An organised home is something many of us would admit to striving for. It doesn’t necessarily have to be tidy, but simply knowing where everything is, is a must isn’t it – especially if you’re living in a busy family household! Even if you’re not, the benefits of a tidy, organised home are overwhelming.
Chester Grey Hallway Tidy | @the_suffolk_nest
Knowing how to zone your home to better organise it, depends, in part, on how much space you have. How ever big or small your home is though, ensuring everything has a home is a brilliant starting point – and part of the battle. Knowing and understanding where you spend most of your time is important too. Perhaps it’s the living room or the kitchen? Those high traffic areas, like the hallway, count too. When we talk about zoning, these are the best places to really focus on, as it’s where you will really notice a change.
HALLWAY
Let’s start with the hallway, then. It’s the first ‘room’ you and your guests see when you enter and leave, so you want it to make a good first – and lasting – impression. We understand the size of our hallways can vary greatly – perhaps you have a tall and long Victorian terrace hallway, one with a small porch or a large entrance way when you step through the front door.
Sussex Grey Shoe Bench | @goldenfoxcottage
When it comes to organisation – it is shoes, bags, coats and wellies that are the usual clutter culprits. What’s more, were using these most days, so storage not only needs to be practical, but accessible and easy to live with too.
It might not be possible to store outerwear and footwear for all four seasons here, but a practical solution for the current season will certainly help you to feel more organised and prepared for busy mornings.
For even the smallest of hallways, a set of coat hooks – and if there’s room, a small shoe bench – will transform the space. A console table with one or two drawers offers a useful spot for storing keys and your purse too. Or, our larger hallway sets offer ample storage for keeping shoes stored and out of sight, and coats and jackets hung up high and out of the way.
Baskets and accessories, like our Wellie Racks and Umbrella Stands, offer a convenient addition for the point we made above about the importance of giving everything a home.
Chantilly Black Console Table | @the_squiffy_mill
How to zone
When it comes to zoning your hallway, it can often prove helpful to dedicate space to each family member – this is particularly useful for children too. Giving them their own coat peg and shoe basket or drawer not only helps you to stay organised, but gives them a fun sense of ownership and important part to play in keeping the house tidy too.
KITCHEN
It’s fair to say, this can quite easily become one of the most cluttered spaces in your home. From paperwork to kitchenware and appliances, good storage and organisation is key. Jars, baskets and boxes are all fantastic resources for keeping sauces, grains and baking goods in order. Whether it’s for the kitchen cupboards – you can read our recent blog post on the best ways for keeping your larder tidy and organised – or even the work tops. Using these can really help to keep clutter at bay, and keep everything tidy and together.
Alternatively, investing in a solid Kitchen Island or Larder offers ample storage space, together with a timeless and trusted design that’ll stand the test of time in your home.
How to zone
For many of us, our kitchens might be doubling as a home office at this time too. This is where a filing system and sturdy storage will come in useful for zoning this area and maintaining a good work/life balance. You’ll want to be keeping important paperwork and notes clear from worktops where you’re preparing dinner and making copious cups of coffee.
Grocery Box | @peartreecottagelife
It’s the heart of your home, so take some time to think about the space you have and what works best in it.
From a hygienic point of view, having separate zones in the kitchen is important too. For instance, you may keep some, or all, of your cleaning products here under the sink. Having these arranged by frequency of use or requirement will keep them safely together and organised.
UTILITY ROOM
Not a space we all have, but if you do – and whatever its size – the utility room is the ideal alternative space for keeping all those cleaning products and essentials stored together. It offers a little more space than a few shelves under the kitchen sink too. Whether you stand bottles in baskets on the worktop, on top of shelves or in the cupboards, keeping them stacked together will ensure you know where everything is – and prevent you from buying duplicates by accident too.
It’s a good idea to keep those you use most often nearest to you, or standing at the front of the cupboard for easy access. If you keep your laundry in here too, having baskets for clean and dirty washing – and even a ‘to iron’ one will help keeping it an organised and pleasant space too.
OFFICE
No doubt a room we’re all making the most of during this time. Perhaps you’re sharing it, or it’s also become a home schooling room too – but if you have an office at home, it’s actually a brilliant room to keep tidy and organised. One that will benefit you long-term. It’s ideal for storing paperwork, bills and stationery too.
Our desks offer ample drawer storage for keeping pens, pencils and office stationery together, with extra room for paperwork and notebooks. Or, if you’re looking for something with more compartments, our traditional writing bureaus offer a timeless storage solution. While our filing cabinets are thoughtful in design and offer an attractive alternative to plastic containers or shelves.
How to zone
Losing bank statements, receipts and important paperwork is one of life’s frustrations, so if you want to stop keeping it all stuffed in the top drawer of your kitchen cabinets or somewhere in the office; why not think about a basket or box file for each room for keeping relevant paperwork tucked inside. You could keep appliance instructions and bills in the kitchen for example, while furniture instructions and subsequent receipts can be stored in each room. That way, you’ll always know where everything is and it’ll be easier to find. Which is all any of us want when it comes to organising our home, isn’t it?
Lundy Stone Larder | @thelittlestonecottage
