The New Year is a great time to clear out the clutter and start organizing your home to create a clean and inviting space. Here are some tips on how to maximize space and help keep your home stress-free.
Keep things in arm reach. The things you reach for regularly should be easy to grab, The things you use every day should be at arm’s length, the things you use once in a while should be harder to get to, and things you use once a year should require a ladder.
Install easy shelves for more storage. Don’t have enough arm’s-length storage? Take a small wall and do shelves floor to ceiling. Paint them the same color as the wall and they will disappear. An easy DIY project, you can use supplies from a hardware or organizational supply store for a relatively cheap price.
Harness wasted space. For a small room that never seems to have enough space try installing shelves about fifteen inches from the ceiling all the way around the room. Line them with baskets or bins to create more organizational options. This works well in a small space like a home office or kids play room, as well as a bathroom to hold additional linens and supplies.
Keep cleaning supplies where you need them. Want to raise the chances you’ll actually clean a bedroom or bathroom regularly? Keep a second set of cleaning supplies handy in the room itself. Put everything together in an easy-to-grab container, like a bucket or tray, she says. Making it easy and convenient increases the chances you (and other family members) will clean.
Clear out your closets. We know it hurts and no one wants to do it, but when it comes to clearing out closets, you have to be cruel to be kind. Start by getting rid of the clothes you don’t wear. PERIOD. Out of style, wrong size, needs repair? Out.
Get plenty of room for clothes that you wear frequently. You’ll save time dressing and ironing — and you’ll save money on laundry and dry cleaning. Put favorite outfits on a single hanger so you can grab and go and put out-of-season clothes out of sight.
Find furniture pieces to do double duty. If you’re selecting new furniture you’re your home, look for pieces that fit your needs and also add some storage space. A trunk serves as a coffee table or end-of-the-bed bench, while adding a space for blankets, clothes or other supplies. You can also re-purpose old pieces you already own. A dining room hutch becomes a bookshelf. Give it a fresh coat of paint and change out the hardware and it could look great in an office or another part of the home.
Overall, if you design your home around your life, not the other way around, you become aware of what you use and the realization that there is much more space in your house than you thought. Don’t be afraid to re-purpose space or whole rooms to fit your organizational and family needs and you’ll be on your way to an organized and clutter free 2016.