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Have you just moved into your first home and want it to look perfectly splendid? Are you looking for some expert-approved organizing tips for a tidy home? Say no more, we have got them all!
Since this is your first home, let me tell you that there is no right way to go about organizing it. It involves lots of creativity and practice to get the ultimate clean and tidy interiors, but you don’t have to fight tooth and nail for it either.
In this article, we have covered some wonderful hacks that will let you organize your rooms in smart and efficient ways. The good news is that you might even discover some extra space in the process, yay!
Check out 21 of the BEST organizing ideas for your first home and get ready to have the home of your dreams!
21 of the BEST Organizing Ideas for Your First Home
1. List Every Room In Your House
Before you start organizing, it’s very important to make a proper list of rooms and all the items and furniture that are to be kept in each room. Since this is your first house, the entire process of packing and moving is going to be tedious and it would be very helpful if you’d maintain a list.
Try to pay attention to every space that will need extra organizing. For example, if you take the kitchen, you will need to have many drawers and shelves for all the utensils and ingredients. Similarly, bedrooms will have a closet, vanity, etc. The list will provide you with a clear picture of the work you have ahead of you and the approximate time that each room will require for its organization.
2. Use An Empty Wall
Modern apartments aren’t big and there are high chances that you have opted for a studio or loft apartment since it’s your first home. Properly organizing everything becomes a necessity because you have to use space efficiently and declutter everything.
Utilize an empty wall space and convert it into floating shelf storage. Don’t go for traditional cabinets or bulky dressers because you cannot afford to use up that much space. A floating shelf will be very easy to install and will give you ample storage space. Also, starting with a well-organized shelf is way better than leaving a wall empty, right?
3. Install Furniture In A Smart Way
We know how important the interiors and furniture pieces of our living room and study are. It’s not only the first place the guests would notice but also an amazing part of the house where you can chill, eat, and relax after a tiring day.
Ditch traditional coffee tables that are bulky and install ones with decked shelves that can be used to display decorative items. Add shelving units to increase the storage—you can organize papers, magazines, and books over here. Add small and big cubbies instead of horizontal shelves to take it up a notch. Trust me, it will look chic.
4. Add Drawer Dividers
No matter where the drawer is, keeping it organized is very essential. In my opinion, it’s one of the first places to get messy. It’s also difficult to find things from inside a messy drawer—it will surely test your patience!
The only solution here would be to divide the space and assign a fixed place for everything. Separate those spoons from spatulas, crayons from pencils, and don’t let the mascaras mess with your nail polishes. Drawer dividers will surely come to the rescue!
5. Organize Your Bedroom
You might be under the impression that the only part of the bedroom that needs organizing is the closet. Well, you are wrong. Organization is not always about decluttering a small space, it’s about efficiently using a big space as well. From beddings to pillowcases, fabric boxes to bulky dressers, there are so many things in your bedroom that need your attention.
Optimize the space by installing hidden storage, make use of the corner beside the bed to its fullest, fold the sheets regularly, and make your bed right in the morning. If you have night lamps, install them against the wall instead of keeping them on top of the bedside tables—the little things matter!
6. Boring To Bold Pantry
You might have plenty of space in the kitchen closet, but the pantry would still look clumsy if you don’t organize it well. The look and color of your pantry matters too!
Give a bold transformation to your pantry by adding colored wall decals and by using clear food containers from the dollar store. Label each of these containers for easy identification. Use containers of different shapes and sizes and add that extra flair to your pantry right away!
7. No Pantry? No Problem!
Most studio apartments do not have a proper pantry but don’t worry. You can transform a cabinet into a fully functional pantry any day and keep it super organized.
Use the shelf space to store labeled containers and keep things like snacks, baking supplies, everyday essentials, etc. in them. Use the door to make a creative spice rack in the cabinet itself without taking up extra shelf space. All these could be done with dollar store supplies!
8. Use The Door
This one is an amazing organizing hack for your new home that would help you save space. Use your door to install a storage bag with pockets. These types of storage units are perfect for shoes, makeup, hair styling appliances, etc.
You can also take advantage of the space between the ceiling and the door to make a built-in cabinet. Store things that are hardly used or seasonal items that are bulky and declutter your closet and cabinets.
9. A Dark Cabinet
You might not realize this, but having a dark backdrop in your cabinet makes it easier to find things. This is a very unique hack that is so simple but doesn’t occur to many. Ideally, this is perfect for cabinets in the kitchen like the coffee supply cabinet here.
Besides choosing a dark blue backdrop, you can also install hooks to hang your coffee cups. Declutter the coffee supplies by installing wired hangers and small shelves inside that help keep things at the place. You can take this on as a DIY project. And you don’t even need wall paint, just use colored cardboard and your job is done!
10. Put That Office Or Craft Room In Order
Your home office or craft room is bound to get disorganized really fast, and hence, you must try out something fail-safe. A chaotic room looks bad and you won’t get that fresh vibe which will inspire you to work efficiently.
You can transform it into a tidy room with clean walls and tons of storage space using some transparent containers and labeling them to store pens, pencils, clips, etc. Install dividers and toolboxes to keep things in place and you will avoid creating a mess.
11. Color Coordinate Your Closet
ROYGBIV is the favorite phrase of every professional organizer and the credit goes to the vibrant color scheme! Yes, your closet organization would be a lot more fun if you organize your clothes, bags and shoes according to this color scheme—or any color scheme, for that matter.
You also can apply this to organize books, highlighters, craft supplies, and every other thing that’s vibrant in color. Trust me, this scheme is very helpful for keeping things in place—it also makes things very easy to spot!
12. Super Organized Fridge
We come across several instances every year when the fridge needs to be overstocked—either due to some festival, or weather, or simply because you are hosting a big party. You could also be a once-a-week visitor to the market and hence, your fridge is always stocked up!
Overstocking might cause your fridge to look messy, and some odors could also linger and make the food items taste bad. Avoid these mess-ups and use small bins for storing food inside the fridge. You can get them from your nearest dollar store and give your fridge a complete makeover. This would also make it easier to find which item is making a mess!
13. Make An Art Station On Wheels
For your kids, you might not have a room dedicated for craft purposes, so you might have to come up with another set-up. In this case, use bar carts or storage carts for storing supplies in your kids’ rooms. You can call this the Art station On Wheels after you color it up. You can also purchase a separate unit of wheels for the art station.
Deck up the station with crayons, pencils, coloring books, and every other essential. Pair it up with a blackboard and the crafting unit is complete! Now your toddlers will be less likely to unleash their creativity on that wall!
14. Streamlined Storage For Closet
If your entire family uses one closet, you have to treat it like a separate room and organize it efficiently. Declutter your family closet by installing streamlined storage and ditch horizontal hanging rods with hangers.
Yes, I know iron bars and hangers work well, but they can never keep your clothes organized—many will be misplaced after some shuffling. The shelving unit will utilize the wall space and give specific areas for every member. Now it’s going to be very hard to clutter things up!
15. An Attractive Shoe Organizer
Most of us don’t pay heed to those shoeboxes and throw them away, almost always. You might wanna rethink this because shoeboxes can be amazing organizing tools—they’ve got those aesthetic vibes as well.
You can also buy a transparent shoebox from a dollar store and use it in your shoe cabinet. Keeping your shoes in boxes will keep the closet or cabinet organized, and also keep the dirt and dust away from your darling shoes.
16. Individual Hooks For Organizing Jewelry
Organizing your vanity could be a tedious job as things get messed up in no time. I know it’s extremely frustrating when dividing and boxes don’t work, and after spending hours keeping things in place, you can never find your earrings or bracelets when you need them.
Let’s switch to hooks and hanging methods, which is mostly used at stores. Set up individual hooks for jewelry like neckpieces, rings, and so on. You can maintain a horizontal iron bar for bangles, use magnetic hooks for earrings and everything can fit inside your vanity. Also, you can use the doors of the vanity to install the hooks, as we did in the kitchen cabinet!
You can also hang your jewelry on the back of your bedroom door.
17. No Under The Sink Mess
If this is your first home, you might ignore some vulnerable areas which will eventually grow messy. Don’t make this mistake with that cabinet under your sink—keep things divided to avoid a mess.
You can head to the dollar store to get storage units, transparent boxes, and other supplies to keep all the essentials in place. For a line closet, you can keep your beauty products and everyday essentials separated, and make things look super organized. For the cabinet under the sink in your bathroom, store supplies in big rope baskets instead of placing them in the open. Goodbye mess!
18. Organize Your Seasonal Clothes
Make it a point to spend some time organizing the seasonal clothes, twice a year. You can assign a place just for seasonal clothing and pack them away when the time is gone. This would keep your closet clutter-free and it would also be easier to find things in it.
You can also donate some items that you don’t use anymore to free some space. Use a bunk or top rack to keep the seasonal clothes when not in use. If you don’t have extra space, pack them in an air-tight container and store in a room that is neither too hot nor too cold.
19. Corner Cabinet Organizer
We might find corner cabinets awkward due to their positioning, but they could be a blessing if used efficiently! It’s super easy to work on them and make them suitable storage space for extra kitchen utensils.
Start by organizing seemingly random utensils and you might find out what they have in common. Later, separate them according to any criteria and store them in these corner cabinets. So, the next time you can’t figure out where to keep an odd-sized plate or spoon, you know where to go!
20. Make Space For Electronics
Electronic items like hot tools, cords, and other personal items tend to occupy more space than we can imagine—all thanks to their weird shapes and wires that are all over the place.
Set up an exclusive electronic closet to house your small appliances, mobile accessories, and other essentials. You can store them in a box or keep them in the open, but make sure you check on them from time to time and use them.
21. Colorful Bins In The Closet
Do you want a quick closet redo? It can be done in an hour and the expense will be around $10—I am not kidding here. Say ‘no’ to messy linens in your closet and welcome the new rescuers—colorful bins!
Your life will be made easier with these colorful plastic bins that could keep all the linens in one place. From bedsheets to towels to pillowcases, these bins can store everything and keep them right where they belong!
It’s okay to be a little nervous while you are organizing your first home, but remember that it’s not impossible! Understand your needs, pick a hack, and get to work right away. I am sure you will be happy to see the results!