organized shelves

Storage Solutions for Families: 12 House Organization Ideas to Try

You get home from work. It’s been a long day and you just want to relax. You walk through the door and, for what feels like the millionth time, you see it: stuff. Everywhere. 

Like many people, in a moment of frustration, you’ve probably considered taking everything you own to the dump and/or thrift store. “Why is there so much stuff? Can I just throw it all out? That’s it, I’ve had it. I’m throwing it all out.” 

While decluttering isn’t a bad thing, there’s a difference between decluttering and haphazardly tossing all of your belongings out the door – at least some of which, you will probably regret. 

Before breaking out the industrial size trash bags, consider implementing some home organization. With just a little bit of organization, you can make even the smallest house feel a little bit bigger, and much more pleasant to be in.

In this article, you will learn 12 house organization ideas that will prevent you from pulling your hair out every time you walk through your front door.

Let’s get started!

1. Designated Areas

Before getting into any additional shelving, furniture, or containers, you should assign areas to keep things straight in your home. For example, if crafting is a hobby for you, be sure to keep all of your crafting materials together in one area. If everything has a home, it’s more likely to get back there when you’re done using it.

Make this a fun family activity by encouraging your children to decorate their assigned area any way they’d like, then help them to sort their belongings into containers.

2. Use Vertical Space

If your children have a lot of stuffed animals, balls, or other larger toys that won’t break if stacked, use tall, narrow containers or even a DIY “animal pen” to store them vertically, instead of in a typical toy box that takes up horizontal space on the floor.

3. Shelves on Shelves on Shelves

If you have extra space between the top shelf in your closet and the ceiling, consider installing an additional shelf above it. Store things you use least often or your off-season clothing on this high shelf (just don’t forget the step ladder!).

Spice racks or other small shelving units can be added to the sides of existing bookshelves or dressers to store books and other thin items. Additionally, attaching a small container to the side of the bed is the perfect place to store your phone and extra chargers.

4. Wall Hooks

Wall hooks are a great way to take advantage of wall space that isn’t occupied by decor. For example, they can be used to hang your towels near the shower in the bathroom. Smaller hooks can be attached to the back wall in your closet or on the side of the dresser to hang necklaces and other jewelry.

To gain a little extra space inside the cupboards of your kitchen, use hooks to hang pans to the sides of cabinets and nearby walls. By attaching them to the inside of cabinet doors, you can hang measuring cups, spatulas, and other utensils, keeping them stored away out of sight.

5. Storage Bins

Storage bins will become your very best friend when organizing. Plastic containers come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and can be used to hold virtually anything you can think of. Use colorful bins for children’s toys and supplies, and white, black, or metal bins for you and your partner’s clothes and other belongings.

One of the biggest advantages of using plastic containers is that they are durable and versatile enough to be used in the bedroom as well as areas of your home that may not be temperature regulated such as the attic or garage.

6. Pull-Out Drawers

If you or your partner are handy, build drawers to slide underneath beds and other low furniture. If you’re not skilled with hammer and nails, low-rise plastic containers can easily be used as makeshift “drawers”. Use these containers to hold pots and other kitchen items, so you can simply pull them out and grab what you need instead of fighting to get the item you need out of the very back of the cabinet.

7. Caddies and Door Organizers

Door caddies, such as shoe holders or bathroom organizers, can be used to hold whatever various items might not fit elsewhere. If your house has a smaller bathroom with less cabinet space than you might need, keep your extra toiletries and hand towels on the back of the door instead of trying to cram everything under the sink.

Shoe holders can be used for much more than footwear! Small toys, makeup, school supplies, or even wrapping paper will all fit nicely in these multi-functional pouches.

8. Filing Systems

Paperwork can quickly turn into an absolute nightmare. The last thing anyone wants to do is tackle the mountain of papers stuffed into every corner of the office, and possibly the junk drawer in the kitchen. But organizing this particular area of your home can be a huge weight off your shoulders.

Bring in a small filing cabinet or a few accordion file organizers to set on shelves, then arrange your paperwork into categories, such as car, home, school, etc. Next time you’re on the hunt for important information, you will be able to find it with ease rather than spending hours searching through stacks of paperwork.

9. Add Furniture, Remove Clutter

While it may seem counterproductive, adding a few pieces of furniture can help if your home is feeling congested. A shelving unit placed over the toilet to hold bathroom tissue or towels, for example, or incorporating a small, rollable island in the kitchen can help reduce clutter. If you have a standard coffee table, consider replacing it with one that can double as a storage container, such as a chest or ottoman.

To remedy a chaotic foyer, install an entryway organizer. These handy shelving units can contain shoes, backpacks, coats, anything you might be putting on or taking off on your way in or out the door. Have a labeled hook for each child to encourage putting their coats where they belong.

10. Pegboards

Pegboards can be used in practically every room in the house, from the garage to the playroom, and can be fitted with a variety of attachments, making them an extremely useful organization tool. Have an excess of tools lying around in the garage? Hang them on pegboards. Always stepping on legos in your children’s playroom? Keep them in color-coded cubbies that stick right to the wall. 

11. Nooks and Crannies

Need more space? Take advantage of the unusual spaces in your home that you would normally overlook. Installing shallow shelves behind doors is a great way to add inconspicuous storage.

And if you don’t want to build onto the wall, build into it! The area between wall studs is perfect for adding shelves or even a small closet into the wall itself. If you have a basement or attic, you can add wire racks to or store plastic containers underneath the joists.

12. House Organization Ideas: The Final Step

Once you have everything organized, all of your belongings have a home, you have to stay on top of it to keep it that way. Put things back in their “homes” the moment you’re finished with them, and teach children to do the same, to prevent the disorder from building up again.

If, after implementing some or all of these ideas, you still seem to own more than your house can hold, you may want to consider renting a storage unit to temporarily move some of it to a separate location. If this is something you’re interested in, there is a handy storage unit search engine you can view here.

What’s Next?

Putting these house organization ideas into action may seem like a daunting task, but having a well-ordered home will be worth it! And once everything is neat and tidy, you’ll have a hard time believing you ever let it become a mess in the first place.

Keep in mind that an organized home isn’t a one-person job, however. Your children and partner should help out as well by keeping their hobby or work areas clean as well as picking up after themselves if they move things from where they belong. It’s never too early to teach good habits with chores!

Once you’re finished with your organization adventure, be sure to check out our website for more tips on family life and frugal living!

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