I’m pretty sure one of the reasons I blog is because I really like embarrassing myself in public on purpose to let others know that they’re not alone in the daily life things that they struggle with. In particular, the bane of my existence is housekeeping. I’m a clutter bug. I own too much crap for the space I live in, have too few storage solutions AND I don’t have that magical skill where I look at an object and say, “I know exactly where this belongs!” which is mainly why every flat surface has some sort of clutter on it. The floor included.
For the millionth time, I’ve decided enough is enough… and I’m embarking on a valiant attempt with my sidekick James (or am I James’ sidekick? No… He’s the sidekick. This is my blog, I’m the protagonist here) to declutter and organize the castle.
I started out by walking around my apartment writing a huge list of all of the major glaring problem areas and obvious tasks to do… a la suggestion from Apartment Therapy’s January Cure which I’m loosely following along with as my guide in this process, and there has been some movement on getting some of those tasks done.
One thing that’s become really apparent is we need to to get some additional storage. Part of the everywhere is so cluttered is because we literally don’t have places to put things. I can’t remember where he heard it, but the phrase that James has been throwing around all week is, “We need to grow up and find The Container Store.”
So, I decided as part of this whole mission to declutter… I’d give a rare exclusive peek into just how imperfect things are around my house and be really candid about the fact that I do not live in a home that belongs in a magazine.
The Entryway
Admittedly, this photo is for shit lighting wise… but I’m too lazy to get up and retake it, so I’ll just describe it to you… There’s a shoe rack that’s overflowing with shoes, there’s a bedframe that we don’t have anywhere else to put, there’s a bag of laundry that’s outgoing siting there blocking the path, stuff overflowing out from one of the storage rooms, and there’s a poorly organized shelf of kitchen crap.
Here’s a picture of the shelves of kitchen crap:
In fact, I don’t really like this shelf of kitchen crap at all… It’s outside of the kitchen, for one and two, the floor that it sits on is kinda bouncy so that when you walk by this shelving unit there’s this unsettling rattle of dishes.
Room A
Room A is currently a storage closet… primarily a storage closet which houses things that belong to me. It houses my “hang up” clothes, crafty items, and various other entertainment media. It’s a tiny room. I’m not exactly sure the measurements on it… but it’s small.
You also can’t see the floor in it.
I have visions of this room being either an in home yoga studio or a home office. I want to make it a little more functional than a walk-in closet that you can’t actually walk into.
The clothes need to be sorted through… a lot of stuff doesn’t fit anymore.
The writing on the walls came from a former roommate, I’m not sure whether to keep it or to paint over it and make it my own.
The Kitchen
This is probably one of the more organized rooms in the house, honestly… but it’s still pretty bad. The counter is cluttered. The sink is full. More than one thing could use a healthy dose of surface cleaner. The recycling is overflowing. We have one too many microwaves… but at least most things have their place here.
A cluttered desk that shouldn’t even be there… Stools that have no table… Two grocery bags full of towels sitting on top of sub speakers that James keeps telling me he’s going to sell.
The Living Room
Can you say gear case and guitar amps? Oh and a huge canvas painting that I don’t know where to put after taking it down to make way for a bookcase? That’s totally hiding the couch and all the clothes that have not been put away on top of it.
Clutter is killing the hutch. There are clothes to put away on top of the dresser.
Oh! Milk crates totally sit on chairs in our house.
The Bedroom
This room is home to the perpetually unmade bed. Also, there’s a ton of crafty stuff that belongs in Room A, but is in here because I never go in Room A because I can’t walk in it.
So… there you have it, that’s the tour of the homestead.
Seeing as I’m pretty inept at this kind of thing, suggestions and encouragement welcome. If you got a great idea from looking at all my junk, I’d be happy to hear about it.
Your apartment could be my house! Stuff everywhere and little usable storage. Wishing you all the best to create the home you want. Let’s keep each other accountable!
LisaW recently posted..This is not an episode of Hoarders…it’s my life.
I am on the same mission this year: to get my house organized! It currently looks like a hoarder-in-training lives here. But, I’m tackling one room at a time so I don’t get overwhelmed and so it can see the progress I have made.
Meg recently posted..Bits & Pieces: The Library
It’s not so bad!! I am so jealous that you get to live in the city. I bet you hear that all the time but still.
Renée recently posted..Thank you.
Honestly today I freaked out because my apartment was such a mess, went on a spree cleaned the kitchen and the living room and then decided to watch Grey’s Anatomy….and didn’t touch the dreaded bathroom or bed room….next weekend?
Ashley Hufford recently posted..The New York Times Travel Show
I have definitely had periods of my life where one room was just The Place I Did Not Go because it had gotten disorganized and I felt avoidant. But over the years, that’s gotten a little better for me, and I have found that getting rid of shit really does help me stay organized. Getting rid of clothes, in particular, helps me have room for the clothes that I actually want and wear without it spilling out all over the place. So I tend to take my shit to the thrift store to get it out of my life. I can also recommend storage under the bed (we have bed risers so I have room to put my suitcases and shoe bins). Good luck; I know it can be overwhelming.
wonderseeker recently posted..January Goals
This post is giving me anxiety! My OCD is making me want to visit you just so I can clean your apartment! lol
Anyhow, organizing tips!
1) The Container Store costs a fortune, Target or WalMart will be much cheaper and have similar stuff.
2) You can’t organize until you declutter. Tackle one room at a time, and break it into chunks if you have to. Maybe do your hanging clothes one day, and crafty stuff the next day. Don’t feel like you need to do everything at once.
3) Be brutally honest about whether you use something or not. If you MIGHT use it, decide whether keeping it cluttering your house is worth the MIGHT.
4) I like to have goals like “I’m going to get rid of 30% of my yarn” or something similar, because it helps you get down to a reasonable amount of stuff. Or designate a space for your yarn, like a drawer or basket, and if it doesn’t fit, you can’t keep it. (I’m using yarn as an example, this could be for anything)
5) There are a lot of great organizing resources online! I like:
http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/
http://www.slowyourhome.com/
My mom likes this lady:
http://www.flylady.net/
erin aka eef recently posted..Friday Links 1/18/12
PS. Your kitchen has less storage than mine! The first thing I though of when seeing it was adding a long table (even like a 4-6′ folding table) on the side opposite the stove, and adding drawers (just plastic ones) underneath.
Kind of like my old desk, here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eef-ink/5130059705/in/set-72157624320641896
But you could do those drawers all the way across and keep utensils, pots, food, etc. in there, PLUS, depending on the width of the table, you might still be able to have room for your feet to sit on the other side. Just an idea!
erin aka eef recently posted..Friday Links 1/18/12
I had the exact same reaction eef! My breathing started to quicken and I got a bit dizzy lol.
Great tips! My favorite one is being honest about what you use.
What is the quote? “keep only what you love and what is beautiful” something along those lines.
Jackie recently posted..Sugar Sasquatch
Oh my! This is a great post. It hits near and dear to my heart, as I have the same problem with my place and I’m trying very hard this year to make it the place I want to live in.
I’ll share a few tips and look forward to you sharing your as you figure things out.
For me, my demons really come out in about 3 ways, all of which manifest in procrastination, and thus, clutter.
I can think of some project for this! is probably my worst one. Jeans ripped the crotch out? But what if I need denim for patches on other jeans? Or, could I do some neat art project with just the cut out back pockets of jeans? Or what about making a denim blanket out of old jeans? Yeah, yeah, yeah all that would be cool! And then I have an entire drawer of old jeans that I will never, ever, do anything with. So, here’s the thing to combat this one… think about replacement value and/or effort. I could comb a thrift store and walk away with a dozen pairs of old jeans for any project I need, for, oh…. less than $10. Suddenly, it’s a lot easier to take those old jeans to the textile recycling booth at the farmers market. …
Which brings me my next demon, Am I being wasteful by throwing this out? Is there a better way to dispose of this? Right now I have a complex system of home-composting, standard recycling, non-standard recycling, like the textile booth mentioned above, facebook giveaways, craigslist sells, and more. Getting rid of stuff responsibly is actually pretty labor intensive. The AT article you cite makes ‘make the outbox’ a number 2 thing, which is where I landed too. I have the ‘find a home’ pile, and it is slowly diminishing. It’s a good system.
Finally, I have emotional attachment issues. I used to built scenery for theater before getting into web development. I have the equivalent of a small woodworking shop worth of tools. I haven’t touched over half of them in ten years, but there is a strong attachment to these things that represent another era of my life. This easily finds it’s way into birthday cards, tickets to a favorite show, my favorite ever worn out t-shirt. How on earth could I part with that? Take. a. picture. Seriously, scan the birthday card, and throw it out. (maintain your backups!). I have a folder filled with pictures of the most random shit, because it meant something to me. I’ve found this works rather well to fulfill that ‘awwwww, remember when’ need.
Hope this helps, and please share any discoveries you find with me!
I’d go crazy if my apartment was that messy. I’m not sure why but I just feel super uncomfortable when my house is messy. There are dishes on my desk right now and I’m freaking out about it.
Stephen Battey recently posted..Someday, the quality of this garbage is going to improve.
Interesting – I saw you in that chair on a blog/google-hangout video somewhere once (maybe you posted it here?) anyway and I was picturing that chair in a private cozy nook somewhere – I didn’t realize it was in the middle of everything! Lol.
Also… you write on your walls?
Jennifer M. recently posted..Coming up with a business name?
I feel your pain! I can’t keep up with the clutter fast enough. My biggest tip: Freecycle.org. You can sign up for your local one and give away things you no longer need but could be used by someone else. I periodically will go through my clothes or a a closet and declutter a bit. So cathartic.
Best of luck!
Bev recently posted..Up Close and Personal: Project 365 Days 16-22