Master the Art of Organising Your Home

Make a fresh start in your new home – here are some expert tips to help you organise each room so everything’s easy to find and your space has a sense of calm.

Take time to organise your possessions when you move
Image credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Moving is the perfect time to get rid of unwanted things and organise your new home – you’re already unpacking boxes and finding new places for each item. Here’s how to tackle your new home room by room. 

Bathroom

Make sure you make a place for everything in your bathroom
Image credit: Berkeley Group

“The bathroom is a great place to start. It tends to have less items to sort through than other rooms, which means you can quickly see results,” says professional organiser Lizzie Grant from Declutter on Demand. “Organising your bathroom can transform it from a purely functional space into a relaxing place to indulge in a bit of self-care.”

“First, group products into categories so similar items are together. Check if any have passed their use-by dates. Typically, makeup and toiletries have an expiry date of six to 12 months after opening, so keep that in mind. Decide how many of the remaining products you actually use and let go of anything you no longer need.”

As you put things onto shelves, keep similar products together with labels facing forward so you know what you’ve got. We often re-buy things like shampoos only to find some we already had. 

Use wooden boxes with lids to store items like toothbrush and shaving chargers so they’re tucked away neatly. The less that is on display, the tidier the space will feel. If possible, put cleaning products away in a cupboard or in a different room. 

Kitchen

Decide what you need on your countertops and what can be stored away
Image credit: Berkeley Group

“Kitchens tend to get cluttered quickly, making it hard to find the ingredients you need and difficult to prepare meals,” says Lizzie. “Take time to declutter and organise this space and you will quickly find you can channel your inner Nigella again.”

When deciding where to home things, think about what you use daily, or just a few times a month and organise items according to frequency of use. “Be realistic about which items need to be easily accessible on your countertops,” says Lizzie. “This particularly applies to large appliances which take up a lot of space – do they really need to be out all the time? Lesser used items should be stored high up or low down and items used more frequently should ideally be at waist-height so it is easier to get them out when you need them.”

Use drawer inserts to group things like cutlery and items in your kitchen “junk drawer”. Clear glass jars and labels are a popular way to store food items such as pasta, teabags and cereal – you can see how much you’ve got left and it’s aesthetically pleasing, too.

Can’t keep tupperware under control? “Match containers with lids to make sure you do not have more than you need,” advises Lizzie. “Then store lids in a spare container to avoid them sliding all over the place.”

Bedroom

Use drawer dividers to organise items such as socks, ties and underwear
Image credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

“Your bedroom should be a haven for rest and relaxation, without piles of clothes on the floor,” says Lizzie. “Taking the opportunity to declutter your wardrobe when the seasons change is the perfect way to calm the chaos.” 

In your wardrobe, categorise types of clothes so they’re together (dresses, shirts, trousers etc), and then put them into sub-categories such as formal, casual, long sleeve, short sleeve. To help you put outfits together, keep similar colours within each group together. Use drawer dividers to itemise things like socks and underwear.

As you’re going through your clothes, try to get rid of anything that you don’t love and wear regularly. “Be honest with yourself. What do you really love and wear? If you find it difficult to decide, pick your top three favourites in each category that you definitely want to keep, then use this as your benchmark against which the rest have to match up to,” says Lizzie.

“If you are short of space and have clothes you use less regularly or seasonally, store these out of the way in vacuum pack storage bags. Use shelves at the top of wardrobes or storage under your bed to clear space in your wardrobe for clothes which you wear daily.”

Living Room

Choose the items you want to display carefully on shelves for a decorative display
Image credit: Berkeley Group

“Your living room should be a space where comfort and calm reign,” says Lizzie. “This is a room which often caters to more than one person’s hobbies, interests and relaxation techniques, so it can really benefit from some organisation.”

“If you have hobbies which you do in your living room, such as knitting, yoga or crafts, dedicate a space for these items to live. Declutter anything you no longer need or use, then organise the rest using baskets with lids or containers on shelves.”

It’s nice to display things you like but try to limit what’s on show to things you really love. “Grouping ornaments differently and breaking up shelves with small prints and books can really refresh the feel of this room,” says Lizzie. “Set aside a shelf for books that you have not yet read but would like to. This makes choosing a new book more enjoyable.”

Those with young children will know how easy it is for toys to take over a living room. Get your children involved in decluttering these. Give each of them a basket or box for toys they play with regularly and want easy access to. Everything else can be stored away in boxes or in their bedrooms. 

“Donate toys that are no longer played with but are still in good condition,” suggests Lizzie. “There are lots of fantastic charities who take donations of children’s items, such as Little Village HQ , which ensure these go to families who need them most.”

Home Office

Keep your desk clutter-free to be more productive
Image credit: Berkeley Group

“If you are working from home regularly, it’s vital that your workspace is clutter-free and organised so your productivity is not negatively impacted,” says Lizzie. “Both digital and paper organisational systems are key, as is having a dedicated space for your stationery.”

For paperwork, shred or recycle as much as possible. Digitise documents (by scanning or photographing them) that you need to keep and file them with a helpful name. “This is an ideal solution to save physical space – but do make sure it is all backed up,” says Lizzie.

If there is anything you need to keep a physical copy of, store it out of the way. “Think about whether your paperwork filing system is working for you,” says Lizzie. “If not, ask yourself why it is not working. Consider whether there are other systems you would prefer to use. For example, box files or magazine files with labelled plastic pockets for documents rather than a filing cabinet.”

On your desk, pop a couple of pens into a pot and then tidy away any other stationery into a drawer or in a box on a shelf. Limit items like plants, photographs and candles to just one or two.

You’ll find a little bit of organisation can go a long way. So once you’ve sorted each room, not only will your home feel clear and calm, hopefully you will too.