Where to Put What You Keep: Joy of Less Part 5

One first instinct when motivated to declutter is to buy storage. The author mentions throughout the book something similar to:

“I usually advocate some tough-love decluttering over buying additional storage…” (Joy of Less, pg. 157)

So, once we toughen it out and chuck stuff, where's the best place for what we keep?

20/80 RULE

We use 20% of our stuff 80% of the time. So, the author argues, we could basically get rid of 80% of our stuff and hardly notice. Wow. But some of that we will notice, because even if it’s only 20% of the time, we’re using it. This helps us know where to put things.

The author introduced an easy concept for where to store things. Things belong in one of three places: 1) Inner Circles, 2) Outer Circles, or 3) Deep storage.

Inner circles belong to the 20% of things we use 80% of the time. We reach for these frequently. They should be placed in a convenient location that is easy to access and easy to put away. Think of standing in front of your closet and being able to reach without moving legs or getting a chair. This is the inner circle.

Outer circles belong to other objects we use less frequently than inner circle items, but more frequently than deep storage. These are items we don’t even use once a week, perhaps, but it would be very inconvenient to pack away in extreme locations (attic, under the stairs, etc.).

Deep storage belongs to objects we use seasonally or a couple of times a year, and can be under your bed, in an attic, perhaps garage, etc.

Let’s use clothing as an example. Since we don’t use all of our clothing at the same time, we can easily divide them into the three categories:

1) inner circle: clothing that fits the 20/80 rule—most frequently worn. This should be most easily accessible in your closet, without need a chair, or needing to reach to far corners of the closet (depending on size of closet).

2) Outer circle: clothing used less frequently, but too often to put in deep storage. This applies to my dresses and skirts. I don’t wear these on a daily basis, but want access to them for church on Sundays and other more dressy events. These are in a far corner of my closet, easily within reach when needed. For me, this may also be my seasonal clothing—right now my summer shorts and lightweight clothing is in a box on the highest shelf in my closet. I switch it to sweaters and heavyweight clothing at season’s change (it also borderlines with deep storage).

3) Deep storage: this is clothing we hardly use or don’t right now. Perhaps it’s outgrown baby clothes waiting for the next little occupant, or maternity clothes. Maybe you choose to put summer clothing in a box under the bed, or gardening shoes and gloves in deep storage until gardening season.

I love this inner, outer, deep storage idea. It works for bathroom lotions and potions, kitchen supplies, crafting/hobby items, books, household décor, linens, etc.

MODULES

These would be boxes and areas for like items and activities. For example, if you knit, you could have a tote with your current project and needed supplies. Everything needed fits in that tote. When you want to work on the project, grab the tote, work on it, and then put everything back in its box, back in your inner/outer/deep storage designated area. I already did this with a few things before I read Joy of Less, including a “craft” box with stickers, crayons, markers, paper and coloring books for Winston, as well as a box with current scrapbooking/paper crafting projects. It’s a nice way to keep it all together.

Modules can also be done in a variety of ways, beyond crafting and hobbies. Kitchen supplies could be put in modules based on supplies needed to make homemade pizza, or cake decorating, for example. Or a module of fine-dining linens and silverware. Possibilities are endless.

FLEXSPACES

My kitchen table is a flexspace. It is used to eat, to do crafts, to sit with our laptops, etc. Flexspaces are used, apparently, in offices frequently. It’s an area that can be used by anyone for anything, but must be cleared when done so that the next person/project can use it.

This is likely an area where we don’t store things, but we may bring a module to use. Reading about flexspaces kind of opened my eyes in a “well-duh” kind of way, and gives me more motivation to keep our table clear after and before each activity.

RE-EVALUATE STORAGE (and think outside the box...literally)

Once we have a vision of our inner/outer/deep storage areas, modules and flexspaces, (after we’ve decluttered, of course) then we can take a look at what kind of storage we might need to purchase or repurpose or build (or even toss). Perhaps what containers or shelves we already had don’t really serve their purpose once we determine most convenient homes for our stuff.

I can think of three pieces of furniture in my bedroom right now that is making my inner circle stuff less convenient to pull out and to put away. I’ve got a plan for those brewing in my head…

Pinterest is a great place to find ways to organize your storage places and modules. Check out some of these creative beauties from my pinboard collection.

>> Book"shelves" made of dowels and fabric.

>> Spice rack on wheels to slide next to fridge. 

>> Wrapping paper at tippy-top of closet, secured with string.