Your home represents a mirror of your life as it showcases your identity and reflects your personality.  Sam Gosling, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas, explains that our behavior detects the appearance of our space. He states, “Like Sherlock Holmes looking for evidence of criminal behaviors, someone’s home shows evidence of normal behavior, which can tell me something about who they are. I call this ‘Behavioral Residue’” (Psychology of Space: What Does Your Home Say About You?).

The appeal of an organized home is ideal for anyone who wants to keep out clutter. It’s one less mess to clean up, everything has its place, and nothing is out of order. However, there are certain areas in your home where you feel stressed and dissatisfied. It’s not just rooms, but compartments and storage areas that haven’t gotten much tender love and care. Those areas are like skeletons hiding in our closets. We become embarrassed because it shows disorganization/clutter, which is not a message we don’t want to send. However, there are other ways to finesse your organization skills to help make your home and other areas pop.

 

The Closet

We love our clothes inside our closets, but sometimes, we can go overboard. There are a couple of signs that show that your wardrobe needs a makeover. Is it full of clothes that you don’t wear anymore? Do you have a hard time finding one specific article of clothing? Is your closet filled to the brim that you cannot add any new ones? If some of those warning signs are true, then you should try something new in your closet.

1. Donation Pile

Go through your clothes and figure out which pieces you no longer wear or fit into. You can donate your unused clothes to someone who will put them to good use. Since you are not wearing them anymore, why bother keeping them in a closet? It can be hard to let go, especially when they have memories attached to them. However, there comes a time when one must say goodbye.

2. Coordinate Clothes

Not every article is created equal and we all have that one favorite type/brand of clothes. By going through your closet, customize the order by putting each article into different sections. Start with the most popular and work your way down. For example, there are different variations of shirts like long sleeves, short sleeves, dress shirts, etc. You can start with what you have the most and least. Once you are done organizing your clothes into different sections, you can try color-coordinating them. You can pick whatever color order you choose like the rainbow, grayscale, etc. This is completely optional, but it makes the closet look aesthetically pleasing.

3. Occasional Season Storage

When the seasons change, we prepare ourselves for either the artic or desert. We aren’t going to wear our summer clothes in the wintertime unless you’re a daredevil. If you have enough storage space, why not try putting away clothes that you aren’t going to wear until the season changes. You don’t have to store clothes for every single season, it’s just the two for summer and winter. For the spring and fall, the weather can vary from warm or cool. It’s not solely dependent on one particular range of temperatures. This idea will give you plenty of more space than you realize.

The Kitchen

The kitchen can be a dream or a never-ending nightmare. It’s the most common space to have the most clutter and needs constant cleaning. Your kitchen might look perfect on the outside, but what about the inside? What are the cabinets hiding? Have you taken a look inside your pantry or spice cabinet? What about your storage containers? How many cooking/baking tools do you own? Is your fridge organized and know where everything is? If you answered no to any of these questions, you might want to start decluttering your kitchen. 

1. Check the Cabinets

Look through your cabinets and see if anything looks out of place. One good example is where your storage containers are stored. This cabinet area is considered to be the most problematic because people don’t tend to organize it. First, go through each one of them question yourself about how many items you truly need. Did you keep the majority of them from the holidays? Did you get leftovers from family/friends and forgot to give them their items back? Do you cook or go out more often? Think about your family size and the amount of food consumption. Once you answered these questions, start sorting them. Figure out the supplies you intend to keep or give away. For the storage containers, try separating the lids from the containers and stack them on top of each other. This will give you more cabinet space.

2. Invest in Storage Containers

After checking the cabinets, you can try something new and innovative. There are plenty of other storage containers are your disposal. Why not make use out of them? Why use them for just leftovers? Instead of using boxes or bags to show the food product, you can use storage containers. Start by seeing which food product/ingredient takes the most space. Then, fill up the storage container with that product/ingredient and see if it makes a difference. The most recommended type of storage containers for this project are the clear ones. This is because you can see the amount of product inside. This idea will make your areas organized and visually appealing. A bonus is labeling each of them to showcase what’s inside. You can try this out in the fridge or pantry if you like.

The Entryway, Mudroom, or Foyer

Whatever you call your entryway, it’s the first glance at your home. The first look is important not only for guests but for homeowners as well. It’s a start of an organized lifestyle. You probably don’t glance at this space because it’s small. It’s the place where you put your shoes, coats, and keys. It’s nothing more but a place where you unwind and declutter yourself from the outside world. However, a messy entry space can affect how your approach your entire home. 

1. Invest in Coat/Shoe Rack

First, go through your closet and pick out your most used coats/shoes. Having your favorites right by the front door is such a convivence, but you should put them in an organized fashion. Coat and shoe racks exist for a reason to help you organize your outwear. They won’t look messy and they wouldn’t be laying in random places.

2. Storage Cubbies

Storage cubbies are a great way to store a large number of items in one particular place. Also, this idea is great for children by keeping all their essential school stuff right beside the front door. The storage cubbies are inexpensive if you don’t want to invest in a dresser or table. You can have extra storage space and they come in various designs/textures.

The Storage Room

We avoid this area at all costs due to the massive amount of items we possess. However, there comes a time when we must unpack our storage for the holidays. We embark on the journey of finding those hidden gems and decorates you promised yourself you’ll use. Then, you don’t remember which storage bin you put them in. It’s irritating whenever you have to look through every single bin to find what you are looking for. 

1. Label

Labeling your storage bins will give you more time decorating and less time searching. Even if you are not storing holiday decorations, it’s better to still label them. Try using simple words like clothes or kitchen gadgets. Also, you can write your name if items inside belong to one specific person.

2. Shelves

Installing shelves in your storage room will allow you more space and keep this area organized. The storage bins shouldn’t be stacked on top of each other or scattered around. Even if your storage space is small, you should still consider shelving. They come in a range of different sizes and shapes. Just make sure you measure out the space first before buying.

~Summary~

Decluttering and organizing your home can be stressful, but just remember you don’t have to do it all in one day. Also, please take breaks and take a couple of deep breaths. It’s never easy to change, but just remember there is a process and the outcome will be worth it. 

 

Written by: Marie Carlisle

Marie recently joined our team as an Office Manager to assist our realtors with administration, customer service, marketing, time management, and keeping up our social media. She graduated at Lander University with a bachelor’s degree in English in Professional Writing. In the past, she previously worked in various customer service roles for five years at different businesses. Currently, she wants to expand her knowledge in the Real Estate business with various marketing tactics and ideas to help our business evolve. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, creative writing, and spending time with her friends/family as well as her husband, Terry.