10 Time-Saving Tips for Organizing Your Home, from the Pros
Professional organizers are just like us. Really! They have messes and challenges and days when everything seems overwhelming. But, luckily for us, they’ve discovered clever ways to handle almost any organizational dilemma or drama. And they’re happy to share.
Take Shira Gill, author of Organized Living: Solutions and Inspiration for Your Home (Ten Speed Press). Her love of organization doesn’t spring from some desire to color-code everything. It’s more a form of self-care after a tumultuous childhood. “I keep my house the way I do because of my deep desire to create order and beauty in a world that often feels fractured and painful,” she says. Her family of four lives in a 1,200 sq. ft. bungalow in San Francisco where everything has its place. Being organized and owning less has helped her family focus on what really matters to them: community, creativity, travel and ice cream, she says. “Owning less has improved my life on every level.”
Gill, who also wrote Minimalista, fills her new book with tips from 25 home organizers from around the world. It’s a fun read, full of cheat sheets and actionable advice that doesn’t feel prescriptive. The book’s message seems to be: You do you...but maybe just a little bit better. Here are some takeaways from the book.
Related: The Home Edit’s Clea & Joanna Share the #1 Key To Getting Organized (And Staying That Way)
Shira Gill's Top Reasons to Organize
Efficiency: Rather than spending 20 minutes looking for your wallet, keys, umbrella—imagine reclaiming that time.
Freedom: Renting out your home, packing for a weekend getaway or hosting a party— it’s all easier when you don’t have to frantically tidy up first.
Tranquility: Organization = mental peace. When you streamline, there is a ripple effect that improves every aspect of your life.
Sustainability: An organized home makes it easier to reduce waste and stop overbuying.
10 Tips from Top Organizers
1. "Install deep drawers for shoe storage in the entryway." —Sarit Sela, Stockholm
2. "Create designated 'stations' for wellness supplies, coffee-making, homework, etc." —Brittani Allen, Atlanta
3. "Recycle packaging and put items in clear jars or storage boxes for easy visibility." —Holly Blakey, Alamo, California
4. "Store carrots, celery and herbs in glasses or vases filled with water in the fridge door." —Wiebke Liu, San Francisco
5. "Use pouches to organize handbag contents." — Jennifer Du Bois, San Diego
6. "A pot lid holder can store reusable storage bags upright." —Tania Lourenco, Lisbon
7. "Rent special-occasion clothing." — Xiomara Romero, Jacksonville, Florida
8. "Use a pot rack with S-hooks to hang dress-up clothes and toys." —Jen Martin, Salt Lake City
9. "Swap out all the mismatched hangers in your closets for more Zen and visual unity." —Sachiko Kiyooka, Montreal
10. "Stop shopping for a mansion when you live in a cottage." —Brandie Larsen and Ryan Eiesland, Sacramento
Related: 25 Pantry Organization Ideas for a Happy, Tidy Food Storage Space
