Before I begin, I would like to note that you can find some of the organizing products that I use in my closets by clicking on the shop tab in the menu bar above and looking for that particular section, or by viewing the link that I will include at the end of this post.
This was the very first closet that I simplified/organized when I started this journey about 1.5 years ago. The process went something like this: I pulled EVERYTHING out of the closet, placed all of it into garbage bags (12 total) and donated it all to charity. I filled the bags with all types of towels, blankets and bedding. You see, before my husband and I got married, we each owned established homes, so we entered our marriage with double of everything. We had some sales to try and downsize, but some of the stuff I couldn’t part with (it felt wasteful to me) because it was in perfectly good condition and “we might need it some day.” The weight that was lifted off of my shoulders from finally letting go of “stuff” gave me inspiration and motivation to make a lifestyle change. That lifestyle change is documented in this blog to provide tips and resources to anyone else that would like to simplify and organize their home. All of our beach towels, as well as a few towels for our guests are stored here. Each one of my kids has 1 extra bath towel, that is stored in a “Jack and Jill” bathroom cabinet, and then extra towels for me and my husband are stored in a small closet that’s in our bathroom. As far as sheets, we each only have the set that’s on our beds. No extras with the exception of an extra set for our guest bedroom that is stored in that bedroom closet. When it’s time to wash our sheets, I just wash/dry them and immediately put them back on the bed. No folding. No storing. And I love the fresh smell of the clean laundry. So, how are you all feeling right about now? Concerned? Shocked?? Does anyone else out there only own one set of sheets for their bed?
This was the 2nd closet that I simplified/organized when I started this journey about a 1.5 years ago. It is located in our foyer and used to be filled with extra coats that my husband and I had accumulated over the years. I donated almost everything, keeping only the coats that we actually wear, and now we just have a coat or two for each season. I saw these closet organizers and thought they would be perfect for game organization, since they make each box easily accessible to the kids. As a mother, I noticed very early on that toys/games from birthdays, holidays etc. were accumulating at a rapid rate. There was so much “stuff”, my kids couldn’t even focus on one thing for more than a couple of minutes. It was all so overwhelming. We donated most of our toys to charity and focus more on experiences now. Do you find that your children seem more content when they have less?
Throughout this journey of organization/simplification, I chose storage solutions (bins, baskets and boxes) that I knew could be timeless with my sense of style. I chose a neutral/black/white palette throughout my home, and the nice thing about that is any of these storage solutions will work in any room if I ever need to change things up. {Tip} To make my household run efficiently as possible, I make sure every item has a set space. If I don’t bring additional items to that space, the space will remain organized without any extra effort and I can focus on the most important things in life, which has been the goal of this journey from the start.
Create space in any closet or cupboard by using shelf organizers or “helper shelves”. They are a simple, inexpensive storage solution. They are not permanent, so they can easily be moved from space to space if you decide to change things up, and if you move, you can take them with you. When I think of organizing solutions, I always try to come up with ideas that will last a lifetime so you can get the most out of your investment.
I store my extra body/hair/beauty products in clear bins in my bathroom closet. I like that they are clear, so I can easily see what I have on hand with a quick glance. I use the acrylic turntable to store the items that I use every day.
Have you been following me long enough to remember the closet in my guest bedroom?? It was filled to the brim with stuff we never used. I donated almost all of it, and I’m happy to report this closet is almost in the state I had envisioned it to be in when I started this journey. I wanted enough space for guests to hang their clothes and store their items, so now, I only have bedding, sheets and extra blankets in here. I love storing the sheets and blankets in my @mindspaceny organizing bags. They keep the dust off, so everything is clean and fresh for our visitors. The slogan for Mind Space is “Uncluttered Space. Uncluttered Mind.” That is the exact reason I began this entire journey, so this is kind of a full circle moment here. Do you think clutter can affect your mind?
Storage boxes from Ikea are the perfect storage solution to keep all of the materials for my Etsy shop organized. A lot of my supplies are organized by season, so I can easily access the box that I need and keep everything near me while I am creating.
I found these baseball hat organizers years ago and they have been a great storage solution, especially for my husband. He prefers things on display -vs- tucked away in a bin, drawer or basket. If it were only up to me, I’d hide all of the “clutter”, but those storage solutions don’t always work best for my husband, because his mind works from the memory of “seeing” things. Make sense? A peg board for tools, a track system for the garage, and these hat organizers. I’m telling you all of this to let you know there is no right or wrong way to organize. You have to pick storage solutions that work best for you AND the members of your family. How do you prefer to organize? Do you tuck everything away, or do you like things on display?
I found these fabric storage bins a couple of years ago at Walmart. They were on clearance for $1.00 each and help to keep our coat closet organized. Storage solutions don’t have to break the bank. You can easily create a beautiful system on a budget. Tip: Want to find deals? Browse stores after back-to-school season is over. The stores are fully stocked with storage solutions for all of the college kids, and any items left will usually go on clearance. Do you like to shop the clearance aisles?
This is probably suppose to be a linen closet, but I don’t have enough linens to store due to my epic purge. In the past, I never put much thought into the notion of “storing” things, but throughout this journey of seeking simplicity (which eventually led to me seeking minimalism), I’ve thought about it a lot. If items regularly get used, and you truly love them and they make you happy, by all means store them. But do not store things that aren’t useful, just for the sake of storing them, or because you have the space. Just because you have the space doesn’t mean you have to fill it. This closet is still a work in progress, but I think I’m going to turn this landing area into a little reading nook for my older children. {Tip} Try to keep the floors of your closets completely clear when you are simplifying. It will make the space easier to maintain and it will give you a crisp and clean visual in the end. Is anyone working on closets this week?
Now that I have the majority of the spaces in my home organized, I’m going through each area and setting up the spaces so the end result/appearance screams minimalism. My thoughts are this: If there is less to look at, there are less overwhelming feelings since clutter has always affected my mindset. At times, it left me feeling like things were spiraling out of control because it (aka “stuff”) was so hard to manage. If there is less that I’m hanging onto or storing, there is less to take care of/keep track of. This entire journey has been a process. I held onto EVERYTHING until something in me snapped about 2 years ago and I said “No more!” What I’m finding is that I’m still getting rid of things that weren’t initially purged because the process of “letting go” no longer phases me. Or, I’m relocating items to the areas where I’ve created space from simplifying my home.
The task of organizing is something that genuinely makes me so happy, and it has kept me calm in so many different facets of my life. I hope you enjoy my organizing tips/tricks + practical, affordable & achievable ideas for the home. Thank you for following along. I hope the information that I share is very helpful to you. ~ Colette
Are you interested in some of the products/accessories that I use in my closets? You can shop some of my favorite items here. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
