So you want to get each room in your home organized, but you’re not sure where to start? The road to organizing all of the rooms in your home doesn’t need to be complicated. A few simple steps and lifestyle changes can make all the difference in the world and help you to save time and money, and feel more organized and less stressed.
The following are 15 room organization ideas to hep you cut clutter and organize each room in your home.
#15 Turn Your Nightstands into Dressers
This is the oldest trick in the book when it comes to organizing a clutter-free bedroom: think about all of the extra stuff you keep in your nightstand. These may include books you haven’t read, papers you don’t need, jewelry that belongs in your jewelry box, used tissues, etc. Why not make use of this space by storing your clothing in your nightstand instead? Reserve the top drawer for a flashlight, tissues and other must-haves, but use the other spaces to store clothing.
#14 Try a Rolling Cart
This is a great idea for a small space: if you don’t have room for a storage unit like a dresser, night table or large bookshelf, make use of one of Ikea’s most popular items: the Raskog. This rolling cart can be used in the following ways when you’re short on space:
- As a night table
- As a vanity cart in the bathroom to hold makeup and hair tools.
- Store craft supplies
- As an end table in the living room to store remote controls, magazines, DVDs and books.
#13 Organize Your Bedroom into Zones
Instead of thinking of your bedroom as one massive space, mentally break your bedroom up into zones:
- Bed/sleeping area
- Closet/dressing area
- Night tables
- Bureaus/dressers
Organize all the areas of your bedroom one by one. An area could be the storage boxes under your bed, the chair in the corner, or the top of your dresser. If any area is so cluttered that you can’t organize it easily (for example, if your shelves are overflowing with mementos from your childhood or you have so many earrings they no longer fit in your jewelry box) get motivated to give some of your collection away.
#12 Get Rid of Any Unused or Oversized Items
Look around for large items, such as pieces of furniture or extra pillows, that you keep in your bedroom but don’t really use. Maybe you bought an overstuffed chair years ago because you liked the look of it, or brought home a vintage bench because it matched your curtains, and now these pieces are just taking up space.
Or maybe your bedroom is home to an unused piece of exercise equipment or a stack of quilts that look pretty on your bed but get tossed onto the floor every night. Perhaps you recently created a minimalist closet and no longer need that extra chest of drawers in the corner. Anything you can part with, do so now.
#11 Use Some Bedside (or Under Bed) Storage
When your bedroom is short on space, storage pieces that attach directly to your bed frame or your mattress can hold slippers, blankets, books magazines and more. And don’t forget about the space under your bed. You can use plastic storage bins or plain old baskets to store shoes, linens and out of season clothing.
In kids’ bedrooms, use the space under their beds to store books.
#10 Keep Your Most Worn Items Near the Front of Your Closet(s)
We only wear about 20% of the clothes that we store in our closet, so why not store the ones we wear most often up front, in the easiest to reach spot. Professional organizers call this “utilizing your prime real estate.” In technical terms, your prime closet real estate is the space between your knees and shoulders, making the clothing hung there the easiest to see and grab in the morning.
Everything else can be stored further away from prime real estate. The last thing you want to do in a small space like a closet is to have your barely-worns crowding out your everyday items.
#9 Use Magazine Holders to Store Accessories
Store your clothes vertically in magazine holders so they take up less space. Tip: make sure you empty them of coins, hair ties and tissues before storing them like this.
#8 Use Matching Hangers
Mismatched hangers, whether they be remnants of an old set or collected from dry cleaners over the years, can make your closet look messy, even if it actually is well organized. Matching hangers save you space and they look great together. Invest in different hanger styles to hold your different types of clothes (pants, skirts, blouses, belts, etc) for maximum organization and efficiency.
#7 Use Hooks on the Insides of Doors
Hooks are one of the most budget-friendly organizing and storage tool you can buy. Whether in your entryway or elsewhere, hooks are an organizing MVP. Use hooks for the following:
- On the back of your bathroom door to hold towels and towels
- On the inside of your pantry door to hold measuring spoons
- On the inside of your hall closet to hold bags, scarves and hats
- Next to the front or back doors to hold keys and umbrellas
#6 Consider Pull-Out Storage
Don’t think of pull-out storage as a kitchen-only storage solution. Pull-out storage can be used to help organize many different rooms like a bedroom closet, bathroom and playroom. They’re such a storage MVP because they allow you to see the entire contents of a storage space without having to root through every item to get to the back.
#5 Decanter Your Spices
Spices jars come in varying sizes with differing labels and are hard to store and keep neat. Buy a set of matching spice jars and label them so you always know what you’re reaching for while cooking or baking. This will save time and look great.
#4 Use an Old Dresser for Odd Sized-Items Like Kids’ Toys
Toy storage doesn’t have to be perfect. You do not need to go buy storage solutions that fit your kids’ toys perfectly. A couple basic plastic storage containers should do the trick whether you store their toys in a closet, the basement/attic or in the garage.
For the toys your children actually use every day, try repurposing an old dresser rather than purchasing a new toy chest. Cubbies or an old bookcase that is bolted to the wall will work as well. Whatever system you decide to employ, make sure it is easy for small hands (or busy teens) to use.
#3 Organize a Toothbrush Kits for Your Kids
What a clever idea! Create tooth care jars for your kids by storing their own toothbrush and toothpaste in a labeled jar.
#2 Establish a Home “Charging” Station
You’ve got tech gear right? Bluetooth speakers, Kindles, iPads, Androids, laptops, etc. If these items are currently all over your house, consider organizing a home charging station. If you are tech-averse, don’t fret, this is much simpler than it sounds:
- Choose a spot in your that’s close to an electrical outlet and large enough to hold a medium-sized serving tray.
- Now gather all of your tech together and decide how many outlets you need to charge them. Buy a USB wall charger with enough ports to charge at least 1/2 of them at once.
- If you have a designated space for your laptop or desktop computer, you can also establish a charging station there by using a USB Hub. USB hub’s connect to your computer’s USB ports.
- You can choose to store your tech in a charging station or simply organize everything into a serving tray for a DIY alternative.
#1 Outfit Your Entry With a Calendar and a Shoe Cubby
What a great idea for busy families. By storing your shoes in a cubby right by the front door, you get the mess off the floor, get people to take their shoes off before they traipse all over your house, and makes “where are my shoes?” conversations much easier.
The inclusion of a large calendar to track family events is brilliant. Everyone in the household can easily see what’s on the calendar and can mark it up themselves.