This blogpost featuring room organization ideas was updated in July 2022.
Our homes are the center of our lives, and above all, they need to serve us and help us function as best we can. They’re emotional spaces, but they’re also tools to help us in our daily lives. Room organization ideas can bring order to your space and make storage pieces more efficient. See our favorite ideas for staying organized below:
Entries and Mudrooms
Let’s start with entries and mudrooms. They’re the first and last spaces you’ll see. When we walk into the house, we immediately want to dump whatever we’re carrying, so it’s important to have specific drop spots in both your entry and mudroom.
- Hooks or Hangers – If you don’t have a dedicated coat closet, you need a set of hooks. If you have young kids, hang hooks below 4 feet so they can put up their backpacks and jackets.
- Closed Storage – Every storage room needs a combination of closed and open storage. Cabinets and drawers keep sports equipment, pet items, and random things that accumulate out of site but in order. Above all, closed storage is one of our favorite room organization ideas.
- Baskets – For things you’re grabbing multiple times a day like your purse, keys, and shoes, open baskets corral your items and allow you easy access. Assign one basket per person, and be sure to use labels!
- Drop Surface – Every entry needs some small tabletop surface to place things, whether that’s a cup of coffee, a stack of mail, or something that needs to head out of the door. Leave some space open but make a habit of straightening at the end of the day.
If you’re lucky enough to have a mudroom, you can give your front entry a more decorative feel and won’t have to focus as much on storage.
- Furniture Piece — Start with a great furniture piece. A set of drawers or cabinets sets the tone for your room. Just be sure to measure for width of depth so you have plenty of space for thru traffic.
- Trays and Trinket Dishes — Little things — extra keys, coins, and odds and ends — always accumulate in the entry so keep a small dish or bowl to catch them.
- Decorative Elements — Your foyer sets the tone for your whole home. Have a bit more fun in a front entry by adding a wallpaper, art, and great lighting.
Kitchen Organization
Kitchens are the hardest working room in the house. They’re workspaces, homework spots, entertaining areas, storage workhorses, and much more. It’s important to think through ways to make this room efficient. Here are our favorite room organization ideas for the kitchen:
- Bar and Counter Stools – Appropriately sized seating gives your room a comfortable feel and means you’ll enjoy the space more. It can be tricky to figure out what size stool you need and how many you can fit at your island or peninsula. We created this handy guide so you can choose the correct size.
- Islands – Not every kitchen has an island, but if you can fit one, they’ll increase your storage, seating area, and prep space. We highly recommend a freestanding kitchen island like our Napoli and Tripoli islands. They combine drawer, shelf, and counter space in an efficient footprint.
- Food Pantry – No one has ever thought to themselves, I really need less storage. If you have the space, consider adding a pantry to your kitchen. We’ve thought through everything you might need by combining drawers, dividers, shelving, and narrow shelves for wine or serving platters. Stock it with food stuff, serving pieces, and baking supplies.
- Countertop Storage – No matter what kitchen you have, you can always add more style and storage to your countertop areas. Our Elisa Desk Organizer corrals paper and pens, and pretty trays and bowls keep things contained.
Room Organization Ideas in Playrooms and Kids Spaces
Kids spaces challenge our ability to be organized because they have so many toys. They’re also not as motivated to stay organized, but we do have some room organization ideas for these wild and wacky spaces:
- Labels – If you want children to put toys away, they need to know where they go. Even if your little ones aren’t yet reading age, you can create labels with a combination of words and pictures. The cleanup game instantly becomes a lot easier for all parties involved!
- Lightweight Baskets – The trick to keeping kids spaces tidy is to make it easy for them to clean up after themselves. Once big baskets are filled with stuff, they’re impossible to pick up and put away. Find lightweight baskets and opt for more small baskets verses a few large ones.
- Keep Storage Low – Low shelves and cabinets mean children can help themselves to toys and put things back where they came from. Anything that needs parental supervision (like art supplies) should stay on the top shelf.
- Performance Pieces – If you’ve got a playroom, at some point it will look like a disaster zone. Use performance rugs and upholstery so you can easily clean up. We even love to add outdoor poufs because they’re all weather proof and stand up to anything that mother nature (or your kids) can throw at it.
Closet Organization Ideas
Closets are hardworking rooms because we’re constantly in and out of them. In a perfect world, we’d all have plenty of drawer and rod space and would be able to find everything easily, but most of us have limited space and an expanding wardrobe.
- Drawers – Drawers are an efficient use of space, especially when you use the Konmari Method of folding from Marie Kondo’s The Lifechanging Magic of Tidying Up.
- Don’t Overstuff – Make a habit of purging regularly so you won’t overstuff your rods and drawers. Nothing makes finding what you need harder than having too much stuff.
- Customized Storage – If you love to collect certain things, consider adding storage tailored to what love the most. If you have an extensive accessory collection, a jewelry dresser has shallow drawers, hanging panels, and ring storage. Maybe you love shoes? Add a shoe tower with velvet lined cubbies so your favorite heels are easy to find.
- Pretty Display – Your closet should be clean and tidy but also inspiring. Getting dressed can be fun and creative as long as you have the right setup, so use trays and trinket dishes as room organization ideas.
Looking for more room organization ideas? Here are our favorite posts for more info:
- 4 Ways to Give Your Storage a Quick Update
- 3 Ways to Use our Double Boot Tray
- Conquer Your Junk Drawer for Good
- 5 Tips for Carving Out a Homework Space for Kids
- 2 Small Space, Back-to-School Entryways
- How to Style a Bookcase
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