Home Organization Tips: Decluttering Advice from the Pros
Discover practical home organization strategies from leading experts in the field. This article presents a comprehensive guide to decluttering and optimizing your living space. Learn how to transform your home with simple yet effective techniques that professionals swear by.
DEEPER DIVE: Here’s where the residential real estate market stands in 2025
LOCAL NEWS: 100 best places to work and live in Arizona for 2025
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS: Want more news like this? Get our free newsletter here
- Design Storage Around Real Habits
- Use Baskets to Contain Small Items
- Create Strategic Drop Zones
- Organize Entryway for Instant Impact
- Maximize Vertical Space for Tools
- Declutter by Category Not Room
- Use Reverse Advent Calendar Method
- Apply Mount Vernonizing Technique
- Utilize Self-Storage for Seasonal Items
- Label Drawers for Effortless Organization
- Establish End-of-Play Decluttering Ritual
- Group Items by Function in Zones
- Implement One-In One-Out Rule
- Respect Space Boundaries
- Create Decluttering Bin with Expiration Dates
- Start Small and Progress Gradually
- Treat Home Like Showing to Buyers
- Dedicate Daily Time for Quick Cleanups
Design Storage Around Real Habits
As an interior designer, I see organizing and decluttering a home as the foundation of good design. A beautiful space loses its magic if it doesn’t function well. True design is not just about aesthetics — it’s about creating a home that supports your lifestyle, reduces stress, and brings daily ease.
My best advice: design your storage around real habits — not idealized ones. If you tend to drop your bag and mail by the front door, don’t fight it — design for it. Add a built-in bench with concealed storage, a small drawer for mail, and a few stylish hooks. Creating designated “drop zones” in natural flow areas helps reduce visual clutter and builds intuitive organization into the home.
One strategy I use with clients (and at home) is what I call the “Designer’s Edit Box.” During any reorganization or design update, fill one box per room with items you haven’t used or touched in the past 6-12 months. Then ask yourself:
Would I intentionally design a spot for this item in this room?
If the answer is no — it’s probably time to let it go.
This approach not only clears clutter, but also reframes how we think about space. Instead of making room for everything, we prioritize the things that truly add value, beauty, or function.
Talha Gursoy, Interior Designer, Boss Design Center
Use Baskets to Contain Small Items
I always remind folks that decluttering isn’t necessarily getting rid of stuff but establishing a cadence that will make everyday living simpler. A good habit I have incorporated in my personal home and also in the homes we manage is to ensure the item does not occupy too much space. For example, when you have one 80 cm wide shelf, that is all you have to store your glassware. When it is full, nothing new enters it without something leaving it. It is a plain rule, but it prevents possessions from leaking into every corner and makes you decide what is really worth retaining.
The other tip that has proved to be revolutionary is the use of baskets or lidded boxes to contain smaller items in clear categories. In one project, a family kitchen contained more than 60 mismatched containers and lids in five cupboards. We put them into three pull-out deep baskets, marked them by size, and immediately released more than 40 percent of the cupboard space. It reduced irritation every day since everyone knew where to go to find what they wanted and the kitchen never looked cluttered. This technique is so effective in bathrooms, entrances, and even holiday apartments where you want to organize intuitively.
Marta Pawlik, Creative Director, Interior Designer, Co-Founder & Director, Laik
Create Strategic Drop Zones
Don’t think of organizing as something you do once. Make it part of your daily routine. What’s worked best for me is setting up small “drop zones” in the right spots — like a tray by the door for keys, a basket by the couch for remotes, or a hook in the kitchen for the dog’s leash. These spots catch clutter before it takes over, and because they’re so easy to use, you’ll actually keep using them. Over time, it becomes second nature, and your home stays tidier without much extra effort.
Shaun Green, Founder & Senior Interior Designer, The Furniture Shack
Organize Entryway for Instant Impact
I always say that the front door gives the impression of what the rest of the house will feel like. Shoes, coats, bags, and umbrellas can quickly accumulate, and when that area becomes cluttered, it extends into the house. The thing that made all the difference to me was that I made the investment in a simple but structured entryway system. I purchased a shelf bench with storage space and complemented it with some wall hooks. The bench contains six pairs of shoes in baskets, thus they are not visible and can easily be picked up. Each hook is placed far enough apart so that jackets are not overlapping, and each family member knows which hook is his/hers.
This did not take longer than two hours to install, was a total cost of approximately 300 dollars, and immediately calmed the front of the house. It reduced the amount of time we wasted looking around to find our shoes by at least 15 minutes every morning and provided an everyday reminder not to let the clutter be carried any deeper within the house.
Emily Demirdonder, Director of Operations & Marketing, Proximity Plumbing
Maximize Vertical Space for Tools
As a plumber, my home is full of tools, spare fittings, and equipment that could easily take over if I let them. To keep it under control, I use vertical space in a very deliberate way. My garage and laundry have shelving systems all the way up to the ceiling, and I hang everything on hooks, racks, and wall mounts, including ladders and power drills. This frees the floor so nothing accumulates, and it means that I can walk into the space and know just where everything is and not waste time.
The difference this has made is huge. I can fit twice as much gear without the space looking cluttered, and I never lose any parts or supplies because each item is in a location that is clearly visible. For example, I have my copper pipe up off the ground mounted on brackets, with sizes that are separated and labeled, where I can quickly pick off the size I need in a matter of seconds. The same goes for within the house where I have brooms, cleaning stuff, and even the ironing board which is stuck vertically. It saves me about 30 minutes a week that I would have spent searching or reorganizing, and it keeps the home looking clear even though there is a large amount of equipment to store.
Steven Bahbah, Managing Director, Service First Plumbing
Declutter by Category Not Room
As someone who works with information and systems daily, my home can still become cluttered since life and work often overlap. To address this, I shifted from organizing by room to organizing by category. This approach involves gathering similar items from across the house into one specific location before deciding what to keep.
For example, I collected every tool from the garage shelves, kitchen junk drawer, hall closet, and a couple of storage bins in the basement. Once they were all in one pile, I discovered I had twelve screwdrivers. I kept the four that were in good condition and donated the rest, which immediately cleared an entire drawer in the kitchen.
Categorizing allows you to see the actual volume of what you own and prevents you from storing identical items in different locations without realizing it. It also helps you designate a specific place for each category, ensuring that items are always within easy reach. After applying this method to cleaning supplies, I consolidated three individual stashes into one cabinet and saved more than a hundred dollars in the same year by not repurchasing items I already owned.
This small change simplifies the decision-making process and results in a more efficient home that is easier to maintain in the long term.
Doug Crawford, President & Founder, Best Trade Schools
Use Reverse Advent Calendar Method
We’ve helped many families declutter through our moving company. And so far, I’ve learned that small, daily habits often work better than big, stressful cleaning sessions.
One tip I love is the “Reverse Advent Calendar” method. Instead of opening a door to get a gift, you take away one or two items from your home each day. Doing this little by little keeps decluttering simple and prevents overwhelm. It works great for closets, kitchen counters, and even kids’ toys, and it helps keep your home organized all year long.
Of course, this works best if you’re not in a rush. If you are on a tight deadline, I think the 90-30 rule would work best. Keep items that you’ve used for the last 30 days and toss those that haven’t seen light in the past 90 days.
Marcus Achimon, Owner, Copperstate Moving
Apply Mount Vernonizing Technique
When I’m overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, I use a technique called Mount Vernonizing. This technique comes from a lesser-known but early decluttering author named Sandra Felton. She had a series called “The Messies Manual.”
Mount Vernonizing is a technique they use at George Washington’s Mount Vernon home/museum. They will walk in through a door, turn left or right, and simply work along that wall. Everything they come to that needs dusting, picking up, or polishing gets taken care of right there. Then they move on to the next thing.
The vast majority of items in a room are near a wall. So it’s a way of just moving through the room, saying “been there, done that” and moving on. It’s such a stress reliever, I can’t tell you enough. Give it a try!
Rositsa Petrova, Founder & CEO, Home of Wool
Utilize Self-Storage for Seasonal Items
One of the best ways to tackle home organization and decluttering is to separate items into three categories: keep, donate, and store. For many people, the real breakthrough comes when they realize they don’t have to get rid of everything right away. Self-storage can act as a buffer, giving you time to decide without cluttering your living space.
A tip that has been a game-changer for me is grouping seasonal or rarely used items into clearly labeled bins and moving them into a storage unit. Things like holiday decorations, camping gear, or family keepsakes don’t need to take up valuable space at home. By moving them to a secure, easily accessible storage facility, you free up your home for what you use daily, while still keeping those special or practical items safe and organized. It’s a simple shift that makes your living space feel lighter and more functional almost immediately.
John Reese, Owner, Glenpool Storage
Label Drawers for Effortless Organization
What has worked for me is labeling the inside of drawers and cabinets with a simple list of what belongs there. It’s nothing fancy — just a sticky note that says “spices + baking” or “chargers + cables,” with a little space to add more as I go. Even if I shuffle things around, I always know where each category is meant to stay. It’s like giving flowers a tag before they go into storage.
Here’s another technique that I find useful:
At home, I use the same habit I rely on when arranging flowers: trim away what doesn’t serve the design. Leaves and stems that add clutter never make it into the bouquet.
It’s the same with organizing. Before putting things back, I decide what to cut. If it’s broken, expired, unused, or simply something I don’t plan on using, it doesn’t go in the drawer. Once the excess is trimmed, organizing becomes quicker and far more effective.
Organizing a home and organizing flowers both work better when you rotate with the seasons. In my shop, I never use every flower year-round — I bring in what’s fresh and in season.
At home, I do the same by storing away things I don’t need that season. Scarves and heavy coats go into a bin in spring, just like tulips give way to peonies. It keeps the space clear and makes it easier to enjoy what’s actually useful right now.
Julia Egorova, Owner, Flowers & Flowers
Establish End-of-Play Decluttering Ritual
While others might focus on organizing and decluttering a home as a one-off weekend task, we could look at it as an “everyday ritual.”
We call it the “end of play ritual,” which takes place just before bed. We set 10 minutes aside, play some light-hearted and relaxing music, and use some room spray. What we’re doing is setting a mood. Then, we try to put every item back where it belongs: remote controls, mugs, jackets, books, even the mail. It’s a small daily habit that stops clutter from snowballing and means you wake up to a calm, ordered space. It also makes us more mindful about what we actually bring into our home in the first place!
Danny Leung, Founder, Natural Cleaning Advocate and Interior Designer, Detoorp
Group Items by Function in Zones
Design your storage in a way that fits your actual lifestyle, not how you want to live. This sounds simple, but it can be life-changing. Instead of trying to create minimalism that could be featured on Pinterest, analyze how you actually live and create your systems based on that. If you regularly open the mail and leave it in a pile by the door, you might as well embrace it. Just get yourself a tray or wall pocket and designate that location for it. If your kitchen island is a hot spot of family clutter, just make sure everything has a “home” within arm’s reach for anyone taller than 4 feet.
One insight that I have found truly invaluable for both myself and clients is the concept of zones. No matter if it’s a drawer, cabinet, or open shelf, group items by function — not category. Create a “morning zone” in your kitchen with mugs, coffee, and vitamins, and create a “wind-down zone” in your living room with your favorite book, blankets, and all TV remotes. It keeps things within reach while significantly reducing visual overwhelm.
We’ve even helped clients visualize their home organization using AI — so they can see what a clutter-free space looks like before making any changes. That mental shift alone can be incredibly motivating.
Yulii Cherevko, CEO & Co-owner, Paintit.ai – AI Interior Design & Virtual Staging
Implement One-In One-Out Rule
My biggest tip for decluttering is to implement a “one in, one out” system! Any time I bring something new into my home, I get rid of something that I don’t use. This prevents me from acquiring too much useless stuff and makes me question if I really need or want what I’m buying!
I introduced this concept when I had a closet explosion. For every new pair of shoes, I donated an old pair. Before I knew it, my closet had become more curated and I had much less clutter.
Minimalism is not about owning less; it’s about owning only what adds value to your life.
Nana Quagraine, Founder & CEO, 54kibo
Respect Space Boundaries
My best advice for decluttering and organizing is to respect your space boundaries. Once a space is full, you should make the decision to not add more or let something go so new things can fit. This prevents overcrowding, overconsumption, and keeps clutter confined.
D’Nai Walker, Professional Organizer, D’Clutter by D’Nai
Create Decluttering Bin with Expiration Dates
The hardest part of decluttering is often the emotional work of letting go of something you love, even though you don’t have a need for it. One of the best hacks I’ve found to short-circuit this process is to establish a bin or closet somewhere in your home that is exclusively for decluttering. Anything you declutter gets a label with today’s date, then it goes in the bin or closet. If it’s still there one year later, it’s time to let it go. If you find yourself using it sometime during that year, it can stay.
Martin Orefice, CEO, Rent To Own Labs
Start Small and Progress Gradually
My best advice regarding reorganizing and clearing up a house is to begin small and take it one step at a time. This keeps the feelings of being overwhelmed at bay and enables advancements to be taken in small, comfortable steps. Storing with the help of bins, baskets, and shelves can provide a massive change towards keeping things in order. One of my organizational tips that has changed the way I operate is the “one in, one out” rule; that is, for every new item I bring home, I must get rid of an old one either by donating it or throwing it out. This will ensure that clutter is not built up, and it promotes conscious consumption.
Keith Sant, Founder & CEO, Kind House Buyers
Treat Home Like Showing to Buyers
At work, I have observed how clutter slowly creeps into an area and what people become accustomed to without noticing its significant impact on them. It is not all about mess. It is concerned with noise, distraction, and stress that accumulate in the long run.
One mindset shift I always recommend: treat your home like something you’d walk a buyer through. If something feels out of place or in the way, it probably is. You don’t need to aim for perfect, just honest. A home that feels clear and lived in, not overloaded, makes everything easier, including how you feel in it.
Decluttering is not something that can be done in a weekend. It is a habit. And when you have a clear space, your thoughts are usually clear too. That is what makes an impression.
Doug Van Soest, CEO and Owner, SoCal Home Buyers
Dedicate Daily Time for Quick Cleanups
The best thing that has worked for me in keeping my home consistently organized and clutter-free has been taking just a few minutes per day to put things away back in their places, throw away trash, and generally do a pick-up and clean sweep. I think this works great in a busy household especially, because it’s easy to start getting overwhelmed by clutter build-up and do nothing. Just taking 15 minutes or so to put things away has really helped me stay on top of clutter better.
Carr Lanphier, CEO, Improovy
