7 great ways to de-clutter your home

Lily Cichanowicz Lily Cichanowicz
Cocinas Gamahogar , Gamahogar Gamahogar Kitchen
Loading admin actions …

For many of us, accumulating clutter over time is a natural and seemingly unconscious process. With the introduction of a few intentional practices and storage solutions, we can avoid falling into this trap, not only because more minimal design is trendy right now, but also because organisation helps to minimise stress and encourage productivity in our homes and in our lives. In fact, this ought to be the first step in any other redecoration or renovation plans you have for your home. Simply eliminating the clutter can cast your home in a new light, make it more inviting, and expose new potential for any room. Organise with style through these seven tips for decluttering your home. Happy decorating!

Find the right lighting

Lighting is an important element of creating the right ambiance in any room. It can also play a stylistic role when we select the perfect fixture and accompanying lampshade. Still, if your rooms feel small or cluttered, having too many light fixtures hanging around and collecting dust somehow does not feel quite as aesthetically appealing. Not to worry! There are plenty of alternatives. You can install lights that are subtle or hidden altogether like the ones in this rustic kitchen with confined counter space. They cast a warm glow that is also bright enough to be functional for cooking purposes, but we don’t need to see them. As a result of this innovative lighting solution, space was created for shelves and increased storage. Really, uncluttering your home is all about thinking outside the box and finding stylish and creative solutions.

Stay minimal by decorating with plants

MACETAS DE CEMENTO, Bara Bara Modern style gardens Plants & flowers

Often at times, attempts to decorate can go awry when we have too much going on. When our décor is not streamlined, it can make the space feel cluttered and claustrophobic. At the same time, to successfully achieve great minimalistic design in our homes, we must create a balance by choosing a few striking pieces for decoration. A simple way to decorate while staying stylishly minimal is with plants. Imagine this room without the addition of the plants on the table. Their presence creates a sense of cohesiveness and flow that even complements the existing light in the space. Including plants in your home can also increase productivity, creativity, efficiency, and calmness. Decorating with them is quite simple as well, and today there are so many varieties to choose from. You can even vary the plants you showcase in your home based on season or occasion to mix things up while still not overdoing it with the décor.

Store children’s toys in baskets

Having a messy home can be difficult to avoid when children are involved. Many toys can be bulky or widely varied in shape, which makes it increasingly difficult to find the best means for storing them. Save yourself some of the exhaustion of cleaning up after your children by making storing their toys easier with colourful baskets or boxes. This is a great starting point for teaching your children to have good organisational habits too. Notice how these pink and green decorative bins fit perfectly with the colour scheme of this bedroom. They are positioned on a shelf that is low to the ground to promote easy access for the little ones. This same strategy is great for storing video game consoles and the accompanying remote controllers and game cartridges as well. It is also ideal for pet toys, but good luck trying to teach them to stow their things away once they are done using them!

Store away with a shoe rack

A huge source of chaos and clutter can exist right when we walk in the door. Do yourself a favour by creating a more welcoming space to greet you when you come home from a long day by getting a shoe rack. This simple fix can do wonders! Make sure that it’s appropriately sized to fit yours and your family’s needs. Be warned, we generally need a larger shoe rack than we might initially expect. We love this innovative fix for this typical organisational pitfall. Try converting a shelving unit into a shoe rack. If you have a built-in shelf like this one to work with, even better. Notice how understated it is due to the wood’s finish. It blends nicely with the closet next to it and with the stairs. Like other elements of storage and organisation, strive for uniformity or complementary designs, and the shoe rack will blend in seamlessly with the rest of the walkway.

Keep things organised through uniformity

By simply making your space more uniform you can work with your sense of sight. When a room is uniform in colour for instance,  it is less likely to appear over-stimulating or chaotic. Purchase monochromatic storage boxes like the ones featured in this smaller closet space. Notice how they display an intentional sense of order. It also helps that they match the white of the shelves because it makes their presence more understated. Of course, they are also serving the functional purpose of keeping items together. You can easily arrange socks, hair accessories, gloves, hats, broaches, and belts in containers like these. Best of all, they come with a designated spot for you to write what is in each container, making it easy to locate things when you need them.

Clever storage solutions

Speaking of clever solutions, they don’t have to stop at your entryway or with the shoe rack. Most homes are actually filled with underutilised spaces for storage. Whether it’s your half empty pantry or underneath your bed, it’s likely that with a little thought you will realise there are places in your home that if used properly, can help you to maximise organisation and declutter your home. With a little imagination you can also transform places into more storage friendly spaces. Notice how this staircase has been converted to a spacious shelving unit. It plays well with the geometry of the stairs and the railing, making for a unique design. In smaller homes, repurposing your staircase into a shelving unit can make all the difference. Another clever way to add more storage area to your home is by installing some floating shelves. They are quite trendy, minimalistic, and come in many different styles to fit your unique tastes.

Make the most of existing closet space

Another commonly underused storage space is the closet. Many of us are not making the most of this existing storage space. With the addition of a few organisational aids you can find your closet looking much like the one in this photo. Install some floor to ceiling shelves for a compounding effect to the shoe rack in your entryway. Include some decorative boxes for smaller items as well. Adhere some hooks and racks onto the opposite wall in order to keep bags and other items off the floor. Lastly, add a mirror. It will serve the obvious functional purpose of allowing you to try things on without having to leave your closet. Plus it will make the closet feel more spacious and reflect any existing light to make the space feel brighter.

If you found these tips helpful, check out: Tips to refresh your domestic space.

What do you do to declutter your home? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section, below!

Need help with your home project?
Get in touch!

Highlights from our magazine