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When organizing your home, knowing where to start can often be the most difficult part. Breaking the process down room-by-room and keeping the following tips in mind will help you get started and keep your home organized in the long run.

Kitchen

Given how much time is spent in the kitchen, it can get disorganized easily. Kitchen countertops are also one of the most frequently touched and used surfaces in a home. Taking items off the counters and storing them on shelving above or below is an effective first step. Open shelves are a great fixture for easy access while preparing and cooking meals. Store the items you use the most here and stow away large tools that you don’t use as often.

A lazy Susan is a must-have for kitchen organization, bringing the back of the cabinet to your fingertips. A great home for kitchen items that are heavy, clumsy or messy, they are highly accessible. Cleaning out a lazy Susan is much simpler than cleaning out cabinets, which frees up shelf space for those items that usually sit out on your kitchen counter.

Living room

A good first step for your living room is to take inventory. See what items can be disposed and what might belong elsewhere in the house. Take time to think about the flow of the room and how you envision foot traffic will interact with the space.

Multifunctionality goes a long way in the living room. Coffee tables, side tables, and ottomans that are designed with more than one purpose in mind will help to declutter. Look for pieces with underneath storage, drawers, or magazine holders.

Bathroom

For both aesthetics and functional storage, open shelving will help take your bathroom to the next level. It provides plenty of room to stow bathroom supplies, towels, toiletries, and brings a more welcoming feel to the space.

This is a great time to go through your bathroom products. Discarding old, expired, and unused items will free up additional space and give the room a cleaner feel. Once you’ve cleaned everything out, take this time to reorganize your medicine cabinet with your newly reduced bathroom inventory.

Bedroom

Keeping your bedroom organized is a matter of maximizing space and minimizing clutter. If you have limited closet space, try placing a garment rack in a corner or against a wall, or store out-of-season clothing items elsewhere. The underside of your bed is useful for storage. Try functional organizers such as bins and roll-out shelving. Using your dresser as a nightstand or your bookshelf as a décor piece will add flair and cut down on clutter as well.

Making the most of the hanging space in your closet is a sure-fire way of keeping it decluttered. Position the most-used items at eye level and stow lesser-used clothes and accessories higher up. Not only does this give priority to your closet which helps you stay organized over time, but it can save you time when getting ready.

Garage

A common tactic for creating storage space in your garage is to go vertical. This will help free up space for your stuff while maintaining the space reserved for your vehicles. The garage is also a good home for large or bulky items that you don’t use every day.

Going room-by-room will help you piece together the look and feel of the organized home you want to achieve. Be comfortable with clearing out a space in order to put it back together the way you have in mind. Sometimes rooms have to get messier before they get organized.

Originally published on the Windermere Blog by Sandy Dodge