Start the new year off with a bang. Tackle the
hot spots in your home that seem to attract clutter no matter how neat you are.
Use our simple three-step solutions to organize and hide everyday items.
This year I vow to…Get my closet and dressing
area in tip-top shape
You say you have nothing to wear, yet your
dressing area is brimming with clothes, shoes, and accessories. It’s time to
clean out and clean up so you can get dressed in a snap.
- Judiciously
edit your clothes and accessories. If you never wear it, it doesn’t fit you or
you simply don’t feel your best when you wear it, don’t keep it. The same goes
for hand bags, shoes and jewelry. Hanging onto something just in case that
trend comes around again is a bad idea, too.
- Sort
your wardrobe so you can see what’s ready to wear at a glimpse. Hang clothes by
type (jackets, pants, etc.), and by color, from light to dark. Store
out-of-season clothes on a higher shelf or in protective storage under a bed.
- Display
accessories in plain site so you can see all your options at once. Hang hooks
for belts, scarves and long necklaces. Organize jewelry by type in
protective velvet trays on a dresser top or in an accessible drawer. Use
dividers to shelve hats, bags and shoes. Grab it and go.
Control the clutter that is taking over my family’s
common spaces
You can bear it no longer. The items that end up
on the floor, heaped on shelves or scattered across tables is never ending. It’s
time to find the right kind of storage that works for you and your family.
- Establish
consistent storage stations for larger like items. In the entry, use hooks and
cubbies to corral jackets, shoes and umbrellas. Designate a tray for
technology items, such as handheld games, phones and tablets. Store media, such
as DVDs, games and remotes in labeled lidded photo boxes for storage on a shelf
or in a cabinet. Corraltoys, blankets and magazines in large, open fabric bins,
baskets or buckets that can easily fit on a shelf or under a console or coffee
table.
- Don’t
sweat the small stuff. Subdivide drawers with trays to keep miscellany—pens,
paperclips, note pads, batteries—organized and out of sight. Or, set up a
desktop organizer and use small dishes for keys and sunglasses. The key is to
create a place where you can quickly stash those pesky odds and ends that
crop up and create clutter.
- Spend
a few minutes every day clearing minor messes and maintaining your newly
organized spaces—and encourage your family to do the same.
Bring order to the stacks of mail, bills,
magazines and more
Quelling the paper riot is a constant battle.
Figure out a system for dealing with and storing the different types of
information stacking up in your in-box and stick to it.
- Go
through all incoming mail daily. Dispose of junk mail immediately, place
catalogs and magazines in a basket or tray and the rest (bills, school
flyers, letters) in an in-box.
- Every
couple of days go through and clean out your trays. Move bills and invitations
into a “Pending Action” file or take care of it immediately and file
away. If you like to hang onto your magazines, store them neatly in standing
files. Or, tear out the articles, recipes or photos that interest you and
save in a labeled accordion file or themed binders. If you’re a visual person,
create a bulletin board to post RSVPs, tears and other reminders.
- Want
to cut the clutter even more? Go paperless. Sign up for online bill pay to
eliminate physical bills and cancel catalogs that don’t interest you. Join
online communities for inspiration, like pinterest.com and foodgawker.com, and
save rooms, recipes and ideas you find online.
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design and tips by Ballard Designs.
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