How to Create Zones in Your Home for Better Organisation

Home is a place where we feel safe, comfortable, and can wind down after a long day. Now that more of us are working from home more regularly, 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 home organisation zones and maintain the balance you need to keep your mind on top form.

How to Use Zones For an Organised Home

1. List Your Main Activities

Everyone's interests vary, so it's important to make your home space work for you. It’s 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.

If you work from home, you'll need a desk and office chair, as well as your computer, keyboard, second screen, etc. All this big and bulky stuff takes up a lot of space in the home, but it’s important to have a specific spot in your home where you can work, like a home office. 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.

2. Sort Your Activities 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 of your home will be if you'll be using them a lot.

There can also be some crossover which isn't as obvious, but it can help focus 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 than others, but there will likely be logical places for everything.

3. Plan Out Your Home

Now you've got your list, it's time to start applying it to your home and dividing 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.

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 used only for sleeping and getting dressed. Having a room dedicated to just sleeping helps build the association that being in that zone means it's 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— for example, 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.

Spacious Homes for All Your Needs

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.

At Berkeley Group, we 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.