The Martha Stewart Blog : Blog Archive Organizing My Hayloft

February 24, 2026

Organizing My Hayloft

The beginning of a new year is always a nice time to get a jump start on spring cleaning.

Not long ago I decided it was time to clean and organize my stable hayloft - a large loft above the horse stalls where we keep bales of hay made right here in my fields. The area is also used to house horse supplies, various building materials, screen doors, and several large ornamental planters. Getting things back in order is always so energizing.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: Here is my stable – home to my Friesians, my Fell pony, and my donkeys. On the second floor is my hayloft that extends the full length of the building.

: Here is a view out of one of the windows of the loft. This window looks out onto the great Boxwood Allée, which is now completely enshrouded in protective burlap for the winter.

: From another window of the hayloft, one can see this area of my farm – the carriage road to my azaleas. I have many trees planted along this carriage road also including crabapples, horse chestnuts, paulownia trees and others.

: The hayloft cat walk can be seen from the stable’s entryway. This area separates the stacked hay from the rest of my items being stored.

: This is the hay side. I am very proud of the hay I make here at the farm – it is good and nutritious and my horses all love it.

: On this other side of the hayloft, I store various moldings, window casings, screen windows, door screens, outdoor planters, horse supplies, etc.

: But over time, the area has gotten disorganized – with items placed on random shelves or laying on the floor. During winter, when it’s cold and there is snow on the ground, it is a good time to go through and clean out these spaces.

: So the crew got to work, vacuuming the floor, assessing what was here, and putting things where they belong.

: It got messier before it got cleaner, and like any organizing job, discoveries of long misplaced items are once again found.

: Storage bins are used for seasonal horse equipment and supplies – now all put away.

: Screen doors are housed in specially made storage boxes, so they are well protected during the off-season. Screens should be stored either by laying flat or standing upright, in a dry area where the temperature is kept fairly constant.

: Wood pallets are used to keep my valuable pots from resting directly on the floor.

: It is always important to store or cover all outdoor planters because freezing temperatures can crack or break them.

: The crew organized all the moldings on the shelves, making sure they are stacked according to length and type.

: I keep the moldings stacked horizontally to keep them from bowing.

: Unused saddles are on proper saddle racks to maintain their shape and prevent moisture buildup.

: Rolling shelves are tucked away yet easy to access. Slowly the area looks much better.

: This loft has high ceilings and lots of windows. Hay creates a lot of dust, so dusting from top to bottom is done on a regular basis.

: This is what a little time and elbow grease can do. To separate the hay side from the rest of the loft, I created a dust barrier using industrial size tarps secured to the sides of the entrance.