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Organization expert Diane Lowy of New York at Home shares secrets for taming clutter. by Jeanne O’Brien Coffey

Build your organization systems around the way you live rather than starting from scratch.

DIANE LOWY is full of respect for Marie Kondo, the professional organizer who invaded the zeitgeist with rigid rules for what to keep and how to fold it. But that approach doesn’t work for everyone. Achieving it requires sorting through each item you own, from saucers to socks, and deciding whether it sparks enough joy to make it a keeper, not to mention committing to the KonMari folding-and-storage method after you’ve pared down your belongings.

Bottom line? Your time matters more than making sure everything is perfect—and that’s fine.

“It’s not really about the stuff,” says Lowy, who founded her company New York at Home to help CEO parents—as well as others in need of organization

solutions—manage life outside the office. “It’s about your home supporting your life instead of getting in the way.”

Lowy offers a more relaxed, yet practical approach to clutter: If too much stuff is in the way when you want to use your desk, or the dining room table, or the hall closet, it’s OK simply to box it up and set it aside, rather than deciding whether each item sparks joy. “Just get things out of the way,” Lowy advises. “Then you have instant gratification.”

Lowy’s approach focuses on reclaiming space—both physical and emotional—and building organization systems around the way you already live your life. “You don’t need to start from scratch,” she says. “Be kind to yourself, figure out what’s working, and build off that.”

IDENTIFY PROBLEM SPOTS

The first step is to see where the clutter collects. “Your space tells you where things should be,” Lowy says. For example, take that chair in the bedroom that holds all the clothes that aren’t quite dirty enough to launder but aren’t quite clean enough to put back in the closet. Accept that this pile will always exist, she suggests, and purchase a laundry basket that’s pretty enough to look at. Instead of tossing half-clean garments over a chair, put them in the basket.

“I like to have beautiful places to put things so they attract you,” Lowy says. But make sure they’re also functional. “You can’t underestimate how lazy people are,” she says. “Putting something behind doors means you’re not going to be able to see it. It’s not worth having if no one is going to use it.” Storing shoes in a cupboard, for example, may not work because they won’t be easy to see or reach.

DEVELOP A SYSTEM

“Most people are naturally really good at being able to maintain a structure that’s already there,” Lowy says. “Setting up that system for clutter-prone spaces is the tricky and overwhelming part.” She likens a good organizational structure to a silverware drawer, where every type of utensil has its own slot. “It’s so natural and satisfying to follow the system that to put the knife in the spoon area would be a deliberate decision,” she says, but sometimes you need professional help to design the right structure.

When it comes to reclaiming space, small changes can make a big difference, Lowy says. Focus on “easy wins and low-hanging fruit,” she suggests. The easiest win? Ditching items you know you don’t want anymore.

Pinpoint spots where clutter collects and create attractive storage receptacles for it. “It’s about your home supporting your life instead of getting in the way.”

—Diane Lowy

“Don’t beat yourself up—just pay somebody to take care of it,” Lowy advises. “Think about the amount you pay per square foot per year, either in a mortgage or rent. That space is more valuable for enjoyment than as storage for items you don’t use.” Hiring someone to help you get organized and to remove unwanted items “takes away that nagging feeling that you have this difficult, cumbersome, and time-consuming thing you have to do.”

If you’re not ready to part with anything, that’s all right. “Meet yourself where you are,” Lowy says. “Just opening your mind to the idea that everybody deserves to feel safe, comfortable, and supported by their home is a concept that can open you up to making small changes in your space.”

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