How to Organize Your Home (One Simple Rule for Everything

Inside: The answer to the age old question…where should I put this?

Look. I like the idea of rainbow-ordered bins and labeled pantry shelves just as much as anyone else. But the fact is, the crazier the system, the less likely it is to work.

It’s one thing to see a beautifully organized room online and admire it. It’s quite another to bring it into your real life. So, let’s leave all those expensive and unrealistic strategies behind. It’s time for some simple home organization that actually works.

An organized home is so much more pleasant to be in. It will improve your mood, save you money, and make life at home so much easier. Really! And you’re going to get there ❤️.

Our Guiding Principle: Store Things Where You Use Them

I said it already, and I’m going to keep saying it. This is the game changer.

Point-of-use storage is straightforward. Keep things where you use them. Sounds simple, right? But it’s surprising how often we miss this. We store the scissors in the junk drawer, even though we always use them in the office. We keep our favorite spice blend in a cupboard across the kitchen, instead of next to the stove.

This approach turns your home into a space where finding things is easy. Putting them away is easy too. This means it actually happens. Amen.

Remember, if things are too hard, they don’t get done.

Simple Kitchen Organization

The key to keeping your kitchen organized is not about tidiness. It’s about functionality. Imagine your kitchen as a chef’s workstation. Everything you need should be within arm’s reach when you’re cooking.

Sounds obvious, but we often get this so wrong. Do you stand in front of the pantry and wrap up leftovers in mid-air? No? Then why is your aluminum foil in the pantry?

Some ideas to make this concept work:

• Utensil Holder on the Countertop. Keep a utensil holder with your favorite tools (spatulas, ladles, tongs) next to the stove.
• Coffee Station: Set up a coffee station with a coffee maker, mugs, sugar, and creamer in one convenient spot.
• Snack Drawer: Create a snack drawer in a reachable spot, perfect for kids and quick bites.
• Wraps and foil. Put these in a drawer below the countertop you use them.
• Hanging Pots and Pans: Install a ceiling or wall-mounted pot rack near the stove for easy access to pots and pans.
• Magnetic Knife Strip. Use a magnetic knife strip on the wall near your food prep.
• Favorite Appliances on Countertops. If you use something every day, keep it on the countertop for easy access. Even if it’s ugly. But it has to be truly every day.

This means your giant walk-in pantry around the corner is not a practical place to store ingredients you use all the time. But don’t worry, it’s still handy!

Think of it as your mini grocery store. Keep canisters of flour, sugar, etc easily accessible. Refill them from bigger containers you keep in your pantry. It’s also a great place for very infrequently used items like holiday cookie cutters and cake pans.

Living Room: Cozy and Organized

The living room should be a place to relax, not a hotspot for clutter. Here, the point of use storage method shines.

Start by looking around. What do you do most in this space? Watch TV? Read? Play games? Your answers should guide your organization. Be honest!

If you love books, it makes sense to have bookshelves within arm’s reach of your favorite reading spot. If the living room is where everyone gathers to play games, store these near the sofa or the TV console.

It’s about creating a space where every item has a purpose and a place.

Consider using furniture that doubles as storage, such as ottomans with hidden compartments. You might also use coffee tables with drawers.

Remember, these are to store things you use, not to stuff them with unwanted junk!

Your Bedroom: It’s Not a Random Storage Closet

Your bedroom is not a place to store old boxes, workout equipment, or other things you aren’t sure what to do with. The guiding principle here is simple: keep what you need at hand, and the rest out of sight.

Leisure: For example, if you love to read in bed, having a small bookshelf or magazine rack within reach makes sense.

Your Clothing: Here, ‘point of use’ storage means arranging your clothes based on how frequently you wear them. The things you wear often should be front and center. Store seasonal items, like heavy coats or swimwear on higher shelves or at the back of the closet.

Remember, a well-organized closet doesn’t just save you time in the morning. It can also bring a sense of calm and order to your start and end of each day. You have to look at your closet a lot. Don’t make it stressful.

Your Nightstand: Store only what you need for your bedtime routine – a book, a lamp, maybe some hand cream or lip balm. If your nightstand has drawers, use them wisely. The top drawer is prime real estate for items you might need in the middle of the night, like earplugs or a sleep mask.

A word about electronics: keeping your phone right next to you is tempting. Consider a charging station elsewhere in your house to cut distractions.

Most people do not need very much in their bedroom. Stop seeing it as overflow storage. If you don’t use it in the bedroom, get it out of there!

Your Bathroom

The goal here is that everything you need is right where you need it, when you need it.

Those items you use every day should be the easiest to reach. This could be as simple as keeping your daily products in the top drawer, or it could mean putting a few things on the counter so there’s room for extras in the drawers.

Remember, your linen closet is not a convenient place to store anything. Like your pantry, keep it as a place to store extras, and refill from there.

Some ideas:

• Wall-Mounted Toothbrush Holder. Place a toothbrush holder on the wall or mirror near the sink. This keeps toothbrushes and toothpaste within easy reach.
• Towel Hooks or Racks. There should be one right outside your shower.
• Magnetic Strip for Bobby Pins and Tweezers. Use a magnetic strip on the inside of a cabinet door to keep small metal items like bobby pins and tweezers organized.
• Under-Sink Storage. Put cleaning products in each bathroom to make it easy to clean a little bit every day.
• Medicine Cabinet. Organize your medicine cabinet by the frequency of use. Keep daily medications and first aid items at eye level. Weird ointments, top shelf.

The Home Office: An Easy Room to Get Wrong

.Home offices, like bedrooms, can become overflow storage for random stuff. 99% of that belongs in the trash. Don’t let clutter steal your right to a peaceful office.

Desk decluttering is not about having a bare desk; it’s about having the right things on your desk. Start by identifying what you use daily. These are the items that deserve a spot on your desk. Everything else? Find it a home that’s out of sight but still within reach.

Most people don’t need physical supplies like pencils, staples, etc. out on their desks. If everything you do is digital, move those things to a drawer so you can get to them, but they aren’t in the way.

Practical Organization for Your Office:

• Use cable clips or a cable box to keep wires from your computer, printer, and other devices organized and out of the way.
• Create a dedicated space for your printer with a small storage area for paper and ink cartridges.
• Organize your computer files with a clear folder structure. Group related documents for easy access.
• Organize your web browser bookmarks into folders.

Do you really need a home office?

If you work on your laptop in other rooms of the house, you might not use your office as an office. Perhaps it has become a messy walk-in closet. Think of the taxes you pay for that room. The cost to heat it. The cost per square foot to buy a house where you live. All to store a bunch of Amazon boxes? No. Use your space!

If you don’t need a home office with a desk, rolling chair, and all the rest, that’s fine. Don’t force it. Set up a shelf to store your printer, office supplies, and other essentials. Then, put the rest of that space to use.

Could it become a laundry room? A place with just a comfy chair and small table for someone who needs to get away or make a quiet phone call? What would you really use?

Utility Spaces: Usually Quite Easy

We’re lucky here because these spaces understand form over function. Everyone has a shelf for their laundry detergent above their washer. But remember, they are not catch-alls! Only store what belongs. Just because it’s a cleaning product doesn’t mean it goes with your laundry detergent. We talked about this!

Everyone’s mudroom needs a good declutter regularly, but that’s different from organizing it. Don’t get distracted. Start by considering what comes into your home daily – coats, shoes, bags, and so on. The goal is to create a space where everything you need to head out the door is at your fingertips. This will make your daily comings and goings smoother and more organized.

If your family won’t put coats on a hanger, give up the fight. Hooks are good. You need a spot for keys, the dog’s leash, and a few big baskets for mittens and hats.

Kids’ Spaces: Often Confusing

Okay. Do your kids play in their rooms? Ever? If not, no toys in there. Utterly pointless.

If your children play in the living room, put their toys in the living room. It’s only for a short season.

Wherever they actually play, store toys in bins or baskets at a height where kids can easily reach them. Also, consider labeling these bins with pictures or words, depending on their age. (Labels are more useful for kids than adults!)

Rotating toys is another great strategy. Keep some toys out of reach and rotate them in and out. This keeps the number of toys in the play area manageable and makes old toys new and exciting again.

Crafts and books, same idea. If they do their crafts at the kitchen table, give them a kitchen cabinet. If you can only give thme one drawer, just rotate one thing into it at a time. They’ll love that one coloring book all the more.

What About Stuff That Doesn’t Get Used in a Specific Room?

Yes, this is a real thing. Most of it can be thrown out. But some can’t. Here are items that you can store in weird places, like under your bed:

• suitcases
• seasonal stuff
• gifts for the future
• extras (like long-term pantry storage)

Stay focused! Don’t go buying label makers, buying insane shelving systems, or vacuum-sealing old blankets. And if you never use it and never will, throw it away.

Daily Habits for Long-Term Organization

This method works so well because things are easy to put away. When something is easy, people do it.

That’s why finding the right storage spot for every single thing in your home keeps it so much neater.

There’s a real joy that comes from living in an organized home. It saves time and reduces stress. You’re not searching for misplaced items or feeling overwhelmed by clutter.

Keeping your home organized helps you show love to your home and your belongings. And you’ll find that a neat and organized home loves you right back. Good luck ❤️.