Conquer the Clutter

18 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, The Home

Tags

better homes and gardens, cleaning, closet clutter, closets, Clutter, organization

I have always been a neat freak and loved organizing whatever I could get my hands on. Seriously, I could organize all day! Now I know there are a lot of people out there that just aren’t good at keeping things tidy or don’t feel they have the time to do so. But there are many ways to easily keep your home in tip top shape, you just have to give some of your time and focus.

I think one of most important areas that need to be organized are closets. Just because the space is behind a door, doesn’t mean its not important. In fact, if you have crowded closets that don’t use the space properly, it will show all over your home. Once your closets and storage spaces are in great shape, you can figure out where other items you need to stow away can go. It also helps you realize what other places in your house can be used in the same way.

Since the closet is a good starting point, I wanted to share some really good inspirational tips and images to give you a head start and lead you in the right direction. Every few months its good go through the house and make sure everything is where it should be. Then tidy up and clutter that needs to be addressed. If you follow this rule, you shouldn’t have any spaces that are out of control.

Using the inside of the door to keep items contained and easy to access is a great way to utilize the space to its full potential. This can be for shoes, hats, belts, ties, jewelry, anything that isn’t very bulky. Also, installing a double rod for clothes will allow you to store more of your wardrobe in an organized fashion.

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Putting small lights in the closet really helps to see everything at night, especially if you don’t have a light source nearby.

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

If you have a large closet or even a walk in, take advantage of the space and set it up as if its another room. Arrange everything so its easy to see and within an arms reach. For the things that are a little higher, like seasonal items you don’t need much at the time, keep a little step stool or ladder nearby.

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Really think about the items you are storing and what containers would work best. Boxes, shelves, and drawers for sweaters work well because they should be folded, cubbies and clear boxes for shoes, and rods at various heights help to organize clothing by color or style. If you have the room, add a mirror or even a small dresser. The more you can fit, the less furniture you need to have in your bedroom. At least then you can focus on the fun pieces for the main space.

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

When setting up drawers, think about using items that separate certain pieces. This way your dresser won’t be a mish mash of stuff.

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Use the space to fit your needs. If you would like certain areas to photos, a calendar, or important info, you can use cork on the back of doors. If you have the room, hang a small cork board or black board on the inside wall or on the back of the closet door.

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Photo Credit: Better Homes and Gardens

No matter what you are storing in there, all these great tips apply. Whether its a hall, bedroom, or office closet, you should be able to easily find what you are looking for when you open that door. And if the space makes you smile, than that’s an extra bonus. Here are some more closets that are sure to inspire you to get organized. Now get to work!

Photo Credit: Clean and Scentsible

Photo Credit: Elle Decor

Photo Credit: Families in the Loop

Photo Credit: Arianna Belle

Photo Credit: The Container Store

Photo Credit: Deliciously Organized

Photo Credit: Furniture Fashion

Photo Credit: Off Boulevard

Tips for Organizing Your Closet

26 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts, Kim Willington, The Home

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

closets, Clutter, Donate, Hangers, Helpdesksoftware.org, Hooks, Kim Willington, organization, shelves, space, Vertical Space

Closets start to become the refuge for everything else in your home that you don’t have a proper space for or just haven’t taken the time to classify. It’s easier to throw something on a shelf or on the floor of the closet to get it out of the way than it is to properly organize your space.

Bedroom closets are prone to even more clutter and mess with piles of clothes, shoes, scarves, ties, and handbags crammed into every last space. Not only does it make it hard to find the things you need when your closet has reached such a state, but it also brings down the feel of the room, creating clutter and tension.

It is important to get your closet organized to free up the space you need and to create a pleasing, relaxing space. Here are a few tips for how you can get your bedroom closet organized:

Clear the Clutter
Before you can start organizing the things you need in your closet, you have to first get rid of the things you don’t need. Sort through all your clothes, all your shoes, all your accessories and ruthlessly cut the waste.

Donate the items that you haven’t worn in several months. Stop hanging on to those jeans you think you’re going to wear after you lose 10 pounds. Get rid of those shoes you hang onto for a special occasion. It is better to buy these things again when you actually need them than to waste your time and your mental energy maintaining them.

Use Hooks and Shelves
Most closets have a basic rod and top shelf, creating only limited space for hanging clothes and storing boxes. You can create more opportunities for storing and hanging by adding more shelves and hooks. Use the shelves for folded clothes, shoes, boxes, and handbags. Use the hooks for ties, scarves, handbags, and necklaces.

Photo Credit: The Container Store

Creating this additional space will give you more opportunities to organize your items so that your belongings are not cramped and cluttered.

Choose Tiered Hangers
You can only create so much space with more rods or shelves. If your closet is very small or you just have too many clothes to fit comfortably in it, you can create more space by using tiered hangers. These hangers lock onto one another vertically to allow you to hang up to five items in the space of one. You may not be able to use them for bulky items like sweaters, but you can use them for most other items, creating much more space in your closet.

Be sure that the rod in your closet is strong or is reinforced. By using tiered hangers, you are significantly adding to the weight on the bar.

Do Double Duty
Take advantage of all the space in your closet by making some items do double duty. Suitcases can be used to store linens like tablecloths and sheets, or you could use them to store last season’s clothes. Handbags can stores scarves, hats or mittens — or even other handbags.

Don’t store items that you will use on a regular basis, such as clothing. You’ll only create more work for yourself when you go into your closet, and the point of organizing is to make life more simple.

Create Vertical Space
Don’t limit yourself to the width of your closet. Create more space by storing all the way up to your ceiling. No, we don’t mean piling clothes and boxes as high as they will go. Instead, add shelves and other storage devices all the way to the ceiling. You can create space over the door and along the sides, as well. You can even create a basket on the ceiling that can hold wrapping paper or similar items.

Photo Credit: HomeSessive

Organizing your bedroom closet is a first step towards creating a simpler, cleaner space in your bedroom. These simple steps can take your closet from a cluttered mess to an orderly space that makes it easy for you to find what you need and makes you feel good about your living space.

Photo Credit: The Buffalo News

How do you organize your bedroom closet? Share your strategies in the comments!

Written by Kim Willington

Guest Post: How to Part with Clutter

28 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by melissaoconnor in Everyday Design, Guest Posts

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Allison Moody, cleaning, Clutter, Donate, functional, labeley, money, organization, organized

You’d be surprised how many people have a really hard time parting with clutter. What I mean by clutter are old clothes, old books and magazines, broken-down furniture, hardly functioning appliances, rusty dishes, worn-out carpet rugs, etc.

There are two types of people who can’t part with clutter:
1) Those who keep old stuff but also buy new things, and have a really hard time finding room for everything.
2) Those whose frugality borders with stinginess and keep repairing, sewing, gluing, stitching and painting old stuff, so they wouldn’t have to buy anything new.

Recognizing you have a problem is the first step to making your life easier. In order to bring yourself to a place where you’ll feel good about parting with clutter, you’ll need to sit down and think about this problem seriously. Admit to yourself that you don’t really need most of the things lying around the house and making it impossible to tidy up completely. Realize that these are just material things that should not have any emotional significance to you – at least most of these things. They are replaceable and SHOULD be replaced every once in a while.

Of course, this is not to say that you should be one of those people who go out and buy a new appliance every two months. The planet is polluted enough already and we should all learn not to waste stuff. So how do we make a distinction between wasting things, and parting with clutter at the right time?

Photo Credit: Sane Spaces

Hints That Help You Recognize Unnecessary Items

Clothes you haven’t worn for over a year
Appliances that break down every other time you use them
Dishes that burn food
Furniture that looks run down, peels away, is uncomfortable to sit or sleep in
Rugs that look dirty even after washing them
Books and magazines that you don’t absolutely love

Photo Credit: Audrey Thompson

Once you’ve realized you’ll be better off without things you’re either not using, or you’re better off not using them, you can do several useful things with them:

1. Donate clothes to charity.
2. Find out which stores accept old/broken down appliances, and they’ll maybe give you a discount on new items.
3. Books and magazines can be sold on ebay or any similar website.
4. If you or anyone you know have a summer house where you don’t spend much time and aesthetics are not of importance, any old furniture, dishes, rugs etc. could do.
5. Throw away items that no one needs without a moment’s hesitation.

Now that you’ve cleared away all that clutter, your house and wardrobe are ready for new, functional things. Don’t over-buy or buy hastily. The point is not only to make your house a place you can breathe in and move about easily, but also to learn how to spend money wisely, on things you actually need.

Don’t buy a book the moment you feel like reading it; try borrowing it from a library or a friend. Think carefully about what you will really need and use in the kitchen. As far as clothes go, invest in good boots, jackets and winter coats, but don’t pay too much money for blouses, pants and skirts that you’ll get tired of quickly. Recycle all that you can, and feel good about moving on from old stuff.

Photo Credit: Ken Lauher

{Allison Moody writes about parting with clutter from her experience. She works much better in a tidy space, and she enjoys writing and reading about useful tips. Allison is a freelance ghostwriter and currently she’s working on promoting her new FREE online tool, Labeley. She can be reached at allison.moody@labeley.com.}

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Tag Archives: Clutter

Conquer the Clutter

Tips for Organizing Your Closet

Guest Post: How to Part with Clutter