Tag Archives: Howards Storage World

6 Hacks For Keeping An Organised Home In The New Year

If you are like us, one of your new year’s resolutions is to have a more organised and structured home. In today’s post we are sharing our top hacks for not only implementing organisational solutions but staying on top of them long term. We have so many handy tips and tricks we’ve used time and time again and suggestions on the perfect storage solutions that will transform your home life. Read on to find out more!

1. Start The Year Fresh

The festive season is one of abundance, decadence and overflow, so it is no wonder we all feel like cleansing and minimising once the new year rolls around. For most people the start of January can be a calm time where work is quiet, and you can reset both yourself and your home. We suggest setting a day aside to have a thorough declutter of the highest traffic areas of your home such as the kitchen, pantry, wardrobe, kid’s bedrooms, playrooms and garage. Sort through all items and get rid of anything that has not been used recently, has been replaced with something new or that no longer brings you joy. By starting off the year with a declutter and organising day this allows you to head into the new year with a fresh perspective and a clear mind.

 

2. Create A Drop Zone

Creating designated drop zones in the home allows for clutter to be contained to one area and avoids it building up throughout various areas of the home. We recommend creating a ‘drop-zone’ that is separate from the kitchen or living area in a space such as the entryway, home office or towards the garage. Create a drop zone by using items such as baskets, in-trays, boxes or containers and label them with each family member’s name. You can pick up some beautiful baskets from Freedom or some great storage containers from Howard’s Storage World that would be perfect for this. The key to keeping drop zones under control is to dedicate a couple of minutes each week to sorting through and actioning any items that need to be actioned and putting things away that have a separate home.

 

3. Go Label Crazy

Labels are a lifesaver when it comes to organising your home. Not only do they look aesthetically pleasing, but they help each member of the family know where items belong. We recommend labelling key areas of the home that are constantly having items picked up, put back, used, and taken in and out. For example, categorise your pantry using wire baskets for different food types and use swing tags to label. The linen cupboard is another great area of the home to use beautiful baskets to categories like-minded items such as sheets, quilt cover sizes, towels and more.

 

4. Purchase Your Storage Solutions Now

December is the perfect time of year to pick up a bargain as the Christmas and Boxing Day events are in full swing! If you have the time, we suggest making a list of items such as baskets, containers, drawer dividers and turntables and heading in store to grab yourself a saving. We love Howard’s Storage World for all our kitchen, wardrobe and bathroom storage solutions and Provincial Home Living and Freedom for gorgeous baskets.

5. Set A Timer

When thinking about decluttering and organising your home it can often become overwhelming as you do not know where to begin. As the saying goes, the easiest way to achieve something is to ‘just start’. We love setting a timer to either 15 minutes or 30 minutes and having a ‘fire round’ of decluttering, picking up items that are lying around, sorting a drawer or deep cleaning an area that has been neglected. You will be surprised how much you can get done in a short amount of time if you set your timer, put your phone on silent and pop on some inspiring music to get motivated!

 

6. Lock In Maintenance Days In Your Calendar

Implementing organisational solutions in your home such as categorising, labelling and decluttering is the first step in creating an organised home. The second and arguably most important step is to ‘maintain’ the spaces long term. Having an organised home is not a matter of ‘setting and forgetting’, rather a system that is put in place and maintained regularly for optimum performance. Maintaining your organisation solutions simply means to set aside time in your calendar every quarter to check in on the systems put in place. This can include going through the pantry and throwing away expired foods, sorting through each family members in tray and ensuring all items are put back in their designated category baskets in the linen cupboard and playroom.

Our Top Kitchen Organisation Hacks

The kitchen is often described as the heart of the home and as such is required to be not only a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing space, but a functional one too. Whether you are cooking dinner, packing lunches, emptying the dishwasher, or doing homework with the kids, the kitchen functions for all types of activities. In order to keep the space functioning well and to avoid frustration, the kitchen needs to have systems and organisation tools in place. Today we are sharing with you our favourite tips, tools, and products to help you organise and create flow in your kitchen.

Create Zones

The working triangle is a common term used when designing kitchens as it refers to where the dishes are done, the food is stored, and the cooking is undertaken. Zones can also be created in other ways in the kitchen such as in your pantry, cupboards and drawers. To ensure breakfast time runs smoothly as a family and cooking dinner is a breeze, we recommend setting up zones within the pantry to enable this. Group like-minded items together such as cereals with spreads and pastas and rice with spices, sauces and oils. This saves you time in the long run as you know where everything is and can easily access the items you require. Zones can also be created within your cupboards and drawers by storing cooking items such as pots and pans near the stove and plates, bowls and glasses near the dishwasher for easy access when unloading. Create zones in your kitchen this weekend and thank us later!

 

Use Baskets And Containers To Categorise

Baskets and containers are one of our favourite tools to use when organising a kitchen and pantry. In the pantry we suggest grouping likeminded items together and dedicating a basket for each category. The most common categories to use and are snacks, cooking, meal kits, baking, rice and noodles and of course backstock. Freedom and Howard’s Storage World have some gorgeous baskets that would up level any pantry and create a beautiful look in your home. Clear or white containers are great for areas such as under the sink where you can group items together such as cleaning, dishwashing, paper towels, sponges, and bin bags. Our biggest tip is to ensure you measure each space before purchasing to make sure you are buying baskets that fit correctly and utilise the space properly.

 

Label

To create the ultimate Pinterest and Instagram-worthy organised kitchen and pantry you cannot forget to use labels. Labels not only look pretty but allow for each member of the family to know where to put things, helps with maintaining systems and makes it easy to know what items you require when creating your shopping list. We suggest adding labels to items such as decanted pantry staples in containers or jars, the categories of each basket of food products and the containers for your under-sink storage. Swing tags, acrylic tags or clips are best for baskets with handles whereas printed vinyl labels are perfect for containers.

 

Drawer Dividers

Drawer dividers are the saviour for any kitchen drawer, and we love using them to up level our kitchen organisation. The utensils drawer is the perfect place to use drawer dividers as you can sort by likeminded item and this in turn allows you to avoid rummaging around for the utensil you are looking for. They are also great for drawers that house your zip lock bags and food wraps to ensure these are stored in a neat and organised way. Other areas you can use drawer dividers in the kitchen are if you store your Tupperware, plates, bowls and pots and pans in drawers. Howard’s Storage World have some great options, so be sure to head in store to check out their range soon.

 

Maintaining Systems

Once you have implemented your organisational systems in your kitchen and pantry it is essential to spend a little bit of time every few months to maintain them. Like everything in life, maintenance is the key to ensuring things run smoothly and avoids any build up. We recommend that at the beginning of each season you complete a once over of your kitchen drawers and cupboards to ensure all items are in their correct zones and nothing has been moved or shuffled around. We also suggest checking your fridge and pantry for expired foods and throwing out any items that are out of date or donating items that will not be used.

 

Organise Your Kitchen at Aspley Homemaker City

We look forward to seeing you soon at Aspley Homemaker City and helping you with all your home organisation needs. If you would like any advice on ways to organise and what storage items would suit your needs, simply click here book in for your free styling session with our Resident Stylist, Eliza.

3 chic bathroom storage solutions

The bathroom is one of the most high traffic areas in any home. It’s where we go to prepare to take on the day, and it’s where we head to wash up and decompress when the day is done.

Add a Storage Cart

What a difference a storage cart can make. If you’re like so many who are short on cabinet storage, take matters into your own hands. Howards Storage offer a large range of storage solutions especially designed for the bathroom. Take it one step further and roll your towels and add a succulent or two, and you’ll feel like you’re in a spa each and every day.

Organise with draw dividers

If you’re like the so many of us who have bathroom drawers overflowing with products, miscellaneous items, and general chaos then pick up some draw dividers from Howards Storage and finished off the look with well organised draws which will make the morning rush much more satisfying.

Get creative with mason jars

When it comes to DIY organisation, the wonders of the mason jar know no bounds! Present your glosses, cotton balls, and tiny toiletries in the cutest way imaginable by taking advantage of this sweet idea. All it takes is a little paint, glue, and a few animal toppers.