Having a clean and organised home has always been my thing. I can sit back and relax once I know everything is in its place. People that know me well and have seen how I organise each space in the house have asked me to help them with their homes too. Here are some of the tips and tricks that I incorporate into my home every day for a simple and organised life.
The kitchen pantry
If you are like me and always feel like you are running out of space in your kitchen pantry, then these tips will help. To gain extra space in your food cupboard, use mason storage jars that can be stacked and label them with what is inside. If needed, add the expiration date on the bottom of the jars. Your kitchen cabinets will be transformed! It is a simple and clean way to store all your food items. It not only looks nice but makes it easy to find what you are looking for. It is better than using plastic as it prevents harmful chemicals getting into the food. Always place your most used items to the front of the shelf and the items you rarely use to the back for easy access. For other packaged foods that can’t be stored in jars, I like to use plastic pull out draws that are stackable. They can all neatly lie next to and on top of each other. I usually use clear storage containers so that I can see what is inside.
Bedroom closet
By using different folding techniques, clothes such as T-shirts, intimates and pants can sit in storage boxes with dividers to gain more space. Consider adding more closet rods to create a double hanging space. Another way to ensure you maximise your hanging space is to use thin hangers. As nice as wooden hangers are, they are bulky and take up quite a lot of space and unless you are lucky enough to have a walk-in closet - it’s not really ideal.
Hang your clothes by style - jackets, dresses and shirts together. Hang them from long to short to ensure there is symmetry and balance. For the extra touch, you could try to colour block them too. Using wall hooks to hang jewellery, scarves and belts is a clever way to free up space for folded clothing items.
The bathroom
The most common problem in bathrooms is that there is never enough space to store all of your make-up, perfumes, medicines, towels, soaps, creams etc. So the first thing to do is to really streamline all your supplies and throw away anything that has not been used for more than a year. Start to segregate everything that is left over into stackable containers or baskets. Have a separate basket for your medicine, a separate basket for your make-up etc. Remove packaging from bulky items and transfer them into nice glass jars, bowls or acrylic storage containers. Transfer all your shampoos, conditioners, creams and body washes into uniformed sized bottles for a clean look. Are you still looking for more space for your towels? Roll them neatly into storage bins, which can be placed on the bathroom floor for easy access. I like to use natural storage baskets for this type of thing.
Laundry room
The space in the laundry room, especially in apartments, can be tight and difficult. It is almost impossible to store everything you need to clean your home. Use hooks on the wall to hang your ironing board, brooms and mops. This helps keep the space on the floor for your vacuum cleaner. If you have a door to the laundry room, you could hang an over-the-door rack to hang all of your cleaning supplies. If you are DIY savvy, you can hang a wall cupboard above the washing machine to gain more storage, use baskets and compartments to store all your laundry needs neatly. Take it to another level and build a wooden block over the washing machine to hide it away completely. This will also give you a nice work top bench for ironing or folding clothes.
With thanks to Lydia van Hassan, Interior Decorator & Space Planner. Call 050-6523829, email lydiavanhaasen@gmail.com or visit www.lydiavanhaasen.com for more information. Follow Lydia on Instagram@creativemedxb for more inspiration.
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