|  You
don't have to be summering in the Hamptons to find yourself suddenly surrounded
by a collection of summer toys, ranging from old-fashioned striped beach balls
to torpedo-shaped floaters to boogie boards. All sorts of lurid plastic "today"
colors are strewn afoot the yard. Even the most commonplace home 1,500 miles from
any ocean can quickly become a sand trap of summer toys, and yet there are ways
of keeping things in order without wrecking your home's design.
First of
all, remember that summer is a temporary condition. Even if you live in Florida
or southern California, the conditions that make summer great fun – primarily
school vacation – will be gone faster than a popsicle in a heat wave come
September. As with any temporary condition in your home, it's best to corral
the items in question into one convenient spot, preferably near the door, just
as you do with winter boots and mittens. In fact, this approach is a good one
to work with in any aspect of your home design: think of the function not only
of the room, but of the items you're trying to organize. For example, if
you want to organize home office things, keep them all in the area of the desk:
all paper, pens, paperclips, and staples always go back to the desk. The phone
book should, of course, live close enough to the phone so that you can use it,
easily, while dialing. The trouble with something like summer items is
that you won't be integrating them into your home, because before you know it
there won't be a use for them. Because beach toys are used outdoors, the
best place to keep them is by the main doorway into the house that the family
really uses. This will cut down on sand being tracked into the home, and it will
cut down on you having to holler at the kids to take their things to their rooms.
 One
decorative and handy way of storing beach things is the time-honored fish netting,
available at most larger hardware stores or outdoor supply shops. It's simple
to put up: just screw a couple of heavy-duty hooks into the wall and hang the
netting from them, then fill with toys and other items. One advantage to this
is that anything damp will be able to dry, as the air circulates so easily that
mold won't collect. Another problem in summer, whether you're on the coast
of an ocean or just a lake side, is the collection of sand in the house. The
most obvious solution here is to make sure there is some kind of a trapping device
by the door; we recommend a heavy-duty doormat, such as one made of thick sisal,
for the outside. Having one doormat outside the door, and another, lighter-gauge
mat inside, will add a double layer of protection. You can then encourage
your kids to actually remove their sandy shoes at the door by installing some
handy shoe holder, whether it's a wicker basket or a shoe-holder. Using a basket
as the advantage of being easy – the kids don't need to worry about neatly
placing their sneakers and sandals in a rack; rather, they can just toss them
in and head to the kitchen for a hard-earned lemonade. Keeping a broom,
dustpan and small trash can by the door, or a hand-held vacuum, will help even
more. And then, just remember that before you know it, you'll be hitting
the back-to-school sales and riffling through the sweaters you have stored in
the attic. –Sarah Van Arsdale
Copyright © 2002
Sheffield School of Interior
Design
211 East 43rd St. New York, NY 10017
(212) 661-7270 Fax: (212)
867-8122 | 
Aaaah,
August...the peak of summer...for the rest of North America who are sweltering
in the heat think of us here in Calgary...it SNOWED on the first of August! The
sun is back today, but it does make us appreciate the nice days even more.
The
Visitation Handbook: Your Complete Guide to Parenting Apart 