10 Ways to Declutter Without Going Minimalist
A tidy, organised home doesn’t have to be lacking in personality. Here’s how to keep on top of clutter while retaining that personal touch
Hannah Young
21 April 2016
Professional Organiser in Yorkshire and a member of APDO (Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers). You can find me online at www.ReviveYourSpace.co.uk or in person helping others to declutter, organise and restyle their homes. I believe it's important to make the most of what we already have and love to share the benefits of being organised and efficient, creating more physical and emotional space for the things that are most important to us.
Professional Organiser in Yorkshire and a member of APDO (Association of Professional... More
Many people like the idea of living in a calm and clutter-free home, but don’t want to go down the all-white, minimalist route. Here are some great storage ideas that will help you stay tidy while retaining those all-important personal touches that make your property feel more like a home and less like a show house.
Go up the walls
In any home, a great rule to adopt is ‘declutter first, storage second’. This mantra is essential in a small room, and if you can’t find space for everything, you may need to be even more ruthless with what you choose to keep.
To maximise a small room, create vertical storage right up to the ceiling. Here, the open shelves keep the room tidy, but also provide space to display personal items, such as family photos and ornaments.
Keeping all flat surfaces, like this coffee table, clear allows a room to breathe – and provides a handy space for your cup of tea!
Unsure what to do with a small room? Discover more ways to maximise space
In any home, a great rule to adopt is ‘declutter first, storage second’. This mantra is essential in a small room, and if you can’t find space for everything, you may need to be even more ruthless with what you choose to keep.
To maximise a small room, create vertical storage right up to the ceiling. Here, the open shelves keep the room tidy, but also provide space to display personal items, such as family photos and ornaments.
Keeping all flat surfaces, like this coffee table, clear allows a room to breathe – and provides a handy space for your cup of tea!
Unsure what to do with a small room? Discover more ways to maximise space
Make good use of your hallway
Entrance hallways attract clutter like a magnet – unless you provide suitable storage. Make the most of a narrow hallway by creating a little alcove with lots of hanging space, shoe storage, a phone charging point and even a bespoke umbrella nook. If you have little ones, make sure some of the hooks are within reach so they can hang up their own things.
This hallway has a cosy, lived-in feel, but every item is neatly in its place.
Entrance hallways attract clutter like a magnet – unless you provide suitable storage. Make the most of a narrow hallway by creating a little alcove with lots of hanging space, shoe storage, a phone charging point and even a bespoke umbrella nook. If you have little ones, make sure some of the hooks are within reach so they can hang up their own things.
This hallway has a cosy, lived-in feel, but every item is neatly in its place.
Decant kitchen clutter
Kitchens are easily cluttered, ending up with dirty dishes, sticky recipe books and out-of-date food hiding at the back of cupboards. Invest in some beautiful storage jars into which you can decant dried goods. Not only do they look lovely, they keep food tidy, are easy to clean and let you see when items are running out. It’s also a great way to encourage your children to get involved in cooking, as they can see all the available ingredients.
Square containers are more space-efficient than round ones –and be sure to measure your shelves and drawers before buying them.
Kitchens are easily cluttered, ending up with dirty dishes, sticky recipe books and out-of-date food hiding at the back of cupboards. Invest in some beautiful storage jars into which you can decant dried goods. Not only do they look lovely, they keep food tidy, are easy to clean and let you see when items are running out. It’s also a great way to encourage your children to get involved in cooking, as they can see all the available ingredients.
Square containers are more space-efficient than round ones –and be sure to measure your shelves and drawers before buying them.
Choose what you love
This kitchen is organised, but it’s certainly not minimalist. Reclaimed and repurposed materials create a unique design that’s full of personality.
When it comes to maintaining a clutter-free home, remember the old saying, ‘A place for everything and everything in its place.’ If you have somewhere to store all your possessions, all you need to do to keep order is simply to put things back in their place.
In this kitchen, a combination of quirky cupboards and wall-mounted open storage, along with vintage storage tins, a box for condiments and a weathered cutlery tray, provide a home for everything, but also lots of personality. For an even more streamlined yet still characterful space, fix more storage to the walls to free up work surfaces.
This kitchen is organised, but it’s certainly not minimalist. Reclaimed and repurposed materials create a unique design that’s full of personality.
When it comes to maintaining a clutter-free home, remember the old saying, ‘A place for everything and everything in its place.’ If you have somewhere to store all your possessions, all you need to do to keep order is simply to put things back in their place.
In this kitchen, a combination of quirky cupboards and wall-mounted open storage, along with vintage storage tins, a box for condiments and a weathered cutlery tray, provide a home for everything, but also lots of personality. For an even more streamlined yet still characterful space, fix more storage to the walls to free up work surfaces.
Weave in secret storage
Hidden storage is one of the best tools for maintaining a clutter-free home. This ottoman brings colour and cosiness to the room, but it also has a hinged lid, making it perfect for stashing away games and blankets.
Ottomans can also be used as a coffee table or as extra seating, so they’re the ultimate in flexible furniture. Plus the need to get inside the ottoman regularly is a great incentive to keep the top clear.
Hidden storage is one of the best tools for maintaining a clutter-free home. This ottoman brings colour and cosiness to the room, but it also has a hinged lid, making it perfect for stashing away games and blankets.
Ottomans can also be used as a coffee table or as extra seating, so they’re the ultimate in flexible furniture. Plus the need to get inside the ottoman regularly is a great incentive to keep the top clear.
Organise your bedroom
Smart alcove shelving with drawers below ensures this bedroom is sleek and free of clutter, but it still has a cosy, welcoming feel thanks to its coordinating cushions, comfy throws and patterned rug.
When tidying up your bedroom, think about what you use there and where. If you love curling up to read at night, store your books neatly near the bed for an organised feel, rather than leaving them halfway across the room.
Make time every morning or evening to tidy things away, whether it’s putting clothes back in the wardrobe or in the laundry basket. Just a few minutes each day will help you keep clutter under control.
Smart alcove shelving with drawers below ensures this bedroom is sleek and free of clutter, but it still has a cosy, welcoming feel thanks to its coordinating cushions, comfy throws and patterned rug.
When tidying up your bedroom, think about what you use there and where. If you love curling up to read at night, store your books neatly near the bed for an organised feel, rather than leaving them halfway across the room.
Make time every morning or evening to tidy things away, whether it’s putting clothes back in the wardrobe or in the laundry basket. Just a few minutes each day will help you keep clutter under control.
Put pretty pieces on display
Storing items in cupboards is the best way to keep them free of dust, but if you love to see your things on display, glass-fronted cabinets are the way to go – and can be a feature in themselves.
Glazed cabinets can be used in any room, whether to show off your best tableware in the kitchen, favourite clothing or shoes in a bedroom, or colourful craft items in a spare room. And having glass doors on bookshelves is a great way to reduce dusting chores.
Storing items in cupboards is the best way to keep them free of dust, but if you love to see your things on display, glass-fronted cabinets are the way to go – and can be a feature in themselves.
Glazed cabinets can be used in any room, whether to show off your best tableware in the kitchen, favourite clothing or shoes in a bedroom, or colourful craft items in a spare room. And having glass doors on bookshelves is a great way to reduce dusting chores.
Get your kids on side
Always treading on toys or clearing up after your children? Provide storage they can reach easily and define a play area with a vibrant rug, then get everyone to participate in a five-minute ‘tidy-up time’ before meals.
Toys don’t have to be hidden away completely – cubbyholes containing colourful boxes are great for storing things, and adding photo labels will make it easy for children to find what they’re looking for.
Try to make it as easy to put things away as to get them out for maximum chance of success!
See how to create a child-friendly space with plenty of grown-up style
Always treading on toys or clearing up after your children? Provide storage they can reach easily and define a play area with a vibrant rug, then get everyone to participate in a five-minute ‘tidy-up time’ before meals.
Toys don’t have to be hidden away completely – cubbyholes containing colourful boxes are great for storing things, and adding photo labels will make it easy for children to find what they’re looking for.
Try to make it as easy to put things away as to get them out for maximum chance of success!
See how to create a child-friendly space with plenty of grown-up style
Love your workspace
Improve your home office and it could help your productivity. If you like to have your projects around you, make space for your books and tools. The book display shelves in this office are a great way of keeping research close at hand but tidily out of the way.
Love the space you work in by providing a home for everything, but keeping your most-used items within arm’s reach so as not to disrupt your workflow.
Improve your home office and it could help your productivity. If you like to have your projects around you, make space for your books and tools. The book display shelves in this office are a great way of keeping research close at hand but tidily out of the way.
Love the space you work in by providing a home for everything, but keeping your most-used items within arm’s reach so as not to disrupt your workflow.
Cherish your memories
Do you have a lot of old photos and prints lying around? Hang as many as you can on your walls. Sort through piles of old family photos, print out the new ones, grab your children’s artwork and get hanging.
For a more cohesive look, choose your pics and buy the same style frames but in different sizes to hold them. Command strips are a quick way to hang photos and they make it easy to reposition pictures if you change your mind or you rent your home.
TELL US…
Do you have any tips for creating order without throwing everything away? Share your tips in the Comments below.
Do you have a lot of old photos and prints lying around? Hang as many as you can on your walls. Sort through piles of old family photos, print out the new ones, grab your children’s artwork and get hanging.
For a more cohesive look, choose your pics and buy the same style frames but in different sizes to hold them. Command strips are a quick way to hang photos and they make it easy to reposition pictures if you change your mind or you rent your home.
TELL US…
Do you have any tips for creating order without throwing everything away? Share your tips in the Comments below.
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The pictures shown here of so-called "de-cluttered" spaces would make me crazy if I had to live with all that open shelving showing every item I possessed. Open shelving is o.k. to show some non-essential decorative pieces but for all the items used everyday, why in the world would anyone want all that showing? If the idea is to de-clutter, the look should be clean and peaceful with no view of all the rest of the stuff left behind.
I cannot imagine wanting my shoes to be visible in a glass fronted cabinet. That looks awful. I have a Victorian armoire with pretty carved roses and everything is behind closed doors. This includes a 6 shelf shoe rack. I live in a very cluttered house. I have no claim to virtue where this issue is concerned. But all of these spaces look like what I am trying to reform in my life.
I tend to decorate minimally because I don’t care for clutter. I like your suggestions, especially the idea of having the shelving on the wall directly behind my work station in the study. It’s hard to work from home with limited space and I tend to pull up side tables to help contain my necessities. I imagine my shelves would look in-use like the picture during my work hours. I also enjoyed your suggestion about displaying shoes in a glass fronted cabinet. Kind of makes me wish I had more space and prettier shoes.