Anybody with a cluttered home knows that no matter how many shelves, cabinets, and boxes they try to utilize, the home never seems to become organized. Indeed, sometimes it seems that the more one tries to organize their home, the more disorganized it becomes. The irony of this situation should come as no surprise; it is just a matter of accumulation. The more one accumulates, the more places they need to store what they have added to their house. This causes the frustrated home owner to literally clutter their home with extra furniture that is brought in to help keep everything organized. Even a clean and organized home can seem messy if there is enough clutter in it.
The key, therefore, is not more storage space, but the proper utilization of the available storage space. Before going out and buying more shelves and cabinets, the homeowner should take a long look around the house. They should take their time and observe everything as it is stored. Studying the inside of one's home is like staring at an optical illusion. If one stares at an optical illusion for a long enough period of time, after a while they will begin to see the object they are staring at in a different way, shape, or form.
It is no different when one stares at the interior of their house for a long enough period of time. They will begin to notice where the waste of space is. They will see different possibilities for storage space, and how by moving a certain piece of furniture, they will be freeing up extra storage space. For instance, there are dozens of places in a home where a small item is stored in a large area, or several items are occupying a space that could accommodate many more items. Perhaps there are a few knick-knacks on display on the top shelf of a bookcase, while dozens of books are crammed somewhere in a corner, or stacked upon a coffee table. Speaking of books, many people have books in their bookcases they will never read again, or that will not stir up conversation when guests visit. Perhaps a donation to the local library is in order.
The harried homeowner may also try the technique of storing their sentimentality. Many people hang on to objects that are dear to their heart, yet serve no other purpose than to gather dust. There is a compromise solution available. Several large boxes should be brought into the house. Next, everything that is considered priceless in the market of sentimentality should be placed in those boxes. The boxes should then be sealed, and marked as sentimental. These memories may now be placed in storage, somewhere out of the house. There will be less clutter to clean, and the owner will be assured that the hard copies of their fond memories are in a safe place. Anybody who has a hard time keeping their home organized should look within, before they seek solutions from without.