Start the New Year Off with a De-cluttered Domicile

It’s that time of year again! The time when we all set out to achieve a goal, start a better habit or stop a bad one. For many, a New Year’s resolution is to de-clutter their home. The dream of living in a mess-free space is a very attractive one, but it can be tough to get started - not to mention, even tougher to keep up the organization.

Here are some tips from organizing experts to help get you on your way to having the harmoniously neat home you’ve always wanted.

Display Instead of Store

Kitchen wares don’t always have to be shoved into a cabinet or pantry. In fact, for some, having everything in plain sight helps to keep it organized. If your dishes and glasses are cute enough to display then go ahead! This chalkboard painted wall with shelving helps to give everything its own place as well.
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The Closet Hanger Experiment

One of the quickest ways to eliminate clutter is to simply get rid of stuff. Your closet is a great place to start! As an added bonus and good deed, you can donate any clothes you don’t want or need to Goodwill or The Salvation Army. A good way to figure out what you should toss is the Closet Hanger Experiment. Start by hanging all of your clothes on backwards hangers. Over the next six months, anytime you wear a piece of clothing, return it to your closet by hanging it the right way. At the end of six months, any clothes that are still hanging backwards are the ones that should get the ax. Image credit.

Fill One Trash Bag

You will be surprised at how quickly you can fill one trash bag - whether it’s with trash or stuff you can donate. Challenge yourself to fill just one bag at a time. If you do that on a daily or weekly basis for a short period of time, you’ll notice your clutter start to dwindle dramatically. Image credit.

Organize Your Nightstand Drawer

The night table drawer is a common breeding ground for clutter. It’s one of those spots where we tend to just “shove” stuff when we don’t know where else to put it. Sort of a bottomless pit in a sense. Compartmentalising it (or any other drawer in your home) can help restore order and prevent it from becoming a hiding place for junk you don’t really need. Image credit.

Get Creative with Your Kitchen Storage

You don’t have to spend a fortune on gadgets or shelving to get organized. There are actually quite a few everyday (and cheap!) items that can be transformed into storage helpers. This great article from HGTV has some very helpful and clever ideas, like hanging clear plastic sleeves inside your pantry door to keep all of your take out menus! Image credit.

Are you on a mission to get organized in 2014? What’s your plan of action?