And Everything In Its Place!
I’d been thinking about an angle for another Home Neat Home post when this phrase popped into my head as a theme: “A place for everything and everything in its place.” We’ve all heard it before. I think it really is the essence of a decluttered house.
In this post, I wrote about decluttering and slimming down the variety of things in each category. Once you get to that step, you have to find a place to put everything. But before you can even start sorting, you have to assess the space you have to work with.
My remote control gets tucked into that box under the TV when not in use!
Reimagine your space
Organizing professionals often advise that clients take everything out of their closet/garage/kitchen/junk drawer and then slowly put back things in order of importance, leaving a pile that either needs to be sold, donated, or relocated. Taking everything out will allow you to view the space differently and utilize it in an unimagined way.
I have a spot for everything so I can put it away
I rarely lose things because there is only one spot (maybe two) where I put them. My Kindle is either on my nightstand or on the coffee table. My keys always go in the basket by the door. Incoming paper and mail go into one of two spots: the office inbox or the outbox by the back door. Rain boots and yoga mats always go in the hall closet. My soccer bag is stored in the downstairs mudroom. Even my water bottle has a place where I store it at night in a cabinet. When you have a spot for everything and everything is in its place, the house is tidy and you can always find exactly what you’re looking for.
This piece that I bought on Joss and Main years ago works so hard in our kitchen entryway. Keys go in the basket, the Pottery Barn sorter holds pens and serves as an outbox, the drawers house chapstick, packaging tape, chalk, Gus’s leash and baggies, etc., and the baskets underneath hold shoes and extra dog items.
When everything has a place, tidying is fast!
My home gets cluttered throughout the day, but by evening it takes me 10 minutes to put everything back where it belongs. Clutter problems occur when you don’t have a spot to put something. I am often brainstorming better, smarter systems in which to organize everyday items like shoes, dog gear, Mazen’s toys, kitchen items, and more.
What if you’re low on space?
What do you do if you live in a tiny place with no storage? You can either: reduce your things or create more space. I’ve gotten creative with storage in the past and used my dining room cabinet for kitchen overflow, basement shelves for appliances (I’m seeing a kitchen things problem theme here!), or spare rooms and closets for off season clothes. Smaller spaces forced me to think out of the box for storage solutions.
I didn’t want appliances like the microwave or toaster on the counters, so I had this shelf custom made through Etsy to keep my countertops clear. Wine and extra water bottles fit in the crate on the bottom, and there’s a neat spot for T’s lunchbox.
Simplification will help make this process easier
As much as I love my belongings, I could live without most of them if I had to. I’d just have less variety in my life for serving dishes, sheets, clothes, tablecloths, recreation, and decor and would need to stick to just one per category. If your candle storage box, or your tupperware drawer, or your kids’ toy bins are overflowing, that is not your cue to re-organize; it’s your cue to give some away. We are naturally going to acquire new things, so the other old saying “Out with the old, in with the new” must apply. Every space will fill up in time if we’re not careful. Our job is to make sure everything has a place to rest and space to breathe.
Tablerunners hidden in the coffee table!
Melissa says
Wow, I love the organization! Organization is one thing my house consistently lacks. The Joss and Main piece you have in your entryway is beautiful and I love the overall decor of your home.
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
I loveeee organising. It makes me feel just so much more at ease!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Linda @ the Fitty says
With school starting, it’s definitely a great time too put away the summer clothing and take out the winter stuff too!
Denise Vermillion says
Right?! I love it when I have something new to organize. Last weekend I bought a cubbie / shelf for my desk, and the anticipation was killing me! I did everything else I needed to do, and organizing my cubbie was the prize!
Tracey says
Yes! I was so happy when I saw the title of this post. 🙂 I have been working hard on decluttering the last couple of weeks, and this was a great reminder to make sure everything I actually need has a place. Thank you, Kath!
Katie D. says
Love, Love, Love, this! I recently moved into a new house that is totally different in layout/space/etc. than my previous house. I thought I sorted through things when I packed, but the more I unpack, the more I find to get rid of. This is embarrassing to admit, but I had over 20 boxes of items to donate. YIKES!!!! My previous house was stuffed to the brim and I want my new house to be neat, organized and filled with breathing room 🙂
KathEats says
I moved stuff I thought I needed to, but there’s nothing like a clean slate 🙂
Tamara says
this post completely speaks to my type-A crazy side (but in a good way!). Nothing makes me happier than a clean and organized space! And that sounds so, so sad when I read it back….
KathEats says
I feel the same, but I think you have to feel grounded before you can relax and enjoy all the other wonderful things in life!
Anna says
Great post! Really like the idea about putting things back in order of importance…hadn’t really heard it described that way before…so helpful!
Kelsey says
Your custom made shelf is so pretty! Would you mind providing the link to the etsy seller’s page? Thanks!
KathEats says
Here is the seller’s page!
Brigid says
I’m super jealous of your organizing ability! I have three teenagers and I cannot seem to keep on top of all the papers and other crap that find its way into my house. I wish for a more organized clutter-free house. When I do get my act together it comes unraveled when we get busy again. Maybe one day!
Robin says
Brigid, I feel the same way. I keep trying to tell myself to just stop and appreciate this time in their lives, as someday they will be on their own. I will probably yearn for the influx of stuff as a reminder of these times!
Brigid says
Glad I’m not alone!
Nicole says
I agree, everything having a place is key. But to say, “we are naturally going to acquire new things”, that’s where you and I may differ. I try to NOT let things into the house. I really feel like that has been the biggest change I’ve made in living an organized and more minimal life. If you can stop things from coming into the house in the first place, you’ll have less things to find a place for and less to organize and less to clean. It doesn’t come easy, especially with children. But I honestly try to guard my house from the purchases, acquisitions, hand-me-downs, loot bags, etc that will end up taking over house and my time.
KathEats says
I totally agree with you! I mean more as gifts (or also in my case, blog samples). I try to be a strong gate-keeper too, but I do still have things come in.
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
LOVE this! I just moved into a new home so we have to get in the grove of everything in it’s place, it’s coming together slowly butsurely! I’m with you on the not wanting things on my counter space, Ihave a galley kitchen now so it’s super important! You inspired me to share when it’s all done!
KathEats says
Can’t wait to see!
Anne Weber-Falk says
Excellent post. I am 53 and have had a lot of years to collect things. We just moved to our retirement home, 2 bedroom and one bath and no attic or basement storage. We had to purge so many things that in the past we thought we needed. After reading this post I am ready to purge again. I am sure there are still plenty of things I thought I couldn’t part with “just in case”.
Katie says
I definitely can’t stand clutter and live by the belief that everything has a place! Since my grandmother’s passing, I’ve been accumulating more stuff and my apartment has been feeling a bit cluttered for my liking. I think it’s time to go through and figure out what is working/what’s not/what can stay/what needs to go.
Kim says
I think I see a clue as to the wedding date!
KathEats says
🙂 But you don’t know when the pic was taken!
Courtney says
I am a weirdo who loves reading about organizing ideas. Great tips! Also, love the chalboard note!
Katie says
Kath, can you offer any advice on how to make your partner feel welcomed and at home when he or she moves in? What did you do to prepare the home for Thomas moving in? My boyfriend and I have discussed living together (I’d be moving in with him) so I welcome any thoughts you have on how to make it seamless and comfortable.
KathEats says
I think you just have to talk it out and compare notes since every household is different. In our case, we both had houses with furniture, and I expected him to bring a lot more of his, but most of it was non-sentimental to him, so he ended up selling a lot of it. We had duplicates of many things, so he donated a lot of his stuff, unless it was special (we have artwork of his and decor around that is) or better (his coffeepot and TV were better than mine so we donated mine – lol). I made lots of space in closets, drawers, etc. for him to settle in and feel welcome.
Kaci says
I love your house posts! I am all about cleaning and organizing.
Ella says
I love when you do these posts, Kath! I know I could go to other websites and sources for organization tips, but I feel like you give relatable real-life tips rather than huge projects that feel overwhelming to someone like me. And I live by the rules you lay out here – my husband and I and our 4 kids age 3 months-5 years and our cat live in an 1800 sq ft 3 bedroom house (with a detached 2-car garage that we use for storage since we can park our cars outside in Southern California). There is NO ROOM for clutter!!! A place for everything and everything in its place!!
KathEats says
Thank you!
Faith says
Your home looks so nice & neat, Kath 🙂 I like how you said, “Our job is to make sure everything has a place to rest and space to breathe.”!
Decluttering our home feels so good! I take at least a few bags of things to Goodwill a month.
Lynda says
I love these organization posts also. I feel like I’m on the verge of making changes in my life when I get the urge to de-clutter and organize. It always feels good in more ways than just “cleaning”.
Alice Kim says
I am obsessed with your Home Neat Home series! I’m very much like you in that I have a place for EVERYTHING. Ok but now how does one get their partner to participate in/comply with putting things back in their designated spot!! I’m constantly finding my partner’s gym bag in every spot in our condo except where it belongs 😛
KathEats says
Haha I would just stress the spot and if he really doesn’t ever use it find out why – it’s probably not the best spot! We had to try a few spots for Thomas’s shoes before finding one that we both liked 😉 (and to be honest it’s still not an ideal spot, but I am out of brainstorm options!)