The two most frequently used rooms in most homes are the kitchen and family room. So this week, we are giving you more tips to organize these high traffic areas.
Last week, we gave you the 5 steps, which are the basic principles to organizing your home, and will apply to these rooms as well. If you missed last week, feel free to refer back to our 5 Tips to Organize your Bedroom and Bathroom
Starting with the kitchen, pick a section to start, such as the silverware drawer. As you pull everything out, and are deciding what to keep, here’s a key list to help you choose what to get rid of.
Those plastic containers that don’t have a top
Expired, stale, or old food or condiments (like that bbq sauce that expired in 2013)
Unneeded cookbooks that are older than you are
Chipped plates, cracked glasses, or the teacup missing a handle
The pie plate that you got as a wedding gift but have never used
That collection of dish rags you seem to have a collection of.
In the family room, an easy place to start is the coffee table, including the shelf or the drawers within it. Moving on to the shelving units, separate everything into 4 categories, as we discussed last week. Keep it, throw it away, donate it, or sell it. Ask yourself “do I really need this?” and “am I really going to use this?” to help you decide whether or not to keep items you may be attached to. Here’s another list we’ve compiled of items to help you with this process of elimination.
Those pillows you’ve had since your first apartment
Broken or unused electronics, like your 19 year old’s old gameboy
Those plugs that you don’t know what they belong to
Incomplete games, including that twister board with the missing spinner
DVD’s or even videotapes that you haven’t touched in years
Everything will need a home, which I find to be the fun part, finding the perfect storage containers. Whether it be a basket for all of those remotes, designated cabinets for bake ware and pots and pans, or a new shelving unit for books and magazines.
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We love this idea of what’s being called a “kitchen command center”, which is an area in the kitchen where you can stow away mail, receipts, to do lists, pens and pencils, as well as anything else that’s important, all while
remaining organized
Some more tips to remember-
For the kitchen, keep most used items within reach- Stow essential tools together within easy reach of your cooking area for efficient food prep.
For the family room, try and make sure that shelves remain uncluttered. A good rule of thumb is a mix that is two-thirds books, and one-third knickknacks.
In both rooms, have a designated spot for family members to keep personal items.
Remember to check out our Pinterest Board. See you next week, where we’ll focus on the basement and play area.
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