What Is a Home Organization System?

We’ve all heard the quote, “A place for everything, everything in its place.” At its core, that’s what a home organization system is all about. Does creating an organized framework in your home sound boring and a little too constraining on your lifestyle? Are you more of a “go with the flow” kind of person, or are you a type A personality with routines and systems already in your home? Either way, getting your home organized is beneficial.

Benefits of Organizing Systems

• You can find what you need when you need it! How many times have you been late for an appointment because you couldn’t find your keys?
• ​You know where to put every item away because it has a designated “home.”
• Tidying up your house can be done relatively quickly when you already know where things live.
  

Organization Systems for Your Home

Home organization is about making life easier. By setting up a personalized system, each room can have a clear, functional layout that works for you! From managing incoming mail to organizing everyday items, implementing these organizing systems can reduce clutter and stress. Let’s take a look at some easy-to-maintain home organization systems that can make a big difference in your daily routine.

Incoming Snail Mail

Mail can easily pile up, turning into a cluttered mess on counters or tables. With an effective organization system, handling incoming snail mail becomes a breeze. By setting up a designated spot to manage mail, you can reduce clutter and ensure important documents don’t get lost.

Pro tip: Throw away the junk mail immediately! If mail requires action, deal with it right away or put it in a dedicated space to deal with it later (and then make sure you deal with it later!) Small decorative baskets are affordable and work in almost any space!
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Organization Products We Recommend:

• Decorative Basket – Perfect for keeping papers organized and out of sight on entryway tables or countertops.
• Plastic File Organizer – For filing bills, receipts, or documents that require more long-term organization.

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Everyday Items

Everyday essentials—like keys, bags, and coats—can easily get misplaced in a busy home. Setting up a personal organization system for these items makes it simple to grab what you need on your way out the door. A designated area keeps things accessible, reduces morning chaos, and helps everyone know where to put items when they return home.

Pro tip: Busy families need a landing place for things like keys, coats, and purses or work bags. While most people will usually keep them near the door that you enter, you can be creative with this. In our home, my husband keeps his wallet and keys in an extra drawer of a china cabinet in the kitchen! Keeping these items in an organized station will be a time saver when you are on the go!
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Organization Products We Recommend: 

• Entryway Wall Hooks – Ideal for hanging coats, bags, or even umbrellas to keep the entryway neat and accessible.
• Key and Mail Organizer – A multi-purpose station to store keys, mail, and small items like sunglasses in one compact space.

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Pantry Organization

A well-organized pantry makes cooking and grocery storage easier! So, create an efficient pantry organization system to corral the necessities.

Pro tip: Pantries work really hard! They hold snacks and cereal and canned goods and drinks and backstock and paper towels, and…the list goes on! If you don’t have a pantry organization system, you get in big trouble when it’s time to put the groceries away! You can invest in food storage containers or utilize simple plastic shoe boxes.  
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Organization Products We Recommend:

• Clear Food Storage Containers – Great for keeping dry goods fresh and visible. Use different sizes for cereals, snacks, and baking ingredients.
• 3-Tier Organizer – Perfect for grouping similar items together, like canned goods or snacks.
• Lazy Susans – These rotating trays make it easy to access sauces, oils, or small packaged items, even in deep pantry spaces.

  
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Kids' Schoolwork

From art projects to report cards, kids bring home plenty of paper throughout the school year. Without a system, these mementos can quickly pile up! 



Pro tip: There are several systems that can work for the schoolwork that comes home. Plastic containers and document storage boxes are perfect for preserving childhood memories. But my best advice is that you don't have to keep everything they bring home! It’s ok to file the less important papers in the trash can.



Organization Products We Recommend:

• Document Storage Boxes – Durable and stackable, these boxes are great for keeping year-by-year schoolwork organized and easy to access.
• Magazine Holders – Ideal for short-term storage of papers until you’re ready to sort through them at the end of each semester.

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Home Office

​Home offices have become popular as more people work from home. An organized home office can help you stay focused and organized while you work!

​Pro Tip: When choosing furniture for your office space, it's important to consider storage solutions that can help you stay organized. Remember, it’s important to store office supplies like paper clips, pens, and pencils in an accessible way that makes sense for you.

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Personal Organization System

Personal organization systems are all about setting up routines and spaces that help you manage your daily life. That includes things like:

• Schedules
• To-do lists
• Self-care
• Household tasks

Here are a few quick tips to help you set up an effective, low-maintenance system:

Define Your Essentials - Decide what items and tasks you interact with most. Maybe it's your planner, phone, laptop, or a place to keep keys and bags.

Create a Daily Catch-All - Designate a small spot (like a tray or drawer like mentioned above) for things you use every day. This reduces time spent hunting for keys, chargers, or other essentials.

Set Up a Paper Station - Use a simple file folder or binder for documents you need regularly, like bills, receipts, or important contacts. Label sections for quick access.

Use Reminders for Daily Tasks - Digital tools like reminders, calendars, and apps can help you keep track of daily tasks, appointments, and deadlines. More of a pen-and-paper kind of person? Me too! Invest in a good daily planner so you can write it all down. 

Practice a Quick Daily Reset - Take five minutes each evening to put everything back in its place. A quick reset will keep things from piling up and maintain your organized system.
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A personal organization system can be both simple and sustainable, helping you stay on top of what matters without extra effort.

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3 Tips for Creating an Organization System in Your Home

Every home is different, and we all own a unique set of items. But we can all use some basic practices that work every time. In my role as a professional organizer, I use the same methods to help my clients achieve their goals for their home organization project.

1. The first step is always to declutter the space or the room that needs a system! Be sure to check out this blog post on How To Declutter Your Home. 
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2. Ask yourself what makes the most sense for your life and your home. What habits do you have that are already working well for you?

3. The items that you use regularly need to be stored in spaces that are easy to access. Eliminate as many barriers as you can. For example, if you must go to another room to retrieve a step stool to wear your favorite shoes and then take them out of a box, there are too many steps involved. You are unlikely to put the shoes away at the end of the day! Unbox those shoes and put them in a convenient location! Cut out as many steps as you can.

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Maintaining a Home Organization System

Home organization is never a “one-and-done” project. Once a space is organized, we must commit to learning and practicing new personal organizational habits to keep the system running smoothly. And sometimes, certain systems will need to be tweaked as time goes on. 
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For example, think about young children and all their toys. Sadly those kids grow up and don’t play with those toys but move on to other things. As they grow, our systems need to change and grow with them!

Need An Organized System for Your Nashville Home?

Ready to take the stress out of home organization? Whether you want to create a full organization system or need help with a specific area, we’re here to make it easy. Contact us, and let’s set up a system that keeps your home (and life) running smoothly!

Editor's Note: This was originally published on April 17, 2023, and has been updated with fresh content.