We all want our homes to look “Instagram-ready,” don’t we? TV shows like “The Home Edit” and “Tidying Up Like Marie Kondo” inspire us to live the clutter-free lifestyle.
That is, perfectly organized, color coded, visually attractive and neat.
The best way to do this is one room at a time. Try to do more and you’ll quickly get overwhelmed and want to stop for a cup of coffee or glass or wine, never to return to the project. Which is now a heap of stuff in a pile, even worse than before!
So, pick a room and here’s how to get started!
1. First, declutter. You’ve got this – make piles for Donate, Discard, and Keep.
2. Group by type. If you’ve chosen your bathroom, put all the shampoos, make-up, body care, hair care, etc. together. Look at how much you have in each category (and it’s a great time to throw out expired stuff). For a closet you can pull together shoes, jackets, tops, bottoms, bags, scarves.
3. Consider your space. Figure out how much room you actually have to store stuff, and make sure you have pared things down enough so they reasonably fit in. For instance, in a closet estimate 1 inch per hanging item and you can do the math to figure out how many items you have room for.
4. Identify containers. Find containers that are see-through, as much as possible. Honestly, if it’s in a box how many of us really ever open that to use what’s inside? I’ll tell you – almost none! You’ll want containers that are the same size or can modularly take up the same space. This is important – same size bins create that coherent visual look you crave. The same goes for clothes hangers – bite the bullet and buy identical ones in the quantity you actually need (plus a couple extra).
Where? Of course, the Container Store pretty much has everything you could possibly want. But also try Target, Walmart and the Dollar Store if you want to keep to a budget. The simpler the container, the better!
5. Determine where you actually use things. Placement should be close to where you usually access your items. For instance keep your make-up in a top drawer or on the bathroom counter, as it’s something you’d use everyday. In a closet, keep your fancy dresses near the back as you only need them occasionally, and everyday clothes in the most accessible spot.
6. Put stuff away! Now you’re ready, and it should be a breeze because you’ve got a plan and the tools to execute it.
7. Fun Hints. Color coding is visually very cool, depending on the items. You could definitely color code books, toys, clothes within categories (shirts by color, then pants, then jackets, etc.) and even pantry items. Color can define a space and brightens things up, drawing your eye to what you need more quickly.
You want to create visual harmony that comes from the organization of like things and how they’re placed in their own spots. You know, “a place for everything…” Yes, everything should have a “home,” where you know you can find it and where it’s easy to put back after you use it.
Now take some snaps and post your beautiful new space!
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