GETTING SORTED THIS SPRING
It's much easier to give your home a good spring clean if you've cleared out first. For some good tips on where to get started and what to prioritize, we caught up with home-organization expert Jane Stoller, otherwise known as Organized Jane. Stoller has a passion for decluttering spaces but is reasonable in her approach, which is more along the lines of you're not readying your home for a photo shoot, just to enjoy being there.
She is the author of Decluttering for Dummies, and Organizing your Lifestyle, and recently launched a podcast series on the same subject. She's also designed her own line of decluttering boxes.
When it comes to where to begin, start small, says Stoller. Instead of putting a lot of pressure on yourself to overhaul any one room completely, choose one part of a room or a category — like your books. Just 15 minutes a day will have an impact, she says.
This approach is sustainable, and you'll feel better about your space.
If you live in a smaller home, you naturally have to declutter more, she says, because your space can quickly feel overwhelming if it's full of stuff.
But at the same time, having a large home doesn't mean you should fill it up, she says.
The size of your space should not determine how much stuff you have. “Everything you own should be based on your lifestyle,” says Stoller, and by this, she means: if you're not using it, get rid of it.
The pandemic has definitely made our homes the central focus of our lives, says Stoller, as we're all spending much more time there, and any mess or clutter is likely to get on your nerves more than if you're coming and going — because you're staring at it all day.
This, combined with online shopping (which has increased since the pandemic began), has resulted in us bringing more items into our homes. Many homes are more cluttered now than they were a year ago, she says.
The way to combat this is to decide to find another home for anything that does not serve you, says Stoller.
And the best place to start with this is your closet, she says.
“It is the first place you are either losing or gaining time. You want to start your day already efficient, not looking or wondering what to wear. Also, the closet is the easiest place to start decluttering as the physical act of clothing donation is simple,” she says.
Stoller says she keeps two bins in her closet at all times, one labelled “donate” and the other “sell” (which she sells on her website).
“If you are not using it or it does not fit your lifestyle, then it should not be in your home or office,” she says.
This is an excellent time to think about how you spend your days ( both working and in your personal life) and which rooms and items you use most, says Stoller. And if your lifestyle has changed in the last year, update your surroundings to suit your current needs. It is a good practice to constantly update your routines and systems in your work and home life, says Stoller.
The pandemic has changed how we use our homes and our activities, so adapt to that, she says. If you haven't worn some office clothing for a year or more, you likely won't wear it again, so passing it along will free up your space, she says: “Adapt and keep adapting as you will feel lighter and more organized.”
Katie Campbell is senior manager of storage and organization at Wayfair.ca. Storage options are popular across North America at the moment, she says.
Kitchen food storage, in particular, is being sought out by their customers, as consumers are now more conscious of their consumption habits.
“Earthy elements have been popular across decor for the whole home, and we've seen it extend into storage and organizational items too.
“The most popular materials are sustainable wood (Paulownia wood) woven and natural rattan baskets, recycled plastic and modular, stackable items,” says Campbell.