I am not a hyper-organized person but I must admit I do get complimented for having a home where there are no visible stacks of paperwork or piles of random things. There is no "landing strip" of mail and keys and catalogs. No, I don't have a personal assistant or live-in maid. I just created a decluttering system that actually works with — rather than against — my lazy tendencies and organizational idiosyncrasies…
First I had to reconcile several competing personality traits:
1) I abhor clutter and piles. I like my countertops to be bare and my desktops clean (Image #1).
2) I am messy beneath the surface. I am not a naturally meticulous person and lack attention to detail when it comes to filing and organizing. While my home is superficially very tidy, when you peek into the drawers and cabinets you will find my Martha Stewart facade is only skin deep. This is not to say my closets and filing cabinets are overflowing and chaotic. Things are in the right place but they don't look pretty (very little folding and no color coding).
3) I am a little lazy. I am a slacker when it comes to putting things in their correct spot at the very moment I find them. Sure, I am busy but I am also just sort of lazy. We live in a townhouse and I am unlikely to climb 2 flights of stairs to file a mortgage statement the very day it arrives in the mail.
Instead of trying to change any of these tendencies, I decided to build a system around my weaknesses.
1) I store clutter behind closed doors. Knowing I will always be a bit of a slob on the details of storage, I have a lot of cabinets with doors that close. Our files are in a closet because I know I will never keep the file boxes tidy enough to be on display. Our "landing strip" is inside a kitchen cabinet (with a door that closes) on a high shelf, where my husband diligently dumps his 800 coins, metro card and wallet.
2) "The pile drawer". I have a series of transitional "halfway houses" for the piles of things that accumulate throughout the day. I do have a pile of papers but it is inside a kitchen drawer. Instead of leaving things out on the counter I put them in the "pile drawer" (Image #2). When I get an invitation I RSVP by email on my phone and record the date in my phone's calendar. Then the invitation goes in the drawer or trash. Other mail is opened, looked over and put in the drawer for later filing. The pile drawer is also the repository for my kids' artwork and school materials. When the drawer starts to fill up or when I get in one of those manic organizing moods I get a grocery bag and lug it all upstairs for proper filing.
My logic is this: The reason people keep piles of papers on their countertops is that they fear that if they put them out of sight they will forget about them. But unless your pile is only 2 pages deep you are likely to forget about the stuff at the bottom of your stack, right? Visual reminders are no longer potent if they are lost in a crowd of clutter. You may as well put the whole stack in a drawer and call it a day.
3) Baskets. Most bills are paid online but those that must be paid by hand are paid immediately or placed in the Ballard Designs step baskets we have at the base of each staircase (Image #3). These baskets are also a point of collection for all those random things that somehow migrate downstairs throughout the day. Clothes, for example. My young kids change their outfits at least seven times per day. The unsoiled ones are placed in the basket to go upstairs and the dirty ones are put in the mini laundry basket (Image #4) on the stairs to the basement. This laundry basket is actually an old wine bucket. But because I am lazy I often don't feel like traipsing downstairs to the laundry every time a kid spills her juice. This mini laundry way station is the perfect solution for me. And because it is so tiny I am never tempted to let too much accumulate. The stairs to the basement have been equipped with some cheap shelving that holds 5 Pottery Barn baskets (Image #5), one of which is a halfway house for random toys that need to be returned to the basement playroom.
I know this isn't rocket science, but it works for me. And the best part is that I get to have a really tidy house without having to change my habits.
What is your process for harnessing clutter? Is it an endless battle or do you have a system that works with your personality quirks?
Images: Catrin Morris
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i'm the same way. i find that it's helpful to purge unwanted/unused items often.
My smile grew wider as I read. I am realising that this is me too. Very well written!
This is me too, pretty much 98%.
I did buy much smaller baskets for bills, receipts and things to keep or file because the one big basket catch all was my dirty little secret besides my junk drawer. I don't have any clutter but I do accumulate paper items like crazy. The smaller bins force me to go through them every three weeks.
Since I am a tosser in the drawer kind of person I go through that every other month too.
Hear, Hear! Thanks for the tips.
It was like you were peering into my soul.
I keep a box on the hall table for mail clutter. I go through it a couple of times a month. It makes the worst of it invisible. That and religious paper recycling!
Yes yes yes. Organization is just so much easier when you work WITH the lazy, rather than against it.
I finally found my missing twin sister! I too love rooms bare but am not a minimalist or a neat freak as have many unneeded posessions and lazy tendencies. So as my family is adding on 800 square feet of space for me, rather than squeezing in a second bedroom that would turn into a junk room, we designed a big utility closet, lots of kitchen cabinetry and an 11 foot long rectangle walk in with a custom closet system which will also serve to separate the living/kitchen and sleeping area. The plan is everything will be put away, the desk in the living area will only have a laptop on it while files/office supplies will be stored away on the bottom of the utility closet. I too tend to put my mail out of sight in a beautiful printed box with a cover that sits on a shelf of my media center.
I also tend to favor using ottomans & trays rather than coffee/end tables which tend to collect clutter. I prefer night stands with drawers to put things away. My jewelry is tucked away in stackable velour trays. I leave beautiful bowls out to deposit the keys and other pocket items. I've bought two eames hangall hooks that will hang at the end of the walk in to collect the jackets, sweatshirts and bags that invariably end up lying around. The kitchen will have a second pantry sized unit that will house appliances so nothing needs to be left out and other large kitchen items. Bf is a carpenter/construction so I'll be having him make some organizers that can be installed on the inside of my cabinet doors to store spices/cutting boards and other items that can be tucked into that small normally unused space. Thanks for such a great article with some good ideas.
i just finally started my own "pile drawer" last month and i'm delighted to have all of that paper off of my kitchen counter.
Thanks for the tips... I need a "pile drawer", I have a giant counter that I love, but it is always filled up with mail.
Thank you! I just thought of a way to make an empty basket useful with this tip.
The skies have parted! God bless all us pile hiders!
This is me too! Except that my pile drawer is in the credenza by the front door. Mail comes in, interesting/urgent items are attended to, and the rest gets swept into the drawer until a really good Law & Order or Criminal Minds marathon comes on.
This is me! Whenever someone compliments my neatness, I always request that they never look in a closet. Unfortunately, I married a man whose organization style is to pile and heap. We now have an almost-1 year old who comes with an assortment large colorful plastic things. And we live in a small house. I really need my husband to take a business trip so I can weed out his piles and stashes without him being around to save all his "treasures."
If it is out of sight, it is out of mind (file cabinets are death for me), so I have places for everything and neat and tidy piles that remind me what I need to pay attention to. I can't stand clutter in drawers and such, so those are very organized. Though probably a bit more stuff out than your example, my places look neat and tidy--and I still know things are there. You are so right that we need to work with, rather thank against our individual organizational styles.
I'm the total opposite - I need my piles out and screaming at me, otherwise I will forget them and forget what is in them. My drawers, cupboards, and closets, however, are quite tidy. When I do get around to putting things away, I do it right.
I am such a mess...any drawer turns into a complete disaster, so at least if it's on the counter it has to stare me in the face rather than turn into a black hole of junk. Not like I even have a single drawer in my kitchen though.
Our "landing strip" is inside a kitchen cabinet (with a door that closes) on a high shelf, where my husband diligently dumps his 800 coins, metro card and wallet.
Hilarious.
I so wish I could get my husband to decide on a landing strip that is convenient for me! I'd love if he hid it but would settle for it not being a cabinet top in the living room and half the bathroom counter. You are a lucky gal!
Funny, I don't remember posting this...
(lulz)
I am exactly the same way! I hate visible clutter (especially piles, and especially, especially piles of paper!), but alas I am working against my nemesis -my pile-loving husband. He put EVERYTHING into piles -he's actually known for this! I like clear surfaces, but it's going to take some more work to create a convert! (Plus we have exactly 2 packed drawers in the kitchen of our smallish apt.)
After living with my mother, mother-in-law, and stepmother, all very different women, I've noticed that people tend to fall into one of three categories: 1) those who hate clutter but don't care if things are a mess behind closed doors; 2) those that hate disorganisation and are willing to live with the clutter in order to get things organised "right"; and 3) those who are uber-humans and keep things both clutter-free and organised. (I do not fall in the 3rd category!)
I'm a type 2, so stashing things makes me nervous, but I also hate living in a cluttered house. I'm going to try out the pile drawer!
I avoid piles of paper by dealing with paper as soon as it comes in. The recycling bin is right next to the kitchen garbage can, so most of the mail goes in the recycling, the non-recyclables go in the garbage, his stuff goes on his desk and my stuff goes on mine.
When we moved into this house, I agonized about where to put the recycling bins, because I knew that if it wasn't super easy and convenient to recycle, it wouldn't happen. So instead of stashing the bins in the garage or something, I bought some stacking ones and put them right next to the kitchen garbage.
haha brilliant!
I don't have nearly as many hiding spaces as you do, but if I did...
I just open the mail, throw the envelope in the recycling bin (a reusable shopping bag hung in a cupboard near the front door) and put the letter or bill or whatever straight in my handbag. At the end of each week I clear out my handbag whilst doing online banking and file everything once it has all been dealt with. I try to only 'touch' pieces of paper maximum twice.
I don't get junk in the mail because we have stickers here that you get from the post office which, once you put it on your mailbox, stops the postman from delivering junk to you.
Everything else 'stuff'wise is dealt with by having a home for everything and never moving from one space to another emptyhanded.
no junkmail? ... HongKonger lives in heaven.
I made up a law in our house and called it, "The Newspaper Reduction Act of 1999," whereby all newspapers older than a week are pitched, no matter what.
I'm a card carrying member of the hidden clutter club.
I have a PO box, so I visit the post office about twice a week and sort out everything in my box right there, so it never enters the apartment. I recycle all junk mail and envelopes, mail out the bills if I have my checkbook, and come home with just my JCrew catalog! If I had my mail delivered, it would be a lot harder to stay on top of the clutter.
i'm only the first #1, and (if) according to Carolyncc, i am no.3
In fact I even have a frame that says "dull women have immaculate houses". =)
nooo..I'm not psycho, or ubber, or anything(= I just.. ..hate clutter. and for things i hate, i work against it, makin it sure that does not happen =)
(little 'confide': as a kid i lost things, lost time, [mainly lost things.
and being poor losing things can mean never getting 'em replaced] and gain a wardrobe of criticism being in messy environment, hence, the "firm war against mess" now, thats why =))
I think you might just have solved all my problems! Thanks!
The truth is out... The reason for hanging cutlery is that... The pile drawer alongside the junk drawer and any other stuff drawer are replacing cutlery drawers and finally we can say we are neat ... if only on the surface!!!
Ditto, carrie8. I need to teach my husband these tricks of hiding the piles until they can be properly dealt with. Instead, it ends up piled on top of the desk in the office, and when I try to move anything to, you know, reach the keyboard, I hear a, "Don't touch my stuff or I'll never find it!"
@daylight:
"I'm a card carrying member of the hidden clutter club."
I love it!! A new name for us. I am so glad I have company in my habits. These comments are too funny!
-Catrin
YES, I can relate. I hate clutter, but am lazy. I finally figured out the "pile box," which is just like your pile drawer. I don't let things get out of hand, will purge everything periodically, it just isn't all cute and color coded.
Phew! So nice to be in the company of so many like-minded people. I.e. not #3 on Carolyncc's list. :)
I probably fall into her #2 category, I also need my piles out and "screaming at me" in order to put them away properly. Otherwise they might disappear into a black hole.
Also: "we have stickers here that you get from the post office which, once you put it on your mailbox, stops the postman from delivering junk to you." Best. Postal idea. Ever.
As a semi-reformed clutterer, most everything has an assigned place in my home, however I collect clutter around where I watch TV/read/sleep so at each location I have a covered basket with handles and inside goes everything that should be moved elsewhere. Once a week I walk those baskets around the house, returning everything to its place or to the recycle spot, and the only thing that doesn't go in those baskets are dirty dishes or laundry. When guests come into my home, all they see is a beautiful closed basket and not all the clutter, so far it's been my best 'no guilt' approach to clutter.
This is exactly what I've been trying to do in my house: organize systems to contain the clutter and deal with it on a timely basis. Hasn't completely worked out yet... toddler and messy husband oblige.
Can you show a pic of your "landing strip?" That is just brilliant!
OK, I've added two pics. The first is of the shelves I have in the kitchen, where the "landing strip" is (top shelf). Middle shelves are kid-accessible cereal/snacks and bowls/plates/cups. Very Montessori of me, but I like them to be able to reach their own stuff.
The second pic is a close up of our so-called landing strip. Pretty hot, eh?
We r the same!
I love all your ideas, some I already have in place, the basket for upstairs being one.
As for papers, I received a shredder for Christmas, best gift I have ever gotten!
As for my landing strip and my own laziness:
I finally realized that three young children (and usually hubby) will never ever hang up their coats in the coat closet, empty their knapsacks and stack them neat or line their shoes/boots up in a perfect row on the floor and I hate doing it for them. So I emptied the coat closet, got rid of the excess and put a shelving unit inside. On the shelving unit are several baskets:
one for each child/adult mitts/hats etc
one for the dog's stuff like his collar, leash and coat
one for all the papers that come in
one for stuff that needs to leave, library books, mail, videos
one for keys
there is enough space to one side for sports equipment like hockey sticks, skates etc and enough clearance underneath for a few pairs of spare shoes and hubby's workboots
So what did I do for the coats, knapsacks and shoes? In our entry hall I had hubby put up several basic hooks (enough for us and two extras for guests), the kind with two spots, one for a knapsack/purse the other for your coat and put two matching boots trays on the floor underneath.
I can now get through my front hall!
I hate visible piles, too.
And I was able to eliminate getting any catalogs in the mail by entering the eighty I used to receive, here https://www.catalogchoice.org/
Was a little tedious. I'd tear the back page off the catalog and when I had a few enter them at the same time. Took a while for it to work but a year later I get only a couple of small pieces of mail every day. Don't miss the catalogs, either. I can go to their websites if I really need something. and it's so great not dealing with a pile of junk mail every day.
I am exactly the opposite!! (Well, except I'm lazy, too.) I live in an 80 year old house with tons of drawers and cabinets and I swear there are ones I haven't opened in 3 years. If something goes in a drawer, it is essentially gone. Drawers and cabinets are, for me, "deep" storage and so I am forced to keep my piles to a minimum just out of self-defense. I deal with all mail immediately. The only bill we write out is our mortgage and we have a good little system for that. Otherwise all of it is online. Clothes, too, stay out once washed to force me to fold and put them away properly asap. I, too, love clear surfaces, but at the same time, sometimes I like seeing my stuff. Does that make sense? But then again, we don't have children...
I try to keep an immaculate house, and I am not boring. sincerely, mary
Even as a child, I had no problem editing, be it clothes, toys, books or records that I could put in the annual garage sale my parents' circle of friends consolidated every year. These days, it's just a habit, but highlights include: 3M hooks inside cabinet doors for any utensil with a hole in the handle; recycling bin on the garage wall next to the driver's side door, which is where I land with my junk mail; paperless billing/print/save as PDF/backup HD; over-the-door-hooks from the pantry to the br closets; sell magazines at Half Price Books as soon as I get a stack going ($ = cup o' coffee); and the standby, "Never leave a room empty-handed." At least one thing in that room needs to go back somewhere.
The floor-is-1ft-deep-in-clothes me of my early 20s has been replaced lately by the must-tidy-everything me of my late 20s. Our landing strip works quite well at keeping things in check. I bought two magazine files, covered them with pretty paper and put them on a bookshelf in our hallway. My unfiled papers go in one, boyfriend's go in another. If he leaves letters or papers out (except on his desk which I leave well alone), that is where he can expect to find them. I also bought a very beautiful ceramic dish for the coins that he always dumps on the shelf, and another one for keys. I think clutter doesn't look so bad if it has a pretty and suitable receptacle. The key for me has been sorting out the difference between stuff that will always get put down and picked up on a daily basis (solution: attractive landing sites for it) and stuff that sits around for ages because no-one has been bothered to put it away (solution: file! file! file!).
Not entirely dissimilar here... knowing my husband was a visual person, I realized it would be an eternal fight unless I loosened up on my own rigid store, fold, alphabetize systems. So we got rid of my dressers, and put cubbies in the closets. He can do whatever he wants with his cubby; mine are a bit tidier. In the kitchen closet, we put an elfa rack with drawers to be a pantry- as long as he puts away the spice containers in the spice drawer, I don't mind if he doesn't alphabetize them. This way, everything is in a place, even if Martha Stewart would have a heart attack.
To be fair, he also has a heart attack when I go labeling things with my little label maker. He drew the line when I tried to put labels on our bento sets.
Unfortunately, I think I am the opposite! I like everything to be so organized stored away that I dread doing it, and everything ends up in piles on my kitchen island. These piles are the END of me - they drive me totally crazy, but I just can't seem to get rid of the never-ending "to do" piles.
I think I'm going to have to heed some of your advice. I especially like the "pile drawer." Great point that out of sight is equally out of mind as a giant pile on the counter. Now, I just need to figure out what drawer to clear out....
I like your focus on maintenance. I have a simple three step decluttering s.o.s. formula, but clutter returns continuously like the tide.
Personally, I use an inbox, with a billpay folder. A system called zap, the zen action process to manage info. And stuff has a home. The maintenance action is a continuous process of transitioning from one activity to another.
There's my key, the transition. I do not begin a new activity until the previous activity is completed. Completion involves clearing the space. Like yourself, I do find that items in transition will sit in temporary places, but if the space is already organized, and activity clearing is continuous, it will not be a problem.
ca
I was just recently lamenting how no matter how much I organize and clean, I still have little piles of clothes, papers, books. I wish I had as many drawers and cabinets that I didn't need to use as you do! I'd end up having piles of the stuff that is kept in the drawers!