How to organize your home

Illustration by Veronika Hipolito

ONE of the more popular items that often finds itself as a New Years resolution is getting the house tidied up.

And unlike a few others, it does actually get done! Partly thanks to a superstition of how its supposed to symbolize getting rid of bad luck. In any case, the challenge lies in how to keep this goal until the end of the yearand no, asking your housekeeper to do it doesnt count.

Here are a few tips, paired with insights by budding interior decorator Erika Joan Ong, on how to do it rightthat is, create a home thats cleverly organized and clutter-free, and how to keep it that way for the next 11 months.

Theres certainly no room for messor excusesthis 2015.

Dont be a packrat

See those paper bags you left lying on the floor because you havent decided if youre throwing them or keeping them because they might be handy someday? Well, someday is too vague of a word, and the next thing you know you just piled up an eyesore in the middle of your bedroom. Give away or donate things you do not need or see yourself using anymore, Erika commentsor sell them perhaps. A clever trick of achieving this is through the Four Box Method come cleaning day. Get three boxes; label each one with storage, give/sell and put away; place them next to the trash bin (the fourth box), and simply toss whatever item to its respective box. Keep only the essential!

Label it

Compartmentalize your shelves, drawers and cabinets; designate a specific space for a group of items and label it. Shoes go there, cleaning supplies go here. It makes putting things away faster, and unlike just stuffing it all inside the storage closet, itll make it easier for you to find things when you need them.

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How to organize your home