Just as our home decor style changes over time (hello, shag carpets and lava lamps), so does our lifestyle and the things we need to support it. We’ve rounded up some tips for creating organized systems to help you keep your home in order so your style can shine. Think less clutter, more comfort.
Step 1: Clear the Clutter
Less really is more. Clearing out the clutter is a great place to start. It helps to edit out what you don’t need so you can focus on systems to store what you keep. Commit to one room or area per day – pull everything out, and as a rule of thumb, if you haven’t worn it or used it in the past year, it should be an easy toss. Bonus Points: consider a one-in, one-out policy to stay ahead of collecting too much.
Step 2: Frequency of Use
It may seem obvious, but chances are you have some things front and center that you barely use. The frequency of use filter helps identify what deserves a front-row seat in our daily lives and what can be stored strategically elsewhere. Doing this seasonally can be a simple way to stay organized. Clear, stackable bins like these and these are a great way to organize items you know you need to find easily but don’t need every day – think flashlights, batteries, and lightbulbs.
Step 3: Smart Systems
Now that you’ve edited your stuff, it’s time to create systems that support your lifestyle. Some of our favorites for summer are:
- Sunscreen Station: Create a one-stop spot in the house for the entire family to find and apply sunscreen—for example, a basket by the front door or a drawer in the powder room.
- Sweets & Treats: Dedicate a drawer to sweets and treats for your kids, grandkids – or, hey, maybe yourself. This keeps treats in a designated location, so they aren’t popping up to tempt you when seeking a healthier snack.
- Mail and Paperwork: Keep mail, checkbooks, stamps, and essential paperwork in a designated area with a system like this.
- Health & Wellness: Keep medications and first-aid supplies in a central location, such as a kitchen cabinet. With this, you can arrange bottles in “stadium seating” and sort daily medications in a stackable system that makes things simple in the AM. Organize bandages and first aid supplies in a simple grab-and-go case like this one.
- The Car Caddy: these over-the-seat organizers are great for keeping your essentials organized, freeing up space in your purse and cup holders. For summer, consider stocking seasonal essentials like SPF and bug spray alongside tissues, wipes, hand sanitizer, an umbrella, and a phone charger. Is a road trip on the agenda? This trash can is an excellent addition to keeping things tidy.
Step 4: Style with Purpose
If it’s time to refresh your home, consider some tips that add style, color, and texture alongside function.
- Carpets & Rugs: Over time, even the cleanest looking carpets and rugs start to trap dust and pet dander in them, and overly cleaning them can leave them feeling rough. The Ruggable system is a game-changer for high-traffic spaces. The rugs stay flat on the ground to avoid tripping and are easily removed to pop into your washing machine as frequently as you need. These are particularly great for mudrooms, bathrooms, and kitchens that tend to get a lot of foot traffic and spills
- Plants: Adding greenery throughout your home is an easy way to warm up a space with vibrant greens and flowers. The Sill is an excellent resource for discovering plants and gifting them to others. If you choose the right plants, you will also reap the benefits they can have on the quality of the air you breathe. For example, consider some of these highly effective air-purifying plants to detoxify your home.
- Spider Plants: spider plants look great in hanging baskets over the kitchen sink or the corner of a room, and while there, they are busy reducing formaldehyde from the air.
- Snake Plants: these are great for accessorizing bedside tables as they boost oxygen in the air at night and thrive in indirect sunlight.
- Aloe Vera: not only can it help soothe sunburns and skin irritations, but Aloe Vera also purifies the air and is a very resilient and easy-to-care-for plant.
- English Ivy: perfect for a firehouse mantle or for styling a shelf, English Ivy is known for reducing mold in the air.
- Boston Ferns: these thrive in humidity, making them perfect for a bathroom. They’re also fantastic at removing formaldehyde – a toxin found in cosmetics and personal care products.
- Mums: a pot of mums adds color to any space, and mums are fantastic at purifying formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, and ammonia from the air.
Did these tips help motivate you to dive in? Take it slow, one room at a time, and prioritize the areas where you spend the most time. Once your systems are in place, you will find more ease in maintaining them – freeing up more time to enjoy your home!
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