Your Home is a Mess, But it Could Feel More Like this... Here's How.

Your home is a mess,
But it could feel more like this… Here’s how.

“I have material blessings in my home, if I could see past the clutter to enjoy them.”

Nearly all of us have too much stuff.  We don’t know how to get rid of it.  We don’t know what to get rid of.  And, we don’t know how to arrange the things that we intend to keep.

Here are seven truths for handling visual clutter in spaces. 

1.    The design adheres to the people living there.  The people do not adhere to the design.

You’ve probably already realized that your spouse, your children, and you yourself, - no one changes habits easily.  Instead of trying to make big changes in behavior – opt for small tweaks.

Start in one room – try to solve areas of disarray, one small area at a time. 

Are the keys on the entry table?  Drop them in a pretty bowl.  Shoes strewn across the entryway?  Add a rug to create a “soft spot just for shoes”.  Coats on the floor?  Put a hook there.  Water bottles covering the countertop?  Toss them into a stylish woven basket. 

Make your home’s design adhere to the people who already live there.   And make sure the system is easy-peasy.  If it’s even slightly inconvenient - it isn’t going to happen. 

2.    Get clear on what is best stored far- far away – and what’s best at your fingertips.

Consider how much you use it. 

Go through your cabinets or room considering “ALWAYS, SOMETIMES, RARELY, NEVER”. 

• Always – These things need to be a cinch to access.  Make sure they are front and center, within easy reach.  Why bother?  So you’ll actually put them back when you are finished using them.

• Sometimes & Rarely – Much of the time, if we use something sometimes or rarely, it’s because it’s seasonal, or we have multiple variations of the same thing.  Take stock of similar items, determine a couple favorites, and donate the rest.  Whatever seasonal and occasional use items are left after that – find a new spot for them that’s in line with how often you are using them.   Once a month – put these things on a top shelf, bottom shelf, or away in a closet. 

• Rarely used – delegate these to the back of a closet, storage room, or basement shelf.

• Never use the items?  See tip # 6.   Thoughtfully consider letting it go.

3.    Corral any clutter you do keep.

Most people recognize - grouping things in threes or varying heights makes things look better.

Here’s another thing to remember.  Many little things are more pleasing to look at when they sit on one larger item.

Corralling disintegrated things together in one unit helps unify things visually and makes things less visually cluttered. 

Simply put – give your stuff a platform.  Put those random items on a tray, a book, a cutting board, or a pretty plate.

Visually they will appear more like one item, rather than a cluttered eyesore.

4.    Buy more closed storage than open storage… especially if you have a smaller home
I know it to be true.  Open shelving is beautiful… on Instagram.  

In real life, in real homes, very often – open shelves are clutter magnets.  While too much cabinetry in a room can be heavy and boring – too much clutter is worse. 

If you are disciplined enough to limit yourself to very select items that look cohesive (glassware, white dishes, books), then go for it.  Open shelving may be for you.  If you are not that disciplined, limit open shelving. 

Simply- if you don’t have time to make home organization the entire priority of your life – then say no to the chaos that moves in with too many open shelves.  Put your stuff in organized baskets and go the closed storage route. 

5.    Subdivide drawers – most especially junk drawers.

You don’t need a million clear containers…

Shoe boxes, gift boxes, thank you card boxes, all can be good ways to divide large drawers into smaller compartmentalized spaces.  It’s surprising how gratifying it is to peer inside when things are sorted neat and tidy.   

Suggestion.  Undertake only one drawer at time.  Too many things scattered in front of you may cause mental and emotional overload.  You don’t want to spiral into the abyss.

6.    Thoughtfully consider letting go.

At the end of the day how much you organize won’t matter - if you have too much stuff.

Look around and see what’s not being used or appreciated regularly - every month, maybe even every week.  Declutter for 15 minutes – and that’s it.  Donate or give it away.  (If the thought is too much, put the clutter in a box in your basement.  See if you can live without it happily for a month. Then, donate or give it away.)

And let go of the guilt of letting go.  If you’re sentimental, consider taking a photo and archiving the reminder in a “Nostalgia” file instead.   If the people you love (the ones who gave you all the stuff that you don’t want) – if they knew it was causing you anxiety by cluttering up your life, then they would say, “Get rid of it!”   (If they would not say this…  Do they really love you?  Or just the stuff?)

One last little question that it may help to answer… “If this were splattered with red wine, how hard would I work to save it?”

7.    Give yourself a break.

Your home doesn’t need to be a mess…  and you don’t need to stress.  

Keep these things in mind:

Don’t beat yourself up if things aren’t perfect.  Things will never be perfect.

Instagram and Pinterest are not everyday living for the majority of us.  We are all too busy for that.

Good organization helps you keep your home neat, your mind clear, and your family comfortable.  

Good is not perfect.  Good is “good enough”.

To get better at managing the clutter, like getting better at anything else, take it one small adjustment at a time.

-       Katherine