Get On Your Way To Being Organized With These Tips & Tricks From Professional Organizers

“Start Small! Many people want to get organized but feel overwhelmed by the size of their organizing problem. They don’t know where to start, so they don’t start at all. The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” There are no shortcuts to organizing.  Decide where you are going to start – pick one cabinet, or one section of a room, or one closet – and just start!”

“Like items together. It’s my mantra. And it’s the basic premise of organizing. As such, the right way to tackle organizing projects is by category, not by room, because you may have items that relate to each other all over your home. Let’s use technology/wires as an example. Your hall closet might include a bin of outdated USB cables, headphones, wires for gadgets you no longer own, etc. But you might also have a drawer or cabinet of wires in the media console in your living room. And there also might be wires lurking in junk drawers throughout your home, in your nightstand and who knows where else!  To effectively organize your technology/wires, you’ve got to collect them from wherever they might be lurking so that you can comprehensively review what you’ve got. Then you can make informed decisions about what you should keep and what you should purge. And only after that can you confidently assign a permanent home because you’ll know exactly how much space you need to allocate for the entire collection (and you’ll know exactly where to find them going forward!).”

“Purge often; every time you buy a new item, get rid of one current item.”

“Use pegboard and hooks on the walls of your garage to maximize vertical space. Store items in plastic bins to ward off the elements and creepy crawlies. Install shelving for the bins along the edge of the garage to keep the center clear for an automobile or easy access for projects. House gardening supplies near the garage door, making it easy to pull items like a lawnmower and weed whacker in and out. Install shelving above the garage door for even more storage for seasonal items. Draw parking spaces on the floor for children’s bikes and scooters.”

“Organize your home in a way that makes sense for everyone. We can easily get caught up in images from Pinterest or Instagram displaying perfectly organized spaces, but they’re not always realistic. Consider everyone in your home and what will work well and be simple for each person. The easier it is to do, the easier it is to maintain.”

“If you are looking to part with paper, try wearing a pair of plastic gloves to create a barrier which should reduce the emotional attachment to it.”

“Be mindful of unnecessary shopping/spending. When you stop the influx of stuff coming in, you’ll be able to tackle the bulk of what’s already in your home. Leave your credit card at home whenever you can so aren’t tempted to buy junk.”

“When organizing your kitchen, try to maximize every bit of usable space, including the insides of your cabinet doors. There are all kinds of attachments you can get to utilize this space i.e. paper towel holders, spice racks, pot-lid holders, etc. The Container Store is my favorite spot to pick up a variety of different options to help utilize this forgotten space in my client’s kitchens!”

“Advice for selecting furniture – there are so many clever pieces of furniture on the market these days that double as storage. My favorites are: Ottomans with lids that open so toys/blankets/magazines/games can be stashed inside, bed frames that have storage inside the sides and/or back of the headboard, beds that are built so one can lift up the mattress, revealing a bed-sized storage space beneath that can hold a ton of stuff, and chaise sofas which can open into a guest bed and blankets/pillows can be stored inside the chaise.”

“Keep only what you love and what is useful around you, especially if you live in a small space. LESS is MORE, let go of the junk and clutter. The key is everything needs a home (and I do mean everything); a spot and a place to go and be replaced to. And those treasures you just can’t part with – stow then them up high, under the bed or at the very back of the closet where no one ever wants to deal with going! The bonus is it will keep the stuff you do care about that much closer to your grasp! Organization isn’t some destination, it’s about a well honed system you choose to actively maintain – if the system is good enough it won’t take any more effort to stick with it than it would to just shove all your junk under the bed!”