Did you know that it has been shown that clutter increases stress levels? Clutter can be distracting, drawing your attention away from other important matters. It also causes your mind to have to deal with excessive stimuli from your environment and can make you feel anxious. But don’t worry! We have gathered some great tips from design experts on how you can organize your home.
Start at the Foyer
Since this is the first thing you see when you enter a home, the entryway should feel open and inviting. Remove any large pieces of furniture like cabinets, instead opting to utilize built-in storage or closets in other rooms. If your foyer feels dark and cramped, consider painting it a light neutral color like a cool grey.
Move to the Kitchen
The kitchen is often one of the most used places in a home so it is important to create a space that is enjoyable to spend time in. First, sort through your kitchen cabinets and get rid of anything that you don’t need anymore or have duplicates of. Then, sort through everything you have and organize your storage so that items that you use on a regular basis are easy to access and less frequently used items are stored away somewhere they won’t get in the way.
Organize Catch-All Spaces
Is your kitchen table a catch-all for bills, kid’s homework, keys, and other miscellaneous clutter? What about your desk? While every home needs a catch-all space, it’s more efficient to have a dedicated space for this instead of repurposing an area out in the open. Instead, dedicate places to put all of these items. For example, have key hooks by your front door and a desk organizer to sort out important mail.
Use the Four Box Method
Using this method you will sort items into four different boxes:
- Keep is for anything you use on a regular basis and you have space for.
- Sell/Donate items that are in usable condition but you simply don’t need.
- Trash any junk or broken items that you’ve been meaning to get around to throwing out.
- Store things like seasonal decorations or clothing items to clear up space and make it easier to access items that you want easier access to.
Another popular method is using the 80/20 rule. The idea of this is that about 80% of the things in your life you don’t actually use. While you certainly don’t need to get rid of 80% of your items, acknowledging how much unnecessary stuff you own is an important first step to decluttering. Hang up the shirt in the front of your closet that you’ve had for years but never wear and see if you actually wear it. If you haven’t touched it a couple months later, it’s time to get rid of it!
What kind of spring cleaning projects are you tackling? Is decluttering on your list? Tell us in the comments below!