These Organizing Trends Are Going Out of Style in 2024

Organizing is always in—but these specific choices are falling out of favor.

They say all good things must come to an end. This even applies to organizing trends. While social media has put pressure on us to have more organized and aesthetically pleasing spaces, sometimes we go overboard lose sight of what's actually practical. Other times, the general public is just ready to move on to something else. Below are the organizing trends professional organizers say are going out of style in 2024.

Related: Organizing Products That Are Actually Worth It, According to the Pros

Black Velvet Hangers

For years, it seemed every organized closet on Pinterest or Instagram featured slim black velvet hangers. But all the pro-organizers I spoke with say these are falling out of favor. “Clear slim hangers have replaced velvet hangers—people like how they look, but acrylic hangers are a fraction of the cost, says Ashley Stewart of O.C.D.

Not into the look of a clear, slim, hanger? Jennifer Jarrett of Jenuinely Contained suggests going with grey velvet, white velvet, wooden, or rubberized hangers instead. “While we still recommend having matching hangers, choose a color or style that brightens up your closet or suits your aesthetic better,” she says.

Clear Cookie Jars

The clear cookie jar craze took over pantries in 2023, mostly thanks to the meticulously organized pantry trend made popular by Khloe Kardashian. However, Stewart tells me the aesthetic is becoming dated. “Kardashian cookie jars are a thing of the past. While we do still get requests to do them, it's not a trend for the upcoming year.”

Fancy Labels

Fancy labels on everything—from snacks to cleaning supplies—has been an organizing trend all over social media, but no longer, the pros say. “Gone are the days of overly prominent and excessive labeling. Don’t get me wrong, we still love a good label, but we are ushering in a time of more streamlined and subtle labels,” says Jarrett. “The huge decorative chalkboard labels placed front and center are taking a backseat to [labels on] clear backgrounds and more delicate fonts.”

But that doesn’t mean labels won’t be aesthetic in the coming year. However, they will be simplified. Stewart advises using a label maker with a plain font.

Extreme Decanting

Keeping things organized is challenging enough. So, does every small bag of nuts or every cleaning product really need a custom container? Amy Cha of Everyday Organized says no. “The days of meticulously decanting prepacked foods for display are coming to an end," she says. While pantries filled with clear bins for absolutely everything became a "symbol of the pandemic-era obsession with perfectly organized homes," Cha says, it's not always practical.

Rolling Carts Everywhere

Images of rolling carts have been all over social media for years now. There’s a good reason for this—carts are a great way to corral craft supplies, create extra pantry space in a small kitchen, or hold things like diapers and wipes in a nursery. But rolling carts aren't the perfect way to store every miscellaneous item. “Sure, rolling carts are handy and flexible, but let's face it—they come with limitations," Cha explains. "The middle and lower shelves aren't adjustable and therefore have limited access and flexibility. The open design can make them look unruly in day-to-day use. Sometimes, a cabinet or a drawer proves to be a better, more streamlined solution for keeping items neatly stored.”

Mircosorting Everything

Yes, one of the tenets of having an organized home is properly sorting things. But going overboard isn't practical and pro organizers are seeing the popularity of these systems beginning to wane. “In most instances, nobody has the time to sort Legos, for example, by color and keep them that way," Jarrett says. "While it certainly looks pretty, it is way too much overhead. Unless you want to hire me to be your live-in organizer, there is a point where micro-sorting becomes too much.”

She tells me that higher-level categories are often more manageable for people to maintain. “Think dental versus green toothbrushes,” Jarrett adds.

Tapered Bins

While tapered bins may look nice, they don't maximize shelf space, which can defeat the purpose of organizing. “Bins and baskets with tapered sides waste space and can distract from the clean visual you are trying to create when organizing,” says Ashley Murphy, cofounder and CEO of Neat Method. “Instead, opt for straight-sided bins that line up in a neat row.”

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