Our TeamStephanie Nguyen

Stephanie Nguyen

Lifestyle Director

I oversee all our coverage of lifestyle topics, which include cleaning, organizing, wellness, entertaining, real estate, travel, and more.Honolulu, HIKeep up with me on Apartment Therapy

About Me

As a kid, I used to call the library my safe haven. I’ve always admired how impactful stories can be, so it makes sense that I went on to graduate college with BA degrees in English and Journalism at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. After that, I took on different roles in newspaper and magazine publications, and in my nearly a decades’ worth of experience, I’ve discovered a true passion for home and lifestyle content.

Now as Apartment Therapy’s Lifestyle Director, I head up our lifestyle coverage that spans from the best organizing hacks and cleaning advice to wellness and travel tips, buzzy real estate trends, and everything in-between. Our goal? To help you live your best life at home. In addition to leading our lifestyle team, I also develop and run Apartment Therapy’s Cure, Cleaning Awards, and Organization Awards programs.

When I’m not working, you can find me cozying up on the couch with my dog and husband, reading a good book in bed, or tending to my garden while soaking up the sunshine.

My pronouns

she/her/hers

My education

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (BA in English and Journalism)

My Big Projects

Cure Programs

Cleaning Awards

Organization Awards

Latest Stories

How to Donate (or Sell) Your Old Stuff After Decluttering

When you’re done decluttering your home, you’re not only left with a much more organized space, but also a bunch of stuff that needs to go or find a new place to live. Whether that’s trash or items to donate, giveaway, or sell, here’s how you’re going to deal with everything you’ve just decluttered. Below, find out how to donate, sell, or give away decluttered items.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 27, 2026

Everyone Should Be Using the “Box and Banish” Decluttering Method

There usually comes a point in the decluttering process when you can’t decide if you really want to get rid of or keep a certain item. If you’ve ever faced this dilemma, there’s a brilliant strategy that can help you make a decision.Enter: the “box and banish” method. Here’s how it works.The “box and banish” method is a decluttering strategy where you fill up an empty box with items you’re unsure about keeping or letting go.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 26, 2026

How to Stop Holding Onto All Your Sentimental Clutter

Decluttering items with sentimental value is no easy feat. These possessions were once loved and can represent people, places, and experiences that mean a lot to us, so letting them go can often leave you feeling guilty. But letting go of an object doesn’t mean letting go of the person or memory attached to it, and if something no longer feels meaningful or worth keeping then it’s OK to consider parting with it.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 25, 2026

5 Ways to Prevent Clutter from Taking Over Your Whole Home

Frequently decluttering your home is a great way to keep your place looking clean and organized. But it’s not a complete fix for future problems. For that, you’ll need to look at your current organizational systems and see how you can improve them to stop clutter before it starts. Here’s how to prevent clutter from taking over your home.For today’s assignment, we’ll be doing just one thing to help prevent clutter. (Future you will be so thankful!

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 24, 2026

13 Things to Get Rid Of in Your Bathroom Without a Second Thought

The way you organize your bathroom can make a big difference in how well the space functions. That’s why regular decluttering is so important.Here’s how to give your bathroom a quick refresh with our go-to decluttering strategy.Today we’ll declutter the bathroom as efficiently as possible. Set aside some dedicated time (15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, or whatever timeframe works for you!) to complete this task, and only work on the areas that apply to you.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 23, 2026

14 Things to Declutter from Your Bedroom Right Now

As the place where you start and end your day, your bedroom should feel peaceful and tidy so you can rest and recharge with ease. But if it’s currently a mess, that can directly affect both of those things. That’s why it’s so important to declutter and organize your bedroom. Here’s how to declutter your bedroom, including where and what to look for.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 22, 2026

My Digital Decluttering Trick Works on Every Single Device

When you think about the items cluttering your home, you might immediately think of the mail pile by the entryway, the “clothes chair” in your bedroom, or even hidden messes, like the ones behind drawers, cabinets, or closet doors. But there’s another type of clutter that’s just as important to address, even if it doesn’t feel as visible or physical as the rest.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 21, 2026

11 Small-Space-Friendly Storage Finds I Wish I'd Known About Sooner

When I lived in a studio apartment, anything I brought into my home had to have a really good reason to be there — whether it was a shoe rack that doubled as an entryway table, a storage bed that allowed me to store luggage underneath it or extra bedding in the two drawers it had, or even something as simple as vacuum bags that allowed me to minimize the amount of space off-season items took so I could free up more room for other things.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 20, 2026

How to Find the Clutter Problem Area in Your Home

Clutter can sneak up on you if you’re not regularly decluttering your home and implementing organizational systems that actually work for you. One minute you’ll be tossing just one shirt onto your dedicated “clothes chair,” and the next there’s an entire wardrobe sitting there. Clutter can be even harder to tame when it’s hiding in a spot you’re not checking often.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 20, 2026

How to Stop Holding Onto Your Paper Clutter

Paper clutter is often one of the hardest types of clutter to sift through because it’s a blend of practical items you hold onto “just in case” (like receipts, bills, and bank statements) and sentimental things that you might feel slightly guilty about getting rid of (such as birthday cards, photos, and ticket stubs). Plus, it’s often spread out in piles across your home (think: a junk drawer, the entryway, or a closet).

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 19, 2026

How to Declutter Your Closet Like a Professional Organizer

When it comes to closet organization, decluttering your clothes is essential. Whether it’s taking stock of items you no longer love, that don’t suit you, or that are beyond repair, it’s important to regularly declutter one of the main spots where you store your wardrobe. Here’s how to declutter your clothes like a pro organizer to give your closet the refresh it deserves.Before you start decluttering, think about why your closet gets so cluttered in the first place.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 18, 2026

How to Declutter Your Kitchen: Start with These 20 Things

As one of the most-used spots in your home, the kitchen is prone to getting messy — from the cabinets to the drawers and everything in between. That’s why it’s so important to regularly tidy and declutter this busy spot to prevent clutter from taking over. The best way to get your kitchen organized is to declutter one spot at a time. Here’s how to do it.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 17, 2026

Get Your Junk Drawer Organized for Good with This Foolproof Method

Junk drawers are home to far more than just “junk.” Yes, the odd or random item can end up here, but most of the time they’re filled with necessary items, like pens, rubber bands, scissors, charging cords, or even receipts for something you intend to return. Because they’re a spot where miscellaneous things gather, junk drawers can often get super messy. Fortunately, a quick decluttering session can snap yours back into shape.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 16, 2026

7 Guiding Principles and 5 Ground Rules to Follow When Decluttering

Decluttering can be mentally demanding, as it requires you to make a lot of decisions about items that may have meant a lot to you at one point or another. So before you can actually physically declutter anything, you have to make sure you’re emotionally prepared for it. To get ready for all the decluttering you plan to do, start by choosing a guiding principle and setting some ground rules. Here’s how.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 15, 2026

You Should Use “Outboxes” Every Time You Declutter

When it comes to decluttering your home, there are a few steps you have to take before you can actually get rid of anything. The first one is extremely important and requires you to set up three boxes — that’s it! It sounds simple, but it’ll lay the groundwork for a truly productive decluttering session. It’s also the first task of Apartment Therapy’s Decluttering Cure, a completely free 14-day program that’ll help you declutter your home (sign up now!).

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 14, 2026

10 Storage Solutions Everyone Needs in Their Kitchen

Even if you declutter your kitchen thoroughly, it’s important to implement systems to keep it organized, and that includes having designated spaces — and containers — for items to go in. Below, we gathered the very best storage solutions (as featured in Apartment Therapy’s 2026 Organization Awards!) for every spot of your kitchen — from the fridge to the cabinets to the pantry — so your tidy kitchen stays neat and organized.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 11, 2026

I Tried Dyson’s New V16 Piston Animal Cordless Vacuum

Has a vacuum cleaner ever stopped working on you, and when you go to check out what’s wrong you’re met with a mass of hair tangled in the cleaning head that you have to physically cut out? It’s truly a gross experience, and it can become a regular occurrence if you’re not using the right tool. Fortunately, there are vacuum cleaners on the market dedicated to delivering anti-tangle features.

Stephanie Nguyen

Sep 6, 2026

7 Storage Finds to Get Your Whole Closet Organized for Under $40

The way your closet is organized can sometimes matter more than its actual size. You could have a huge walk-in closet, but if nothing is stored in a system that works for you then things will just end up in a pile on the floor. Alternatively, if you have a small closet and you’re not maximizing your storage then you’re sacrificing precious real estate. That’s where smart organizers come in handy.

Stephanie Nguyen

Aug 30, 2026

40 Organizational Products to Buy if You Want Your Home Organized

Finding organizing solutions for your home can be a frustrating experience. Between researching and sifting through hundreds of products (and their corresponding reviews), you can spend countless hours looking for the right solution for your space. We’re here to help you sort through all that clutter. No more constant scrolling, searching through reviews, or hunting down deals. We’ve done the work for you.

Stephanie Nguyen

Aug 19, 2026

This Colander Doubles as a Storage Bin, and It’s Totally Transformed My Fridge

When I return home from grocery shopping and unload and sort through all my shopping bags, my fridge inevitably gets packed to the brim with stuff. Each shelf and drawer is stocked up — especially the produce drawers that get filled with not only fresh fruits and vegetables, but also the individual containers or bags they’re often sold in.

Stephanie Nguyen

Aug 16, 2026

My Bathroom Had Almost No Storage Until I Got an Over-the-Toilet Cabinet

When it comes to storage in my small bathroom, I have three options: an already-full medicine cabinet, a slim under-sink cabinet (and the tiny countertop) with barely enough room to fit cleaning supplies, and two floating glass shelves above my toilet. I’m not one for visual clutter, so I’ve only put a few items on the glass shelves (which makes them an impractical solution).

Stephanie Nguyen

Aug 11, 2026

Get Rid of Clutter with the 2-Week Decluttering Cure Program

Decluttering your home is an ongoing process — sometimes it’s quick and easy, other times, it’s hard and emotional. Regardless of how big or small the project, it’s best to take things one step at a time. By breaking it down into manageable stages, something that once felt impossible suddenly feels completely achievable.Ready to get started?

Stephanie Nguyen

Aug 10, 2026

I Put This Fly Trap on Every Window in My Living Room

The day when curbside trash pickup happens on my block is probably my most hated day of the week. Where I live, refuse (trash) is collected once a week, so homeowners are expected to bring out their large gray trash bins on pickup day, which translates to a lot of flies hanging around. Once trash is collected, the flies still linger, which means I often see an influx of flies invading my house.

Stephanie Nguyen

Aug 9, 2026

The 10 Best Storage Ideas for Small Spaces

Living in a small space comes with its own set of challenges, often including an overall lack of storage. That means you regularly have to come up with creative solutions to store things, whether it be adding a multi-functional piece of furniture or reimagining the way you currently use each room of your home. It’s all about finding ways to cleverly use the square footage you have or making sure you are bringing in items that’ll actually help, not hinder, your storage needs.

Stephanie Nguyen

Aug 3, 2026

Bathtubs Are Being Replaced with Something Way More Practical

I love its replacement.

Stephanie Nguyen

Aug 3, 2026

The Best Blackout Curtains, According to Someone Who Works at 4 a.m.

I went on a mission to find the very best blackout curtains — here’s what I discovered.

Stephanie Nguyen

Jul 30, 2026

My Sister Was Afraid of Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes Until She Got This One

She’ll never use a regular litter box again.