Chapter 1
The Art of Organized Living: Where Order Meets Reality
Have you ever found yourself standing in a store aisle, shopping cart filled with organizing supplies, convinced that this time will be different? Or perhaps you've saved countless Pinterest-worthy images of perfectly organized spaces, only to feel defeated before you even begin? If so, you're not alone. "The Home Edit" has become a cultural phenomenon for good reason-their signature rainbow-colored approach to organization has transformed the homes of celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Khloe Kardashian, while their Netflix show has inspired millions to believe that beautiful organization is within reach. What sets Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin's approach apart isn't just their aesthetic sensibility, but their understanding that for systems to truly stick, organizing must become a lifestyle-not a one-time event. Their practical wisdom acknowledges that life is inherently messy, but with the right systems in place, it never needs to become disorganized.
Chapter 2
The Organization Equation: Systems + Maintenance = Success
The foundation of lasting organization isn't just about creating beautiful systems-it's about maintaining them. This distinction explains why so many organizing attempts fail. We create systems that look stunning but don't match our actual habits, then blame ourselves when things fall apart. The key is understanding yourself and how you really live, not how you wish you lived.
Why does maintenance feel impossible? There are several common culprits: systems that don't align with your natural tendencies, lack of time, family members who don't cooperate, deeply ingrained habits that resist change, simply owning too many things, and unrealistic expectations about what organization should look like.
The organizing basics remain refreshingly simple: Edit (pare down your belongings), Categorize (group similar items together), Contain (give everything a designated home with appropriate organizing tools), and Maintain (regularly reset your spaces). This framework applies whether you're organizing a tiny drawer or an entire home.
One concept that revolutionizes maintenance is backstock-the thoughtful storage of extra supplies that supports your lifestyle without cluttering your primary spaces. Having backstock delivers multiple benefits: it saves time by reducing store trips, saves money by allowing bulk purchases when prices are best, helps track what items actually get used, and ensures you're prepared for unexpected needs like last-minute school projects.
The secret to making organization stick is hardwiring helpful habits. Our brains naturally gravitate toward the path of least resistance, which is why bad habits often form more easily than good ones. The solution? Build one small organizing habit at a time, layering it onto existing routines: putting makeup away while brushing teeth, hanging bags while removing shoes, emptying the dishwasher during coffee brewing, folding laundry while watching TV. Like exercise or healthy eating, organizing is a gift that keeps giving-once you form the habit, the benefits become self-reinforcing.
Chapter 3
First Impressions: Creating an Entry That Works
Your entry is both your hello and goodbye-the space that sends you off feeling organized and welcomes you home at day's end. Its mood can range from "I'm Absolutely Unstoppable" to "I'm Pretty Sure I'm Wearing Two Different Black Shoes." Entries are challenging because they're high-traffic zones where people naturally drop things as they come and go.
The key to an organized entry is understanding traffic flow. As people enter and exit, so do their shoes, jackets, backpacks, keys, wallets, and seasonal items. While it's tempting to focus on aesthetics, if you don't thoroughly analyze your traffic patterns, your system will be full of roadblocks.
For those blessed with a proper mudroom, the formula is straightforward: vertical space for lesser-used items, dedicated hooks and baskets for each family member, and clear labels as easy-to-read instructions. But what about homes without this luxury? When your front door opens directly into your living room, a thoughtfully designed piece of furniture can create that magical intersection of form and function. The secrets to making a freestanding unit work: edit ruthlessly, avoid piling things on and around the piece, focus on everyday essentials, and follow the 80/20 rule-keep your home no more than 80% full, leaving space for new arrivals.
For families with growing children, be hypervigilant about your entry area. Constantly question what belongs there, whether seasonal items need relocating, and how the space should evolve. With color coding, proper evolution (adding hooks or baskets as needed, removing outgrown items, updating labels), your system will feel like a series of smart choices rather than haphazard chaos.
The happiness level in a household doubles when the entry works efficiently. The key is learning where people naturally put their things, then gently training them to do it in an organized way. Accept that your entry will always be your home's most active space-make peace with the traffic flow and work with it. Give yourself permission to view entry organization as a daily process rather than a one-and-done task.
Chapter 4
The Transformation Zone: Laundry & Utility Rooms
Imagine your life as a Venn diagram with two circles: CLEAN and ORGANIZED. Your laundry room is where these worlds collide-the headquarters of transformation where you walk in dirty and emerge clean (and folded!). Too often, this space becomes a dumping ground for items without proper homes, especially when it doubles as a utility room housing cleaning supplies, pet food, and lightbulbs.
The truth is, even small organizational improvements can transform how you feel about laundry tasks. Every laundry room needs hampers for dirty and clean clothes, adequate storage for detergents and stain products, cleaning supply storage, and a trash can for lint and labels. Nice-to-have items include divided hamper systems for family members, a counter for treating stains and folding, and zoned shelving for backstock.
Open shelving in laundry rooms offers clear visibility-both an advantage and disadvantage. While everything is easily accessible, everything is also on display. Bins become essential here, creating labeled zones that corral items by use while maintaining visual neatness. For those without dedicated laundry space, an all-in-one cart offers the perfect solution-dual hampers separate darks and lights while remaining mobile enough to roll to the washing machine or laundromat.
That under-stairs storage closet that looks like a catastrophe? It's a common problem when busy life meets a door that closes. Transforming that understair horror show requires just shelving, bins, clear labels, and a plan. An affordable, adjustable shelving system adapts to changing needs, while wall-mounted utility tracks keep items off the floor.
Embrace low-effort laundry practices: let clothes stay in the dryer until you're ready to fold them (better than a messy pile on your bed); keep cleaning caddies on each floor for easy access; maintain a "deal with it later" receptacle for items that don't need immediate washing; and remember that smart organization means never wasting time searching for that lightbulb, battery, or stain stick when you need it most. Organized people are just too lazy to look for things.
Chapter 5
The Self-Care Space: Bathroom Organization
Bathrooms are high-traffic spaces where people rush in and out, making organization efforts easy to ignore. Even minimalists need toothpaste, floss, and basic toiletries, while makeup wearers face even greater organizational challenges. Those "just-in-case" sample bottles and expired products make following the 80/20 rule particularly difficult in this space.
Every bathroom needs organized access for daily items like brushes and toothpaste, shower caddies, designated zones for categories or family members, systems for cosmetics, and backstock space for toilet paper. When storage matches your aesthetic, you can trick yourself into seeing organization as decor rather than mundane necessity, making maintenance more likely.
When bathroom storage space is nonexistent, a cart on wheels provides the perfect solution. More convenient than a fixed cabinet, it allows you to create mobile storage that feels intentional. Just remember to categorize and contain items within bins-otherwise your clever solution becomes a "hot mess express."
Many treat beauty products like clothes, holding onto unused items out of guilt. Unlike clothing, however, cosmetics actually expire and can become breeding grounds for bacteria. Follow shelf-life guidelines: toss makeup sponges after one month; liquid eyeliner and mascara after three months; concealer, cream blush, foundation, and nail polish after a year; and pencil eyeliner, lip products, and powder blush after two years.
Hanging shower caddies keep you honest by limiting product hoarding and providing clear division for shared spaces. Rather than keeping all your shower products in rotation, store extras in a designated cabinet bin and swap them out as needed. In the shower, backstock is definitely not your friend.
Deep cabinets can be deceptive storage traps. Accept that you don't need to use every inch of space-sometimes empty space is preferable to inaccessible storage. For deep cabinets, focus on easily accessed bins placed within reach rather than trying to utilize the entire depth.
For the folding-averse, use bins and hooks instead of perfectly arranged stacks. Let go of products you never use despite their cost-keeping them only doubles down on the mistake. Place a countertop tray as a temporary holding zone when you're rushing, and always keep at least three toilet paper rolls on hand.
Chapter 6
Kid-Friendly Organization: Systems That Grow
Cognitive dissonance hits every time we enter our kids' rooms-loving our children deeply while feeling deeply annoyed by their stuff. The key is finding middle ground where your home feels organized while children maintain some control and ownership. Rather than constantly nagging, create systems they'll use without realizing it.
For small shared bedrooms, designate containment zones for toys and items rather than removing everything. Stay ahead of growing children by creating zones for items coming and going. When grandparents gift bulky toys, consider sharing a list of gifts to avoid (noisy items, 400+ piece sets, items requiring complex assembly, or anything with slime/glitter). For teenage bedrooms, change your approach by highlighting visual benefits rather than making demands.
Mornings with children are rarely the peaceful fantasy we imagine. The best solution is preparation with a days-of-the-week bin system that can be stocked on weekends when family members are more agreeable. This system works for children of any age who can choose their own clothing, and once they can write, they can create their own labels to encourage organizing habits.
There are folding enthusiasts who find it therapeutic and those who find it overwhelming. For the latter group, drawer dividers offer a solution by separating items without requiring perfect folding. These dividers allow you to keep categories separate while maintaining a level of organization that works for your personal tolerance.
Elfa over-the-door units provide an inexpensive, flexible storage solution requiring only a door. For children's closets, adjustable mesh baskets make contents visible without demanding perfect organization. The system grows with the child as baskets can be rearranged, heights adjusted, and hooks added as needed.
For managing children's spaces long-term: Keep a box labeled by grade for school items, reviewing contents annually; maintain a sentimental items box to sort through when full; keep bedding simple to make bed-making easier; and adapt to children's capabilities-if they can't fold, use hangers; if they can't use hangers, use bins. Meeting children at their current abilities is essential for successful organization.
Chapter 7
The Productivity Zone: Home Office Organization
The home office has evolved significantly with more people working remotely or in hybrid arrangements. Whether your workspace is a dedicated room or a portable cart, working from home requires extra organizing effort. Modern work involves navigating between "the Dark Ages" of physical papers and "the Digital" world of virtual files, with most people needing systems for both approaches.
When multiple family members use your home office, accept this reality and create designated zones with systems tailored to each user-organized drawers for you, carts for children. For managing numerous electronic devices and their cords, bundling and concealing them in boxes offers a cleaner solution. For those working from multiple locations, treat home and work offices as separate entities by listing what you need in each space.
Every home office needs essential storage for important paperwork, charging solutions for devices, a clutter-free workspace, and storage for small items like pens and staplers. Nice-to-have additions include a docking station, closed-door storage for unused items, color-coded filing systems, cord management solutions, fresh flowers, and that elusive peace and quiet.
Never underestimate hanging files for family document management! Even in a "fauffice" (faux office), proper filing is possible with space, sufficient hanging files, clear labels, and a small time investment. A ROYGBIV color-coded system supports the "touch it once" rule-pick it up, look it over, and put it where it belongs.
Thanks to the internet, you can immediately discard instruction manuals, maps, bank statements, insurance benefits documentation, and warranties-all accessible online whenever needed. The rolling charging station deserves praise for its flexibility to move between rooms, ability to contain unsightly cords, prevention of drawer-rummaging messes, encouragement of family time by centralizing devices, combined storage and charging functionality, and organization of all electronic accessories in one place.
While we can't eliminate cords entirely, we can manage them with essential tools: cable zippers for bundling multiple cords headed to the same place; cable drop clips for keeping phone chargers in place; cable labels to distinguish between different cords; cable boxes to hide power strips and condense cord volume; and silicone ties in various colors to keep smaller cords tangle-free and travel-ready.
With the average person receiving up to 100 emails daily, achieving Inbox Zero consistently is unrealistic. Instead, beat the system by allocating specific times to check email, applying the 4 D's (do, delete, delegate, or defer) to each message, turning off notifications, using preview features, creating folders, unsubscribing monthly from unwanted emails, setting up filters, creating separate email addresses for promotions and receipts, touching emails only once, and starring important messages you can't handle immediately.
Chapter 8
Your Personal Sanctuary: Closet Organization
There's something mysteriously satisfying about an organized closet. Unlike public spaces in your home, your bedroom closet gets little exposure to judgment from others. Yet opening that door to find a beautifully maintained space-shoes paired, clothes gracefully hung, bins neatly arranged-creates a secret victory only you need to know about. That organized closet can even provide mental comfort during anxious moments.
While rainbows create a logical sorting system-either for your entire closet or within categories-not everyone's wardrobe forms a perfect ROYGBIV spectrum. If color-coding doesn't work for you, let your clothes guide you to where they want to live. Especially with prints and plaids, try items in different spots until you find where they look and feel right to you.
When organizing any closet, ask three questions: What needs storing? Where are the storage opportunities? What containment system works for these items? Systems often break down due to failure to utilize negative space-those unused areas begging to be put to work. Creating storage where none existed before is a triumph in using negative space, as demonstrated by stacking sweaters in a nook beneath shelves.
When investing in foundational pieces that mix and match, you can build a capsule wardrobe-essentially a school uniform for adults that prevents the "nothing to wear" panic. The essential checklist includes versatile tops (camisoles, t-shirts, button-downs), bottoms (jeans, trousers, leggings), jackets (trench coat, denim jacket, blazer), dresses (black cocktail, patterned), shoes (sneakers, boots, heels), and accessories (totes, belts, scarves).
You can always find space for shoes-in bins, on shelves, or utilizing negative space under clothes. When choosing a shoe system, follow the path of least resistance. Our top options include lidded storage (inexpensive but requires an extra step), drop-front storage (stackable but challenging for high heels), open stacking (hybrid solution with individual slots), and open shelves (easy access but dependent on shelf height).
For seasonal clothing rotation, follow these guidelines: make front-facing bins prime real estate for in-use items; use seasonal swaps as opportunities to apply the Love vs. Need Litmus Test (seasonal purging tends to be less emotionally fraught); and consider vacuum storage bags for space-efficient off-season clothing storage.
Clear plastic shelf dividers are the load-bearing walls of closets-absolutely key for structural integrity and peace of mind. Sweaters, unstructured purses, tall boots, and tote bags all eventually get too tired to stand up. Shelf dividers prop everything up, including you, making maintenance significantly easier.
Three simple goals for maintaining an organized closet: 1) Invest in matching hangers to elevate your closet's look and save space; 2) If overwhelmed, start with a small section that makes you happy rather than what needs the most work; 3) When removing clothing, put empty hangers at the same end of the rod each time rather than hiding them between clothes-this simple system streamlines your laundry routine.
Chapter 9
The Heart of the Home: Kitchen Organization
The kitchen inevitably becomes the household's Grand Central Station-everything from packages and art projects to shoes and dog leashes ends up there. It's not just a magnet for items but also for people. Whether hosting a party with attractions elsewhere, everyone gravitates to the kitchen.
Essential kitchen organization requires: storage systems for dishes, glassware and cutlery; accessible storage for pots and pans; organized cooking utensils; proper homes for appliances and leftover containers; and storage for infrequently used items. Nice-to-have elements include functional stations (coffee/tea, breakfast), dedicated entertaining space, convenient spice storage, a command center for household schedules, and-ideally but unrealistically-a full-time chef who knows every recipe by heart.
Clear risers (described as "bunk beds for inanimate objects") can transform a single cabinet into an organized display for beautiful glassware, mugs and plates. For this client, transparent risers maintained a light, open feel while doubling storage capacity. The shelves were adjusted to accommodate infrequently used tall items on the top shelf, with everything remaining visible and accessible.
When organizing pots and pans, wire cookware organizers are superior to nesting items. Stacked cookware not only looks messy but makes access difficult, can trap moisture leading to bacteria growth, and doesn't solve the problem of unwieldy handles. The solution uses dividers to separate both pans and lids by size, with handles facing outward for easy access, creating a system that's simple to maintain.
The authors tackle the dreaded junk drawer with a four-step system: empty the drawer completely and clean it; sort items, removing duplicates and unwanted items; measure the drawer's interior dimensions; and find appropriate insert systems. They offer additional tips like arranging by frequency of use, using multiple small inserts rather than one large one, buying extra inserts to test configurations, using spring-loaded expandable options, and securing dividers with museum gel.
Every household needs a command station-a centralized area where family information is tracked and shared. This space should involve all household members and focus on group functioning rather than individual projects. For one client with an empty kitchen wall, they created a station with a family calendar, mail slots, key hooks, and a bulletin board for invitations and reminders, creating a community-style information center that's easy to maintain.
The authors advocate for dedicated "stations" in kitchens-highly edited spaces for specific activities containing everything needed in one spot. They particularly praise coffee stations as the "MVP of the house," showcasing an example with mugs, pods, and an electric kettle near an outlet, with backup supplies stored in cabinets above. Other suggested stations include breakfast, pet, healthy snack, baking, and dishwashing stations, tailored to household needs.
Chapter 10
Food Storage Mastery: Pantry & Fridge Organization
The authors compare maintaining a perfectly organized pantry to catching a snowflake-a fleeting moment of perfection that quickly disappears. They acknowledge that busy households and well-meaning family members often disrupt carefully created systems when putting away groceries. While pantries vary dramatically in size from room-sized spaces with rolling ladders to single cabinets, the authors assure readers they have solutions for keeping organization from melting away, regardless of pantry size or location.
There's something undeniably beautiful about a perfectly organized pantry with labeled canisters, grouped food types, and stadium-style shelving for cans. But maintaining this level of organization requires commitment. Before attempting this style, honestly ask yourself: Will you actually decant groceries consistently? Will household members help maintain the system? Do you consume these foods frequently enough to merit canister space? If you answered yes to all questions, this approach might work for you. If not, consider a simpler system.
Creating dedicated food stations can encourage healthier choices. For one client, we designed a trail mix station with visible healthy snacks, making them more appealing than less-healthy options stored on higher shelves. Anecdotally, healthy and convenient tends to win over unhealthy and inconvenient. We've created many specialized stations for clients-smoothies, oatmeal, pasta night, taco night, even sushi night-making organization feel less like work and more like fun.
For those concerned about losing cooking instructions and expiration dates when decanting, there's a simple solution: make your canisters work harder. Tape cooking instructions to the container (the lid is ideal for visibility), and label expiration dates with a label maker or washable paint pen. This preserves both the aesthetic appeal and practical information.
Nothing scares us more than hidden drawers behind doors-they're organizational nightmares that can quickly become toxic messes requiring a roadmap to navigate. Like certain chemical combinations, drawers and doors are useful individually but problematic together. We transformed one such problematic setup by removing a bowed shelf and reconfiguring the remaining ones. The top shelf now holds tall essential canisters, while extralarge turntables maximize the lower shelf space for jars and cans. The drawers became the star feature, with dedicated zones for adult and kid snacks in separate drawers, with children's options in lower compartments.
Take the opportunity to wipe down pantry and fridge shelves during editing-achieving both cleaning and organizing earns you a bonus gold star. If canisters feel overwhelming, embrace bins instead-bindication is real and you'll be happier long-term. And resist buying family-size cereal boxes when you know you don't have the space for them.
Chapter 11
The Final Frontier: Garage Organization
Congratulations on making it through all your home's rooms! There's just one more space: THE GARAGE. We've rated it a 9-gold-star accomplishment not because it's particularly difficult to maintain, but because we simply don't like garages (or basements or attics). With no hobbies ourselves, most garages seem filled with unused tools, sports equipment we don't understand, landscaping items, random storage, and unpleasant garbage bins. The garage absorbs all household pressure-like an ankle you never think about until there's a problem. It's where things without obvious homes end up until suddenly you can't reach your car door through the random stuff.
Every garage needs solid shelving for heavy tools, bins with lids to keep items clean, wall-mounted units for anything with a stick, and closed containers for odorous items like garbage. Nice-to-haves include bins on wheels for car-loading items, open shelving for shoes, clear bins for holiday decor, pegboards or drawers for tools, and kids who choose activities without bulky equipment (cheerleading, musical theater, or playing the flute).
The easiest way to unify unrelated garage items is with clear bins. Even when they contain wildly different things (golf balls, blankets, spray paint), clear bins make everything appear intentional and tidy. For most garages, shelving works best since there's rarely enough clearance between cars and walls for doors that open.
While we'd love to keep holiday decorations up year-round, here's how to store them properly: Take photos of decorated rooms before packing up as next year's reference. Edit as you pack-don't waste space storing items you don't need. Store everything in good condition-fix broken items, clean dirty ones. Label EVERYTHING, even if you only access it annually. For artificial trees with vertical space, use a protective bag and store intact with lights, or wrap and label each part in bins.
The secret to organization is knowing what you have and where to put it. Pegboards guarantee both by keeping everything visible while providing specific spots for each item. When we encourage you to "shop the whole store," we're not telling you to buy more-we're suggesting you look beyond the obvious for organizing solutions. Like gripped spice drawer inserts that perfectly store tools! Next time you're shopping, try seeing items in a different, potentially more useful light.
Stop dirt from entering your home with rubberized mats in the garage and fabric rugs at entrances. "Front" items in clear bins by placing prettier items in front and less attractive ones in back-a simple tweak that transforms the space's appearance. And when in doubt about storage solutions, install a mount.
