Regardless of whether or not you consider yourself “fairly organized” or “a hot mess” when it comes to home organizing, a simple search on the internet for storage & organization essentials will likely have you in paralysis by analysis faster than you can blink. 

You’re inundated with baskets, bins, containers, drawer dividers + a bunch of other organizing solutions. After a few quick scrolls, you begin to question what you should actually buy. 

Is the right solution this bin here or the other basket over there? 

And that’s most of the home industry for you — prescription without real diagnosis… which of course is malpractice.

Not to mention, all of the options out there make finding storage & organization essentials for your home difficult + overwhelming.

What you want isn’t simply storage & organization essentials that are trendy, appearing in your newsfeed or being pushed through advertisements or home shows on TV as the latest + greatest new thing.

What you want is storage & organization essentials that make sense for YOU + for your home. 

It’s these organizing solutions that are well thought out, specific to your home + custom-tailored to who you + your family are that have real value in your life. 

They’re actually storage + organization “essentials” because they’re the bi-product of investing time + energy in learning what routines you have + what organizing systems you need.

And while we do this for each of our Organizing Members at Elegant Simplicity in our 1:1 sessions, let’s take a look at how we identify what storage & organizing essentials will work. 

Shall we?

What Does It Mean To Truly Be Organized

I’m gonna go out on limb here + assume that at least once in your life, you’ve walked into a room in your home where all you could notice is THE STUFF. 

It’s little stuff here. Big stuff over there. Not to mention, some other stuff in between all this stuff :) 

Maybe, it was even organized + tidy once before but no longer is. 

And the feelings that likely follow this realization of stuff being everywhere is discontent, unhappiness + probably even a bit of overwhelm with what you should do next or why this keeps happening. 

Sound familiar? 

But there lies the problem + really the fallacy that is perpetuated by the home industry when the focus is entirely on THIS product or THAT one.

“Being organized” isn’t a static destination that you simply arrive + stay at, forever. Living in an organized home isn’t something we set + forget. 

Organizing isn’tn a rotisserie chicken, boo. *wink*

To truly be organized, you don’t “do it once and for all.” 

Organizing, like your home, is continuously evolving over time. From time-to-time, you’ll fall out of line. But hey, that’s why you’ve got Elegant Simplicity as your organizing BFFs :)

Defining Storage + Organization Essentials

You’re a smart cookie friend + so you know that if something is “essential” then it’s fundamentally necessary. Likewise, at Elegant Simplicity, we believe that home is everything you need + nothing more™. 

And so what’s foundational to our process + our perspective about your home is really culling back your belongings + curating anything new with a core belief that clarity comes from assessing, identifying + planning a path forward. 

That’s how you determine what’s actually an “essential” storage or organizational solution. 

Without looking deep at the clutter challenged areas that you already have we'd simply be prescribing solutions before we made any real + true diagnosis.

So, for what follows below… let’s assume that we’ve done that assessment.

Storage + Organization Essentials For Messy Drawers

Let’s be real, drawers easily can become messy. 

From kitchen utensils + cookware to office supplies to makeup, nail + hair products the drawers in our homes truly are a catch-all for our stuff.

You might want to listen closely if you’ve got a few “miscellaneous drawers” in your home. 

Compartmentalizing with Drawer Organizers

But for those who struggle with messy or disorganized drawers what is often a life-changing solution (I kid you not) is compartmentalizing inside of each drawer. Instead of a silverware or utensil drawer in the kitchen where the forks, knives, spoons, spatulas etc are all blended together in this messy way — a drawer organizer that separates each type of silverware individually is… functionally essential. 

But it’s also removing the emotional anguish that comes with opening a drawer, multiple times a day, to here + see the mess inside it. Instead of being constantly reminded of how disorganized you are — it’s a subtle yet positive affirmation that organizing is one act of self care *wink*

Pro Organizing Tip: miscellaneous is never a good label :)

Storage + Organization Essentials For Creating New Routines

Keep in mind, so much of deciding + then creating new routines is dependent upon the work we do together in our assessment phase. However, if you’re someone who struggles with not only creating new routines but following them well… routinely :) then the value of organizing labels will be — invaluable.

Organizing Labels

When it comes to setting up new systems around how you live + then working those systems (i.e. following them) it can be a real challenge for some. And maybe it’s easy for you but difficult for your partner-in-crime or kiddos. 

Regardless, “labeling strengthens the organizing systems that are set up” together in your 1:1 organizing sessions. 

In the beginning, when you first start using them, labels take the guesswork out of things. “Am I putting this in the right place?” But as your organizing systems become more + more routine to you (meaning they become in alignment with how you’re actually living) well then, the organizing labels free your mind of having to ever think about where something goes — you simply do it.

More so, for everyone in your home:

• Cleaners

• Maids

• Au Pairs

• Nannies

• Assistants 

• Personal chefs 

• Personal Trainers 

They all understand the process we’ve set up together, the thinking behind it + your labels ensure they can follow those systems to put everything back in its place.
Psst. You might also like Why A Home Management System Is Important.

Storage + Organization Essentials For Everyday Belongings

Sometimes what keeps people stuck, feeling overwhelmed + unsure of how to move forward is simply deciding what storage & organizing essentials are necessary for everyday use. 

Where should you put your wallet, keys, handbags, mail or paperwork, backpacks, shoes or jackets?

Setting Up A Family Command Center

Between your work, kids + their activities as well as ya know your own personal life a family command center can be a game-changer for some. It’s a spot in your home, where everyone has exactly what they need on their way out the door. 

It doesn’t only save you time + a little frustration but truthfully it can give you the peace of mind that you’ve got everything you need when leaving the house. It’s the “essentials” (there’s that word again) that is everything you need + nothing more™.

For us at Elegant Simplicity, storage & organizing essentials are about YOU. Your routines + habits in your home. It’s not an organizing “essential” if it’s not specifically something you “need.”

Even more important than whatever storage + organization essentials might be necessary is that each time you use a new organizing system your reprogramming your routines + ultimately habits around the priorities that are important to you in your home.

And truthfully, friend… that is amazing! Because what comes out of it is a home that you never, ever, want to leave.

If you’ve given it a try + your like “this is all just too much… I need help decluttering, getting organized or designing my home ” –– friend, we’re here for you. 

Don’t hesitate reaching out to our team + ask for help. In fact, you can get started with a FREE Clarity Call (a 30-minute consultation that’s all about you!)

And if you absolutely loved this article about Bathroom Remodel Cost then trust me boo, you’re going to really enjoy a FREE video course: 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.