Housetrends April 2016: "3 steps for lasting organization"

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www.housetrends.com | APRIL 2016

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Steps Lasting Organization Mudrooms, kitchens and closets. Oh my!

BY AMY HOWELL HIRT

It doesn’t take much for our homes to descend into disorganization.

With schedules and storage bursting at the seams, one day’s unopened mail becomes a permanent pile of paperwork. An entryway or tabletop becomes a daily dumping ground. Or a few new holiday decorations become basement clutter. ● But before you resign yourself to a life of domestic mayhem, consider this: In just three steps, you can restore the order. Using these tips from members of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), you can create a system that will keep your home organized - no matter what life brings.

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Step 1

Plan & Purge Start small.

Even if your whole house has gone rogue, start with just one storage zone— like the garage, pantry or hall closet, recommends Jill Yesko, president of Pittsburgh-based Discover Organizing Inc. It will help you refine your system before moving on to more complex areas, and will set you up for future success—by clearing out room for items that need a more appropriate home than the kitchen counter or front foyer.

Allow ample time.

Like any home-improvement project, purging and reorganizing typically takes more planning and time than anticipated. Schedule it like any other appointment, and allow an extra hour or so at the end of each work shift to restore the space to functional use—especially in high-utility areas like the kitchen or bathroom.

Be methodical.

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1 In larger rooms like the kitchen, break the reorganizing project into bite-sized pieces— like one or two drawers. Photo courtesy of ShelfGenie 2 Shelving, drawers and baskets combine to provide a highly functional system in this walk-in pantry. Photo courtesy of California Closets 3 To keep bathroom and kitchen cabinetry tidy and accessible, Layden uses various sizes of turntables and drawer organizers. Photo

by Hal Stata

Just the thought of organizing an unruly basement or overflowing closet can feel paralyzing and overwhelming without a method for attacking the madness.

No matter the space or scenario, Yesko works from left to right, top to bottom, and places every item in a box or area on the floor labeled with a K, T, S or D—allowing her to sort out which items to keep, toss, sell or donate. Susan Layden, of Susan’s Organizing Solutions in Tampa Bay, also recommends creating a “relocate” pile, so you don’t get derailed by every item that needs to find a home elsewhere.

Beware of the “some day” mentality.

Whether you’re sorting through clothing, kitchen devices or cosmetics, only keep items that you like and use. Period. It can be difficult to say goodbye to a favorite pair of jeans that no longer fit or a thoughtful gift that isn’t quite your taste, but resist the urge to keep it because you might “some day” miss it. To gain a little perspective, consider, on a scale of 1 to 10, how traumatic it would feel if that unlikely day did come.

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Step 2 4 This mudroom provides lots of options including a built-in bench for putting on footwear.

Photo courtesy of California Closets 5 Consider creating a “household landing zone” at the door your family uses most often, recommends professional organizer Julie Riber. Include hooks for backpacks and purses, a small shelf for keys and phones, a few file holders for school papers, the grocery list, etc., and a tray or bin to temporarily house shoes. Project by Custom Wood Creations in Dayton.

Create Solutions

Find a home for everything.

The most important—and overlooked—step in creating lasting organization: designate a home for every single item and a use for every space.

“It’s a necessity,” Yesko says. “Without it, that’s how things get out of control.”

Reserve the most accessible locations for belongings that rank high in both importance and frequency of use.

Don’t fight nature.

For best results, clutter-busting solutions should cater to your family’s natural tendencies. If everyone in your clan dumps their shoes at the front door, cubbies at the back door aren’t going to accomplish anything. Likewise, if your dining room table doubles as a desk, don’t attempt to banish the paperwork, Yesko says. Instead, create a portable workstation that easily packs up, using a handled file box or simply a system of manila folders housed in a basket.

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Label it.

Leave room to grow.

Particularly in larger households, labeling bins, shelves and other “homes” for items can be an essential tool for maintaining order. In the pantry, for example, designated shelving space for cereal, soup, baking supplies, etc. makes it easy to know, at a glance, what’s available for a last-minute meal and what needs to be restocked.

Even young children can get in the habit of stowing their toys and games in the appropriate places—just label the location with pictures rather than words.

Whether you’re filling a closet or deciding between a 72- or 100-quart bin for Halloween decorations, make sure that 25 percent of the space is left open, Yesko recommends. This is a crucial component for keeping your system intact as you accumulate future belongings or relocate items from other spaces in your home.

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6 If your reorganizing and purging project involves paperwork, spend just 20 minutes deciding what's trash, what needs to be filed and what requires additional action, recommends professional organizer Jill Yesko. It will get you in the habit of dedicating time to the task every day without feeling overwhelmed. Photo courtesy of California Closets 7 Ideal for storing trays, serving platters and barware, or setting up for buffets, this multifunctional space encourages entertaining. Photo courtesy of California Closets 8 To utilize vertical space in a closet, professional organizer Susan Layden likes to use hanging systems for belts, scarves, jewelry, hats and ties. Project by J.S. Brown & Co in Columbus. Photo by Dale Clark 9 An abundance of light makes it easier to tackle almost any organization project. Photo by Daniel Feldkamp

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Step 3

Maintain

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Schedule it.

When it comes down to it, organization is built on routines, not storage systems.

“The biggest thing is to schedule it regularly, rather than saying, ‘I’ll find time later,’” Layden says.

Busy families can benefit from scheduling a daily “pick-up time” right before dinner or bed. If paperwork and mail is an ever-present problem in your home, assign one place and time for sorting, purging and filing every day, she says.

To keep those routines in place, set aside 10 to 15 minutes every Sunday to look over everyone’s calendars and assign responsibilities for the week, Yesko recommends.

In addition to keeping your home tidy and the chores checked off, the proactive process can help you plan for the week—from meals to carpools.

Practice prevention.

To achieve lasting organization, Julie Riber, the owner of Transformare Organizing Services and a board member with NAPO’s Ohio chapter, recommends establishing ground rules for what stays, what goes and when. A few examples: “I will not keep newspapers older than one week or magazines older than two months”; “Any non-perishable item in my pantry for more than a year will be donated”; or “If it’s worn, torn, stained or broken, I will throw it away.”

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If you’re prone to retail therapy or can’t turn down a bargain, take a cue from Layden, who sometimes gives clients signs that remind them “Less is more” or “Enough is enough.”

Adjust as needed.

If you’re not working with a pro, expect to make some adjustments as your system is put to the test of everyday life. Use those weekly household meetings to address any problems or challenges and create a plan to restore order.

RESOURCES

California Closets; Custom Wood Creations; Discover Organizing Inc; J.S. Brown & Co.; National Association of Professional Organizers; ShelfGenie; Susan’s Organizing Solutions; Transformare Organizing Services

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