My current obsession is home organisation. I’m pretty sure that this has been borne out of a combination of spending so much time at home during this pathetic excuse for a year, and binge-watching my way through Series One of ‘Get Organised with The Home Edit’.
Marie Kondo had already taught me how to fold my pants and spark joy, now Joanna and Clea from The Home Edit have me dreaming about sorting the entire house into clear, prettily labelled boxes and arranging books into rainbow colour order (yes really).
And I am not alone people! Home organisation is a super hot topic on social media right now with Instagram feeds full of beautifully organised homes, putting the rest of us mere mortals to shame.
Why should we bother organising our homes?
Home should feel like a haven for you, especially in these strange times we’re living in right now.
I know there is the view that there are better ways to spend your time than organising and reorganising your home. But mess can often make people feel quite stressed and anxious. I truly believe that organising your home can help you to feel calmer and more in control of things, positively impacting other areas of your life.
Having kids around, of course, adds a whole new dimension to your home and requires taking organisation to another level!
With that being said, a word of caution. These kinds of programmes do obviously take home organisation to an extreme. Few of us can afford the time or money to create the stunning spaces they do, and it’s easy to get a little obsessed (as I fear I am!) with the task at hand.
The trick is to decide which expert tips and tricks will be most helpful for you to implement in your own home. Start by identifying your real problem area(s) and begin there. Home organisation is a bit of a journey for most people and as with all big projects in life, it’s always best to break it down into bitesize chunks so that the project feels less daunting.
There’s far too much to cover in one blog post, so in this post, we’re going to identify the basic steps to help you get started with organising your home and feeling a bit more in control of things.
Step One: Declutter / edit your problem area
I honestly think that decluttering / editing your stuff is your most important step. It’s certainly one that requires quite a lot of thought and maybe difficult decisions as you decide what to keep and what to let go of. This is where Marie Kondo says you should ask yourself whether the item sparks any joy for you or not.
Most of the items you’ve edited out can be donated which is a great thing, but if there are sentimental items that you want to hold on to, that’s absolutely fine. Just keep those items together so that they can be stored later on.
Step Two: Assess your space and reconfigure if needed
Once you’ve sorted through your stuff, you’ll be left only with those things you really want and need to keep. That in itself will feel so good! For me, getting rid of things we no longer need always feels like therapy.
You’ll also have a much better idea of what space you have to work with. What you need to do now is have a think about whether the way you currently have the space organised still works well for you and your family.
If it doesn’t, then reconfigure it a little to see if you can improve the flow of the space. Consider moving shelves or furniture to make it work better for you.
Step Three: Plan your storage
This, for me, is the fun part – and how far you go with it really depends on your budget.
If you have some budget available, definitely consider investing in some key storage items, especially if they are going to be on display.
Here are a few ideas for some of the key storage areas in your home.
Hallway
Shoe storage, for example, is usually right there as soon as you enter your home so it’s important that this looks good.
Shoes that you wear most often will need to be out on display on a smart rack, whereas those that are not in season could be stored away in clear, stackable shoe boxes in your wardrobe or under the stairs.
Some shoe racks double as a bench which is handy – storage that has multiple uses is always a win.
Make the most of under stair cupboards with shelving and storage boxes – there’s often more space here to utilise than you think.
A clear, tidy hallway makes entering and leaving the house so much easier and is much more inviting and welcoming to guests.
Kitchen
Kitchens are often full to bursting – you need to carefully plan where to store items so that cooking and tidying things away makes sense.
Fridge and freezer bins are an absolutely must – they help you divide your space so that you can find things more easily. No more rummaging for ages in the bottom in the freezer for the fish fingers! They are stackable too, so you can maximise the shelf height in your fridge.
Decanting items into clear storage boxes and glass jars is a good idea, and makes weekly stock taking an easier task.
Kitchens are also where labelling really comes into its own – invest in a label maker and get sticking!
Children’s bedrooms / playrooms
Children’s bedrooms and playrooms can be one of the biggest challenges in a home because they are often full of stuff and it can feel like you are constantly having to tidy up.
If the space is big enough, try dividing it into zones, with separate areas for play, reading and art, for example.
Invest in clear boxes so that your child can see what is inside each box. Label them so they know what should be put in each. If they’re too young to read, draw a picture!
For young children, The Home Edit suggest colour coding books on shelves rather than arranging by author. I think this feels odd to do however it does make sense for younger children who can’t yet read – they will still know where to put their book back after reading and it helps to encourage independent tidying up. Also it does make for an amazing Instagram pic!
Step Four: Make sure the rest of the family knows the new system!
If you’re the only one who knows the system, it will never be maintained. Ideally, you want to get the family involved in the first place but if the task of home organisation has fallen solely on your shoulders, make sure you run through the systems you’ve put in place with the rest of the family.
Organising your home is a big job so don’t even attempt to do it all at once. Pick your key areas and tackle those first. Improving those troublesome spaces will put you in a positive frame of mind to continue organising the rest of the house.
If you are time poor, I totally understand that organising your home can feel like a daunting task. But once it is done, or even once you have just made a start, you’ll find that the systems actually give you some time back because you’re spending less time looking for stuff or doing things inefficiently. I promise you it will be time well spent!
Share your thoughts
Are you into home organisation? Do you have any tips to share? Please comment below, we’d love to hear from you.
Natalie xx
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with The Holding Company. All words and opinions are my own.