I’m a pro organizer and a popular design trend is just making your house look cluttered – there’s a no-touch exception
AN interior design fan has weighed in on her best tips for keeping your space tidy.
She said a popular trend is cramping on home organization and making it look cluttered instead of chic.
Christina Morton DesAuguste, founder of The Organizing Company, spoke with The U.S. Sun, giving insight into her expertise on how to make any space into a calm oasis.
With over 10 years of experience in the industry, she weighed in on little known mistakes people make when decorating their homes.
DesAuguste herself took the plunge and moved into a smaller space herself.
She focused on keeping a space looking seamless, without clutter hanging out for all to see.
FIRST FAUX PAS
DesAuguste said when it comes to storing things away, keep them out of sight.
“Open shelving and open storage,” she said. “By open shelving I mean not using closed cabinets in the kitchen, but having open cabinets or floating shelves or even glass front cabinets.
“If you’re in a larger home these design elements can be used sparingly since you have plenty of other storage and can prevent them from looking too full.
“But the key here is ‘sparingly’ and ‘plenty of other storage.’ In a small space, though, it very quickly ends up being too much to look at and feels really busy.
“I would say don’t even use these features sparingly, just choose closed cabinets so it feels less cluttered.
“A less trendy or exciting design that looks tidy is better than great design that looks messy over time, in my humble opinion.”
ANOTHER NO-NO
DesAuguste said that a messy look caused by clutter isn’t confined to just shelving.
“Other open storage would include things like using a bookcase or glass front cabinet instead of a closed [or] opaque cabinet,” she said.
“Having a coffee table with shelves on it instead of drawers, having a nightstand that doesn’t have any drawers, leaving everything out on top.
“Basically almost every furniture piece that needs to be functional should hide what it is storing instead of displaying it.
“Even if it’s a bunch of baskets on the open shelving that hide all the little things — it still looks clutter-y. This applies to most spaces, but especially small spaces. It’s just too much visual stimulation.
“Even if things are highly organized and functional, it won’t look that way. It’s important to figure out where things will be functional first, and then assess how they will look best in that place.
“Often it’s just closing it behind a door of some sort. This also applies to hanging functional items on the wall.
“If you have a wall of keys, backpacks, dog leashes, coats, scarves, and grocery bags it will look messy even if it’s organized and functional.
“There are some times when leaving things visible like this is the best choice, but those are usually really limited situations and shouldn’t be the default.”
SIZE MATTERS
While many homeowners turn to spaces like garages to install lots of storage space, she maintained that fewer pieces with more capacity vertically are the way to go.
When it comes to cabinetry, DesAuguste recommended looking at long and tall cabinets.
“Plus, then each person can have all their stuff in one cabinet and not have to go multiple places to get what they need to get out the door,” she advised.
She also said there is an exception to her shelving rule — the “no-touch” areas.
“In living spaces and bedrooms I would recommend only using open shelving for things that are truly decorative and don’t get touched,” she said.
Christina Morton DesAuguste
“In living spaces and bedrooms I would recommend only using open shelving for things that are truly decorative and don’t get touched,” she said.
“Most things that are functional and high use will look better in closed storage.”
