Clever storage tricks to declutter your home

CONTRIBUTORS Anya Kussler, Mina Phillips

If you’re planning to renovate your home, it’s an indication that your lifestyle needs have changed. Perhaps you’ve decided to extend your dwelling as your family has grown, or to make it more compact since your offspring has left the nest. Or maybe a fresh, trendy design is just what the doctor ordered to celebrate a new chapter in your personal development.
In order to fulfil your changing lifestyle needs, it’s inevitable that some of your existing material belongings will have to change too. While it can be hard to part with some ‘stuff’; for the majority, purging yourself of some ‘over-matter’ is set to take a big chunk of stress out of your renovation.

Making tidying up fun

In the words of Marie Kondo, “Choose items that spark joy for you.”
If you’ve watched the Netflix sensation Tidying up with Marie Kondo or read Marie Kondo’s international bestseller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising, you will be easily convinced that decluttering can actually be enjoyable. Kondo considers tidying a cheerful conversation in which you focus on keeping the things that make you happy, while those that don’t spark joy are touched, thanked, and sent on their merry way to a better life elsewhere. 

Clearing by subject versus room-by-room

One reason the KonMari method is so well received around the world is that it’s exceptionally speedy. Why? Because rather than tackling one room after another, Marie employs the rule of tidying by subject. Marie recommends organising your home in the following categories:
- Clothing
- Books
- Paper
- Komono - common areas such as the:
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Garage
- Miscellaneous
- Sentimental items 
Marie suggests beginning with items that don’t have much sentimental value and so are easier to part with, such as clothing; and finishing off with those of a more emotional nature, like photographs or furniture that has been passed on through generations.

Re-organising the keepers

After joyfully discarding what no longer serves you, the second essential task at hand is to re-organise your treasured items in such a way that they remain visible at a glance, accessible and easy to take out and put back. 
Here, the key storage solution is to store things mostly in drawers, and to steer away from stacking them – as the ones at the bottom are easily forgotten and less accessible. This is worth remembering when you’re renovating too – storing stuff KonMari style means you’ll keep things in order and clutter-free in the future.

Decluttering small spaces

Creative storage solutions can transform small, cluttered spaces into appreciated home areas. Take your pick from the following small space decluttering ideas:
Create a kitchen hangout
Do you lack drawer or cabinet space? Why not grab a coloured pegboard at a hardware store, attach it to the wall, and loop in metal hooks from which to hang up your most-used tools. This will not only keep your utensils tidy and visible in one place, but also makes for a funky, industrial-style display. If you prefer a more rustic look, find a piece of interestingly-shaped wood on the beach, treat it with linseed oil, attach some chunky nuts and bolts to hang utensils from and attach it to the wall.
Use air space
Every home has one of these annoying drawers that seem to be a bottomless pit crammed with junk – notes, keys, pens, shopping list, pins, torches…Storing these items at eye-level inside a cupboard door, in a clear-view file with pockets, will make them easy to spot (rather than having to turn the drawer upside down and rummaging through the contents).
Declutter your home with the help of a professional
If there’s one thing to be taken away from Tidying Up with Marie Kondo it’s that bringing in an expert can produce life-changing results. For expert advice in creating storage solutions in your home, get in touch with a specialist. 

In need for storage for all your ‘’stuff’’? Why not read How much does it cost to add basic storage?

This articlewas featured in Issue 030 of Renovate Magazine. Renovate Magazine is an easy to use resource providing fresh inspiration and motivation at every turn of the page.

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