With the arrival of a new year on the calendar, it’s the perfect time to tackle some goals … get organized, take control of your finances, or start an exercise program. Whether you call it New Year’s resolutions or simply goal setting, the idea is the same – start the new year off with a fresh slate and see how far you can go!
While we’re not health, exercise, or financial experts, we do know a thing or two about taking care of your home, and getting organized is an essential part of that. The good news is that the same tactics you used to tidy your workspace for a new year at the office can also be put to use inside your home.
Today, we’re going to walk you through some simple steps you can do at home to get organized for the new year ahead.
Pro tip: If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, bathroom renovation, or any other sizable home remodeling project, use these tips to declutter and organize your space. Then, you’ll know exactly what your space lacks that a remodel could fix.
7 Easy Steps to Help You Get Organized in the Kitchen
The kitchen is one of the busiest and most used rooms in the house. As such, it’s important to keep it clean and clutter-free with everything having a home. To illustrate our top tips to help you get organized, we’re going to show you exactly what that looks like in the kitchen. Then, if there’s another room in the house you want to tackle, you can follow the same simple steps.
Step 1: Take inventory of what you have.
Start by emptying your cabinets, drawers, pantry cupboard, and any other storage area you have inside your kitchen. This will give you a full picture of what you have and perhaps more importantly, what you’re lacking.
Step 2: Decide what to keep, throw away, or recycle.
Maybe you got two sets of measuring cups for your wedding 10 years ago. Do you honestly need both of them? Instead of keeping something you don’t frequently use, think about who else could get better use out of the item. Maybe you have a child moving into their first apartment who could use some budget friendly, hand-me-down kitchen tools. Or, maybe the item is simply worn out and it should be thrown away altogether. By paring down what you have to only the essentials and frequently used items, it’ll be much easier to get organized and stay that way.
Step 3: Clean the pantry, kitchen cabinets, and drawers.
Now that everything’s out in the open, your storage areas will be wide open and clutter-free. This is the perfect time to clean them thoroughly so the items you return to the space will have a fresh place to live.
Step 4: Group items by how and where they’ll be used.
Just because something came out of one drawer, it doesn’t mean that’s the best place it should be stored. All of the items you’ve decided to keep need to have a home, but not just any home will do.
First, organize items by how they’re used. For example, meal preparation could be easier if you keep all of your measuring cups and spoons together. Then, think about where they will be used. Does most of your meal prep happen on top of your kitchen island? If so, consider putting these items in an island drawer instead of across the kitchen by the stove.
Step 5: Get organized with the right accessories and storage options.
Now that you know where to put each group of items, what does the intended storage space look like? Will you be able to keep the items organized there with ease? Or, do you need baskets, pull-outs, dividers, inserts, or other storage solutions to maximize the use and tidiness of the space?
Step 6: Put your organizational plan into practice.
At this point, you have your essential kitchen items, they’re organized by use and location, and your storage spaces are clean and ready. Now, put all of the items you’ve kept into their intended homes.
Step 7: Enjoy … and then re-evaluate.
Take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy your newly organized space! Then, go about your daily life and see how things are working for you. After a few days or weeks, take some time to evaluate your organizational plan. Is it working? Do you need to make some changes to make it perfect? Don’t be afraid to rearrange as you see fit or contact your local remodeling expert for custom cabinetry that will better meet your needs.
Get Organized Before a Big Remodel
If you follow the simple steps above, it’ll be easy to see where your kitchen (or other room) works well and where it needs some help. That’s why we mentioned earlier that this exercise could be done before you start any major remodeling project.
Let’s take kitchen remodeling as an example. If you hire a kitchen designer (smart decision!) to plan your remodel, they’ll want to know what you like and dislike about your current kitchen. Going through the organizational exercise above will help you identify that with ease. Then, armed with this information, your designer will be better equipped to make design and functional recommendations to help you get the most out of your remodel.
Professional Home Remodeling in Orange County, CA
Whether you want to get organized for the new year or you want to evaluate your current space to plan for a future remodel, the time to get started is now!
Sea Pointe Design & Remodel has been meeting the remodeling needs of Orange County, CA homeowners for almost 40 years and we’d love to help with your remodel’s design and build. Browse through our online portfolio to see our completed projects in Irvine, Huntington Beach, Aliso Viejo, San Clemente, Lake Forest, Laguna Niguel, and a host of other Orange County cities. Or, register for one of our upcoming remodeling webinars to learn helpful remodeling tips from the pros.
Then, when you’re ready to start planning your own remodeling project, simply give us a call at (949) 861-3400 or fill out the form below to schedule your complimentary design consultation.