How to Create Zones for an Organised Home

Home is a place where we feel safe, comfortable, and can wind down after a long day. Now that we're spending most of our time at home though, it can feel like lots of different elements of our lives are being packed into our homes.

Keeping your different daily activities in distinct areas of your home can help to preserve the relaxing atmosphere homes are meant to have, while still letting you do all the things you have to do. It can even help you feel more productive and organised, giving everything in your home a dedicated spot that it can return to and feel tidy.

Here's how you can create these organised zones in your home for different activities and maintain the balance you need to keep your mind on top form.

List your main activities

Everyone's interests vary, so it's important to make your home space work for you. It is your home after all! Firstly, you'll need to figure out what your main activities are and the things that go with them.

If you're an avid reader, maybe you want a spot in your home that you can dedicate to getting stuck into a good book. This might mean that you want your book collection close at hand too, along with a reading lamp and maybe a cosy chair. All these items will be grouped under this activity, and you'll be one step closer to understanding what'll need to go into your reading zone.

One big thing that's happened in 2020 is the need for being able to work from home. Typically, you'll want to have a desk and office chair for this, as well as having your computer, keyboard, second screen, etc. All this big and bulky stuff takes up a lot of space in the home, but it is important to have a specific spot in your home where you can work. This can help you to switch off and leave work behind when you're done for the day, rather than feeling like work is invading your private space.

Sort them into categories

Whatever your weekly routine consists of, make sure you've got an understanding of what these activities are. If there are any that can be easily put into the same category, like yoga and using an exercise bike falling under general fitness, then this will help to show how important some areas will need to be if you'll be using it a lot.

There can also be some crossover which isn't as obvious, but it can help focus in on how many zones you actually need. If you're intending on creating a zone for working, then this desk space can also be used for writing, video editing or arts and crafts under the category of productivity.

Once you've streamlined your activities down into categories, you should have a rough idea of the number of zones you'll want to create. Some may be bigger or more important that others, but there will likely be logical places for everything.

Plan out your home

Now you've got your list, it's time to start applying it to your home and divide things into zones. There are some areas which are somewhat obvious, like cooking in the kitchen and everything bathroom related, but it's still useful to mark them down. Maybe making coffee is something you want a zone for, where you can have a coffee machine, beans, cups, etc.

The space you have to utilise will entirely depend on the size and layout of your home, which you'll know better than anyone. It will likely split out quite naturally into specific rooms, maybe with nooks and alcoves that suit having their own purpose.

Working through your list starting with what you do most or think is most important will help to prioritise the available space, but there's nothing to stop you changing things later on. Here are some quick tips to bear in mind while matching activities to zones in your home:

• Preserve your sleep space - your bedroom should ideally be just used for sleeping and getting dressed. Having a room dedicated to just sleeping helps build the association that being in that zone means its time to switch off and can help you fall asleep easier.
• Keep work separate - as we've mentioned, having an area where you can get your head down and work is important. Having a room dedicated to productivity can get you in the right mindset when you're in there, but also leave any stress behind when you close the door to that room.
• Double up - not all of us have the luxury of being able to dedicate a room to an activity, especially if you have children. Understanding how rooms can serve multiple purposes can help, like if the kids are at school then tidying up their toys in the living room could give you the perfect space for a yoga mat.

The purpose of these zones isn't necessarily to confine your activities to one space only, but it can give you the peace of mind around keeping things tidy. Having the relevant storage options close at hand can turn 10 minutes of wondering where to put things into 60 seconds of popping things away and getting on with the rest of your day.

If you feel that your home can't really accommodate all your activities due to limited space, or maybe you've got more space than you know what to do with, it could be time to look at a new home.

Berkeley Group have a wide range of fantastic properties to suit whatever size home you need. Take a look at our available properties and start planning how your zones would shape up in your new home.