Simply Spaced
Emily here! I recently had the chance to read through Simply Spaced by professional organizer, Monica Leed and it has me all kinds of inspired! If you’re still working on starting fresh in 2020, you’ll love what Monica teaches you. Plus, it’s like hiring a professional organizer but without the shame you feel as they see your house. ;)
Simply Spaced is an excellent resource not only for decluttering, but for teaching you how to create systems in your home that will keep things organized. One point Monica makes that really resonated with me is that most of the time, we spend a lot of money on a home and then more on furnishing it, but when it comes to organization systems, we don’t want to spend the money or we don’t prioritize it. But this is what keeps us buried in our own clutter. If we don’t have a system in place, we can declutter as often as we like, but things will always end up disorganized.
Monica walks you through each room in your house and helps you implement her 3 step approach: Simplify, Streamline, and Style. Simplifying is about pulling all items out of a space so you can see everything (this makes you less inclined to put it all back) and then getting rid of the things that don’t match your goals for that space (or your life). Streamlining is about identifying and implementing organizational systems that will make your space work more efficiently. Monica places a big emphasis on styling your space once you’ve simplified and streamlined because if your space feels curated, personalized, and inviting, you’ll be more likely to maintain the order.
So many light bulbs went on for me as I read Simply Spaced, especially in the sections about streamlining. I live in a small apartment and often feel like the cupboards and closets are poorly designed (which they are) but Monica helped me see that there are solutions that can help any space work better.
“I have learned that there’s no reason not to love the home you live in now. One thing I learned in production design is that if you can turn a cardboard box into a magical fairy forest, you can turn a four-walled space into anything you can imagine.”
I love how Monica has worksheets for each room to help you think through your priorities and goals so that you come out with a clear plan of action for each space. When you have clear goals, it makes it so much easier to identify items that don’t align with those goals and to get rid of them. I also love that Monica dedicates entire chapters to difficult categories (paper, photos, and mementos) because if you’re anything like me, these are the most difficult items to organize! The extra tips scattered throughout each chapter were so motivating and accessible for me. Here are a few of my favorites:
Kitchen: Keep your everyday tools and utensils accessible, but consider finding a version of those items that is both beautiful and functional. This helps add style to a utilitarian space.
Bedrooms: “Designate a storage bin or basket that can serve as a catch-all for clutter. This basket can be moved around the house as the receptacle for putting away miscellaneous objects.”
Bathroom: Line the bottom of your drawers with a fun paper to inspire you to keep them organized.
Kids’ rooms: “Store kids’ books in open magazine files to keep them from flopping around and falling over on bookshelves.”
Paper: “Commit to recycling anything you can find easily online, especially if it is something you’ll rarely access. I’m talking about manuals, instructions, phone books, and anything you can find with a two-minute Google search. Honestly, it’s going to be one time in ten years when you’ll need it.”
Mementos: “Take a picture of any item you like but are willing to discard. It’s okay to honor and revere an item by letting it go. Even the most precious mementos are just memories if they are beyond repair, eaten by moths, or soiled with mold.”
Be sure to follow Monica on Instagram and pick up a copy of Simply Spaced here!