Reorganize With The Rabbitts
/When tackling your homes’ organization it can feel a bit overwhelming. Sometimes we want to do it all at once but then lose focus or we just don’t know where to start because there is so so SO much chaos. Well today on the blog I am giving you with a step by step guide to help reorganize any space in your home. A little reorg will help you fall in love with your home, I promise!
I honestly love to organize, it gives me a total sense of calm and let’s face it with 2 kids under 5 there is absolutely no calm in my life. I tell Chris all the time that an organized home does not always mean a perfectly clean home, although he wishes it did. He definitely is a clean freak, which I admit I am not. Instead having a designated spot for every item in your home helps when it does come time to clean. Sometimes I see beautifully designed spaces in homes, however, they don’t function for everyday use. To me organization is all about having function in your life. As things begin to go back to normal in this post pandemic world, we will no doubt become so busy again. It is often during the busiest times in life that organization is hard to maintain. But finding an organization system that works for you and your family will help keep you calm when things are in complete chaos. And remember being organized does not mean there are not toys on the floor or clothes on a chair, rather giving items a home will help you maintain a functioning system for your busy life.
The six steps below will help you organize any space in your home and I can’t wait to hear your success stories!
Step 1: Decide On A Space
We would all love to tackle the organization of our whole home at once, but most of us do not have the time, focus, money, etc.… to do that. So choose what space you want to organize first. What space is the most problematic in your home? What space seems the least overwhelming to tackle first? If you are not an avid organizer try a small space first. Start with a drawer, a cabinet or a small closet. When you decide on the space you are going to tackle, decide what items need to be housed in that space. What is that space most useful and functional for? Think about what currently works and what is not working in the space? Once you decide on the space it’s time to empty everything out.
Step 2: Empty Your Space
This step is a NECESSITY. I cannot stress that enough. You must take everything out of a space in order to organize it. Once the space is empty, make sure to measure it. Measure any shelves, drawers, cabinets, etc.… Then decide if you are just going to be purchasing bins, baskets or containers to go in the space or do you need to purchase a new system. For example, if it's a closet do you need new shelves or a new closet system? Make sure to follow the rule, measure twice and buy once. Once the space is completely emptied it’s time to categorize what you will house in the space.
Step 3: Categorize Everything
Once you empty the space it is important to categorize all items that are going to be housed in the space. In a bathroom for example, you will have categories like hair, make-up, shower, medicine, etc... Create categories that are specific to you and your family. Say bye-bye to items that are expired, worn out, broken, things you can’t stand or simply don’t use or wear. Take a tip from Marie Kondo and if it does not bring you joy its time to go. Each space is finite, so it can only fit a certain amount of stuff. Get rid of items to leave room for any items that you may want to purchase in the future. If items cannot fit in your home it is definitely time to get rid of some things.
Step 4: Find Products That Work For You
Everyone is different and that is true in organization as well. What works for one person might not work for someone else. The key to a good organization system is to find one that works that you can maintain and continue to stay organized. Once you find a system stick with it, it will be much easier to maintain if the system works for you. So, once you figure out what needs to go in the space and you have categorized everything you will need to figure out the organization products that work best for you. If you want to be able to see everything, you may need clear bins or a lazy-susan (one of my fall time favorite organizational pieces). Or if you are messy you may want bins that you can just toss items into but cannot necessarily see through. Do you like open shelving or closed cabinets? Think about these things before buying products and again make sure to measure that they will fit. Some of my favorite places for organizational products are Amazon, Target, Ikea, The Container Store, Home Goods and At Home.
Step 5: Reorganizing The Space
The time has finally come for you to organize everything. Put your categories into their appropriate bins and decide where they will go in the space to keep everything organized. Make sure to create different zones in your space for the different categories. Put excess items in the back (The Home Edit lovingly calls this backstock). Color coordinate items in a rainbow to make it easy to find items and also aesthetically pleasing. Once items are in their appropriate bins and places in the space, LABEL EVERYTHING & ANYTHING. For toy bins, try using pictures instead of words, especially if you have young children who cannot read yet. It helps make clean-up time a breeze.
Step 6: Edit & Maintain Your Space
Once everything has been organized it is important that you actually use it and that it functions for you. As you get new items, make sure to edit out any items that are worn, broken, expired, you don’t use or don’t like anymore. If the system or parts of the organization system don’t work, modify it to make it work for you. The key to organization is maintaining, so if the system is broken you need to fix it. Remember, for organization to be successful it needs to be a system you can maintain even during the most chaotic times.