Easy Decluttering Tips (NAPSA)—Eventhe cleanest home will look messyifit's not properly organized. Jule Eller, director of trend andstyle at Lowe's, says there are a few simple waysto declutter your home and. make your space looktidy. Start by assessing each room. Every home and familyis different but kitchens, garagesandclosets tend to get the messiestthefastest. A kitchenis a gatheringplacefor everyone in the family, so it can become cluttered with everything from backpacks and junk mailto cereal bowls and pizza boxes. Cabinets and pantries can also becomecluttered with too many dishes,utensils andspices,butinstalling a Rev-A-Shelf basket from Lowe's makes it easy to keep thingsneat. If you have a garage, you know it’s tempting to simply stash away bulky or rarely used itemsinit, rather than finda spaceinside your home. Butifyou make a habit of doingthis, you could eventually run outof roomto park yourcar. To avoid that from happening,put a Kobalt cabinetorrail system in your garage to transform it into a functional storage space. Whileclosets aren't rooms, they can definitely becomea cluttered nightmare. Somepeoplethink if the door can close, there'sstill room for storage. Don't let closetsget to that point—you'll be a betterpersonforit. Here are a few additional tips for sprucing up your homewhile keepingit functionalandorderly: 1. Rearrange furniture to maximize the space in each room. Thesofa in theliving room,the bed in the bedroom andthedeskin theoffice demand the majority of space available. Arrangethese piecesfirst. + Don't place too manypieces of farni- ture in a small space. A love seat may work better than a full-size sofa de- pending on the size and shapeof the room. + Whencreating areas for conversation, keep furniture pieces within eightfeet ofeachotherso people can talk comfortably whenseated.If possible, keep these pieces facing each otherinstead of side byside. + With seatingused for reading, remem- berto incorporate a light, whetherit’s a floor lamp or an endtable with a lamponit. 2.Create the illusion of space by addinglighting and mirrors. + Lighting is a key element in opening upa space.If you're lucky enough to havenatural light, let it shine in. Recessed spot lightingis visually ap- pealingandis perfect fora small space. Youcan save time and trouble when your homeis neatas well as clean. A few simple steps and inexpensive itemscanhelp. + A torchre lamp is great for bouncing lightoff the ceiling and back down on the room. + Skylights and solar tubes are natural alternativesfor addinglight to a space. Increase the appearance of the size ofthe room by adding mirrors. They notonlyreflect images,butalsoreflect light and color while adding a decora- tive elementto the room. 3. Use storage products to help you get organized. + If shelving and closetorganization kits aren't enough, keepclothes in storage bins. Ifyou have too much, hold a garage sale or donate itemsto charity. A goodrule of thumbis if you haven't wornit in twoyears,it’s timetolet it go. + Store yourutensils in an orderly fashion. Inexpensive baskets and bins workfor oddly shaped items or small appliances. Keep stemware, plates and bowls groupedby function,style and shape.This will not only create a uni- form look, but save time when meal prepis in full swing. You always have the option to build custom solutions, but sometimes that forces you to choose between style and functionality. If youd rather not sacrifice oneorthe other, Lowe's offers a widevariety of products that allow you to have both. Ultimately, it’s important to rememberto notbite off more than you can chew. Oneofthe biggest mistakes people make when decluttering is not setting realistic goals on the front end. Comeup with a plan before diving in. Look at the room as a whole and then focus on one corner at a time. Once progressis being made,it will motivate you to keep going. Learn More For more organizational ideas, tips andproductsolutions,visit Lowes.com.
