One of the ‘healthier habits’ I’m aiming to adopt in 2015 is to be more organized. A lot of people just imagine that I’m neat and organized because I work in home decor, but the truth is I’m really good at making things look organized but it’s much more challenging to create systems that look good and are also functional and sustainable for everyday living. I think the key to keeping organized for me is to have a spot for everything, and for that spot to be easily accessible. The minute it becomes annoying to put my clothes in a hard-to-reach (or hard to open) hamper, my clothes end up in a mountain on a chair. The minute I have to go out of my way to put my shoes in my closet when I get home from work, the more likely they are to just remain on the floor right where I took them off. Terrible, I know. Given all of this, when Target asked for me to come up with some tips for home organization I thought this was the perfect time to actually think about what I could do for myself (at my studio and at home) that might really change messy habits that I’m in. So here we go–I’ve put my best problem solving hat on and brainstormed some ideas of how to make things not just look organized, be actually be organized–and stay that way.
1.) Mail Station: Create a ‘mail station’ for mail at the entryway and recycle mail, file it, or respond to it on the spot. I hate the way mail piles up at the house, don’t you–and everything from parking tickets to bills and banking stuff just stresses me out when I don’t handle it right away.
2.) Go paperless: I like the idea of going paperless too with everything possible–from bills to snapping a photo of business cards, the idea of having less paper around to clutter up the counter tops is very appealing.
3.) Put the hamper where the rags are: If clothes end up in a mountain up somewhere, put the hamper in that spot. I’m moving my hamper right now.
4.) Include furniture with built-in storage: I love this new woven, wooden bench (pictured above)–it’s got a little shelf underneath it, making it the perfect bench to put in an entryway. Sit down on it to take shoes off, and slip the shoes underneath on the shelf to keep them organized. Keep only the two to three pairs of shoes that are in current rotation in this spot, and the rest out of sight in a closet or shoe storage.
5.) Can it: If stuff (like pencils, cosmetics, or craft supplies) ends up piled up or scattered about on countertops and desks, make sure to have canisters or jars in those spot for easy organizing. I covered these glass canisters in a pretty fabric so that so matter what’s inside, they still look visually cohesive and more like a decor elements than a storage bins.
6.) Basket Bliss: Use baskets to corral items currently in rotation in the home. For example, place a basket under the coat-hooks in your entryway–use it to toss in scarves and/or mittens when you get home. Baskets are also great for collection magazines or loose change, plus I just love the look of them.
7.) Kiss goodbye to the sentimental goodies. This is a tough one, but I feel like it’s so necessary. I can totally be one of those people that holds on to sentimental items for *way* too long–from greeting cards to gifts I never liked, this year I’m going to give myself to permission to get rid of that stuff–and take pictures of the cards or drawings (or whatever) that I might miss. The less stuff I have, the easier it will be to keep it all organized.
If I can make those seven things happen this year, I know I’ll be on my way to a more organized situation at home (and my studio!!) which would make everything a halluva lot easier. Cheers to getting things done it 2015, yes? Do you have any great organization tips you can share? Seriously, I’m all ears.
This post is sponsored by Target. Shop Home Décor for modern luxury made easy.
Kathryn says
I am exactly the same way as you! I recently moved around my apartment (moved my bedroom from the upstairs to the downstairs) just so that my clothes hamper would be closer to the washing machine. I don’t want this to make me sound incredibly lazy, but I figure that if we can make thing easier for ourselves, why not?
These are some other great tips that I will definitely keep in mind. Thanks Justina!
xx Kathryn
http://www.throughthethicket.ca
Justina Blakeney says
it doesn’t make you sound lazy, makes you sound smart!
lolbeans says
I think it might just be a good excuse to avoid the original one.=))
Christine says
My dad always said, “Work smarter, not harder!” :-)
Kristen says
Amen sista! With a 14 month old, 2 dogs, a cat, and a husband that has no idea how to put anything away, it is up to me to keep the house…manageable. It’s a far cry from “organized,” unless organized chaos counts? This year, it is a goal of mine to not only get organized, but to procrastinate less and take the extra 30 seconds to actually put something into its rightful place. That’s the key, really. Best of luck!
Justina Blakeney says
you’re totally right! That IS the key. Best of luck to you too!!
Christine says
I totally get people thinking that you’re organized simply because you work in home decor. Although a little different, people seem to think that because I am a perfectionist that A. those who have never seen my room automatically think that it must surely be spotless, with not even a speck of dust to be seen (they probably think I clean all the time! lol) or B. those who have seen my room likely wonder why I don’t apply my perfectionism to it (and don’t realize that it’s my perfectionism, at least in part, preventing me from keeping my room more neat and organized)!
Thank you so much for sharing your ideas! I’ve been wanting to declutter, but haven’t gotten around to it because I can’t “do it all at once.” (That’s a curse of perfectionism, for those who don’t have it). Then I had to laugh at myself, because I realized I’ve been wanting to focus on decluttering, when all I need to do is a little at a time…
And the idea about the greeting cards! That’s brilliant (I wish I’d thought of it! :-D)! I’ve been looking at the cards I’ve gotten over the years and the other day I was thinking about how they were taking up space and that I should probably get rid of them, only to be held back by the thought that those were special messages written in those cards! Of course, I will likely keep a select few, but now, I will take pictures of most of them and toss the others.
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