How to declutter your home with clever storage solutions

They say a tidy home is a happy home, and that couldn’t be more true. We all have a deep desire for calm and order, free of any house chore induced stress and not a to-do list in sight. Essentially, a space where we can sit back after a long day at work and just relax.

Except in modern life, with a house to run, pets to take care of and mouths to feed, a tidy home can feel like a distant dream. We look around and seem to have acquired an abundance of things that have probably made you wonder ‘where did that even come from?!’. 

Your home is the last place you want to feel stressed, so whether you’re planning a huge clutter clear or just looking to make life easier, here are some simple ways to declutter your home with clever storage solutions.

The benefits of decluttering

When we start to think about why we want a tidy, clutter-free space, it might feel obvious to us already that a tidy home helps us feel calmer and more organised. But this can be difficult to put into practice. Until of course, the benefits of decluttering become clear:

Less distraction. We live in a busy world with so much going on around us; work, family, friends. Tidying up every day can only make things feel more hectic, and only provides a distraction from doing the things we care about. 

More time. Speaking of doing things you care about, a decluttered home environment will allow you more time and freedom to spend time enjoying yourself! Whether that’s seeing friends, going for a walk, or just enjoying some TV, spending less time doing chores provides a stronger sense of wellbeing. 

Positive attitude. There has been research that has linked having a tidy house with a positive attitude and better overall health.

Create a dedicated space

Perhaps the most simple but often overlooked way to reduce clutter around the house is to make sure your belongings have their own dedicated storage space. This avoids any furniture storage turning into the dreaded junk drawer, which only ends up becoming another clutter nightmare.

Before you start to tidy things away, make sure everything you use has a sensible place to live, somewhere that it is easily accessible and won’t be distracting. You might want to think about categorising your storage units, keeping all of your belongings organised in a way that’s memorable for everyone.

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time looking for their lost keys, phone or anything else around the house, decluttering your items with dedicated storage space will help you keep track of your belongings. 

Schedule a time to focus on decluttering

If you are someone who rarely finds the time to tidy, it helps to sketch out a time to focus on decluttering. It might just be 15 minutes a day, taking one step at a time to tidy up to declutter without getting overwhelmed.

If your house is in need of a bit of a bigger clear out, you might want to schedule a morning or afternoon to tidy your home. Remember, if you are ordering any new storage pieces, make sure they arrive in time for your declutter!

However your schedule works best, holding yourself accountable with a set time to organise your home is the best way to keep on top of mess and clutter once and for all.

You might even think about sorting one room at a time, taking note of which spaces are lacking that much-needed storage. Whether that be shelves, drawers or even simple storage cubes.

Create a decluttering checklist

Once you’ve planned your dedicated storage spaces and scheduled a date, it’s time to put together a decluttering checklist. Putting your plan into a visual format will make things much easier when tidying up.

Sort your checklist by room, and perhaps by each storage area. Think about the things you really need, and in which room you need those things. This will help keep things organised even after you’ve decluttered. 

Start with your existing storage, looking at your bookcases, side tables, or shelves. Empty them and take a look at each item – do you need it? Does it add clutter to your home? Once you’ve assessed your belongings, start adding your items back into their correct storage spaces.

Stay organised with hidden storage

When thinking about where to tidy things away, hidden storage pieces are a great option, especially if your home lacks built-in storage. This also allows you to bring your interior decor together and blend your storage solutions into the room. 

Hide clutter with storage seats

There are plenty of ways to blend your storage spaces into the room. An ottoman can look great and provide extra seating for the living room or bedroom, all whilst doubling up with hidden storage space.

As well as keeping things out of sight, an ottoman also provides a comfortable place to put your feet up, or even provide a makeshift coffee table. Matching your home décor, ottomans can truly enhance your living space and help you declutter.

Luckily, there are a great range of designs out there to help you start decluttering, so whether you’re a fan of something pink and plush or something more minimalistic, you’ll be feeling relaxed and clutter-free in no time.

Similarly, a window seat can complement the room perfectly whilst providing a clever storage solution for clutter. With seats designed to hide storage underneath, you’re never too far away from a magazine or tablet to enjoy by the window.

Hide cable clutter with TV cabinets

One thing that can easily clutter any home is cables… Whilst our TVs, game consoles and other entertainment systems can look great and add value to a room, their cables don’t. 

First of all, put away any charging cables, unused devices or gaming accessories where they belong. These might be most useful in a TV stand drawer so they are easily accessible when needed.

Finally, think about how to declutter your TV and media cables. Hide away those pesky wires using a TV cabinet, fit with cable access holes that help hide away wires whilst keeping them accessible. 

Donate your old belongings

As you declutter your home, you’ll probably find a lot of things you just don’t want or need anymore as you make way for new storage. 

Try and avoid waste wherever possible by donating your clothes or other goods to charities. Most organisations will accept a range of goods! This is a great way to tidy your space and help out others whilst doing so.

Stay consistent

After thinking about how to declutter your home and putting your plan into action, it’s important to keep up with your fresh start. If you live with family or friends, make sure everybody knows where things belong to help keep clutter to a minimum. 

Keep a daily tidy up part of your everyday routine, taking a short 15 minutes each day to declutter your home and maintain a happy space.This way, tidying up will become a healthy habit in no time!