Moving from a small two-bedroom New York apartment to their first home in the DC suburbs offered more space than the family had ever had. But with the added space comes the temptation to fill it. 

Unpacked boxes from the move accumulated in the garage, which also became the repository for any new boxes, leaving no room for their beautiful new car. Items quickly  migrated into the adjacent mudroom, which is also the laundry room, making the space disorganized and non-functional.

Making it easier to get in and out often turns out to be key to resolving a host of other clutter-related problems.

Sorting the piles of items that had accumulated around the entryway quickly revealed they all fell into one of three categories:

1) clothes and old bedding to donate;
2) common household items (like lightbulbs) that should have a dedicated spot; and
3) a lovely, but scattered, collection of shoes that needed a space to shine near the entry.

Assessing options for donating clothes the kids had grown out of helped translate the client’s familiar guilt of “But she only wore those snow pants twice! And they were so expensive!” into appreciation that “A middle-schooler who wouldn’t be able to afford such nice gear will feel stylish and warm this winter.” We also identified a local shelter that would turn the client’s old sheets and towels into cozy beds for dogs looking for their forever homes.

Walking through the family’s newly expansive home revealed logical, and accessible, spaces for both commonly used items – lightbulbs, a broom – and those they would rarely need. For example, reusable tote bags and umbrellas scored a cubby by the door, making it super-easy to grab what is needed while getting in and out.

Clearing and organizing this space offered another major benefit – creating space for the client’s collection of beautiful shoes! Inspired, the client remembered that one of the boxes in the garage contained a new shoe rack waiting to be assembled. We put it together in five minutes, and had a lovely new home for the client’s lovely footwear. 

The reality is that a bigger space can often create more clutter, rather than reducing it! Next step: the boxes in the garage…