Designing a room can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and strategies, it can be done in just 12 easy steps. First, set the mood by asking yourself how you want your space to feel, which will guide you towards colors, textures, furniture choices, and décor. Next, get inspired, get real, declutter, map it out, decide on a color palette, start with the finishes, and choose anchor pieces.
To create a 3D visualization of your ideas, sign up for a free Roomstyler account and use the 120,000+ items available. This tool allows anyone to create photorealistic 3D renders of the interiors.
Using an online room planner tool like RoomSketcher, you can easily design your own room from start to finish. These tools help you create 2D/3D floor plans, measure your space, decorate and furnish your interior with world-famous brands, make professional visualizations, and get inspiration from predesigned layouts.
One way to quickly conquer a cluttered bedroom is to use ample bins and baskets, such as hand-woven options at Parachute. Sort and declutter your items, dust and clean your room, divide and conquer your drawers, utilize containers to keep surfaces clear, maximize your space, hang cute baskets around the desk area, and remove any clutter near your closet door.
Bedroom organization ideas include making an inventory, going one section at a time, using baskets under-the-bed storage, adding floating storage, choosing a bed with built-in storage, using the back of your bedroom door, and adding wall storage. Experts share tips for organizing every part of your room, including your closet, dresser, and desk.
📹 You’re doing home organization WRONG
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Is there an app to organize my room?
Room Planner: Home Design 3D is an app that simplifies the process of buying a house or apartment, or enhancing an existing property. It allows users to visualize their dream, enrich their living space with furniture from renowned brands, change elements like wall colors and furniture layout, share their vision with others, and publish their project to a portfolio. The app allows users to start from existing handcrafted projects or an empty room, and can also add new items from various brands. Users can observe their room from various angles and create photo-realistic snapshots to see how their vision becomes a reality.
How to layout your bedroom?
Bed placement in a bedroom can greatly impact the overall layout of the space. Feng shui principles can provide a practical solution for a better bedroom layout, but they don’t have to be based on feng shui principles. Instead, consider ten ideas for bed placement that may not align with ancient design principles but can work for your space. These ideas may include placing your bed facing the door, keeping it away from doors, moving your bed between windows, avoiding placing your bed against the bathroom wall, centered on a solid wall, and making the most of an off-centered bed. For more bedroom layout ideas, check out floor plans designed by real Spoak members, use Spoak’s design suite, or learn how to design a bedroom that looks as good as your magazine favorites.
Is there a free app to design rooms?
Homestyler is a top-rated home design app known for its 3D rendering services and decorating tools. It offers realistic visualizations and a simple drag-and-drop function for furniture and decorations, allowing users to create floor plans and design interiors. With over 100, 000 items available, Homestyler also features a home remodeling tool, 1000+ textures, and photo upload capabilities. A paid subscription is required to unlock all features, starting at $4. 99 per month. The free version provides ample interior design capabilities.
3D architectural visualization is a powerful tool that showcases properties’ internal and external features with the right lighting, environment, and material finishes. 3D interior rendering services are also available, providing 3D renderings specifically designed for interior design, allowing users to sell properties quickly. Overall, Homestyler is a valuable tool for home design enthusiasts.
What is the 12-12-12 challenge?
The 14 Achievable Tasks to Declutter Your Home are challenge-based tasks. The first task is the 12-12-12 challenge, which involves finding 12 items to throw away, donate, and return to their proper home. The second task is to fill an entire trash bag with items you can donate at Goodwill. The third task is to sort through a pile of mail or paper, focusing on areas where it shouldn’t be. These tasks can be completed daily or even during the Lenten season. By completing these tasks, you can help declutter your home and create a clutter-free environment.
How do I figure out how to arrange my room?
Designing a room involves defining its function, style, furniture needs, and unconventional thinking. It is essential to know the focal point of the room, place the largest pieces first, and consider the furniture’s placement. Researching the room’s layout and furniture can help ensure a smooth and efficient arrangement.
Some people may not be able to figure out how to arrange a room perfectly by following their gut, but it is essential to research before embarking on any new endeavor. This can be done by researching things like organizing a closet or designing a room to ensure it flows smoothly and efficiently.
In summary, designing a room involves defining its function, style, furniture needs, and unconventional thinking. It is crucial to research and follow effective principles to ensure a smooth and efficient arrangement.
How do you declutter your room when you are overwhelmed?
The best formula for decluttering large, overwhelming spaces is to remove the easiest items first, discard larger items next, donate items instead of selling them, break the space into smaller challenges, and work until each piece is completed. This approach forms the foundation for the Uncluttered Course and The Minimalist Home. After completing the first spaces, it is common for a large, overwhelming space like the basement, attic, garage, or storage shed to need decluttering. These spaces can present unique challenges, but many people have found victory over them, and you can too.
How to properly organize your room?
To keep your home organized, define the room’s usage, use vertical storage pieces, use baskets, organize horizontal surfaces, filter clothes by season and formality, organize clothes and accessories, make use of wall space, and get rid of what doesn’t belong. Organizing can be overwhelming, but the benefits outweigh the time and energy spent. Stacey Agin Murray, a professional organizer and author, says that being organized increases the amount of time and money in your pocket.
By spending less time searching for things, you can focus on what is important to you. Experts share their best tips for sprucing up your home’s central spaces, so make time for a weekend project and get excited about being more organized.
How do I organize my room without being overwhelmed?
Decluttering can be a daunting task, especially if you’re planning a move or looking to streamline your space. To start, it’s essential to anticipate the negative aspects, rely on a friend, start small, and reward your hard work. Professional organizers Rachel Rosenthal and Laura Kinsella offer advice for decluttering and helpful tips for every room, from kitchen storage to closet organization.
To start, give yourself patience and grace, as organizing can feel personal and vulnerable. Recognizing areas that burden you is crucial for crafting a plan for decluttering and achieving organization. Addressing physical clutter can help alleviate a sensation of heaviness or anxiety in your home environment.
In summary, decluttering can be a personal and vulnerable process, but the final result is worth the effort. By anticipating negative aspects, relying on a friend, starting small, and rewarding your hard work, you can create a clutter-free and organized home.
How to aesthetically organize your room?
To achieve a clutter-free bedroom, it is recommended to divide the space into distinct sections and utilize a variety of storage solutions, including baskets, under-the-bed storage, floating shelves, closet organizers, and storage furniture. One should commence by addressing each section individually, subsequently delineating the available space into discrete sections. It is recommended that the bed be made before commencing the process.
How do you arrange a room perfectly?
Designing a room involves defining its function, style, furniture needs, and unconventional thinking. It is essential to know the focal point of the room, place the largest pieces first, and consider the furniture’s placement. Researching the room’s layout and furniture can help ensure a smooth and efficient arrangement.
Some people may not be able to figure out how to arrange a room perfectly by following their gut, but it is essential to research before embarking on any new endeavor. This can be done by researching things like organizing a closet or designing a room to ensure it flows smoothly and efficiently.
In summary, designing a room involves defining its function, style, furniture needs, and unconventional thinking. It is crucial to research and follow effective principles to ensure a smooth and efficient arrangement.
How do I organize my bedroom with too much stuff?
To organize a messy bedroom, visualize a calm space, remove unnecessary items, separate into keep, donate, or trash piles, edit your ‘keep’ pile, give everything a home, and create a cohesive storage system. A well-organized bedroom is essential for a neat and tidy room to end the day and relax into sleep. However, getting to this point can be challenging, as many people may ignore the mess instead of dedicating a weekend to organizing. Overstocking clothes and shoes can also contribute to a messy bedroom, which can negatively affect sleep quality.
📹 How To Design A Room From START TO FINISH! (My Tips & Hacks)
Hi there! Today I wanted to create a video that really dove into my process of designing a space. I share a lot of room makeovers …
1. corral your crap place things on a tray, group objects in groups of three 2. velvet hangers uniform, clothes don’t fall off 3. drop zones -> ease of maintenance intentional drop zones, where are you naturally dropping stuff? 4. tiered lazy susan -> ease of access \ttoiletries and cosmetics 5. active zones vs. passive zones \tentrance vs. guest bedroom, \tspare light bulbs go in the passive zone \tmelon bowler in the back of the cabinet \teveryday products in arm’s reach 6. maximize weirdo spaces \tdesigned vignette or storage space \thang up purses between wall and closet (valet rod) \t((magic eraser is magic)) 7. closed storage \topen storage usually more for decor than actual storage, \tglassware, books 8. subdivide \tespecially junkdrawers, use shoes boxes or similar 9. p u r g e – remove clutter \t1. 15 min declutter \t2. if it takes longer than 5 min to tidy a room, p u r g e \t3. designate a day of the week 10. let go of the guilt of letting go \thow much work would it take to revive this? couldn’t find a summary so i figured i’d post my own
The thing my wife and I, and I’m sure many others, struggle with is understanding that it doesn’t have to be done in a day. It’s easy to get overwhelmed looking at the mess around you and not do anything because you know it’s going to “take forever”. The trick is to focus on one small thing, get it under control. Habits tend to snowball whether good or bad. A really easy starting point is your mail. When you get the mail out of the box, make the first stop the recycling bin or trash can. Throw away all the junk before you even take it in the house, if you can. We have a dedicated basket to drop the mail that does come in so we both see it regardless who gets it. It’s a small step, but it does help create a more organized mindset.
The tip about making the systems adhere to the habits people already have really made me re-evaluate my many many attempts at organising my house. Most specifically the laundry, the laundry is in the hallway that leads to the garden door and has the toilet and bathroom coming off it- I have been battling for YEARS! with my (non imaginary) husband and daughter just throwing their clothes on the laundry floor or not in the specific lidded hampers (separated work/school clothes, towels, etc). But this tip made me realise that I’m trying to get them adhere to a system for me but if my main desire is not to have clothes on the floor then maybe what we need is an open topped basket they can throw the clothes in to. Sorting through a big basket will take me a little more time but probably piss me off significantly less than having clothes strewn across the floor that is the access to the bathroom and outside. So thanks for that Caroline!
Her red wine idea at 20:00 is genius. I keep so much stuff for emotional reasons, remembering when I wore it, associating it with someone, etc. I find it so hard to cull that!! And it’s overwhelming. This idea made so much sense – if it’s covered in red wine, would I fight to save it or be relieved that it’s ruined so I have no excuse but to trash it (or better, donate if possible).
I’m an industrial engineer and a lot of your tips remind me of the 5S system (sort, set in order, sanitize, standardize, sustain). This helps me keep things organized and extra things out of the house (at least for now as me and my husband are expecting). One other habit I’ve developed is that if I’m not certain of what I want to do with something I put it in a specific bin in the guest room closet and about once a year I go through the bin and usually end up getting rid of most things.
A friend told me recently, “holding onto things that you don’t really want doesn’t reduce the amount of trash in the world, it just turns your home into the garbage can.” It was that kick in the butt that got me to get rid of a free rug I could NOT get the stink out of. Thanks for the extra motivation to get things purged from my home. 🙂
Pleeeaaaase do more of these. I’m a student full time and work full time and I don’t have the time or energy to constantly reorganize my living space which gets wrecked it feels like every week. Also tips for making the most out of small spaces like apartments would be huge. This is honestly the most practical organization article I’ve ever watched.
For 50 years I lived in the same marvelous, coveted 4 b/r apt. in NYC until I took a trip to L.A. to visit family. I never saw my apt. again or any of the things in it I’d accumulated over a lifetime. In L.A. I was diagnosed w/cancer, had a successful surgery and adult kids did an ‘intervention” questioning the wisdom of my remaining in NYC when all my kids, grandkids were in L.A. I never went back. Gave everything away. I just moved to an unfurnished studio apt. in L.A. and am deliberate in my choices, acquiring only things I love and need. Cannot tell you how freeing it is to start over, fresh. Helpful article, in deciding what priorities are, how to create and maintain a sane and comfortable home. Thank you.
It’s 👏🏾 ABOUT👏🏾 TIME 👏🏾somebody kept it real on this topic!! Good grief. I was sick and tired, to DEATH, of the unrealistic “advice” of YouTube design people pontificating about organization and design trends. I literally screamed at one article out of frustration: “Some of us actually use our open shelves for books we ACTUALLY read!!!” Ugh. Two words: THANK. YOU. You’re a real one Caroline✊🏾💕…if you’re ever in DC, you got a cocktail, on me 💁🏽♀️😌
Yes to all of this! I’m a professional organizer and while I love a color coded Pinterest pantry as much as the rest of us, those are not really a realistic benchmark. Getting organized is an ongoing process and everything you highlighted in this article is real, practical, and actionable information to help people with that!
Brilliant! Especially tip 3, observe what you and others actually do, then systematise it. I set up a fabulous home office in a spare bedroom and a fortnight later was back to 3″ paperwork in my kitchen. I realised that i picked up my mail when i got home and went straight to the kitchen. ALWAYS. So i relocated the office into the kitchen, eg hanging rigid folders inside my cupboard doors, changing a deep drawer into a filing drawer… like ‘ paths of desire’ that architects use…
“It’s not about making people adhere to the system, it’s about making the system adhere to the habits of people.” That’s maybe the best piece of advice I’ve ever heard. I always have this kind of discussions with my husband, when we’re about to organize things differently. “But it’s not that difficult. We surely can do it that way!” “If it requires just a little bit more work, we just won’t do it that way!”
I actually stopped the article and I placed some objects in groups of three. (Velvet hangers I already have, replaced them once for uniformity and clothes don’t fall off, also space and lightness, love them) Then I stopped the article and created some intentional drop zones. And I went on perusal the article bit by bit for three hours. Now it’s late and I need to get up early, but my home is much cleaner and better organised and I’m happy. Thank you 🥰
I cannot believe I haven’t found you until NOW 😮 You’re like a no nonsense straight hitting to the point full of useful ideas ball of dynamic energy. I love everything about what you’ve shared. Thank You so much It’s taken a lot of the noise and frustration out of making decisions around my house. I’ll put these tips into practice and apply the ones that apply to me. Thanks
Another reason to use a lot of closed storage: dust. I live in the desert with multiple pets and have forced air winter heating. I can’t keep my windows closed every day, nor do I want to. I use a lot of fans in the summer. Even with an air purifier, I could dust practically every day. It makes being maximalist-ish hard. I’m adding some closed cabinets to replace open shelving here and there to reduce my dusting to bookshelves and tabletops.
I cannot tell you how much I FEEL the things you’re saying in this article. These are things I knew, but didn’t have a name for… plus I keep breaking my rules. Ease of maintenance is our biggest issue, because what I find easy doesn’t always work for my spouse. I’m saving this article to rewatch every time I start a big cleaning project.
Some tips from my side. I live alone, and I focus on practicality and laziness, rather than beauty. I agree with some points, I disagree with others, and some I agree with because of other reasons. – Closed storage. Yes, because of dust. Open storage becomes dusty easier, so close storage to be more lazy, and clean it less. – Don’t buy what you don’t need. For every item you want concerning home decoration and otherwise, ask yourself, where in your home would you put it? No need to purge if you’re not buying it in the first place. If you see lovely new shoes, ask yourself if you have space to put them in the first place. If your shoe storage is too small, maybe hold on buying new shoes. If you’re never going to look at a painting when it hangs on your wall, maybe don’t buy it in the first place. – Walking lines. I haven’t heard it being mentioned. Same principle as desire paths. Think about what you do during your being home. For me, I often walk from my desk to my kitchen to get something to drink, and back to my desk to work. When placing things in your home, don’t put things in your walking lines, so you can always take the shortest path between two destinations. – Standing spots. When I’m cooking, I have a spot in my kitchen where if I stand there, I have access to all things I need for cooking. This includes cooking pots and a stove, but also a bin for throwing away the peel of a potato, and of course a cutting board. Worst case, I need to step two times sideways to the fridge, and carry my ingredients back to my spot, so everything is in reach again for cooking.
Holy wow. I have ADHD and trying to maintain an organised home has been a lifelong struggle for me, one associated with a lot of shame and upset. Making the system adhere to my nature and not visa versa has been so liberating and useful. Instead of shaming myself for dumping my crap on the counter, I just put a beautiful bowl there. Why on earth have I never heard this advice before. Everyone needs to see this article!! This is actual, practical advice which works for everyday humans, and improves quality of life. Urgh, a million thank yous for this article!!
I cannot even begin to put words to how helpful this article is. I’ve been crying to my boyfriend and my therapist about how much of a failure I am at organizing my home for weeks now. And all of these tips just make me feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. Thank you so much for making this.
I would add, for the decluttering tip, have a basket or a box in your house that is specifically for decluttering! If you come across a shirt, or a kitchen utensil, or some linens etc that you know you don’t want, just put it in the box! It reduces the need to do it intentionally and I swear it fills up quick and then you can just take it to Goodwill and it’s done. Great article Caroline and awesome edits by Paige!
I think the decluttering/purging advice should definitely be followed by “ask yourself if you absolutely need this thing you want to buy” because unless you shop responsibly you’re always gonna have to declutter. Don’t buy another mug if you already have 10, or don’t own 5 different black dresses or things like that.
One of my favorite type of decluttering methods is to choose between two items. Exemple : You have a lot of purses. Well cut down on them by taking two purses at a time, choosing between them and slowly going back and forth in the ones i didnt choose until i get my desired amount. Don’t be scared to do it all in one clean-up. Often times I will do one hour or less and come back another day, once I tought about it in dept.
Just suddenly stumbled upon this article (I was looking for ideas to organize a very small kitchen) and man! this was such a beautiful collection of points that summarized the entire essence of home org. I loved how you totally dissed the idea of buying yet another XYZ for organizing (yep, it does not work that way, personal experience) and the philosophy of organization and finally about decluttering. The entire presentation was also so so cool, that it even made me wish to have an actual conversation with you. Thank you very much for saying these and saying them this way! You earned yourself a subscriber (and maybe a fan, if you will) today.
Love this article!! Such practical and sound advice, delivered with personality and humour. Just bought myself magic eraser for the first time at age 41. Where has this product been all my life??? “Design your space around human behaviour, not the other way around” ….I had never thought of it this way before. Solved a 14 year irritation I have with my husband who lives and dresses out of the laundry….bought a nice basket for his clothes, it can stay in the laundry without being a messy eye sore. Everybody wins! 😆 Thank you Caroline
Great advice. Thank you. Husband is retiring in November. We want to move soon after. We lived in our house for 21 years. 2k Sq foot house I’m trying to downsize to about 1k Sq ft. The best advice I got was to put things in that we don’t use or need into a covered box. Once the box is full or by the end of the month, I take the unopened box to a charity. I do not look inside before donating. I can honestly say, I can’t remember or care what I got rid of. I did even give away dinnerware We got as wedding gifts 30 years ago. I rarely used them because they had to be handwashed. I was surprised how easy it was to part from it. Very liberating. I even sold furniture We don’t need. I’m going from room by room, closet by closet. I have found free time on top of getting rid of clutter.
Caroline, I absolutely love your interior design expertise, but more so how you deliver it! You are quirky, but your knowledge and expertise totally comes through! I am on a Caroline Winkler binge-watching marathon? I have loved every single article! Keep them coming! I have learned so, so much and, at the same time, have been entertained! You are not boring! I am so glad that I came across your first article and immediately SUBSCRIBED!!
Im glad someone said this. Its everything having a home combined with anticipation of human behavior that makes a space work, not a ton of clear plastic. I just moved and before I actually moved journaled ‘zones’ and named each item that needed to be there. I cant overstate how peaceful my new space is despite zero decorations because of this and I still am living among boxes because I didnt ‘declutter’ prior. Im probably going to throw out 90% of what wasn’t unpacked unless it falls into sentimental or books category.
You changed my life! Coral your mess works! Drop Zones, grouping in threes! I have a messy family and everything they do drives me crazy and causes my eye to twitch but I took your advice and placed bowls, trays, etc. in their messy hotspots/drop zones and what a difference it makes! Life changing and completely sustainable! Still working on my homeschool area which is part of my living room. I need a way to make it more functional.
For some reason, this article was recommended to me out of the blue – and I’m glad it was! Excellent article with very practical tips. Lol, I had to laugh about kids helping with cleaning. Here’s the thing – when they’re really little, they absolutely love helping to clean. The only trouble is, it takes far more time to show them how to do it, than it takes to do it yourself! Then, when they finally reach around 9-10 years of age and are actually capable of cleaning well on their own, they lose all interest in helping to clean. Then it takes more time to get them to do it, than it does to do it yourself! 😂 Nonetheless, very good article!
This randomly showed up in my feed. I’ve got ADHD, my place is currently a mess. This would have been so useful growing up vs everyone just expecting me to know how to innately organize everything. Tip 1 in particular is a game changer, I can use this right away because visual clutter is immediately over stimulating to me because I can’t filter it out. I just see everything and anything all at once. Please do more of this, my organization skills are non-existent lol
Love this article 🙏🙏❤❤ My tip to purge is to get rid of a lot things all together so that you keep only the ones you like the most, but keep the “get rid of” pile for a few days so that if find yourself thinking about an item being unsure whether you really want tonget rid of it you can jusy take it back
If you’re having trouble mentally, I highly recommend the book, “How To Keep House While Drowning.” I got the kindle version because, one less thing, ya know? The book is relatively short, but it talks about real changes: physical, mental, and emotional that you can make as you’re able. It also talks about forgiving yourself for not being orderly and organized, which is important. I had a good cathartic cry at one point and felt better and more ready to tackle my situation. One step at a time.
Loved this article! I also kind of fell into that Marie Kondo trap of fear/guilt vs joy, but a friend gave me some advice that absolutely changed the way I purge. She told me, “The person who gave this to you would have never intended it to be a burden, and if it has become a burden, they would rather you re-homed it than keep it in your space as a source of stress.” I think we get so wrapped up in the idea of the gift itself that we really do forget “it’s the thought that counts.” If it’s ever something really expensive or something I think the other person might find precious, I would always just ask them. “Do you remember that painting/dress/trinket you gave me a few years ago? I’ve started reworking my space and I really can’t find a home for it anywhere. Do you want it back, or would it be alright if I re-gift it to someone?” <- you would be surprised at how quickly people respond "Oh, not at all!" When you frame it as having simply outgrown a style.
Something I heard somewhere to help with the purge. The 20 rule: If it’s not sentimental, or you haven’t used it often enough but you’re on the fence about it – can you replace it in 1. less than 20 minutes 2. for less than $20? If the answer to both of those is yes… then get rid of it. Trust me you won’t miss it and if you later do you can replace it quickly and cheaply. You’d be surprised how much stuff you try to hold onto even though it falls under the 20 rule. (shampoo you didn’t like, some food items you won’t eat, a cleaning product that smells too strong, a bottle of lotion you got for Christmas but you prefer a different brand, etc.)
This is the most intelligent information on home organization I have ever heard/ read/ seen. So smart. Thank you. I also worship the Magic Eraser. It’s right up there with the Post It Note. I once used a Magic Eraser to remove about 95% of some marks I got on my car bumper from bumping into a painted pillar in my garage. Magic!
Being a chronic procrastinator, 1 thing that has worked for me when it comes to keeping relatively tidy or organised is to just put away stuff the moment I get them. Like coming back home from a grocery run and immediately putting them into their relative spots. Or coming back from a trip with a bunch of clothes and immediately unpacking the things to separate for laundry or further wear, etc. I know if those things were not put away right after I come back, when I’m still in the ‘actively moving’ state of mind, I’d never get myself to go back to putting them away after winding down or just sitting down in general. It’s just not gonna happen, that energy will be impossible to summon back and by the time the energy does come back, I won’t even know where to put them anymore and stuff would be left scattered about for a while. But whether every item has a ‘spot’ is usually the bigger problem, especially with those odd items that are not in your everyday roster of things that sit, they usually just end up on the floor leaning against a wall or something. Living in a small apartment really requires a lot of creativity to maximise space utilisation, not my strong suit 🥲
one tip I learned from somewhere was put all your clothes on hangers and hang them backwards. Like the opening of the hanging hook is facing you rather than away from you. Then take the stuff you only use once in a great while but still need to keep (like the dress I wear only to weddings and funerals) and face the hanger the correct way around. Then as you wear the clothing, wash it, and hang it back up, hang them up the correct way. Then after a set time, either a season or a year, you take whatever is still facing the wrong way and put it in the donate pile. Don’t look at the stuff. Just toss it.
Out of all the decluttering/organisational things I’ve read or watched, this actually sounds the most logical. I have no idea why it got recommended to me, but thank you YouTube gods for suggesting it. Solid advice. Also, I absolutely agree with the velvet hangers. I converted to them before I even watched this, and have been avid advocate for them since. They just hold the clothes so well!
Agree with the velvet hangers. Discovered them 5 years ago and changed all my mismatched hangers to velvet. Best thing ever. My closets are more organised and looks better without the different types of hangers. Although, for heavier coats, I changed these to wood as the velvet ones can be quite flimsy for the weight of the coats.
Love your lighthearted, almost flippant approach, it’s catching! I actually laughed… The biggest problem I face with cleaning and organizing is me… I take it so freakin seriously, you’d think someone died. Maybe if I lighten up a little instead of the requiem I always put myself through, I’d have more success. More articles, PLEEEEZE!!!
As a person with ADHD in a relatively small living space with perpetual hunger for being in a visually pleasing and organized space while sabotaging myself every three seconds this was so incredibly helpful, just for its great practicality without sacrificing form really. Thank you so much. Honestly, thank you so, so much. I mean it. This was a real eye opener for me.
I’ve watched hundreds of articles about organization, cleaning, decluttering, decorating, minimalism, etc. over the years, and this is one of my favorites I’ve ever come across by thus far. Absolutely loved this article! I’ll be taking the tips about corralling, zones, closed storage and the red wine rule to every home and space I’ll ever live in till I’m in the grave. Maybe an extreme way to say it but thank you so much for this! (Also massive props for the lovely editing and cinematography in this.)
Holy crap, I was so shook that everything you said in this article I already do. People have always asked me how I keep everything so neat and tidy. They dont believe me when I say I barely do anything to keep it that way, even with 3 cats and an XL dog going crazy in the house lol. The biggest thing is definitely letting go of stuff and limiting things you bring into the house, itll help your wallet too.. Going crazy on plastic bins and organizers and decor never really helps, adds to the clutter, and makes keeping stuff tidy even more difficult.
I love velvet hangers! The best advice I got as a young mom was from a slightly older mom: pick up stuff in the living room and dining room every night before bed. Stack magazines and books, throw toys in a basket or toy box, return plates and glasses to the kitchen. Even if the rooms are a little dusty or need vacuuming, they appear clean to anyone who drops by, and make mornings more pleasant for yourself.
I’ve struggled to keep my house clean for years. I would just get overwhelmed and things would pile up. What has been the biggest game changer for me is focusing on 3 tasks before doing anything else. Dishes/wiping down my kitchen counters, laundry, and then room by room tidying up. No deep cleaning. Just putting things away. If I’ve really let things go, this may take several days. So every day I start with dishes and make sure those are caught up. Then I move on to throwing in a load of laundry, and after that, I always start in the rooms I’ve already tidied and get them back to 100% before moving on to a new room. It only takes a couple of minutes, and this ensures that I keep making progress through the house instead of by the time I get to the last room my first room is completely messy again lol. Once I’m completely caught up on dishes, laundry, and my house is completely tidy, I then move on to the dusting/scrubbing/vacuuming/mopping etc. I just find focusing on these 3 things is sooo much easier, and it gives me a place to start when I’m feeling overwhelmed. And the key is to do your best to do these 3 things every day.
FINALLY a home organization article that actually teaches me something! i’ve been on an organization kick the past week because i just can’t handle the chaos anymore. i remarked to my mom at the beginning of the week that i realized other times we’ve tried to “get organized” haven’t worked because they didn’t align with how we naturally live. you’re very right that human behavior is the hardest part to change. so now i’m trying to figure out ways to implement solutions that work with the natural way we function and live in our house. there were so many mind blowing tips in this article, i’m going to try them all!!
I know you recently hired a article editor but it doesn’t change the fact that you put soooooo much effort into planning and executing content this good. Same goes for your vlogs, which really feel like a story narrated cleverly with bits of laughs, bits of somber introspection, some heartwarming moments sprinkled in. Please know that we see all the hard work you put in and love it!
An important tip for decluttering things you have an emotional reaction to. Digitize it. I had an old metal pail that was tarnished in places and the handle was broken, but I was sentimental about it because my family had it for a long time. I put it on a table next to a nice clean white wall and I took a photo of it. Then I tossed it. It really helps, at least for me, because it’s not the physical object I need, it’s the memories that it evokes. So whenever you’re torn about whether to get rid of something or not, just take a good picture of it and ask yourself “Is this enough?” Digital Hoarding as a way to have your cake and eat it too
Honestly this article feels like a game changer for me. I have ADHD so I am constantly reorganized and rearranging and trying to make things more efficient and basically everything you mentioned just makes SO MUCH SENSE. You’ve really like, concisely defined organizational problems that have been plaguing me forever (like the active and passive zones) but I didn’t really know how to clearly express the issue. Anyways. Thank you.
For people that are inspired to declutter & throw away lots of things from this article, please remember that donating anything salvagable will be a huge help. & If you plan on throwing out furniture, place it by the curb a few days BEFORE trash day, that way stoopers might come pick it up instead & it can be repurposed & less waiste in the landfills, and the peices you loved for so long can maybe find a new home instead of dying forever.
Addressing our emotional attachment in a positive way is such an important process. The “spark joy” method doesn’t really work for me. My non-imaginary husband and child don’t always “spark joy”. The items I can’t emotionally/psychologically let go – I pack and put them “on hold”. Often I am ready to let them go by the next round of decluttering. Letting go happens in stages for me😅 This process takes the items out of circulation so I give myself some space to get over my attachment to them. By the next decluttering I am able to make a more rational choice. There are times when I am still attached to one of the items, I just continue to keep it on hold until my emotions are resolved. Often with such items, it’s about finding a more responsible/respectful way of letting go – such as passing it to an individual or group that will appreciate it as I did.
The most recent lesson I’ve learned is to not design my space to be full. If there isn’t any empty storage space, there isn’t room for anything new, and then clutter happens! I’m aiming for ⅓ or ¼ empty storage space, as well as some material categories (like my toolbox and sewing box) that have space for more.
Omg the red wine trick!!! I immediately thought of multiple things I’ve thought about getting rid of but haven’t been able too and the second you mentioned if you would work hard to get red wine out of it my immediate answer was no!!! I would be relieved to have a reason to finally toss it!!! MIND BLOWN 🤯 🤩🤩🤩❤️❤️❤️❤️
As a non-native English speaker, I was blowed with a phrase “coral your stuff” by itself. What does coral mean as a verb?! No vocabulary can answer this question for me… 😀 From context I understood it as “cluster objects”, but coral still blows my mind. Oh my god. I’ve finally get what you meant. You meant “corral” but spelled it wrong. Yep, it took me almost a day to realize. =)
I do use several of your ideas already. There are books I have read by Sandra Felton on organization and she delves into the reasons that we hang on to “things”. Maybe we grew up poor and didn’t have much as a child. We give items a life… they will be mad at me if I give them away. Mother to the universe…someone I know may need this one day. Betrayal… the person that gave me this will be mad if I get rid of it . The items remind you of someone you loved and lost so you act as if it is literally a piece of them and you can’t get rid of them. I believe these are the reasons. Maybe this will help someone like it did me.
I keep a couple “donation boxes” in my basement. I collect items I no longer want or think I need and divvy them up into categories like clothing, toys, household, etc. Once or twice a year I take the boxes to a charity (e.g. women’s shelter, collection point for international aid programs). By holding on to the stuff for a little while before donating, I can still change my mind if I discover I actually still do need a certain item. It doesn’t happen often, but I have rescued one or two things from the donation pile because I was a little too hasty getting rid of it. By hanging on to the stuff a bit longer, I have a grace period for changing my mind. And when the time comes to donate, I am reassured that I haven’t missed anything in the boxes.
I appreciate how (mostly) ADHD friendly this article is. The struggle is REAL, people- and keeping a home (or cough anything) tidy is a constant struggle. Other than the closed storage (which is visually much more pleasing, but things will rarely get put back away even with one added step of doors on something… 😳 and also the very literal ‘out of sight, out of mind’ issue…), these are great tips. Thanks for sharing.
Good reminder of tips I first read of in the 1970s women mags. My mom also did the same in 1950s using common sense. She would send us to our room to clean out a drawer or bin. I do mine during the week since by the time I get home from church on Sunday, I just want to relax. Kudos for bringing attention to these. Clever use of the plant you chose on the side table.
would love a article like this that helps people deal with a space that they dont plan to settle down in, i am 26 living in an apartment working on building myself but i struggle with hoardering and i will not be staying in my apartment for long and i tend to end up with too many things too often and struggle to keep things simple on a regular bases
That is funny you mentioned velvet hangers. I’m in the process of changing over to velvet hangers. It is absolutely 💯 percent true. My clothing was constantly falling off plastic hangers to the point of I found myself hating even hanging clothing up, so my clothes were folded and left in baskets. I had baskets everywhere. I highly recommend velvet hangers.
I totally agree on the purging. I’ve done it the past 20 years. It is difficult, but cathartic and allows you to sort of reboot yourself into version 2.0. The corralling and the grouping of 3 ideas were so cool. I’ve struggled with how certain things look on a mantle, sofa table or bathroom counter and these were wonderfully thought out fresh perspectives I had not seen before.
Pro Tip for purging: If there’s something you’re having difficulty throwing away for nostalgia purposes, organize a photo shoot. Take pictures of the item and put them in a photo gallery labeled “nostalgia”, then toss the original item. Make sure the pictures reflect whatever was special about the item. Eg: An old dress that is really tiny, take a picture of it next to measuring tape so you remember how tiny your waistline was. Or a sculpture that looked pretty from multiple angles? Take a panoramic photo or article.
I am a professional Declutterer and personal organizer, and I totally agree with all of your tips and hints. These are all things that I do when I’m working on someone’s home, and it’s amazing to have you clearly and concisely name them and show them in such an easy and fun and beautiful way. Thank you so much for your work.
God bless you. I moved into a house that’s been in my family for 4 generations…and inherited 4 generations worth of stuff. Then added my stuff to that 🤦. I’ve been so overwhelmed! Your tips have really helped organize my thoughts on how to create an ACTUAL system that is realistic! I’ll start with uncluttering the kitchen.
I haven’t expected to love this article so much! What a charisma, personality is shining from that article and I immediately clicked with you. Fantastic edit too, making fun of those little moments other content creators would have cut out, it makes the article more authentic and feels like listening to a friend in real life. Great job! I a hooked.
Absolutely hilarious. My tiny room we live in is a disaster. 20 seconds in I had already agreed with like all 6 statements and hit the like subscribe buttons if anyone could organize the world by humor it’s this chick I’m in. Ps I worked 10 hours today, missed the bus and walked home an hour and I’m cleaning. Maybe I’ve been hypnotized?
One of my cleaning tips is turn all the lights in the area on when you usually wouldn’t, throw on some incense or specific scents that get you into the headspace of a shift that’s like “oh I recognize this scent, it’s cleaning mode time, I’m motivated now” as well as music or a podcast or an audio book that you won’t get distracted by, you will be able to listen to it and shift your attention to what you are doing and back. Like it will smooth out the boring parts of cleaning and make it less tedious, but you wont get so focused on it that you forget to keep cleaning.
14:18 fun fact! magic erasers are just branded melamine sponges. Can get a 30 pack for like $12 versus the brand name. Editing to add: the only time in my life when I used magic erasers was my time in college marching band when we had to clean the scuffs from our white spats. Many a magic eraser was used to get our money’s worth out of those things. Lastly, go Vols! 🍊
My favorite tip (connects to your tip 4 and 5): Think about accessible storage solutions. In my old flat I had my folders for official documents sitting at the very top shelf in my closet (had no room for an office but they had to go somewhere). Within a few months I had this massive pile of papers sitting on my desk, because it was too much of a hassle to carry a chair from the living room to the bedroom, stand on it, take out a folder, carry it to the living room, put in the documents and carry everything back at it’s place. In my new flat (still small without office space) I have my folders in my tv cabinet, where they are easily accessible. No more pile of documents on my desk and everything is well tidied up! Another tip from me: Create a ‘dropping out zone’. I love decluttering and either donate it or give it to family/friends. But usually, that stuff sits on the hallway floor or anywhere else and looks messy. I now have a dedicated space in my hallway closet for all that stuff that has to be taken somewhere.
All of this is so good, but I really love the tip about active and passive zones and ease of access. I’m 4′ 11 so if its up high forget about it. And yes I have a stool but like…as a single person I’m more concerned falling and breaking my neck and no one finding me for days than I am about getting that whatever it is off the shelf. But that’s just me. Thank you as always!
Highly recommend the book Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White for anyone who also struggles with the Marie Kondo method because of the emotional confusion you have with items!! The author mentions thinking about the room or closet or drawer as a “container”, and letting that “container” be the guide for how many things you can keep in it. If it doesn’t fit in the “container” it’s time to part ways. You’ll know what you actually want to keep because you’ll prioritize them in the first!
With regard to the open shelving thing, I heard another youtuber say that “open shelves are for display, not for storage” and this rings very true to me. It looks good in magazines and on pinterest because the contents are carefully curated beautiful pieces, not your packaged food, and cheaper daily use dishes. They only really belong in more sizeable kitchens where you have plenty of space for both storage and display.
Love love your bluntness and straight to the point!! I really like all your tips, I became a victim of Instagram “organization”! We all know that organization in Instagram is as fake as most people in Instagram! I bought all those clear containers but still my house was a mess. I’ll be following your tips tomorrow! Actually, why wait right now 1:38am perfect time to start organizing. Since, my kiddos and hubby are sleeping. Once in a while I wish they were “pretend” 😄 🤣
That red wine decision making strategy is so interesting. It’s SO true that it’s guilt about letting go getting in the way of purging. I can imagine 3 items in my closet that I know I won’t wear but for some reason because one top is the “only nice red shirt I own,” I feel like I have to keep it; or because I bought it last year I feel bad for not wearing it more…I actually watched this article to stop procrastinating decluttering some items & this was so encouraging. I loved hearing your perspective. I honestly like plastic hangers (I’m not afraid to admit it), mostly because I hang some wet clothes to dry on hangers and it makes me feel weird that it’s felt under there, but I’m considering changing over all my hangers for the aesthetic. Very funny part of the article. I appreciate the confidence in your opinions.
As a father tasked (mostly through my own impetus) with sorting out our new home while my wife and daughter are visiting family overseas, this article has been great. Honestly, there’s nothing super groudbreaking here – it’s just useful, practical, sensible tips. A lot of this I’m already doing, but it’s good to have some assurance that I’m on the right track. I’m a minimalist, my wife is definitely a hoarder, my 2 year old is chaos incarnate – so my main aim is a) a place (and practical storage) for everything, and b) easy clean up and maintenance. Good to know I had the right idea about closed storage. Shelves and open surfaces are a magnet for junk.
For the shoeboxes as drawer dividers: Me and my husband play Yu-Gi-Oh! and recently there was a set released (it’s called Magnificent Mavens) and it came in those cute little cardboard boxes. Like, you buy a box with four blisters of cards in them and a few sleeves. I just asked the guy from our local comic book store to hold onto all the boxes he could find and give them to me. On release day I actually searched the trash cans at the tables where people play. I’ve organised the whole flat with them. I probably have around 80 by this point and I didn’t pay anything for them. They’re uniform, they*re cute, they were free plus I saved those non-recyclable boxes (they have like a foil coating) from landfill and am actually using them for something. What I’m trying to say: Make work what you have! It might not be like the pics you see on Pinterest but it can still be pretty freaking cool.
Tip num. 3 is so important. When I was the most depressed, one problem I’d face is clothes being spread everywhere. Clean, dirty, didn’t matter. And because I wasn’t strong enough to carefully fold them everyday I decided to buy a cute basket and leave it in my bedroom. Having the room visually decluttered and not stepping on clothes everywhere motivated me to keep it tidier and that played a big role on my mood. Sometimes when we’re too weak to act we just have to make everything else easier.
This article autoplayed while I was cleaning my kitchen. I have all plant pots that need the window sun on my kitchen sink and they were making me feel like it was always cluttered. So when you talked about corralling items I went and found 2 leftover plastic lids with a lip from storage tubs and I put one on either side of my sink and grouped my pots and a jar for my dish washing brushes. Looks so much tidier! 🥰
I was in a pretty bad mood this morning, especially cause the state of my apartment frustrated me. After perusal your article I immediately stood up and followed your tips and was motivated. I sent it to my sister and she said “gonna watch it later” and after 2 hours I get a message from her saying “I love her! Sorting out my closet rn” And went on how she’s going to improve her apartment in the next few days 😄
LOVED this article and it was all helpful and practical. AMEN about the velvet hangers. I’ve used them for years, all the same color and the closet looks much neater, and you’re right, nothing falls off the hangers. Kudos to the magic eraser for sure. Would DEFINITELY like to see more articles like this. Thanks for these tips, Caroline. You’re the best! ❤
Long story short, your house is a mess because it’s disorganised and you can’t get it organised because you just simply have too much stuff and not enough space you’re trying to be clever with storage solutions to pack everything away which works to an extent but you still need to have room for that storage solution. But when your storage solutions are beginning to take up a little bit too much space and infringe on the base functionality of your home now you have a problem. Think of the size and shape of your room and your overall Home, get the functionality of your interior down and then think about storage as a secondary afterthought, and if you simply don’t have the storage for your stuff you have too much stuff.
I love the tip about adhering to the habits people already have. I noticed my husband was creating piles of dirty laundry all over his side of the bed, which became a tripping hazard for me getting to the dresser. I bought a small wire basket and put it by his nightstand, now all his dirty clothes go there and he brings it to the hamper on laundry day. I still find the occasional pair of boxers and socks and don’t make it to the basket but it’s no longer an ankle-deep sea of dirty man laundry in front of the dresser.
I’m only halfway through, and loving this! Totally agree that all the boxes, and baskets, and jars, and any other containers you can think of, is not solving your clutter problem! Pinterest will not solve your clutter problem! You’re living a real life, not a photoshopped version, where everything is perfect! This lady is good!! New subscriber!
I’m like one minute into this and it’s fantastic. I’m not a messy person but I am disorganized. The velvet hangers… drop zones… it’s like you’re speaking to my ADHD/brain injury and I appreciate it so much. I spend so much time in my life being confused and looking for things that I just put down . This is so great because it’s almost as if I know this stuff already just needed someone to lay it all out. The velvet hangers are truly superior lol
“Produce offspring” – I literally laughed out loud! Little kids definitely love to help. But, just as definitely, you’ll need to send them to boarding school or something when they hit their teens…jk. When you showed the cardboard boxes for organizing and mentioned gift boxes, I immediately thought of the pretty, different-shaped gift boxes at Dollar Tree. They would definitely be cute in a drawer or on a shelf! Blessings, Caroline!
The pantry organization with clear food containers really helped me, actually! I’m so out of sight, out of mind that I genuinely forget I own a food unless I can see the food. Boxes are just boxes and they blend together. So my dry goods and snacks are in clear plastic containers and it’s sooooooo so so so good for me, personally. I wouldn’t want to do this for everything, though, and I definitely don’t color code it haha I’m also trying to get rid of as much stuff as I can so I can have things stored visibly, for the same reason. I don’t own any skirts. Oh wait, I do, I just couldn’t see them so I forgot they existed XD
re decluttering, the marie kondo thing of thanking items as I get rid of them is always helpful for me, someone who gets emotionally attached to literally everything!! just acknowledging that even if I no longer have use for something (like a note or card that someone gave me) it served an important purpose already!
I love that these mostly sound like things you can do even as someone who is not neurotypical. For example for someone with ADHD a lot of organization articles can infuriating to watch, cause most of the tips will never work if someone is struggling with certain conditions or situations. But these sound like they could assist getting out of struggling mode.
Loving it! 1: transformers regroup! 2: Velvet hangers end of discussion 😂 3: Drop zones convenience 4: Tier lazy Suzanne 22$ on the Zon ??Upside app.? 🇨🇦🤔 5: cabinet door hangers, magic eraser… weird space maximization 6: Define your zones! 7: Closed cabinet shelves👍🏾 8: Subdivision 📥 9: 15 mins purge once a week on Monday (5mins to tidy up or else ->PURGE) 10: Covered in red wine 🍷 tip to letting go Bonus: We’re doing our best!!🥰
At 14:17 ish where it glitches a bit, it scared the heck out of me💀 anywayy~ I don’t normally comment on articles but I just really got to say that this article is actually really helpful. I’ve always had a problem with organising things and keeping them in that space (because of my adhd) and all of the articles I’ve seen has almost always been aesthetic>maintainable. So I really love and appreciate this article and will definitely save it for when I’m now re-doing and organising my room. Thank you soooooo much for all the good tips that will actually help me stay organised!!!<3333🙌✍️💃