How to stay organized after decluttering

14 June 2017

Every year thoughts turn to how we can reinvigorate our homes. For many, decluttering is a great way to usher in the new season, but it also has major psychological benefits – after all, a tidy home makes a tidy mind! But how do we keep this fresh new start from deteriorating back to our usual mess?

Minimalism

Here are 5 tips on how to transform your space and ensure it stays that way all-year round.

Baby steps are essential

The prospect of decluttering and deep cleaning an entire home can feel overwhelming, particularly if it’s been a while since you embarked on an edit of your home. To maximise feelings of empowerment avoid tackling too many spaces simultaneously. Instead set aside a couple of hours a week to focus on one room, and then return back to revise bits accordingly. Attack the main space before you make a start on storage such as cupboards and chests of drawers. You’ll find that you’re much more motivated and mobilised if you go through each area methodically and keeping in mind it’s a work in progress!

Gone with the wind

Avoid being overly sentimental about things that you don’t love, don’t use or are broken. Do you have a makeup box full of neon eyeshadows and high gloss lip shines that you haven’t worn since your early twenties? Bin them! Are there chipped mugs and cracked plates in your kitchen cupboard that you’ll never get around to repairing? Time to say goodbye! A ruthless approach to detoxing your home of pieces that are past their sell-by-date is one of the easiest ways to feel refreshed and revitalized.

Sort first, style later

Once you’ve cleared the clutter you can continue boosting your motivation by styling your space. Once styled, you are more likely to keep things neat. Arrange books, bowls and interesting accents in varying heights for easy impact, it’s also a great way of giving a particular home to all your belongings so that you remember where to put them back.

More is most certainly more

Many people prefer to have a statement coffee table in their front room or an extravagant island in their kitchen – both of which occupy a lot of space. In these instances opting for furniture which comes with compartments is a great way to maximise your space and keep things organised. Not only will it add mystery and flair, but also add a multi-purpose edge to your abode.

It’s storage inception

This may seem like an obvious solution, but it’s frequently overlooked. Boxes are a great way of keeping things separate from one another, particularly shoes, socks and even cosmetics. To avoid a pile of shoes overflowing from your shoebox, pack your out of season footwear into a storage box and tuck them under your bed drawers or pop them into your closet. Segregating your underwear, ties and other items into boxes allows you to maximise space in drawers for more.

Written by Wayfair’s resident style advisor, Nadia McCowan Hill