apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i agree partially with kodak that having organizing gadgets don't automatically make you organized but having a system on how to use those gadgets can. as a pro organizer i totally disagree that if you're unorganized you always will be...

one myth (if that's what you call it) of organizing i really hate is the old if you haven't worn/used in X many months get rid of it:

http://theorderobsessed.blogspot.com/2009/01/all-organizing-advice-is-not-equal_19.html

As an interior designer and having worked in a home organization store for several years, the myths I see many people falling into are:

Myth #1: "I'm disorganized because I don't have the right stuff." Most organization is a matter of assessing how we perform tasks and arranging the things we already own accordingly, rather than a matter of buying sweater boxes or spice racks. Like keeping baking needs near where you have counter space so you can reach things easily while you are preparing; and keeping cooking herbs near the stovetop so you can reach them while you are cooking. And why sort your closet by length of garment when it is by color that you choose what to wear?

Myth #2: "Getting organized means everything I have will fit." The best way to get organized is to PURGE! Most of the before/after pics you see owe their results to the elimination of clutter and unnecessary junk. With the exception of space bags, things don't get smaller depending on where you place them, and likewise your home doesn't get bigger.

lcatt, I couldn't agree more with your nixing the "if you haven't worn/used in X many months get rid of it" rule. I have a wardrobe full of professional clothes I haven't worn in nearly two years because I was caring for my bf during his terminal illness. I had a professional cleaner/organizer come in shortly after his death to help me get the house back into shape, and the first thing she tried was to get me to toss out my perfect good clothes because I hadn't worn them in 18 months. When I asked her if she was going to pay for a new interview wardrobe, she backed off.

madampince: so sorry about your bf....
there seems to be this list of organizing rules that some people follow just because someone, somewhere said so. i follow reason and lifestyle to dictate when to keep, toss, where to put things, etc.

i use clothes as an example but it can work for so many things. getting rid of something for the sake of it is just as bad as keeping something for the sake of it.

was kodak's first comment removed?

madampince - There's a special place in heaven for people like you...

I agree that not everyone needs to buy stuff to get organized, but some folks do lack basic components such as shelves or furniture with drawers that are necessary just to keep the stuff off the floor or out of sight...
...but you don't need filing cabinets or expensive little boxes - choosing items such as an end table/nightstand with a drawer and a shelf rather than a laser-pierced end table or a credenza rather than a leggy sofa table can be used to stash lots of things away.

The other organizing "Myth" is that it's a project that you tackle once every few years then you're done - like painting the walls or buying a sofa. Organization is a constant chore - more like cleaning the kitchen, walking the dog or mowing the lawn: Ignore it for too long and you're gonna end up with a big mess on your hands.

my coworker said that one of the most liberating advice someone gave her is to just categorize her bills by year - and throw them all in there instead of stressing out about separating them into piles by company, then month, then year, because how often do you really look back on them?

I think that's a great illustration about thinking how stuff gets used, and then work backwards from there. and not to work so hard about personal habits that are probably here to stay, like hating to file. for me, I've determined that I will probably never stop just dumping all my stuff by the door the minute I get home, so I found a case of drawers with all the drawers missing, put a piece of fabric on a tension rod to cover the case, and now whenever I walk in the door instead of dumping everything on the floor, I dump it in all behind the fabric. then once a week I clean it out. a simple solution!