How To Organize Any Room!

I love organizing - it helps me to keep track of everything that I own and maximize the use of each space. My friends and family know my love affair with organizing runs deep, and I get asked a lot of questions about how I create an organizational system that works for me - and how I manage to stick to it. So if you find yourself in a similar situation, this blog post is for you. I'll show you how I've organized my favorite room - my bedroom - as an example for how you can organize any room in your house.


Break a big job into smaller parts

The number one concern that I hear about getting organized is that the job is too big - and getting organized can be a big job, indeed. The first step to getting organized is to break the job down into smaller parts - start with organizing one room in your home, and then think about organizing that room in sections. It will make the job far less overwhelming and will help you figure out what you actually need in the space to make it organized.


Organize your rooms in zones/sections

The natural extension to organizing in sections is to think about the zones that you want to create in your room - a room within a room, for instance. In my bedroom, I know that I need a zone to sleep, a zone to get dressed in the mornings, and a TV zone to keep entertained. When planning out the space, I thought about how I would move through my bedroom while working with the fixed aspects of the space, such as the closet and power outlets. Creating zones is a great way to remember where everything should be returned once you're done using it, and creates an organizational system that's easier to maintain. Like the old adage says, a place for everything and everything in its place - that's the trick to staying organized.


Create multi-purpose storage options - and think outside of the box to create those options

I love finding new and creative uses for different items. I keep a mirrored jewelry box on my headboard to serve as a medicine drawer (I'm a migraine sufferer, so having medicine and sleep aids right by my bedside is incredibly handy). When the box is closed, it makes for a beautiful piece of decor. When I open it, I've got a valuable kit within arm's reach. And if I ever want to repurpose the jewelry box, I've picked a pretty piece that can serve multiple purposes. Similarly, the mirrored tray and jeweled box I keep on the surface of my media stand make a great place to store my phone, iPad, and the small remote controls for my Apple TV and air conditioner - not only do they add to the overall decor, I also have a great way to organize smaller items that are easy for me to lose track of.

When I shop for organizational tools, I think about how the item looks if it's an item that's meant to be displayed, and I think about how many purposes the one item can serve. The trunk at the foot of my bed, for instance, gives me plenty of storage for my purses and accessories, a place sit while getting dressed in the mornings, a place to put my feet up if I'm lounging in my chair watching TV, or a mini-desk of sorts if I'm working from my bedroom. That one trunk is incredibly valuable because it serves so many functions. If you have limited space to work with (and I do, because I haven't yet won the lottery and I live in NYC!), then the best way to stay organized is to find items that can check off as many items on your needs list as possible.


Let it go

When I'm organizing any room, I keep a rule in mind: In order for something to come in, something has to come out. Keeping a manageable amount of things in your home will prevent you from having to find ways to keep excesses contained. If you're not ready to throw something out to make room for a new purchase, you'll save your money by not buying something else to take up space you don't have.


You don't have to buy it right away

Even the best of us can get on an organizing kick once we get started on a project - but you can sometimes buy the wrong organizational tools because you got caught up in the organizing spirit or you didn't carefully plan out your space to determine your needs. Don't feel like you have to buy anything right away, but do keep your eyes open for great deals. I've waited to buy items until I could find the exact thing I needed, and I try to time my organizing shopping trips to the right times of the year. Most big box stores like Bed Bath and Beyond and Target will offer deep discounts on home goods during the back-to-school season, and you can find great deals if you shop for items towards the end of the season or the beginning of the next one. I bought this white side table at Target for $40 just by waiting for it to go on spring clearance. I kept my eye on this table for a while and just by waiting, I found the exact item I wanted and saved some money at the same time.


Find your inspiration

I can't begin to count how much time I've spent on YouTube, Instagram, the Container Store website, or watching an HGTV marathon to see how other people organize their spaces. I would never have found my beloved Muji acrylic boxes for storing my makeup (featured in my last blog post) if I hadn't watched enough YouTube videos to see how others make the most of them.

I hope this blog post gives you some inspiration for organizing and helps you figure out what tools are the best ones to fit your needs. And now that you've got my best tips, you're well on your way to organizing any room in your home. Good luck!