. That's what we do. And we mainly talk about, but the podcast is really about the merge between two fields. And their commonalities. And design and organizing are like married, you know, they're really, really tight. They also work separately. But at the end of the day, what happens is a lot of people will look at their space, and they don't like it and they feel like they have to declutter in New York or organize. But in reality, it's really a design issue or a design hurdle. So let's talk about that merge. So what would you recommend to people that have tried everything? And okay, their place is organized now, but now it needs to be, you know, like I said, juiced up a little like, spiced up a little bit. What are some elements that you would recommend? Like, what are some ways that they can maximize their space? So it could be organized, but also, you know, functional organized, but also have the elements of design? So what are some go to tips that you would give people to look out for so that their space is functional? It works as a home but also it's designed friendly and beautiful, and not so square?
Magdalena Mendez
Okay, so I feel like lately, there's so many brands that came out with some gorgeous storage units storage like so many things that credenzas you know, now they have like A sofas with extra storage. Now they have Ottomans with extra extra storage baskets. Like there's so many things that you can still use in design, but use it for both storage and are functional, and, you know, aesthetically beautiful. So there's so many things out now, I mean, before, when I first started this, there was, there wasn't a lot of things that came on. And on top of that, it's now kind of not that expensive anymore. And so I feel like now you can find, you can go to target, you can go to Walmart, and find some stuff that you can go you can go to, like a Ross or like a burden 10 or something like that, and still find that storage that you need. But it still looks beautiful.
Stephanie
And something that you've really taught me is that again, we go back to the customizable that some of these pieces can just be the base to the bigger picture, the bigger pie, you had like that credenza, I think it was a credenza, or in your living room where it is an organizing space where you put the stuff or you know, family stuff in there. When you close it. It's this beautiful, beautiful staple piece, but you customized it. I mean, it didn't come out of the box that way. And so I think that, so talk to us a little bit about that part of customizing, do you? Would you recommend a newbie get into customization of like a unit, like let's say storage unit, you know, they're trying to do more of a gap or something that will be functional? And but it's, it's not great. It's not cute. But to make it customizable? Would you like what? What would you recommend for those newbies that wants to go go all in? Would you be like start slow? Like, where should they start?
Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, well, look, when I first started, I didn't have a lot of money. So I just tried, you know, I just tried something about some inspiration, I said, Let's just see if I can do it. And time after time after time, it just came out better and better and better. You know, I didn't, when I first started these things, when I first started dry, it wasn't like, came up perfect. You know, I did a bunch of fail fails. And you know, some sometimes it came out good. Sometimes it didn't. So I just recommend just try, just try it, you never know, you might like it, you know, just try something new. And if you don't, then hopefully it wasn't that expensive. But a lot of times, I don't, because you're organizing and stuff, like I don't want you to hold on to stuff I tell my my audience this, don't hold on to stuff, if you know that you might eventually years down the line gonna go gonna do something. So if you have a piece of furniture that you say, Okay, I'm going to, I'm going to, you know, make this revamp this or whatever. If you're not going to do it right then and there. If you're not going to do within, you know, it's not going to happen within the next month or so. And they don't try like, don't have that extra storage there that you don't need either. For me my peace of mind is having my house decluttered than it had been full of stuff that I eventually will use or eventually will, you know, get into do something with it. So yeah, for me, it's just, if you're gonna do it, go for it. I'll support you. 100%. But if you're just gonna be staying there and just going to just buy a brand new.
Stephanie
Yeah, yeah. Because it Yeah. And then it doesn't do anybody any justice. It's not even you're not using it. It's yeah, collecting dust. So Oh, yes. Love, love. Okay, let's talk, let's start transitioning into the common mistakes. What are some common mistakes that you would add that you've noticed? So I think you just mentioned one, which is a big one, like, if you're not, if you're not, if you don't have a direct plan, like a soon plan, then it's probably don't. But what if you can give us a couple more tips on common mistakes that you see people making when they're trying to incorporate design incorporate design into the organizing systems.
Magdalena Mendez
Okay, so measuring, you have to measure, even if it's design, let's just say furniture, you if you buy a piece, and you it doesn't fit, you think it fits in your home, but you didn't measure and then you bring it home and it's like not then you have the whole thing of like, Oh, I gotta return it. Or, and then some people don't even return they'll just keep it they're just like, Ah, just use it for another space, but it just built clutter, and just a headache. So, measure, measure, measure, even if you're doing organization, measure your shelves before you buy anything before you buy baskets before you buy bins to go into your drawers, you know I have, I have an entryway where I bring in some baskets. I have to measure the spacing between to see if something's going to fit in there because if not, then again, we have the whole process of returning everything or it's not fitting all this stuff. It's more of a heading so always Always, always measure before you buy anything, especially, especially decor because the decor is expensive, you know, of all the sofa, hoe table chairs, all that stuff, it's not gonna fit, then let's measure first before you buy it.
Stephanie
That is so true. And again, we go back two hurdles, that is the number one thing that we have found people don't return or they it starts to accumulate that you bought to that's clothing. So why No, we're not talking about clothing but right. It's decorations like things that you want to try them never go and and, and return it because it's just more of a hassle. So
Magdalena Mendez
like my I have a my sister, she, she always lived in apartments, and she moved into a new apartment and it was like a bigger and better apartment. And so she bought shower curtains for her shower. And the showers were a lot higher than their regular showers. And so she had went to Target to go get the shower curtain and it didn't fit it was like have hit the bottom or the top of the tub. So she's like, What the heck. And so like all of those things, you have to measure like even though you think, Oh yeah, it's gonna fit. It's just like a regular job. Like just measure you just
Stephanie
do something right now that your future self will thank you for because right now shower curtain now you have to fold down, you have to take it down. Now you have to fold it back into that tiny little container and flat. Are you gonna
Magdalena Mendez
put in the third Sunday?
Stephanie
Like, what would you rather that or just measures
Magdalena Mendez
measure?
Stephanie
Yeah. Great tip. Okay, so let's start finishing off with a couple of like a big, big tick of the big tip, I guess our take what is something that you would want listeners to know about finding their style and how it will help them get and stay organized? Like how the benefits of finding your style and finding a place that is visually pleasing to you so that you can sustain that organizing style long term to
Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, it's beneficial to know your salad just because I feel like once people know what they like, they can go into a store and just be like, okay, that I don't I'm not going to buy that. Because that's not it doesn't go in my home, Greg, it doesn't belong there. You know, versus when you don't, you're just like trying, like, Oh, let me buy this. Let me see if it goes. Anyway, let me see if it goes let me buy this Missy the guns, right, knowing your style, just really make it makes your life easier. So that you know, when you go into a store, you go into a place because people change their decor seasonal, right? Sometimes it's for spring or for Christmas or whatever. Like, knowing your style really helps you get those things that you need. So that you're you feel happy in the home, sometimes, because it's not as easy as just for some people I know there's not as easy as just like, I'm just not going to, you know, um, just that, um, you know, they want to, they're trying something, they want to buy something because they feel like, I want to make my home happier. I want to make it so that it's more my style. So knowing that style just really makes it that much easier to like, Okay, well yeah, let me transition this. Let me transition from winter to spring from spring to fall for you know, like, all from spot from spring to summer from summer to fall. You know, all of those things are even even just like everyday things, the pillows on your on your sofa, right that you're bringing your sofa is a mid century modern sofa, and you're bringing some farmhouse pillows, you know, which I know that I People tell me all the time you you talk different. It's like, I don't understand those. Why do you talk about it? What does that mean? But when you know those styles, you know the difference between like, that's Mid Century Modern, and that's farmhouse, like, you know, and you don't necessarily have to know these things you just need to know like what you like, right? You know, you watch what you like, once again, going through Pinterest going through all these things, narrowing down to what you like. And then you know, like, well, that one doesn't go, I'm gonna get this one instead of that one,
Stephanie
especially in a day in an age of visual overwhelmed visuals like that everywhere. And so when you know what you'd like, you could just focus there and you're not like, all over the place.
Magdalena Mendez
Right? And I've gone to some stores I don't know, it's everywhere, but at home, the store at home. I mean, if you walk into that store, there is every single kind of ACE, every single kind of card in every single kind of rug every single kind of whatever right plant or whatever. And so when I tell people whenever you're going to a store like that, let's just say you're going for pillows, just look at the pillows. Don't look at anything else. Just look at pillows, because then it gets overwhelming and then you're like, wait, wait, I heard so many Stories. People walk into the store. They're like, Nope, I was overwhelmed. I just left, I will go, I will come home and nothing I just met. So just like, take it easy. Take one thing at a time if you need to. If you feel like hey, I've got my salad and I know this, this and this go together, then go for it. Go for it. Just don't overwhelm yourself.
Stephanie
Yes, I always tell people, the store will be there tomorrow. Don't you worry, where their goal admission is for you to buy. So don't you worry, they will be there. You'll be focused. It's true. It's true. All right, so let's talk a little bit about you. Okay, so first, I'd love to hear we ask this of all of our awesome guests. Okay, a magazine, your favorite magazine that either you'd like to read? You like to look at it could be business pleasure. And then why?
Magdalena Mendez
Okay, well, oh, the HGTV. I love you just because sometimes it just brings inspiration like even me, the interior decorator like it, sometimes they their inspiration. So you know, and so that we're not looking at the same thing. You know, for me, most of the time. It's like stores and stuff like that. But like when you go to magazines, and you see designers that are discoid are pushing the boundaries of what you know, design is you know, and so I like seeing all of that and just gives me inspiration to maybe for myself, push the boundaries a little bit for my clients.
Stephanie
Yeah, yeah. I love that. Okay, so let's talk about you and where people can reach you.
Magdalena Mendez
Okay, so my name is Magdalena Mendez, I am from San Antonio, Texas. And you can find me all across social media, Tik Tok, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and I'm under experimenting with decor.
Stephanie
I yeah, I love it. Okay, well, thank you again for your time. And I hope that our listeners got to get a little more inspiration and can finally you know, get out there and just start experimenting and doing their thing and not being so afraid about the boundaries that sometimes brain so thank you.
Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, my pleasure. My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
Stephanie
Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing.
