Organising and styling duo Charlotte Reddington-Smith and Gemma Lilly, AKA Style Sisters, are on a mission to help organise homes across the UK.
Charlotte, an interior designer, and Gemma, a fashion stylist, came together to create a detoxing and decluttering service for the home.
They are home stylists to the stars, with previous celebrity clients including Rita Ora, Vogue Williams and Amanda Holden.
This month, Style Sisters will be ringing in official spring-cleaning season, taking to the stage at the Ideal Home Show 2023, this Thursday at London Olympia.
Here, they share their ten budget-friendly tips for whipping your home into shape this spring.
1. The detox
First up is the detox, arguably the most important part of the organising process. The good news is, it’s also completely free. Simply ridding your home of anything you no longer need/use will instantly make you feel more organised. Space is valuable and storing unwanted items doesn’t make sense. Creating more space is the key to better organisation.
2. Make a list
Clutter doesn’t just live externally, it can also live in your mind which means that, just like your cupboards, your head can sometimes feel cluttered. We can’t recommend writing lists enough. Getting anything you need to do down on paper can instantly make you feel more organised, plus you only need a pen and notepad, or you can use the note section on your phone. Ticking off the tasks as you go can also make you feel good and help to make you feel more in control of your day.
3. Categorise and contain
Organising items by category is the perfect way to keep super-organised. This allows you to know exactly where everything is and what you’ve got. Be sure to keep any like-minded items grouped together. This will help prevent overpurchasing and spending unnecessarily. Having items in a designated place in your home will make it super-easy for the household to put things away and keep tidy.
4. Labelling
Label machines are an inexpensive investment for your home. Having jars, boxes and drawers labelled with their contents will help keep everything super-organised. It will remind you where items are kept and will help other members of the family to know where they are. You can get different colour tapes and styles of labels which can be fun for the kids to get involved in – before you know it, everything will have a label.
TRY: Brother Labelling Machine, £29.99, from Argos
5. Organise your clothes seasonally
If your wardrobe space is limited, we highly recommend having a seasonal wardrobe. You can store the clothes not needed in vacuum storage bags, unused suitcases or underbed storage bags. This will give you more space in your wardrobe and cupboards for items that are needed at that moment in time.
TRY: Style Sisters Underbed Storage, from £16, from Next – or if you are tight on space (or have a lot of clothes to store), you could try a vacuum storage bag which can be very cheap. Sainsbury’s sells two large bags for £6.50, sainsburys.co.uk
6. Laundry baskets
Rather than having a traditional laundry basket for all your clothes, have you got the space for a sectioned one? You can buy a light, dark and mixed sectioned laundry basket that has the compartments to section your washing, saving you time when doing the laundry. This will make it so much easier to put a dark or light wash on, saving you time sorting through the pile.
TRY: 115l Laundry Sorter, £40, from Next
7. Lazy Susans
These amazing little gadgets are a lifesaver around the house – we love to use them in kitchens, bathrooms and toy rooms. Reaching into the back of a deep cupboard can be a nightmare and items get lost, never to see the light of day again. With a Lazy Susan turntable you can easily turn and reach the items you need, and you can fit a lot more into the space.
TRY: The Home Edit & iDesign Single-Tier Storage Turntable, £12, from John Lewis
8. Organise paperwork into a box file
Are household bills, manuals and paperwork making their way all over the house, placed in random drawers and cupboards? It’s time to get organised and have a designated place to store all important documents. Use drop-down files and folders to put paperwork into sections and you’ll never lose any of it again. Not only is this a budget-savvy tip, but it could save you even more money by helping you keep on top of bills and payments.
TRY: Suspension File Storage Box, £19, aplaceforeverything.co.uk
9. Over-door storage
Children’s toys can soon take over the house and they become a bit of a problem to store and put away. Using over-the-door storage is a great way to place cuddly toys, figures and dolls without taking up floor space. It’s easy for the children to reach their favourite teddy and makes life a lot easier for parents.
TRY: Elfa Door Tidy, £39, aplaceforeverything.co.uk
10. Change your hangers
Velvet slimline hangers will change your life – fact. You can get so much more in your wardrobe; you can get three garments on slimline hangers compared to one item on a wooden hanger. They are practical – no clothing will slip off of them – and they look sleek and stylish, too. Opening your wardrobe doors every day will be like shopping in an expensive boutique. Don’t forget to colour co-ordinate your clothes for that extra wow.
TRY: Style Sisters Slimline Velvet Clothes Hangers, pack of 30, £24, from Very
MORE : Not even Marie Kondo tidies up after her kids – I gave up years ago
MORE : Kelly Hoppen’s tips on how to get the luxury home look on a budget
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