A well-organised home can be a source of peace and tranquillity. However, achieving this level of organisation can be a challenge, especially if you have a lot of stuff – which most of us do!
If you’re struggling to win the war against clutter at home, here are a few tips. Listed in no particular order, one or two is sure to help solve one of your problem areas.
Declutter Regularly
The first step is to clear out anything you don’t need or use. Be ruthless in your choices, because we’re not talking about throwing precious things away. Everyone has stuff that means something, even if it’s a thing you don’t use often or even ever. The idea is to sort possessions so you only keep the things in use at home. For the rest, pack it up securely and consider storage unit rental. It’s a perfect solution, whether you’re saving items to pass on to younger family members or you have heirlooms you can’t bear to part with.
Choose the Right Storage Containers
When it comes to storage containers, it’s important to choose the right ones for the job. Clear plastic containers are great for storing items that you need to see easily, such as clothes or toys. Opaque containers are better for hiding away items you don’t use very often, such as seasonal decorations or old paperwork.
Label Everything
Labelling your storage containers will make it much easier to find what you’re looking for. Use a label maker or stickers to make the job easier, and be as specific as you can. It really helps to keep groups of items separate from each other so you can lay your hand immediately on what you need.
Use Vertical Space
Don’t forget about your walls! Shelves, cabinets, and hooks can all be used to maximise vertical space and help you get more use out of difficult areas. Vertical spaces can also include the sides of cupboards or kitchen cabinets, inside wardrobe doors and even above doorways. When it comes to storage, every nook and cranny is fair game.
Get Creative with Storage Solutions
There are a number of creative and stylish storage solutions that can help you organise all the rooms in the house. For example, incorporate tables with storage in the living room to help corral remotes, chargers or other cluttersome objects. Use ottomans or chests in bedrooms to help with linen or toy storage, or over-door organisers for shoes or even cleaning supplies. Custom closets are also a great way to maximise space, especially in smaller homes where every inch counts—they can be designed to fit your specific needs and layout. If you’re exploring design inspiration, companies such as New Concept Design can be useful to look at for ideas on integrating smart storage into stylish interiors.
Make it Easy to Put Things Away
If you have to hunt for a space every time you want to put something away, you’re more likely to just leave it out. We tell ourselves it’s ‘just for now’ but it ends up causing a permanent muddle and some places are worse than others. Try and have a designated spot for everything, and get the whole family on-board with keeping things in their place. Even small changes can make life easier, such as having a hook or dish for keys as you come into the house or a shoe storage rack to neatly place shoes in the hallway.
Store Items Together Logically
This makes it easier to find what you’re looking for. For example, store all of your kitchen gadgets in one cabinet, all of your bathroom supplies in another cabinet, and all of your cleaning supplies in their own space too. This tactic can be especially useful when different family members all use variations of the same item, such as bedding. You can keep matching sets together, for instance, by putting everything inside one of the pillow cases before it goes in the linen closet or airing cupboard.
Use Adjustable Shelves
Adjustable shelves will make it easy to customise your storage space to fit your needs. This is especially helpful if you have a lot of items that are different sizes, such as books, games, foodstuffs or equipment in kitchen cabinets, and cleaning or laundry supplies. An added benefit to having adjustable shelving is its versatility. Requirements change, and it’s good to be able to switch things around to fit the needs of the moment without having to undertake a complete refit.
Rotate Your Possessions
There’s no law that says all your belongings need to be at home all the time. It’s popular these days to look for a storage space to rent all through the year, providing a virtual home extension without the expense or hassle of building or moving. The concept is simple, just change what’s in storage according to the season, doing a swap around for what you’ll need through summer and winter. It’s efficient and shrewd, with the added bonus of things always having a new appeal when you haven’t seen them for a few months.
A well-organised home is more enjoyable to live in and easier to clean, but how you can get there isn’t always clear. Hopefully you’ll take something from this list of strategies that’ll be a bit of help!
