Inspiration

Alex Fulton’s top tips for creating an organised home

Alex shares her tips for staying organised, and for designing a home that will cater to your family now and in years to come

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What are some tips and product ideas that can help us be more organised?

Small changes can lead to big results – changing things here and there can help clear the disorganised fog and give us that ‘on-top-of-it’ feeling. Here are my go-to tips for becoming more organised.

  • Clean out your drawers
    It’s easy to dump and run, especially when you can hide things in a ‘junk drawer’. A routine de-clutter can be very cathartic and help to decrease those ‘I’m sure we had one of those somewhere’ moments. Try drawer dividers or storage containers to categorise the contents.
  • Use the walls
    Getting things up off the floor can make a huge difference to how a space feels and can instantly add ‘room’. Hooks, shelves, baskets and racks are all brilliant ways to clear the floor and make a statement at the same time. If items aren’t suitable for display, utilise hidden areas such as behind a door or on top of a wardrobe or unit.
  • Spring clean
    When I was younger I had a technique for tidying my room which I still apply today: dump it all on the bed and systematically tidy everything away. It was very effective because I’d have nowhere to sleep if I didn’t do it! This method is good for small areas such as wardrobes, bathroom cupboards and laundry shelves.
  • Fresh eyes
    We can all get complacent and become used to seeing that box of junk in the hall or ever-growing pile of clothes at the bottom of the wardrobe. Stopping for a moment and questioning why things are there can make you see through tidier, more organised eyes. I’m pretty certain clear spaces release some kind of endorphin high!

Are there any interior-design tricks to create storage and space when designing a new home?

To be able to design from scratch, taking into account all the needs of your growing family, gives you a real advantage. Use your knowledge of how you work as a family when incorporating details such as storage will be key to the design and function of your new home.

Think very carefully about what your needs are now and what they will be further down the track. Consider how your family will use each space, and what each space requires to enhance functionality. Assess each area separately to make this task easier to tackle.

  • Laundry
    Designing separate cupboards (one for darks, one for lights), each with a slot, makes sorting the laundry super-easy. It’s also fun for the kids to ‘post’ their dirty clothes – win-win!
  • Kitchen
    Get good advice on making the most of every bit of space. Currently on the market are some amazing cabinetry innovations such as ‘magic corners’ and drawer internals, which will make all the difference in terms of efficiency and organisation. The ideal is to have a place for everything, all the while being surrounded by good design.
  • Living spaces
    It can be hard to move old furniture into brand-new rooms, so it could be worth designing some built-in furniture. This is an excellent way to optimise space and again provide functionality to your living areas. A boxed window seat, for instance, not only provides a comfortable spot to relax, it will also double up as storage for kids’ games, extra pillows and other items that need stowing away.
  • This is your time to maximise the spaces you are going to inhabit and put your own design stamp on things. Research and compile your dream list of requirements when it comes to style and function, then combine them to design the perfect home for your very special family.

Words by: Alex Fulton.

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