Martha Stewart's Best Tips And Tricks To Maximize Space Throughout Your House
Oftentimes, a cluttered home that is in desperate need of a pick-me-up is accompanied by a person who has no idea where to even begin. In those instances, it would be highly beneficial to have someone on hand to help — and who greater than lifestyle genius Martha Stewart? From her cooking tips to decorating hacks and everything in between, there's a reason Stewart was named one of the 50 most powerful women by Fortune magazine not once or twice, but three times in the late '90s (via CBS News).
While a lot has changed for Stewart since the early aughts (including a prison sentence, several book releases, merchandise lines, and television shows), she remains a household name. She continues to inspire people on the various ways they cook, bake, clean, and organize their homes, per Academy of Achievement. While it's not entirely possible to call her up and ask for personal guidance, advice from lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is not hard to come by, thanks to her plethora of published books and interviews. So, without further ado, let's look at some of Stewart's best tips and tricks that can help maximize space throughout your house.
Try the four-box method: donate, sell, keep, or toss
One of Martha Stewart's central organizing ideas for maximizing space in your home is implementing the "four-box decluttering method" (via Milwaukie Journal Sentinel). This technique involves labeling four buckets: donate, sell, keep, and toss. You could also have another bin labeled "storage" for items that you want to keep, but not on a daily basis. Go through each space in the house and throw objects into each bucket, keeping your decluttering system organized and efficient. The Spruce recommends getting rid of items that don't fit, even if you struggle with letting clothes go. As difficult as it may be, it's also essential to purge items you don't even use or may use at some unspecified date in the future.
Stewart also recommends utilizing all available space to its maximum, according to Today. Look all around for storage opportunities, like hanging shelves on the wall or utilizing any extra space under the furniture. Use jars on counter spaces to keep loose objects organized, and folders to store paper material like bills and other miscellaneous mail. Organizing the inside of your drawers will also help maximize space, so Stewart recommends using standard kitchen organizer trays in other parts of the home like your office or bathroom (via Good Morning America).
Organizing doesn't always require getting rid of things
While sometimes tossing or donating unused items is essential for those who can't help but hoard, it doesn't mean everything has to go. In an interview with Women's World, Martha Stewart said, "There's so much value in what we've collected during a lifetime; things that remind us of good times and teach our children about the past." So, what does she recommend? It's all about feeling good about the items you have accumulated and "finding places to put it, ways to use it, and ways to keep it in order."
Creating a "command center," or central place for all your daily belongings like your keys and wallet is a great tip Stewart shared with Women's World. To fix that ever-so-common closet mess, Stewart recommends organizing items on the back of the door with baskets and moving anything that is hardly used to a "longer-term" storage space. Overall, finding a home for every item — whether color-coded bins, baskets, or file folders — is essential in maximizing the space in your home and creating an organized, clutter-free environment.