Solve Storage Trouble Spots

When it comes to getting organized -- and most importantly staying organized -- the key is to pinpoint your biggest trouble spots and come up with realistic storage solutions for those spaces. No matter what area of your home you want to organize, take a look around and identify the places you seem to always come back to. For instance, if your kitchen counter is a catch-all for mail, books, office supplies, or other clutter, create a storage solution by turning a kitchen cabinet or even a drawer into a mini office/command center. By giving these items a dedicated home near the trouble spot, it's easier to find and put away those items quickly, keeping your counter free of clutter.

Look for Wasted Space

When searching for solutions to your storage trouble spots, look for areas that are being underutilized. For instance, if you're organizing a closet, take advantage of the wasted space behind the back of the door by installing towel bars or narrow, over-the-door shelving. But don't stop there. Also think about how you can better organize and arrange items according to size to better use your space.

Finding Storage Solutions that Actually Work

After you pinpoint your storage trouble spots and identify areas of wasted space where you can implement storage solutions, next seek out storage pieces that actually work in your space for the long term. Temporary solutions are, well, temporary; they might work fine now, but eventually, you'll have to address that spot again. Save time and energy by finding more customized storage pieces that fit your space and better house the items you want to keep there. Be sure you take good measurements of your space before you shop, then get creative by maximizing all the areas of wasted space you can.

Double Your Efforts

To make a bigger impact, see if you can use some of the items currently adding to your clutter as organizational helpers. Can you repurpose magazine holders to store items like water bottles in a kitchen cabinet, or is there an extra basket from your junk closet you can tuck into a cabinet to hold linens or plastic storage containers? Before you go out and buy more storage pieces -- that might eventually add to your clutter -- first shop your own home for creative storage pieces.

Add Finishing Touches

After you have successfully organized a formerly troublesome area of your home with new storage solutions, take a final look to see if you can slip in any smaller storage containers to help corral clutter even more. For instance, small baskets, bins, and jars placed in a corner or on a shelf offer even more storage opportunities to help keep a space organized once and for all.