1. 1. Always start by purging the things bringing clutter to your space
Photo, Janis Nicolay.
This will save you time in the long run, as you won’t be organizing things you don’t actually need.
2. The bedroom
Photo, Sian Richards.
2. Designate a place to put jewellery at the end of the day. Keep items you wear often in easy-to-access containers.
3. Keep your glasses out of harm’s way. You’ll always know where to find them, and you won’t risk accidentally sitting on them.
4. Give bigger items their own space. Serving trays work great here.
5. Repurpose vessels already kicking around the house. Dip trays work great for storing small accessories like rings and hair ties.
6. Jazz up your drawer with a paper liner. When you get bored with it, swap in another piece of wrapping paper.
3. 7. Ring cones really are worth it
Stack rings in one place while adding a cute piece to your dresser. Score! Ceramic ring holders, $32 each, Baba Souk.
4. 8. A few “S” hooks can wrangle all your belts
Suspend them on your closet rail and hang belts by their buckles. Shower curtain hooks also work. Copper shower curtain hooks, $14/set of 12, Urban Outfitters.
5. 9. A headboard with shelves means nothing ends up on the floor
Photo, Sian Richards.
All your reads have a place to go.
6. 10. Fold ’em like Marie Kondo
Illustration, Jessica Wellman.
7. 11. Storage trunks are as handy as they are stylish
Photo, Sian Richards.
If you’re tight on closet space, a decorative box at the end of your bed can store quilts, throw blankets and extra pillows.
8. 12. Socks don’t need to suffer separation anxiety
Never lose a sock’s companion when you sort them with a clever drawer divider. Honeycomb drawer organizer, $20, Amazon.
9. 13. Get creative with furniture
Photo, Kevin Sparkman.
Tight on space? Put your dresser next to your bed for a makeshift side table, then place a lamp on the end closest to your bed, as designer Stacey Cohen has done here.
10. 14. Use pillowcases to store sheets
Fold matching sheet sets and slide them into their pillowcases. Stack them in your closet — the next time you make your bed will be a breeze.
11. The kitchen
Photo, Sian Richards.
15. Take freezer bags out of their packaging. Tuck them in a small box for easy reach, and never be surprised by the need to buy more.
16. Store similar lids together. And any container base in your kitchen missing its lid gets tossed. That’s non-negotiable.
17. Invest in a set of matching containers in varying sizes. You only really need three: Small, medium and large will give you everything you need.
18. Transform magazine holders into lid sorters. These work great for deep drawers, and they hold a whole bunch at once.
19. Say yes to glass containers. They’re durable and easy to stack and will last you a lifetime.
12. 20. Group items by task
Photo, Sian Richards.
Keep all the items you need for a specific daily task, like making coffee, on a single tray. You’ll suddenly have a tidy counter.
13. 21. Stand flat kitchen accessories, don’t stack
Baking pans will be much easier to find if you stand them upright and keep them separated with tension rods or wire dividers. Keep them on the counter in a tidy display, or place the divider rack in a cabinet. Vertical organizing rack, $18, Bed Bath & Beyond.
14. 22. Use jars to organize dried goods
Photo, Sian Richards.
You’ll know where everything is! Bonus points: Use chalkboard labels to identify what’s inside and when it will expire. Wire baskets are great for storing produce that needs air like potatoes and onions.
15. 23. Make a pretty display out of your muffin cups
Photo, Julie Wampler.
Take them out of their packaging and stack them in a Mason jar, like Julie from Table for Two has done here. Mixing colours and patterns will look adorable too. Same goes for straws and chopsticks!
16. 24. Custom utensil holders will buy you more space
Photo, Sian Richards.
You’ll be able to fit more items in your drawer this way. Remember to sort them by task.
17. 25. Hang pots on the wall or from the ceiling
You don’t need to be a fancy chef to do this! This tip is great for small spaces — you’ll save space while adding a neat focal point. Hanging pot rack, $140, Wayfair.
18. 26. When in doubt, reach for a tension rod
Illustration, Jessica Wellman.
They’re great for keeping pot lids upright in drawers.
19. The bathroom
Photo, Sian Richards.
27. Get rid of packaging, stat. Store cotton balls, cotton swabs and sponges in separate containers. Looks nice, and you’ll know when to stock up.
28. Give bulky items their space. Larger items like hairbrushes and combs should be left in a single compartment so they don’t get in the way.
29. Keep everyday beauty items in one place. A cosmetic organizer houses products like lipsticks and face creams. The key to making it look pretty? Group like items together.
30. Put a lid on it. Then nothing will fall into your cotton balls, and they won’t fall out and make a mess.
31. Create your own travel kit. Keep sample-sized cosmetics and small travel toiletries in a pouch you can toss into your purse or suitcase last minute.
20. 32. Use baskets to sort towels
Photo, Sian Richards.
Your linen closet isn’t a dumping ground. Sort towels by size in separate baskets. Roll hand towels so you can fit more in the box. Boxes are also great if you don’t have a lot of closet space, and are housing linens with your clothes.
21. 33. There are storage solutions beyond the bathroom drawer
Corral hair ties, floss and other small items in magnetic spice containers and attach them to your bathroom cabinet. Try Magnetic Spice Tin, $5, Bed Bath & Beyond.
22. 34. Wire baskets look great on the wall
Use them as shelves to store extra towels or toilet paper.
23. 35. A magnetic strip goes a long way
Illustration, Jessica Wellman.
Stick it to the inside of a cabinet door to hang tweezers, nail scissors and files.
24. 36. Decorative baskets do wonders on the floor
Photo, Sian Richards.
No closet storage? Keep clean towels and toilet paper concealed in a pretty basket.
25. 37. Use a shoe organizer to hold boring bathroom supplies
Out of sight, out of mind! Hang one on the inside of a closet door for toiletry refills and bathroom cleaning products to free up counter and cabinet space. This one is made from metal, but a plastic one works too.
26. The office/junk drawer
Photo, Sian Richards.
38. Use small spice jars to hold small items. Fill with elastic bands, paper clips and bandages. Keep only the amount you are able to fit in each jar.
39. Give scissors their own home for easy access. We use them so often, so you should always know where they are.
40. Keep an old muffin tin to organize small items. Like loose change and batteries.
41. Cutlery trays make excellent organizational containers. They come in varying sizes which is a plus.
42. Organize cables using rubber bands. This will prevent them from becoming tangled.
27. 43. Invest in a charging station
Charge up to six devices at once using this modern charging station and keep cords contained in the process. No more cords on the floor! Charging station, $25, Amazon.
28. 44. In a small space, keep only what you need
Photo, Sian Richards.
If you have limited desk space, keep the things you use on an everyday basis and make sure everything has its own home using baskets, file folders and cups for pens.
29. 45. Keep loose papers all in one place
Buy one expandable file folder and sort papers, only keeping the most important. Find one with a fun design that you can always keep on your desk for easy reach. If you find you have a lot of paper clutter, try going paperless and scanning your important documents and keeping them on a secure hard drive on your computer.
