Declutter Your Home: 10 Easy Tips

Use these 10 easy tips to declutter your home and breathe new life into your rooms! Includes incorporating neutral tones, layering, adding light, and more.

If you fall into the category of someone who wants a streamlined and uncluttered home, but you aren’t sure where to start, you are in the right place. The tips that follow are all things anyone can do, and most are easy and free. It doesn’t cost anything to clear away clutter, edit your accessories, or make neatly stacked piles.

What is clutter?

According to Oxford Languages and Google, clutter is “a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.” Many times, clutter appears when we don’t have sufficient storage solutions in place. We all lead busy lives, and we don’t always take the time to clear away things that are sitting around our rooms.

What happens when you declutter your home?

Decluttering your home is like taking a deep breath. Once that breath is let go, a feeling of calmness enters your body. The same thing happens when you clear off surfaces, stow away small items, and give your room some breathing space. When you walk into a decluttered room, you are welcomed with a peaceful feeling. You can sit down and relax without looking at all the clutter!

Add Neutral Tones

To provide a neutral backdrop for your space, the paint color on the walls should match or blend in with the large furniture pieces. When the backdrop is all in the same color family, preferably neutral, the room will appear bigger. In turn, this makes the space feel more open, less crowded, and less cluttered. If your backdrop isn’t neutral, or you love colorful furniture and walls, you can still achieve an uncluttered space. Just make sure to put the following tips and ideas into practice.

Less Is More

To achieve a room that looks uncluttered, less is always more. Avoid overflowing bookshelves, too many accessories on surfaces, layered rugs, and smaller items scattered about.

Neatly Stacked Layers

Layering is essential to a cohesive decor plan, but for a decluttered and tidy look, make sure the layers are neatly stacked. A pile of folded throw blankets looks so much better than a jumbled mess dumped in a corner or beside a sofa. Take that pile of folded throw blankets one step further and place it in a basket, or on an easily accessible shelf. If you love large coffee table books, limit how many you have out, make sure they are similar in size, and stack them carefully on your table. The same goes for trays and baskets. Layering them is perfect, but stack them neatly.

Eliminate Piles

Utilize drawers or find alternate storage spaces for the things that pile up on your surfaces. We all have piles, and the secret is to never let them get out of control. My rule of thumb is that one pile is one too many!

Limit Pillows

Pillows are the perfect decor accessory, but for an uncluttered and tidy look, use them sparingly. Fewer pillows on furniture also means fewer pillows on the floor when you are actually sitting on your furniture! Lumbar pillows are a good choice because most people like the way they feel, and they are less inclined to end up on the floor. One more pillow tip. Keep them neatly tucked into the corners of your sofa, and plump them so they appear intentional. Pillows placed haphazardly on furniture make a room feel messy and unorganized.

Use Your Walls

Don’t forget about wall storage. Make book shelves work harder by adding attractive storage containers along with books and decor accessories. Use a blanket ladder to store throw blankets. Instead of hanging a gallery wall, use a picture ledge to make a more contained statement.

Allow Blank Space

When you clear off the surfaces, in any room, it results in a cleaner and clutter-free look. Don’t feel like you have to fill your living room tabletops with accessories, and make sure to leave blank space on bookshelves and mantels. If your collections are growing, just do some simple editing. Instead of filling your mantel with picture frames or small collectibles, just add a few favorite pieces to the ends.

Use Baskets with Lids

No matter how hard you try, there are going to be things you need to store in the various rooms of your home. My best advice is to find storage solutions that hide the daily necessities of life. A great way to do that is by using baskets with lids. For me, this was a gamechanger. Hiding all of our stuff (remote controls, charging cords + cables, mail, coasters, hand lotion, pens/pencils, note pads, tissues, etc.) under a basket lid literally made it all disappear. These baskets are my all-time favorites, and they come in three sizes. Lidded baskets can be stacked, which streamlines their appearance in your rooms.

Let the Light In

When a room is dark, the corners disappear, and it gives the feeling of being smaller than it is. Open your shutters or draperies, and turn on your lamps. This will instantly make your space feel bigger and more open, and as a result, less cluttered. Another tip is to use mirrors and glass-topped tables. A mirror will reflect the light, and bounce it around the room. Light makes a room feel bigger, and as a result, less cluttered. The see-thru aspect of glass-topped tables also adds to the feeling of spaciousness. That open feeling is what we’re going for because it’s the exact opposite of a jumbled and cluttered vibe.

More Decluttering Tips

• Hide toys for kids and dogs in a nearby closet or cabinet.
• Tossing things in the trash isn’t always the best route to take when you are decluttering. Consider making a donation of items you no longer need or want.
• Recycle piles of paper and magazines.
• Provide a hamper in every bedroom so dirty clothes don’t end up on the floor.
• If you are just beginning the decluttering process, make a checklist of the various rooms in your home, and a schedule of what exactly needs accomplished.
• Don’t let dresser drawers turn into junk drawers. Keep everything edited and organized.
• Store toiletries, makeup, and medications in clear bins so everything is contained, but can be easily accessed. Place the clear bins behind a cabinet door, in a medicine cabinet, or in a drawer.