Organizing Your Home for 2019

Hello & Happy New Year!

I am a big believer in the importance of de-cluttering and simplifying in the home. I may be slightly OCD, but if I get home and see clutter after a long day, I instantly feel stressed until I’m able to clear it. Keeping designated spaces for ‘junk’, and keeping surfaces and specific areas always clutter-free makes for a more productive lifestyle, if I do say so myself! Clear spaces = clear minds. What better time than now (a new year) to get organized? Here are a few tips and suggestions so you can get started:

1. Designate a drop-off area for day-to-day stuff, ideally near your main point of entry.

Entry by Almost Makes Perfect

Stylish, simple, AND functional! This woman is speakin’ my language. Having a mirror at your entry makes a most likely narrow space feel more spacious, a basket allows for shoe/ misc. storage without having those items all loose on the floor, and the hooks designate a place for coats, bags, and keys. Bonus: having a designated place for your keys will help you avoid searching and hunting for them in the morning for thirty minutes while you’re rushing out the door (anyone?!)

2. Put things away close to where they will actually be used.

Kitchen by Amber Interiors// Client Oh Hi Ojai

A great place that this tip applies to: the kitchen. With floating shelves being so popular, it’s easy to want to fill them up and style them with the best of the best of your kitchenware. If you have enough additional kitchen storage, you go glen coco. However, if kitchen storage is limited, you can still make those floating shelves functional and good-looking. Arrange your plates, glasses, and other dishes by how often you use them. For those dishes most frequently used, place them on lower shelves that are more easily accessible. Keep a drawer with bottle openers and bar-type knick-knacks near where you store your wine - and put them away!

3. Establish what your favorite decor pieces are that you want to display, and what you can store away to help declutter.

Minimal shelf styling via The Stables Design

I’m very guilty of wanting to fill shelves with as many books, plants, and decor as I can. While this of course boils down to your preference, I think simplifying and going with a more minimal approach helps a space instantly feel more organized and less cluttered. See picture above for point and case :)

4. Keep a place to catch clutter in the living room.

The Coronado Bungalow Project by me, myself & I

Creating a catch-all for any small books, coasters, a candle, remotes, etc. is basically like styling your coffee table with storage. Done and done! Having a clear surface in a room that gets so much activity makes for a much cleaner and organized surface. It’s such an easy space to keep tidied up, so I suggest taking TWO minutes a day to maintain that organized area of your home.

5. Don’t be a hoarder. Let the purge commence!

The most beautiful home office by Nicole Davis Interiors

Is this home office for real?! While this space is a great example of getting organized, this hot tip really applies to every area of the home. Get rid of the things you haven’t even touched in over a year (clothes, old dishes, old holiday decorations, you name it!) Getting organized goes beyond what you can see when visually scanning a room. By clearing out of old items, you’re literally creating space for better things to come. Like any new adjustment, start small! No need to go crazy, but I promise you can go around and pick TWO things you can do without in one day.

I could talk about organizing and the importance of it forever. I hope these tips are helpful and at the very least, inspire you to start somewhere! Again, there is no better time than now to start.

Happy organizing!!

Katie Gebhardt