Clean Sweep

Courtesy of California Closets

March 23, 2012 By Martine Bury
It's hard to know where it all began (a pile here, an unsorted drawer there), and suddenly the clutter is out of control. Luckily, spring is the perfect time to wipe the slate clean and get organized. Glo talked to experts in decorating, organizing, design and more, and put together this step-by-step guide to tidying up your space in no time—or at least no more than a weekend. Let the de-cluttering begin!
Step 1: Be A Ruthless Curator
Your collections have a deep emotional meaning and say lots about you. Show personality with these rules of display.
• Secrets from a Stylist host Emily Henderson says visual vignettes "look better in threes or odd numbers." Pare down your assortment of teacups or vintage perfume bottles to the items you truly love. (To help you trim down mementos, consider sharing beloved treasures with family or friends who will appreciate them.)
• Keep the chosen display pieces together, rather than scattering them about. You can arrange objects according to size, shape and color.
• Use instinct rather than strict rules to create proportion, balance and symmetry. The result? Imperfectly perfect, natural-feeling design you can live with.
Step 2: Think Like A Chef
The first rule of cooking at the Culinary Institute of America? Mise en place, or making sure that everything is in its place—and spotless. To help get you started, chef Laurent Quenioux of Vertical Wine Bistro in Pasadena, Calif., shares his advice for organizing a pantry like a pro.
• Store your most often-used items at eye level, and keep the rest either above or below. Designate a lower shelf for paper storage, and place all napkins, paper towels and plates together.
• Place small items (such as spices) into a small box or plastic container to keep them together.
• If you have extra wall space in your pantry, then consider hanging hooks and a bulletin board for must-remember recipes.
Step 3: Get Down To Business
Nothing affects productivity more than piles, random Post-it notes and general chaos. To get your workspace in order, try these clutter-control suggestions.
• Switch to paperless and manage most of your finances with e-bills and online payments, says Karli Bertocchi, founder of Chicago-based Organized With Style.
• Use a document-scanning device to manage receipts, notes, photos and other paper not available digitally, she says. (Just be sure to back it up on a flash drive or with an online backup service, privacy settings set.)
• Arguably, mail is a gateway to chaos paper pileup, so stop junk mail, says Francine Jay, author of The Joy of Less, a Minimalist Living Guide: How to De-clutter, Organize and Simplify Your Life. (Contact the Direct Marketing Association to opt out of direct mail, and visit CatalogChoice.org to eliminate unwanted overload.)
Step 4: Make A Clothes Call
Ah, the closet. Whether a walk-in or reach-in, a well–thought out space for your clothes can be a thing of beauty. Chief Design Officer of California Closets Ginny Scott outlines this game plan for closet glory.
• Get rid of unused, ill-fitting items. "Enlist a 'tough love' friend to weigh in on what to keep and what to throw out," she says.
• Brighten up the space so you can see your clothes. A glam light fixture is great if you have a huge walk-in. Otherwise, Scott suggests battery-powered stick-on LEDs under shelving.
• Transparency is critical. According to Scott, "You don't wear what you don't see. Limit stacks of clothes to 10 inches tall and partitioning piles on the shelves with thin bookends."
• Place rods at various heights in order to maximize hanging space. A high bar at about eye level should do the trick for long garments. A lower bar at 42 inches works for shorter things.
Step 5: Take Back The Garage
Yes, we saved the best for last. Tackling the garage is a daunting task. Luckily, organizational guru and founder of O.C.D. Experience Justin Klosky has these tips to make it a little less overwhelming.
• Call a dumpster service and begin by taking everything out. "Fifty percent of garage clutter is garbage," says Klosky. "Be hard on yourself by making 'keep,' 'donate' and 'dump' decisions on the spot. You won't regret it."
• Once you are down to your "keep" pile, choose an organizing system that works for the space, whether it's shelving units from Costco or a custom-built setup.
• Think about usage. Place seasonal items and harmful chemicals and paint supplies on high shelves. Keep kids' toys accessible.
• Set a date to complete unfinished projects (like that table you keep meaning to refinish), or discontinue and clear out.
• Aside from storage and a place for your car, consider using your garage space to express your passions, creating a fine art painting studio, gardening station or home gym. You'll visit and utilize it more often, creating a retreat you can enjoy.
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