Organising your spaces

Every now and then my cupboards, wardrobes and all those kind of spaces need some clearing out and some organising. Well, mostly organising. To organise literally means ‘to put in order’ or ‘to arrange’ or ‘to group together’. So, when this kind of job seems overwhelming, just think about the end product and how it will make your life so much easier (at least for a while) the next time you open that cupboard or wardrobe or drawer….

Before you start, here are some practical pointers on how to make this process as easy as possible:

First of all set a dedicated time aside for this job:

It is never a small undertaking to clear out a space and get it organising in such a way that it works for you, without getting distracted. So, decide on a day or even a weekend, when you have nothing else to do and just get stuck into it and finish it.

Take everything out:

Yes, take everything out of the space you are organising – whether it is a wardrobe in your bedroom or hallway, kitchen cupboards, a pantry or bathroom storage – and put it on the ground or a table for you to see what you have.

Organise everything in groups:

This may seem like an obvious thing to do, but still. Put things in groups; for example all the towels together, or all your belts, socks, toothpaste, soaps et cetera. This way you will be able to see what you are working with and how much of everything you have or don’t have.

Unused items:

You will always find items that you do not need anymore. So make different piles for those. One pile to donate to a charity shop, another one to go to the recycle centre and maybe another one for those things you want to dump. And stick to it.

Get some crates, baskets, jars and more:

This is the fun part. Decide what kinds of baskets, crates, jars or containers you need before you start the organising-bit. I love any successful storage solution and these days you find a great selection of these kind of things on the market, just have a look at Ikea or Sostrene Grene or any local home store. But, most importantly it needs to fit YOUR solution. If it is looks pretty, but is too big or too small for your space, then don’t buy it. The key is to take measurements of your space in the wardrobe or wherever you want to organise before you buy. There are very beautiful and still practical things you can buy. And off course you can always re-use storage ideas like glass jars or pretty boxes. Think outside the box.

Don’t stop:

And remember it always gets worse before it gets better, so just work through it. When you see all the things you took out around you, don’t give up, work through the process and the end will be rewarding.