Home organizers like simple system using labels

Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin started the Home Edit in Nashville, Tennessee, to reinvent traditional organizing and create functional systems that were stylish and design-oriented. The Instagram sensations recently participated in The Washington Post's Home Front online chat. Here is an edited excerpt.

Q: We do not have a play room, so most of our toddler's toys are kept on the first floor and are visible as soon as you walk into our house. The first floor is open, so there aren't many places to hide them. We use a storage ottoman for most of his toys, but how should we organize his little kitchen and trucks?

A: For this situation, we would recommend getting a small furniture piece with closed storage, even from Ikea. It's always so fun and cute to set up a "parking garage" for larger vehicles inside a cabinet as well.

Q: I'm looking for a clever and convenient way to organize my jewelry. Any suggestions?

A: Use vintage tea cups for necklaces or rings. They can be a beautiful counter display.

Q: What are your suggestions for organizing board games? The boxes they come in are always breaking and of varying sizes.

A: We love to unbox a game. Use shoe boxes from the Container Store, with Smart Store cups inside to contain any small pieces. For larger boards that won't fit into a shoe box, use an acrylic magazine sorter to stand the board up on a shelf. Turntables with dividers are also great for holding small game pieces.

Q: How do you encourage your kids, partners and helpers to keep up the systems and organization?

A: We truly believe that if there is a system in place with labels, it is easier for other family members to know exactly where to put items back. Keep the system simple, with general categories.

Q: I have a small but not cramped house with a nice attic storage space that I just cleaned out. How should I best inventory and store things so I can rotate them in and out of use, either as decor or for their function (such as glassware)? I'd like to swap things out every now and then to keep things fresh and in use.

A: Use clear bins to store items and create labels.