Organizing

Wall hooks and pegboards are incredibly handy organizational tools for home, especially small homes where space is at a premium. But while they make previously unused wall space functional and allow you quick access to daily items, they can be magnets for mess if not kept in check. How do you keep an area full of hanging items looking tidy and attractive? Follow these five rules. 1.

Sometimes there is just not enough space – or money! With an upcoming wedding and two blending households of avid readers into a one bedroom condo (plus one curious object collector – me), we’ve got books and baubles coming out of our ears. This office area is one of my least favorite places in our home due its lack of light and wall space restrictions, so it was time for a cheap and quick fixer-upper!

We all know the role that clutter plays in our households. To varying degrees, it’s a nuisance, or it distracts us, and —in the worst cases — totally overtakes our lives. Here are some of the underlying reasons why you’re reluctant to let go of physical objects, and some steps to take towards living a life less burdened by stuff. What if you threw it out and missed it later?

Tired of pulling my shirts, all wrinkled and creased, out of my over-stuffed closet, I decided to come out of the closet completely and create a hanging clothes bar in the corner of my bedroom. Say goodbye to these colorful (but useless) drawers-turned-shelves and hello to my new rope wrapped hanging clothes bar…This is actually a project I’ve had in mind for a couple of months.

Like many other small space dwellers, we have almost no closet or storage space in my home. The tenants before us took the first step to maximize the dead space under the stairs by removing a partition wall to open up the area, and installed a drop down hatch under the stair. Unfortunately they didn’t install a railing and instead only those awkward, sharp rectangular boxes — after several falls down the stairs it was painfully obvious something needed to change!

Audiophiles love their records like bibliophiles love their books, and as anyone who has tried to fit a collection of either into a small space can attest it can take some creative finesse to make it work. In a quest to make space for my own record collection I did a bit of research and came up with these inspiring images of beautifully organized and displayed vinyl collections from our own tours and around the web. 1. A low console is a stylish option and just the right size for a single row.

Think you’re clever using IKEA’s Trofast to round up all your kids’ toys, do ya? Well, okay, it is perfect for that, but that’s so Trofast 1.0. You’ve got to expaaaaand your miiiiind. Think outside the biiiiiin. Like these folks, who show that mere toy storage is just the tip of the Trofast iceberg. Check out these 20 ways to use the use the Trofast. Some are true hacks and reimaginings, others minor tweaks and adjustments.Not familiar with Trofast?

It’s easy to close the door to your closet and forget about what’s in there…until the next time you get changed or put on your coat. Here are a few simple ideas for upgrading your closets’ style and organization so that each look and rummage inside is enjoyable.Go uniform. The easiest way to make your closet look more orderly is to use single-color multiples.

Because life in the bike lane doesn't have to mean scuffed walls.

Host of HGTV's new show “Hot Mess House” Cassandra Aarssen says this can help you get rid of half your closet clutter.

Borrow this idea from the laundry room, and your back will thank you.

If there's ever a time to reduce stress and engage in tasks that give a sense of "calm or release, it's now.

The trick to a stress-free declutter? Break down the process and focus on just the first few things you have to do.

Check out these real makeovers for real inspiration.

It doesn’t look like a traditional walk-in closet, of course, but it does block off space that you can now use for one thing in particular.

Here's how to get that leaning stack under control.

If you’re really lucky, your independently-bought applainces fit perfectly into the already-built room you put them into, without an inch to spare. The rest of us, however, are left to deal with awkward spaces where the oven doesn’t quite fill the space between cabinets and the washer and dryer seem to float in the laundry room. In those spaces, you have no choice but to get creative.

47 types of salt. Yes, really.

Use your note to keep track of exactly how you should declutter your closet, and it will make all the difference in staying on top of clutter in a way that feels sustainable.

Who doesn't love some spring cleaning inspo?

Your space—and therefore, you—will enjoy a little perk-up.

And you already own most of them!

If you’re sick of staring at your countertops and feeling like there’s just too much stuff, here's a fix that takes just two minutes of your day.

This swanky starter set will keep your fridge nice and tidy for a fraction of what it would cost to buy acrylic bins individually.

Get organized in style!

It's not enough to just WANT something to be recyclable.

Behind-the-doors ways to make the most of your current kitchen.

You're welcome.

I’ve taken mental notes of projects that can be tackled in my parent's home—one of them being the kitchen cabinets.

Optimize your shower space, no matter how small it is.

Yesterday I explained the basics of how to care for air plants and then I showed you how certain species’ forms lend themselves best to different types of containers. Today I will walk you through the super simple steps I used to turn a vase sea sponge into an unique vessel in which you can hang your air plant (yes, it’s a natural dried sea sponge that is shaped like a vase!).

Five hours of work and $150 later, this fresh new laundry space was clean and organized, and most importantly, fit her needs.

When there are stacks of canned food on usually-cleared-off counters, and makeshift work stations in the middle of the living room, it can bombard you with an uneasy feeling that things are out of place.

These bedrooms show off the secret to designing a minimal home that's still warm, cozy and comforting.

Declutter for good.

Set a timer and make sure you know where to look and what to look for.

Hint: It's by the window.

Oh no! You’ve been working in your garden or outdoor area and have accidentally broken a pot or planter (or you’ve discovered some broken ones after finally getting in there to survey after a long winter). Don’t throw them away! There are three things you can do with those broken pots and planters to get more use out of them. 1. Turn it on its side If one of your planters or pots suffers only a partial break, consider turning it on its side to create an interesting look.

So you’ve gone through the toys, sorted them, and chosen some to part with. Now what? You could donate them, do a toy swap, hide them away for a while, or trash them. But another fun idea I’ve come across recently is to repurpose those once-treasured toys. I’ve rounded up twenty-five inspiring ideas for repurposing your little one’s unwanted play things, from the practical to the outrageous and everything in between. 1. Build an island with Lego 2.

So, you're stuck in a tiny bathroom, and you don't even have a medicine cabinet for your toiletries to call home—now what? These tips and projects can help.

Making your home, or even one room, function for the purpose you’ve identified isn’t about spending tons of money to overhaul your space; it’s more about being thoughtful about how you envision your space to function. Yes, you might need to purchase a sleeper sofa if you want your office to double as a guest room, but generally you can work with what you have.

We thought we had covered all of the basics of organizing and cleaning your space, but it turns out we missed a couple. The Onion has put together some Tips For Getting Organized and we’d be remiss not to note a few of their (helpful?) pointers.

A clean, organized, and well-lit home work space is a must. And what better time to tackle this issue in your home than the fresh start of a new year! Many of us don’t have the luxury of a separate home office or studio, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create a healthy environment for working at home. Even if you don’t work from home, carving out a space for productivity is important and a smart way focus on specific tasks without distraction.

On a scale of 1-10, organizing cables and cords behind an entertainment center ranks about a .001 on my scale. But when it’s all done and finished, the results are often night and day, not only just improving the aesthetics in and around the home entertainment center, but also possibly making your home a little bit safer thanks to better organized power and wiring.

The key is smart storage solutions and bright colors.

Emily's kitchen provided an "Aha!" moment for how I could get my kitchen counters looking cleaner.

Some simple tips on how to organize (and even purge) personal libraries, like a real librarian would.

It's so overwhelming that you don't even know where to start. This is when you need a strategy.

Apartment Therapy's organizing expert Taryn Williford shares her favorite organizing ideas from recent house tours.

I rewatched Marie Kondo's Netflix show one year later—here's what I learned about decluttering (and life!) the second time around.

It was $12 and took 30 minutes to set up, but the stress it saved me felt like it was the best investment I have made in years.

Did you have one of these?

Get ready to drool over its perfection.

Here are some of the sharpest ideas for arranging your kitchen—straight from real homes.

There's a whole sea of produce inside.

They're as beautiful as they are useful.

Kitchen cabinets tend to get messy. But the cabinet under the sink has its own unique way of becoming a cluttered cave of castoffs.

Professional organizer Claire DeBoer shares this inspiringly tidy and organized Brooklyn home with her partner.

And they share what you should be doing instead.

Kitchen bursting at the seams? If you’re going a little crazy trying to fit all your cooking accoutrements in your teeny-tiny kitchen, this is the post for you. Here are 20+ ideas for ways to squeeze a little extra storage out of a small kitchen. 1. Get the most out of the cabinets you do have with stackable shelves (like these from Store).2. Don’t neglect the space above your cabinets. You could stash extra stuff up there in baskets.3.

Experts share their favorite items they use to organize their drawers, closets, cabinets and more... as well as the items they most recommend to clients!

If you can navigate your bedroom in pitch black, imagine how much of your home you aren’t really seeing anymore.

In most cases, these pieces are somewhere between $1 and $5, and there is always a spot for them in the house.

If you like labels, you're going to love getting to see inside this professional organizer's drawers, closets, and more.

Kristen Ziegler, owner of Minima, recommends items that combine function and beauty and take usually boring, utilitarian household items to a whole other level.

And still preserve that spark of joy, of course.

The first time she organized, Amanda Becker felt overwhelmed the entire time that she didn’t actually stop to take in anything she was doing. Now that she's continued to try a little KonMari-ing everyday, she finds the whole process less daunting—and is proud to say that she's somewhat kept up with it.

Some of their picks might surprise you!

When it comes to her desk setup, Yasmin Lashley leaves no trace behind.

Number 3 is a massive upgrade of an all-time favorite organizational hack!

The outbox has been a staple of the January Cure for many, many years—mainly because it just works.