The beginning of Fall and back to school marks a return to routines and order after the looseness of Summer. Like the new year or Spring, many people use this transitional period to organize. In a previous article on home organization (read it here), I floated the idea of the four S’s: self-identity, space, systems, and sustaining. In that piece, I stated that developing an organized mindset is critical to achieving an organized home and lifestyle. That said, for your home to be organized, you need a place for all your stuff. That’s where the second “S” comes into play: SPACE. Here, we will discuss creating space for your belongings by purging, sorting, rejiggering layouts, and using organizational tools such as shelving, bins, drawer organizers, etc.
Every single item in your home should have a place where it lives. With a few exceptions, if it’s visible, it’s décor. Conversely, if it’s not décor, it should not be visible. (Let that sink in for a moment.) The goal of creating space is to ensure that every item has a place to go when it’s not in use. Oftentimes, clutter creeps in simply because people don’t know what to do with their things, so they get left out or tossed on a pile.
Creating Space: purging and sorting
Purging and paring down the amount of stuff you own is essential to any organizational effort. It stands to reason: the fewer belongings you have, the less space and time is required to keep them tidy and in their places. How one goes about this is somewhat controversial, as there are a number of different philosophies and methodologies. Some organizers recommend purging and sorting one category at a time (all clothing in the home or all paper or all toys). Others suggest tackling spaces, regardless of the mix of contents.
Personally, I prefer organizing spaces. You can pick an area based on the amount of time you have to devote to organizing, be it a weekend for a whole room, or twenty minutes for a kitchen drawer. This also allows for a sense of accomplishment as you can step back, celebrate the success of a space, and cross one area off the list. Choose the approach that works best for you.
purging and sorting basics
Regardless of the decluttering method you choose, the basics are similar:
- Ensure that you have adequate time to sort through ALL of the items in the space or item category
- Take everything out of the space, be it room, closet, attic, or drawer. There is one exception: clothes hanging in a closet. While some organizers suggest that taking all hanging clothing and putting it on the bed helps to appreciate the sheer volume of items, this method can be intimidating. And where will you sleep? As long as there is space to move hangers to see the items and take them down to try on if necessary, you can keep them on the hangers and just remove those items you are not keeping.
- Evaluate each item and sort it into one of three piles: keep, trash/recycle, donate. Some questions to ask yourself as you are evaluating items: Do I use this item? Is this damaged or worn out? Do I have another item that serves the same purpose? Do I truly like this item? Does this fit? Am I keeping this item out of guilt or obligation?
- Immediately remove “trash” and “donate” items from the space. When planning your organizing time, include time to bring discards to the dump and items you are donating to a charity. If you have a large volume or heavy/bulky items, consider contacting a trash removal service or asking a local charity if they do pick-ups of donations.
- Take stock of what remains so that you can determine next steps. Will you need to change how and where items are stored? Will you need organizational tools or additional storage items?
creating space: rejiggering layouts
If you have the sense that you simply do not have the square footage to meet your organizational needs, rethink the layout of your space to maximize storage potential. For example, in the garage, instead of relying on perimeter storage, is there potential to add overhead storage for infrequently-used items? In the family room, try rearranging furniture to add space for lidded baskets or shelving units.
Perhaps think even bigger about whether entire rooms or portions of rooms can be repurposed. Do you need a second home office space with two people working from home? Think about carving out an additional space in a guest room or nook, complete with storage. Maybe a formal room that is seldom used can be turned into a play space for the kids with lots of attractive and functional storage solutions. The possibilities are limited only by your needs and creative problem-solving skills, and any changes are reversible down the road when circumstances are different.
creating space: organizational tools
When you are motivated to organize, the temptation to buy all. the. things. from The Container Store or a similar retailer is strong. However, DO NOT purchase any organizational assistants like bins, drawer organizers, baskets, closet systems, shelves, etc. before sorting, purging, and taking stock of your items. Different settings may require different types or styles of storage. Measure the things you plan to store so that when you are browsing, you know if the dimensions of a particular storage item will hold what you want it to hold. Similarly, measure the spaces where the storage item will go (drawer, shelf, etc.) to ensure it will fit. Consider accessibility and “find-ability”: will you be able to label or see inside the storage item to know what goes inside? Finally, think about your lifestyle and your ability to sustain use of that storage solution in the future.
Creating space is the step that most people associate with organizing (and those addictive Netflix shows): purging, sorting, and buying cute storage containers. While it’s an important component, if you stop there, your home will become disorganized again. All the puzzle pieces must come together to achieve lasting organization. Get caught up on developing an organized mindset, and stay tuned for future articles on developing systems and sustaining your gains.