Everyone has areas in their home that get pretty crazy. A junk drawer, the area you drop your mail, a bathroom cabinet, even the family car. At the moment, my refrigerator is a trouble zone because of the 17lb turkey that’s chilling until Thanksgiving, and the cupboard under my kitchen sink looks like a smorgasbord of cleaning supplies. Life gets crazy, and sometimes you can get behind on an organized home.
I am constantly evaluating areas in my home that need work and enjoy finding resolves for these trouble zones. If you’re not sure where to start or the thought of organizing your own home feels overwhelming, let me share some helpful tips!
What is a "zone?"
Before we get into it, I'd like to note that a zone is a single drawer, shelf, or storage bin. When decluttering and organizing may feel intimidating, looking at zones instead of entire rooms, will help you give purpose to that zone and identify how to fix the space to best work for you.
Identifying areas in your home that may be considered trouble zones should be pretty easy. When you’ve got cluttered areas, difficulty finding items, or a space that may not have a clear, concise purpose, this would be a good indication of where to begin your home organization projects. When looking at these trouble zones, you should consider if you’re able to declutter, rehome, or donate items that are contributing to this trouble zone.
Most of the time, you can get a great deal of organization done in about 10 minutes. Even if you have a room packed full of items, 10 quick minutes can help clean the space, if you’re committed to getting it organized. Within these 10 minutes, take time to categorize your items. Does the item belong in this space, or would it be better suited to serve its purpose in another area of your home? Do you really need it? Decluttering can be a daunting process for many people but once it’s done, you will feel so much happier in your space.
There are so many different ways to declutter and organize, and the process you choose is entirely up to personal preference. You should organize your space based off of the way you use it and how best it could benefit your home. There are many resources that will point you to tools you’re able to use when organizing, and a quick internet search can give you a multitude of options.
One of my favorite projects, repurposing is a bigger venture than simply organizing, but it offers great rewards, as well. If you’ve got a trouble zone, it would be a good idea to consider whether or not this area is right for its function. For example, if you have a cupboard used for cleaning supplies, and it seems to always be messy and difficult to manage, repurposing the space is a great option. Repurpose this cupboard for other needs and place your cleaning supplies in a more practical area of your home.
Organizing your home can seem an intimidating endeavor. Although there are many resources online, sometimes getting hands-on help will give you the greatest outcome.
The Purposeful Home focuses on organization based off of our individual client’s needs. We enjoy all aspects of the organization process and give purpose to the space to bring the greatest benefit to our clients. Give us a call for a free consultation and find out how we can help give your trouble zones purpose and functionality.