Hey Guildees!
An organized home doesn’t just look good—it feels good, too. This week, we’re diving into the topic of practical organization, where the goal is both form and function, while remembering to give ourselves grace as to when and how we get there!
Organization is the Ultimate Luxury
Luxury isn’t about how much you have—it’s about how what you surround yourself with makes you feel. When you organize your belongings, you’re reclaiming time and energy for yourself. No more searching for lost keys or untangling cords. Instead, you’re creating an environment where calm and creativity thrive.
That said, perfection is unattainable and also just a little weird, right?
We all have that one acquaintance who, when you first saw their place, you were like, “You live here?” Something about the place screamed uncanny valley, like they live in a furniture showroom. It’s the kind of place where you want to start peeking in all the closets to find their personality—and their mess. Then you get suspicious. What are you hiding? A murder room? A carload of circus clowns?
Even Buckingham Palace has chairs that look okay to sit on. I’m just saying.
For most of us, there is a balance to be struck between what looks nice on Instagram and what works in real life. It’s finding the balance that makes you happy to be in your home, surrounded by things you love, that is the ultimate luxury.
Balance Function and Aesthetics with a Mood Board
When you’re in organizing mode, it can be easy to get caught up in the moment and buy a bunch of things that don’t really work. Everyone from Ikea to Restoration Hardware carries decorative boxes, trays, and bins for organizing. But a lot of them are, frankly, not that great.
To avoid making purchases you’ll regret, try making a mood board of the room: the decor style, colors, and, most importantly, take measurements of the spaces that aren’t working! For inspiration, try looking beyond the organizing aisle to places like Blu Dot and Design Within Reach, or browse Architectural Digest and Domino. Look for sources that show products in use (real use, not Photoshopped!) for a sense of visual weight and scale.
Once you know what aesthetic you are looking for and where you need the most help, it will be easier to find storage solutions that work with your personal style, even from unlikely places.
Last year, we picked up two of these hammered aluminum ice buckets from Costco (left) and we’re now using them for throw blankets. We definitely weren’t looking for decor dupes, but it also happens to be very similar to one from Crate & Barrel that sells for a lot more $$$.
By approaching your home this way, you also give yourself room for happy surprises like this!
Clean for your Health; Declutter for Yourself
Decluttering isn’t about having less; it’s about keeping what serves your life best. While it may feel like a chore, it offers an opportunity to rediscover what truly matters in your home. Already feeling overwhelmed? Start small: tackle one drawer, shelf, or corner at a time.
Here’s a Simple Process:
- Empty It: Take everything out and assess.
- Sort: Keep what serves a purpose or brings joy; donate, recycle, or toss the rest.
- Organize: Group similar items together and find practical storage solutions.
If You’re Struggling to Let Go:
- Try to Separate Needs, Wants, and Obligations: You need dishes to eat from, but do you still need (or like) those thrifted dishes from your first apartment?
- Reframe Your Mindset: Memories live in you, not in objects. A photo can be your reminder, while allowing the item to benefit someone else.
- One Year Rule: Put your maybe items in a box; if you don’t retrieve them within a year, let them go.
Won’t This Take Forever?
Maybe, but that’s okay. Quick purges often lead to regrets. Remember, keeping your home clean is essential for health and safety. Wipe down counters after cooking, throw away moldy food, and clear tripping hazards. But organizing your junk drawer can wait—who is it really hurting?
The Hands Down Quickest Way to a More Organized Kitchen
Put half of your silverware, glasses, dishes, etc in a box and put it in the closet. Take them out when you have guests.
For many of us, our cabinets are full of way more stuff than we need when we’re not entertaining. We buy things in sets of six, eight, or more, with multiple varieties of the same thing in the set—salad plates and dinner plates, for example. But if you’re like me, you are not making multi-course meals on a random Tuesday; you are using one plate at a time. So, if you have four dinner plates in the cabinet instead of eight, you will do dishes twice as often and have cabinets that are half as full.
Thanks for spending time with me this week.
I hope this was helpful. Next week, I’ll be talking about vacations and staycations, because its getting to be the time of year where we are all feeling a little Winter Wanderlust. Hope to see you back here!
xo MEA
