As spring’s arrival lines up with an increased amount of time spent at home, what was previously a yearly cleaning tradition may now be an important act of care. Whether paring down your belongings or installing better storage solutions, a thorough spring cleaning can establish a sense of order and continuity in your home. Improve your homelife with these design-inspired organization tips.

1. Review and Edit What You Own

Before beginning a large-scale reorganization project, it’s a good idea to take stock of your belongings and set aside unwanted or unused items. The process of paring down can feel daunting, but the act will help to declutter your spaces, improving your enjoyment of them and releasing you from any accompanying mental fog. Whether you want to use the KonMari method or are looking for a less structured editing approach, making decisions about what to keep and what to donate will make the organization part of your clean that much simpler. 

2. Start Small and Categorize

The best way to holistically organize your home is to start with achievable tasks that motivate you to continue, which means starting small. Tackle drawers or cabinets to mentally prepare yourself for the bigger jobs that will come later. Use drawer organizers to contain loose items in the kitchen and install custom-built spice storage to easily corral dried herbs. Complete one cabinet or drawer before moving on to another. Use labels, dividers, and plastic organizers to keep items categorized; modular canisters are ideal for containing smaller sets of objects. Beginning small will help you hone your eye for detail, determine whether or not everything is where it should be, and keep you from becoming overwhelmed by the big picture.

3. Organize According to Room and Function

Each room in your home deserves its own unique and thoughtful approach to organization. Determine the room’s function and how you use it before moving on to labeling and grouping objects. Break down your organization plan room by room, laying out all your items and grouping them according to function and category. This way, you’ll be able to create clear and direct labels that allow you to quickly find what you’re looking for, whether that’s cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink or skincare items in the bathroom cupboard. Use consistent labeling styles to keep your spaces feeling elevated instead of inconsistent: labels printed on quality paper or written in elegant cursive will feel in step with the rest of your home’s thoughtful design scheme. 

4. Get Creative with Space

Being organized doesn’t necessarily mean having a closet or cupboard for everything—an unused corner or vertical space can be the perfect place to display more visually pleasing items. Installing open corner shelving is a stylish way to showcase books, ceramics, or other objets d’art. If your clothing tends to spill out of its designated closet, invest in a design-forward clothing rack in order to display favourite pieces while solving a space issue. 

5. Make Liberal Use of Boxes

Invest in plenty of storage bins, boxes, and baskets to help organize every room in your home. Select different sizes to suit the specific needs of your belongings, and don’t overlook the importance of lids and handles for storage solutions that will be stacked or moved often. Laundry room supplies, detergents, and cleaners are easily sorted into open-topped bins, while seasonal items can be folded away into lidded storage boxes. Baskets can also be used to keep your daily routines efficient, whether sorting laundry or separating the recycling. A trick to keeping your storage boxes aesthetically pleasing is to buy multiples of the same kind—a neatly organized closet with all the same white boxes will look much more elegant than one full of mismatched options. 

6. Install Custom-Built Storage Cabinets

Make sure your closets and organizational spaces work for your particular needs by planning to have custom-built storage cabinets installed. Hiring a professional organization company to design and build storage cabinets catered to your home specifically will let you determine the aesthetic and the type of storage needed, and some companies are offering virtual consultations while in-house visits have been suspended. Maybe your at-home office was originally intended to be a gym and, as a result, doesn’t have the kind of shelf space you need for documents and file folders. Or perhaps your master bedroom closet is lacking in space for your shoe collection and could use a few more clothing racks. Custom-built storage solutions ensure that every room in your home remains organized long after the spring clean season has passed.

You should feel good in your home, no matter how much time you’re spending there. Spring is the perfect time to give your space a refresh with thoughtful design solutions that make the task of organization feel both uplifting and comforting.

Originally published in May 14, 2020 by sothebysrealty