One of the most common mistakes I see when working with clients is that they aren’t using spaces in their home correctly or, even worse, they aren’t using them at all.
When it comes to organizing your home, a key step is making sure that you are maximizing the space that you have.
Whether you’re living in a 800 square foot city apartment or have a 3 story home, there is a way you can use the space you have to your advantage and create a more harmonized feeling in your home.
The best part? It doesn’t require 1,000 trips to The Container Store. In fact, that’s the very opposite of what I want for you.
While I know the pretty plastic containers are enticing and look promising, there are TONS of products out there that don’t actually serve the purpose of what you really need when it comes to organizing.
As a professional organizer I’ve learned what items are worth it and what items you can skip. In this post I’m covering the items that have my stamp of approval, so you know exactly what to invest in when organizing your home.
Most of the items listed are things that I use personally and are items that I use most often when working with clients.
In no particular order, here are a few items I suggest that can save and maximize different spaces throughout your home:
With the rise in home offices in the last few years, I’ve discovered that people tend to be really lost when it comes to organizing their office space, especially their desk. It’s really easy for things to pile up and lose their designated spot, but keeping a tidy work space can increase your productivity and focus, so it’s important to make this a priority in your home.
One of my favorite ways to achieve organization and maximize space in an office area is including a computer monitor rising stand. This item removes the bulkiness of your monitor from your desk and creates more storage underneath which is always a plus.
This one probably seems obvious, but don’t underestimate the power of storage baskets. These are great to use in cabinets that store an assortment of items and under the sinks in your kitchen and bathroom.
A major key that’s often overlooked is keeping your storage baskets the same color. This will create an aesthetic look while ensuring that all of your items are stored neatly.
Storing cleaning supplies can be tricky, especially if you don’t have much cabinet space in your kitchen or laundry room, but this item is an absolutely brilliant solution. You can attach these to the back of your cabinets or inside closet walls to keep your spray bottles out of sight, but still within easy reach.
Dresser drawers are one of those spots in the house that easily become a catch all and it’s one of the spaces that I see many people misusing.
To maximize the space in your drawers and easily see what you have, I encourage the use of honeycomb organizers. These come in different shapes and sizes so you can use them throughout your house in various ways.
Another brilliant solution to spaces that don’t offer a ton of storage are command hook caddies. These can be used inside of your cabinets, in your fridge, pantry, laundry room, etc. and provide a great level of organization for smaller, random items that need a designated place.
Cabinets only have so many built in shelves and sometimes you need a few more to create the cohesive, organized look you desire. The easiest way to solve this is to implement stackable kitchen shelves that can be used in a variety of ways.
A common mistake in organization is that there’s no separation of items in a closet, drawer or cabinet. Everything tends to run together and that’s when you start to have a cluttered look.
To prevent this, I suggest using shelf dividers. These can be used in closets and cabinets to separate your different items and keep things in their designated areas.
Pro tip: these also make great bookends!
The laundry room is another space in the home that can easily become a dumping ground for all kinds of things. Even though no one really sees this space except you, it’s still important to keep it tidy so that you experience the benefits of a decluttered and organized home.
To achieve this, one of the things I love to include is a laundry detergent organizer that creates a lift and spill-free pouring solution while also providing convenient storage underneath.
If you’re a sunglass lover, this one’s for you. Sunglasses are one of those items that can be found in lots of places throughout the house if you don’t intentionally designate an area for them. They can also be tricky to store and need to be placed correctly to prevent damages, so this stackable organizer is a great solution to add to your closet for that reason.
If sunglasses aren’t something that need to be prioritized in your organizing, this container can also be utilized in your office, bathroom and even the kids playroom.
This one is for the ladies! Purses and wallets need their own spot, for organization purposes AND to prevent wear and tear on your items, and nothing creates a more aesthetically pleasing look than these dividers. They can easily be added to your closet so that all of your accessories can be perfectly placed.
If you feel overwhelmed with where to start in your organization journey, my #1 tip is to start with ONE drawer or cabinet in your home. Organization is a process, not an event and it takes time. Starting small and starting somewhere is better than nothing at all.
My hope is that you now feel a little more equipped to get started, but if you need a little extra help, that’s what I’m here for!
Our mission at Organize2Harmonize is to create harmony in your home and life through professional organizing. Contact our team HERE to see how we can make that happen for you!
