Clutter, though annoying, is simply part of life. No matter how often you clean your home, clutter seems to always find its way back into almost every space. From kitchens and living rooms to closets and bookshelves, it is easy to become overwhelmed. But with a little ingenuity, you can declutter your home in no time, while still having easy access to all of your essentials. From storage solutions to hiding a mess, here are a few clever ways that you can disguise clutter in your home.
Hide Away Essentials
There are items in almost every room in your home that are essential, yet unattractive. A laundry room, for example, needs to have detergent and dryer sheets handy. Instead of piling up these branded containers on a shelf or countertop, simply place them in lined baskets or decorative boxes.
For closets, whether it be your linen closet or even a food pantry, opening the door to a cluttered mess can be stressful. Put some attractive boxes or baskets to use to create an organized system while hiding away some of that clutter, such as spare light bulbs, extra cleaning products and even overstock non-perishables.
Living rooms and bedrooms are where we spend most of our time relaxing. But with that relaxation and space to wind down, these areas are prone to collecting items throughout the day that can quickly become clutter. Utilize bookshelves for storage, again using baskets and boxes to hold essential items that you don’t want laying around.
Camouflage Unsightly Cords
Mounting televisions and speakers is a popular trend in homes, especially in living rooms and family rooms, spaces that are used for family time and entertaining guests. However, once these electronics are mounted, and unless you drill a hole into the wall for the wires to live, cords can quickly become an eyesore. Plus, if you live in a rental and don’t have permission to drill into the wall, it may be time to find a solution for these exposed wires.
For a budget-friendly option, you can use a shower curtain rod or white PVC pipe to camouflage the cords. These can be painted to match the wall, giving the illusion that the wires were never there. You can also find cord cover kits at your local hardware store.
With multiple smartphones, laptops and tablets in a home, it can be helpful to have a charging station located in a central area of the home, such as the kitchen or living room. But, with so many different cords and wires, this can quickly become an unorganized mess. To give yourself more room and escape cord madness, take a shoebox, cover it in a decorative wrapping paper and poke a few small holes in one side. Place a power strip inside the box, plug in your cords and pull them through the holes. Place the cover on the box and enjoy a portable charging station that now fits in with your decor!
Tuck Away Rarely Used Items
For things that are useful to a space, but not used often, it can be challenging to find a home for them without creating clutter. Whether it’s clothes that are out of season, spare blankets or even laundry baskets, it can be hard to hide items, especially if you are low on storage space.
While using storage bins is a great solution for holding items you rarely use, finding a place to put the bins is another challenge. In your bedroom, consider purchasing under-bed storage containers. These are perfect for storing seasonal clothing and shoes in a spot that they are easily accessible. You can also use these for extra bedding, blankets and throw pillows.
Drawers are another great place to store rarely used items, as it closes and completely hides away whatever items you place inside. In bedrooms, use the bottom drawer of a dresser or wardrobe. In living rooms, purchase decorative furniture that features drawers, such as a TV stand or even side tables, to store things. This even works in the kitchen! Use larger bottom drawers to store crockpots and other large cooking essentials that aren’t used daily.
