With the new year approaching we find ourselves looking for ways to refresh and start anew in various aspects of our lives. We feel this sudden urge to organise, streamline and declutter after the fun and frivolity of the festive season. Throughout December our homes can build up with clutter from Christmas, school holidays and the year that has been, so it is a great time to start thinking about a house organise for January. Below we are sharing with you some quick tips for decluttering and organising specific rooms of your home. We hope this gives you the inspiration you need coming into the new year to start off on the right foot and feel inspired about your spaces once more!
Kitchen
The kitchen is not only the heart of the home, but it is also one of the most utilised rooms in the house. Over time, not only our pantries, but our kitchen cupboards can build up with clutter and become very disorganised. Our favourite tip for decluttering this space is to get everything out onto the bench and sort into piles of keep, donate, and bin. Then you can sort into like-minded piles and return to their cupboards in a neat and orderly way. In regards to storage solutions, we recommend purchasing stackable clear containers for pantry items that allow you to make use of vertical space and see the contents of your goods clearly. Try adding lazy susan turntables to corner cupboards and the pantry to allow for easy accessibility. Stacking racks are great for items such as chopping boards, saucepans, baking pans and Tupperware lids to be able to see each item and neatly remove and place back during uses. All of the above items and more can be purchased from Howard’s Storage World in the north centre of Homemaker The Valley. Check them out this weekend!
Bathroom
The bathroom is a space that we use morning and night, but rarely think to declutter and organise. Vanities are not always built in a functional way, so it essential to utilise storage solutions to ensure you create a system that works for you. When decluttering your bathroom, check for expiry dates on old products, remove items you no longer use and wipe down each product to ensure they are fresh and clean. Clear storage containers are perfect for bathroom vanity cupboards as they allow you to group items together such as dental, hair, makeup, toiletry bags and grooming. For vanity drawers we love using drawer dividers to keep things organised and to avoid the inevitable mess that comes with a bathroom drawer. Howard’s Storage World has some beautiful bamboo drawer dividers that we love using in our bathroom vanities.
Laundry
The laundry is a functional room in the home that requires systems in place to allow for as little time as possible spent in this utilitarian room. Organise your linen cupboard by grouping linen in either bed size of family member and then store in baskets for easy access. You can purchase some beautiful rectangular baskets that are perfect for a linen cupboard from stores such as Freedom and Provincial Home Living. If you have some bench space in your laundry, we recommend adding a washing station that includes some clear plastic or glass jars on a bamboo tray labelled with ‘washing powder’, ‘fabric softener’ and ‘stain remover’. Invest in three washing baskets that are clearly labelled with ‘whites’, ‘darks’ and ‘colours’ so that each member of the family can drop their clothes in allowing you to save time sorting in the long run. By creating systems in the laundry, you create efficiency and as a result bring more time and mental space back into your day.
Bedrooms
The main areas of a bedroom that build up with clutter include wardrobes, chests of drawers, bedside tables and under bed storage. When it comes to decluttering your wardrobe and chest of drawers, much like the kitchen, it is essential to take everything out and review from there. Sort into piles of keep, donate, and bin and organise into piles of like-minded items. For an organised look we love using flocked or velvet hangers in a matching colourway to save space and create a seamless look in your wardrobe. For drawer storage we recommend the ‘rolling’ technique instead of stacking as this allows you to see each item of clothing in one glance. Howard’s Storage World have some beautiful fabric compartment trays to add to your drawers if you want to take your organisation to the next level! For under bed storage we recommend using shallow, clear containers on wheels that allow for easy access and storage for items such as seasonal blankets and clothes. To organise your bedside table, we love using dividers for drawers and stackable containers for cupboards to ensure your items are within easy reach and grouped together for convenience.
When decluttering other areas of the home such as children’s bedrooms, living rooms the home office and garages, they all follow a similar system as mentioned above. It is essential to first and foremost, always remove all items from cupboards and asses what you would like to keep and get rid of. From here you can sort items by group and analyse what storage solutions will work best for the space. Then comes the fun part, shopping! Head into Homemaker The Valley to see our amazing range of storage solutions that our retailers have on offer. You can have a chat to the friendly staff, and they can share their knowledge on the best system that will work for you. Or book in with our Resident Stylist for a complimentary styling session where you can discuss all things home organisation! We look forward to seeing you soon at Homemaker The Valley.
