Are you chomping at the bit to get your home streamlined and organised before spring?
For a bit of fun, here are some tips in alphabetical bite-sized chews to get you started on your clearing and organising spree…
Auction – Don’t keep hold of inherited valuables that aren’t to your liking; sell them at an auction house and use the proceeds on something you’ll love.
Box Files – A box file makes an easy storage solution for a mix of shapes and sizes such as household appliance manuals.
Custom Shelving – Enhance your book collection, wardrobe, or garage with custom shelving for a bespoke look and maximised space.
Drawer Organisers – Create compartments for desk or dresser drawers to keep smaller items in place; purchase drawer dividers or reuse the bottoms and lids of gift boxes.
Eliminate – Regularly eliminate anything from your home or office that doesn’t serve a meaningful or useful purpose.
Functionality – Functionality is crucial to organisation; ensure storage solutions are not just decorative but also practical, durable and simple to use.
Garment Bags – Keep frocks, suits and coats well protected by storing them in breathable mesh garment bags.
Hanging Shelves – Add instant shelving to your wardrobe by hanging a canvas shelf unit. They hook or velcro onto closet rails in seconds, and the compartments hold shoes, jumpers, linens or other accessories.
In-tray – Place an in-tray on your desk as a collection point for incoming post and other documents; it’s easier to process paperwork when it’s all in one single starting location.
Juxtaposition – Avoid tedious searching; place items next to each other that are either used together, such as copy paper with printer, or of a same category e.g. trousers next to trousers.
Keepsake Box – Select a special box or chest for the purpose of housing keepsakes, treasures and mementos for each family member.
Labeller – Use a label maker to clearly identify just about anything and/or its contents, including: folders, binders, drawers, boxes, electronic chargers, food containers, shelf edges.
Minimise – From coffee mugs to bed linens, minimise quantities to a realistic number based on actual usage and space available.
No – Say no to a cluttered home by observing the one-in-one-out rule, allowing nothing new to enter unless something of equal measure is removed.
Over-the-Door – Choose from a variety of over the door hooks and hanging organisers to keep shoes, coats, handbags and accessories accessible yet out of sight.
Paper Preference – If you’re a ’Piler’ use trays to keep papers ordered horizontally: stack side-opening trays if space is limited, or place trays side by side across shelves or a credenza if space allows. For ‘Filers’ keep your documents upright and organised with magazine holders, binders or hanging file folders.
Quick Tidy – Perform a quick tidy each day to restore order and return household items where they live, ready for tomorrow. Done daily, tidying is quick and manageable.
Recycle Basket – Keep a recycle container at the front door to capture all junk mail and flyers before ever entering the home.
S-hooks – A series of S-hooks on a wall-mounted rail makes smart use of wall space. Cooking utensils hang at arm’s reach in the kitchen, while bangles, necklaces and scarves are at the ready on a closet wall – or behind a closet door – in the dressing area.
Tins – Repurpose decorative tin boxes from coffee, tea, biscuits and the like to creatively hold a variety of groupings, for example leads and chargers, stationery or shoe care.
Under-bed Storage – Give your linens or seasonal clothing a convenient, concealed home by storing in under-bed drawers or rolling boxes.
Velvet-sprayed Hangers – Velvet sprayed hangers keep your garments from slipping, give your clothes dignity and are aesthetically pleasing on the eye with their uniformity.
Wicker – Wicker boxes and baskets are a stylish way to contain a variety of household items, plus their texture adds a natural feel in the home.
X-ray Vision – Addressing an overwhelming volume of stuff can be daunting; instead of focusing on what to eliminate use X-ray vision to first focus on what is essential to keep.
Yesterday – Circumstances, activities and interests of yesterday may no longer apply today, so dedicate time regularly to ensure your environment is full of the things that support and represent you now.
Zen – Transform your living space into a den of zen by clearing away all clutter, reducing visual noise and assigning consistent homes for all your belongings. For further zen infusion, introduce ambient lighting and add vitality with fresh plants or flowers.
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