We declutter mostly for ourselves. We yearn for the empty space and the room to breathe. So we approach our cupboards, closets, drawers, and garages asking ourselves whatever version of the essential question—do I need this?—that gives us the most clarity. That’s how we decide what to get rid of and what to keep most of the time. But there’s another way to think about it, and there are others to declutter for. Here’s some food for thought this holiday season…
Powered by WPeMatico
Spend enough time looking at kitchen designs, and things start to look familiar. You start to see the same trends and products—KitchenAid stand mixers, pot rails from IKEA, and bright-pink rugs, for example—over and again. Sometimes things become popular because of a dedicated marketing team with a lot of ad dollars, but sometimes it happens on its own because a product is just that useful.
Powered by WPeMatico
When I made the decision to move last month, I made peace with the fact that, for weeks, my life and its contents would feel like The Upside Down from “Stranger Things.” Books I normally have access to would be stacked into cardboard boxes. Mugs and plates would be carefully wrapped in newspaper and I’d either resort to paper plates and plastic cups—or takeout. Clothes would be folded away and I wouldn’t have anything to wear to work except for a pair of jeans and three button-up shirts. Packing is emotionally and physically exhausting, but I figured that if I did it the right way, unpacking shouldn’t be any worse.
Powered by WPeMatico
When you look back on the holidays, you want to remember things like the raucous Christmas party or the morning you spent laughing with your family over latkes—not the times when you spent all day hunting for a parking spot or waited an hour in line at the department store checkout.
Powered by WPeMatico
Here at Apartment Therapy, September is meant for decluttering and getting organized—so what better time to check in with some organization experts? You may already be fans of The Home Edit founders Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin from their excellent Instagram account where they share both professional and personal antics, but they’ve recently taken their gorgeous organizational aesthetic (and their fun friendship) a step further.
The Home Edit has teamed up with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine to bring you Master the Mess, a 12-part series currently airing on DIRECTV, DIRECT NOW, and U-Verse, that follows Clea and Joanna as they transform rooms for clients and tackle organizational projects big and small.
Powered by WPeMatico
There are few things more inspirational than seeing an impressive before-and-after that takes place in the home. From the smaller spaces like this shoe storage area to the larger projects like this incredible kitchen reno (for under $400!), these jaw-dropping transformations can get you vamped up and ready to organize.
To put it plainly, we just can’t get enough of these refreshes—part of the reason why we’re currently swooning over Busy Philipps’ pantry.
Powered by WPeMatico
Are you addicted to single-serve coffee? We can’t blame you. It’s fast, convenient, and of course, delicious, but unfortunately, also super wasteful. (Even the inventor of the Keurig K-Cup has expressed regret over inventing the technology in the first place.)
Switching to a new brewing process that’s lighter on plastic waste is the very best thing you can do when it comes to the environmental impact of your morning brew routine (our friends at Kitchn can help you find the perfect method). But if you can’t bear to give up your K-Cup habit, you can make an effort to repurpose the used cups instead of throwing them away. And there are some really brilliant ways to do it.
Powered by WPeMatico
This one’s dedicated to all of the over-packers out there. It is impossible for me to bring a carry-on for most trips—I’ll even budget for those dreaded checked bag fees when I’m planning my vacations. I’m always looking for ways to cut back—but I also have one trick that maximizes space, without losing any of my stuff (hey, there are worse vices). It’s these travel bags that I always have on hand for trips.
Powered by WPeMatico
Moving often means you’re finally ready to purge. From donating clothes you never wore to just throwing out that box you haven’t touched since you moved in, a new address often unleashes a devil-may-care attitude in terms of some things. But you have to admit: There are just some things you can’t get rid of—no matter how unnecessary they are (we all can’t be minimalists, Marie).
In terms of myself: So what if I need every single magazine Backstreet Boys have appeared on or ticket stubs to every movie I’ve ever seen? It’s not a problem, it’s a lifestyle—especially when I find ways to expertly display that clutter. The following are some of my favorite products that allow me to display my treasures in a way that makes me look less like I need an intervention on reality TV, and more like a person who just has a bomb collection of things around their house. Trust me, I’ve done each and every one of these things and it has saved me from my mother’s extremely helpful “comments” when she visits.
Cubby bookcases are close enough to the traditional that no one really pays attention to them, but they also allow extra storage for displaying books and knick knacks on a low-key level. If that wasn’t awesome enough, but they also let you hide the randomness you’ve saved for who knows why with slide-in fabric drawers. The put-together look is a win-win for hoarders everywhere.
Our pick: This 6-Cube Organizer, Target ($35).
Powered by WPeMatico
The average closet, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is typically uninspired: a few rods, maybe a shelf, and space for a few pairs of shoes. It works, but it leaves much to be desired in terms of storage and organization. A great solution to making the most out of any closet space is investing in a closet system that will carve out a spot for all your clothes and accessories. You might associate these systems with walk-in closets or larger reach-ins (like I did), but the truth is that there’s a system out there for anyone and any space. All of our favorites included in this list are easily customizable and even changeable, so your closet can grow with you as your needs change.
Powered by WPeMatico
