How to Organize Your Home Room by Room: The Complete Guide

Want to organize your home but don’t know where to start? Here is exactly how to organize your home and keep it clutter free.

There is something really powerful about walking into a home where everything has a place. It is not about being perfect or having the most organized house, it is about creating an environment where you can actually relax, think clearly, and enjoy being home.

But getting there can feel overwhelming, especially if you are starting from scratch or if your home has slowly accumulated years worth of stuff that does not have a proper home yet.

That is exactly what this guide is for.

This is your complete room by room home organization guide covering every major space in your home, from your kitchen and living room all the way through to your bedroom, closet, bathroom, and home office. Each section breaks down the most important organization tips for that specific room along with the best products to help you get it done.

Before you dive in, here is the single most important principle that applies to every room in this guide: once you have organized a space, commit to putting things back where they belong every single time you use them. New habits do not form overnight, but if you make it a priority from day one it will start to feel natural before you know it.

Take it one room at a time, and remember, a little progress is still progress. Your home does not have to be perfect to feel good to live in.

This post is all about how to organize your home and completely transform every room.

Before You Start Organizing Your House:

Start With a Walk Through

The first thing you’re going to want to do before you start organizing anything, is do a quick walkthrough of your home. I always carry around a notepad with me so I can write down specific areas in each room I need to focus on, and a plan for tackling everything.

This step isn’t necessary, but it helps get you in the right mindset, and keeps you from getting paralyzed from not knowing where to start.

Coming up with a game plan is never a waste of time!

Don’t Be Afraid to Change Organization Systems That Aren’t Working

Let’s be honest, not all organization systems work for everyone. Maybe you tried implementing a system, and it just didn’t click. Or something that once worked, no longer fits your lifestyle. That’s okay! This is a great thing to make note of while you’re doing your walkthrough.

Now is the time to get rid of old organization systems that no longer serve you. Organizing is actually a much more personal thing than people realize. So find a system that makes sense to you. Because chances are, if you actually agree with the system you put in place, you’re more likely to lean into it, and keep up with it long term.

Be Realistic About the Time

Organizing your home is no easy task! And it can be extremely overwhelming if you try to tackle it all at once. That’s why I broke it down, room by room, so you can cover as much or as little as you would like to in one sitting.

You don’t have to finish organizing your entire house in one day! In fact, it’s better not to rush the process. Be thorough, and go through each step. This is not something you want to hurry through just so you can be done.

We’re not just organizing for the sake of organizing. The goal is to organize your house in such a way, that all of your hard work doesn’t go to waste. We want these results to last!

Okay, now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to get into how to actually organize each room.

How to Organize Your Kitchen:

The kitchen is the heart of the home and also one of the hardest rooms to keep organized. Between the appliances, the pantry, the cabinets, and the random drawer that somehow collects everything, it can feel like no matter how much you clean it up it is always a mess again within a few days.

Not to mention, the amount of people coming in and out of the kitchen alone makes it even harder to keep clean and organized. The good news is that with the right systems in place, a consistently organized kitchen is completely achievable!

Empty It Out Before You Start

Before you reorganize any space in your kitchen, or any room for that matter, take everything out completely. It sounds counterintuitive because it makes things messier before they get better, but starting with a blank slate helps you see exactly what you have, identify duplicates, and make smarter decisions about what actually belongs in that space. You cannot organize clutter, so always empty first!

Declutter Everything

Once everything is out, go through it all and get rid of anything you do not use. Multiples of items, expired food, appliances you have not touched in a year – out they go! This step is non-negotiable and it is the one that makes the biggest difference and lays the groundwork for seamless organization.

Organize Your Pantry by Category

Your pantry is probably one of the places in your kitchen that needs a little extra TLC. So getting this one out of the way first is going to be a huge weight lifted off of your shoulders.

The name of the game with organizing your pantry, is to group similar items together and keep them in the same spot every time. Canned goods together, snacks together, baking supplies together (you get the point). Once everything has a designated category, it is so much easier to find what you need and notice when you are running low on something.

It will also make putting groceries away so much easier! You might need some labels on your bins and baskets to get you started, but before you know it, you’ll be able to find where things go without thinking twice.

Use Drawer Dividers for Utensils

Another scary spot in the kitchen is the utensil drawer. Messy kitchen drawers are real, and happen to everyone! I have yet to find a system that works as well as drawer dividers. They are easily the quickest fix, and they give every utensil and tool a specific spot so nothing gets jumbled together. Once you have them you will wonder how you ever lived without them.

Even though the utensil drawer is probably the hardest one to keep organized, it’s probably not the only kitchen drawer that could use a new organization system to keep things tidy.

If you want a more in-depth look on how to organize each drawer in your kitchen, I recommend heading over to this post on kitchen drawer organization ideas.

Maximize Cabinet Space With Shelf Risers

Most kitchen cabinets have way more vertical space than we actually use. Shelf risers essentially double your storage by creating two levels within one cabinet. I’ve found this particularly helpful with glassware and dishes.

Organizing becomes a whole lot easier when you’re able to give yourself more space to put things (it’s a no brainer, but it’s true).

Now I know what you’re thinking… not every cabinet can be organized with a shelf riser (true!). Organizing kitchen cabinets are not a one size fits all situation. So if you’re interested in taking your kitchen cabinet organization to a new level, these kitchen cabinet organization ideas will get you there!

Keep Your Counters as Clear as Possible

The less that lives on your counter, the easier your kitchen is to keep clean and organized. Keep only your most used daily appliances out and find homes for everything else inside cabinets and drawers.

Of course, you can sprinkle in a little decorative piece here and there, as long as it doesn’t clutter your counters. The smaller your kitchen, the less items you want to have on your counters.

Top Kitchen Organization Products:

Lazy Susan: perfect for corner cabinets and pantry shelves so nothing gets lost at the back
Pantry labels: makes everything easy to find at a glance
Drawer dividers: an absolute must for keeping utensil drawers from becoming a black hole
Shelf risers: doubles your cabinet storage instantly without any installation required
Over the door organizer: great for cleaning supplies, spices, or anything that needs a home but takes up counter or cabinet space

You can find a complete list of all of my kitchen organization product recommendations here.

Once your kitchen is under control, give yourself a pat on the back! Now, it is time to tackle the room where you spend the most time relaxing: the living room.

How to Organize Your Living Room:

The living room is the space where you relax, entertain, and spend most of your time at home, which also makes it one of the easiest rooms to let get out of control.

Between the throw blankets, the remote controls, the books, and everything else that somehow migrates in from other rooms, keeping it tidy can feel like a full time job. But with a few smart systems in place, your living room can be the calm, inviting space you dream of.

Give Everything a Designated Home

The biggest reason living rooms get messy is that things do not have a specific place to go. A basket for throw blankets, a tray for remotes, a shelf for books, once everything has a home, tidying up takes minutes instead of hours.

This is also a good rule of thumb for deciding whether something actually belongs in your living room. If you can’t find it a home, it probably doesn’t belong there. In which case, you either relocate it to a different room (only if it makes sense), donate it, or throw it out.

Get Creative With Living Room Storage

Finding a place to put everything in your living room can be tricky. Because unlike a lot of other rooms, you probably don’t have a ton of built-in storage. So you have to make your own.

Minimizing what you keep in your living room will help a ton, but you’ll still need some spots for the essentials. The biggest game changer is finding furniture that also doubles as storage.

Now I know it isn’t practical to go out and purchase a bunch of new furniture, but even adding a storage ottoman or a blanket basket will work!

Here are my favorite ways to sneak in living room storage without sacrificing style:

Invest in a stylish storage ottoman: This is something you can add in to your pre-existing furniture lineup. It doesn’t have to take up a ton of space, but it gives you one more option to put things.
Use a console table behind the sofa: The space behind your sofa is one of the most underutilized spots in the living room. A slim console table placed behind the sofa gives you an extra surface for a lamp, books, candles, and decorative objects without taking up any additional floor space.
Use trays to corral small items: Probably one of my favorite organization hacks for the entire home! A tray on your coffee table or console table instantly makes a collection of small items look intentional and organized. Use it to group your candles, coasters, remotes, and decorative pieces so everything feels curated rather than scattered.

Declutter Regularly

The living room tends to collect things that belong in other rooms: dishes, mail, bags, shoes. Do a quick five minute sweep every evening to return things to their proper homes and your living room will stay consistently tidy without much effort at all.

This can also apply to other rooms in your home. I call it the closing shift. Just like you would close a restaurant or a store, close down your home by putting everything back where it belongs, so you wake up to a tidy house the next morning!

Top Living Room Organization Products:

Storage ottoman: hidden storage that doubles as seating and a footrest
Decorative baskets: perfect for throw blankets and pillows that would otherwise pile up on the sofa
Coffee table tray: corrals small items and makes your table look intentional and styled
Floating shelves: adds display and storage space without taking up any floor space

Now that your living room is under control, let’s move into the most personal space in your home: the bedroom.

How to Organize Your Bedroom:

Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, the one place in your home where you can truly relax and unwind. But when it is cluttered and disorganized, it is hard to feel calm in there no matter how pretty the decor is.

The good news is, the bedroom is actually one of the easier rooms to get organized because most of the clutter comes from just a few key problem areas.

Make Your Bed Every Morning

This sounds simple but it genuinely changes how your whole bedroom feels. A made bed instantly makes the entire room look more put together even if nothing else is perfectly tidy. It also sets the tone for a more organized day overall. If your bed isn’t made, it’s easier to let other areas slide too.

Declutter Your Nightstand

Your nightstand tends to become a dumping ground for everything you touch before bed: books, chargers, water bottles, skincare, and random items that have no business being there.

Keep only what you actually need within reach and find homes for everything else. I like to keep it to no more than five items on top of my nightstand. That way it really makes me think about what items are essentials vs. what’s just taking up space.

If you need a little more inspiration on how to organize your nightstand, not just decluttering, these nightstand organization ideas will set you up for success!

Use Under Bed Storage

The space under your bed is a storage goldmine! If you’re not using this space wisely, you’re missing out on some of the most valuable space in your entire home.

Flat storage bins or rolling drawers are perfect for storing extra bedding, out of season clothing, shoes, or anything else that is taking up space in your closet.

That being said, this isn’t a spot to shove items that you’re too lazy to get rid of! That’s when this underutilized space becomes a birds nest for all of the items that don’t have a home.

Organize Your Dresser Drawers

Organizing your dresser drawers is a lot easier than you might think!

Folding clothes using the KonMari method (standing items upright like a filing system instead of stacking them onto of each other) makes it so much easier to see everything you own at a glance. You can also roll clothes for a similar effect (like you’re packing a suitcase).

As far as organizers go, there are three kinds of organizers that I use to keep my dresser drawers insanely organized.

Honeycomb dividers: keeps intimates likes socks, undies, and bras organized
Adjustable drawer dividers: for larger drawers, adjustable dividers are the way to go. They’ll help you section your drawer to keep categories separate and to make sure no space is being wasted
Fabric bins: for things like bathing suits that are hard to fold, a like to put them in these fabric organizers so they don’t have free roam of the entire drawer

Create a Designated Spot for Everything You Carry Daily

Everyday items like keys, your wallet, a bag, sunglasses, are items that easily end up all over the bedroom because they don’t have a specific home.

A small tray, hook, or dish near your bedroom door gives them a designated spot so you always know where they are and your surfaces stay clear.

I like to keep a “purse bowl” on my dresser with all of the items that I’m reaching for on my way out. That way, I don’t have to constantly go through my room to gather everything from different areas. You can also do this with a catchall tray.

Staying organized isn’t that hard when you intentionally make it easy on yourself.

Top Bedroom Organization Products:

Under bed storage bins: flat rolling drawers that maximize one of the most underused spaces in your home
Drawer organizers: keeps your nightstand essentials nice and tidy and keeps everything from moving around every time you open and shut your drawer
Over the door hooks: perfect for robes, bags, and tomorrow’s outfit without taking up any floor or closet space
Small essentials tray: corrals your everyday essentials so your nightstand and/or dresser always looks tidy and intentional

Now that your bedroom is looking good, let’s tackle the space that is connected to it that causes the most stress: the closet.

How to Organize Your Closet:

The closet is one of those spaces that can go from perfectly organized to complete chaos in about three days if you do not have the right systems in place. Whether you have a huge walk-in or a tiny reach-in, the principles are the same: everything needs a designated spot, like items need to live together, and you need to be ruthless about what actually deserves space in there.

Declutter Before You Organize

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again. This is the most important step and the one most people skip. Go through every single item in your closet (yes, every single one) and ask yourself honestly whether you wear it, love it, and actually need it.

Donate or sell anything that does not make the cut. You cannot organize a closet that has too much stuff in it.

Organize by Category

Keep all of your tops together, all of your bottoms together, all of your dresses together, and so on. I like to organize by color for an extra satisfying result, but that part is completely up to you.

Switch to Matching Velvet Hangers

If you’re on a tight budget, switching out all of your existing hangers for velvet ones doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Although I will say, this bulk pack on Amazon isn’t bad at all. All of that being said, if you’re able to switch to matching hangers, this will create a cohesive and put together look in your closet.

I highly recommend velvet ones because they tend to be thinner (we’ll take any space-saving win we can get!) and will keep your clothes from slipping off and piling up on the floor (recipe for a chaotic closet).

Use Every Inch of Vertical Space

Most closets have a lot of unused vertical space up for grabs. This is where you can really make your closet work for you, even if it’s small.

The key is knowing what kind of organizers to use to best fit your space. I uncover all of the best closet organizers in this post to help you maximize your space.

Every inch counts in a closet!

Use Smart Storage Solutions

Organizing your closet seems pretty straight forward until you get to the accessories. I know it might be tempting to throw your hats, scarves, belts, and sunnies in a draw and call it a day, but it will only end up costing you more storage space in the end.

Whether you have a small closet or not, being smart about how you store things is key! To keep this post from being ridiculously long, I’m not going to be sharing all of the best closet organization ideas here, but if you’re curious on how to make the most out of your closet space, these small closet organization ideas will blow your mind (these are the kind of ideas you wouldn’t think of right off of the bat, but everyone should know about).

Top Closet Organization Products:

Velvet slim hangers: the single most impactful closet upgrade you can make for both aesthetics and space saving
Shelf dividers: keeps folded stacks of clothes from toppling over and mixing together
Stackable clear shoe slot organizers: keeps your shoes visible, protected, and neatly stacked without taking up extra floor space
Space saving hangers: for when you’re really tight on space and don’t have enough hanging room
Storage baskets: perfect for the top of your closet where you keep bulky/seasonal items

With your closet sorted, let’s move into one of the most used rooms in your home: the bathroom.

How to Organize Your Bathroom:

The bathroom is one of the smallest rooms in your home but somehow manages to accumulate an overwhelming amount of stuff. Between the skincare, the hair tools, the cleaning supplies, and all of the miscellaneous products that multiply overnight, keeping it organized requires a little more intentionality than most rooms.

But once you have the right systems in place, your bathroom can feel like a calm, spa-like retreat instead of a chaotic product graveyard.

Declutter Your Products Regularly

This goes beyond the declutter once method. Go through all of your skincare, makeup, and hair products every few months and throw out anything that is expired, empty, or that you simply do not use anymore.

It is amazing how much space you can free up just by getting rid of products that have been sitting untouched for months. Less products means less clutter and less clutter means a tidier bathroom.

Use Trays to Contain Your Counter Products

A tray on your bathroom counter is one of the simplest and most effective organization tools you can use. It holds all of your everyday products into one contained, intentional display so your counter never looks messy even when you have a lot of stuff on it.

Choose a tray that complements your bathroom and it will double as a decor piece too.

There are also a lot of other ways to keep your bathroom counters organized, especially if you need extra storage space. Spoiler alert: these bathroom counter organization ideas will double your storage space without overcrowding your bathroom.

Maximize Under Sink Storage

The cabinet under your sink is one of the most underutilized storage spaces in the bathroom. It’s kind of like the under-bed space in your bedroom – use it well and it will double your storage space!

That being said, I know the area under your bathroom sink can be kind of tricky. It can look different for everyone depending on the piping situation.

So if you need some visuals to help you tackle this area, these under-the-sink bathroom organization ideas are surprisingly simple, yet extremely effective.

But if you’re just looking for a quick fix, using stackable bins, a small tension rod for spray bottles, or a two tier shelf will help you make most of the vertical space in there.

Use the Inside of Cabinet Doors

This is technically an under the sink storage idea, but it’s so valuable that I had to make it its own section.

The inside of your bathroom cabinet doors is essentially free storage that most people completely ignore. Adhesive hooks or an over the door organizer can hold hair tools, accessories, or small products without taking up any shelf space at all.

It might not seem like a big deal, but the extra storage space is 100% worth it!

Keep Your Daily Products Accessible

The things you reach for every single day should be the easiest to access. Keep your daily skincare, toothbrush, and hair essentials front and center on your counter or in your top drawer, and store everything else further away.

When your most used products are always within reach your routine flows so much more smoothly and there is no need to go digging around (messing up your beautifully organized bathroom) to find what you need.

Top Bathroom Organization Products:

Counter set: keeps your everyday products in one place so it stays tidy
Under sink organizer: stackable bins or a two tier shelf that maximizes every inch of under sink storage
Acrylic drawer organizers: keeps your bathroom drawers sorted by category so everything is easy to find
Over the door organizer: perfect for hair tools, accessories, and products without using any shelf space

Last but definitely not least, let’s talk about one of the most overlooked spaces when it comes to home organization: the home office.

How to Organize Your Office:

Whether you work from home full time or just need a space to pay bills, manage paperwork, and stay on top of life admin, having an organized home office makes a huge difference in your productivity!

A cluttered desk leads to a cluttered mind, and when your workspace is chaotic, it’s hard to focus on anything. That’s why your home office is one of the most important areas of your home to keep consistently organized.

Start With Your Desk Surface

Your desk surface is your most valuable real estate and it should be treated that way. Keep only what you actually use every single day on your desk and find homes for everything else in drawers, shelves, or storage bins. A clear desk makes it so much easier to focus and so much more enjoyable to sit down and work.

Create a System for Paperwork

Paperwork is the number one source of clutter in most home offices. Use a multi-section file holder with clear labels like “To Read,” “To File,” “To Send,” and “This Week.” Think of it like a mini mail room: nothing stays there long, but it gives every piece of paper a temporary home so nothing gets lost or ignored.

Paperwork is one of those things that you should deal with as it comes in, instead of letting it pile up. This alone will get rid of 50% of the office clutter.

This is the system I use to keep all of my important organized and in one spot. Important paperwork, passports, etc. all go here – so everything is easy to reach (and take with me on the go if need be).

Use Vertical Space

Most home offices have a lot of unused wall space that could be doing serious organizational work. Floating shelves, a pegboard, or a wall mounted organizer can hold books, files, supplies, and decorative items without taking up any of your precious desk or floor space. Going vertical is always the move in a smaller office!

These are the office wall ideas that will make the biggest difference. Because no matter how big or how small your office space is, we all have walls that we can put to use!

Manage Your Cords

Tangled cords are one of the biggest sources of visual clutter in a home office. So getting your cords under control should be a priority! It will also make sure the area under your desk doesn’t look like a rats nest (we’ve all been there).

The two areas of cable management are keeping the cords within easy reach when you’re sitting at your desk – a job for the cable clips, and the area under your desk where the cables plug into the wall – a job for a cable organizer.

Both of these things will help keep your cords easily accessible, while making sure they’re as hidden as possible (because no one wants a bunch of cords ruining their tidy workspace).

Leave One Space Intentionally Empty

This is one of the most underrated office organization tips. Leave one drawer or one file section intentionally empty. When new projects or temporary overflow comes in, you have a spot for it without disrupting your existing system. It sounds counterintuitive but it prevents pileup during your busiest periods.

It will also keep you from having to reorganize your office constantly just to make sure everything has a home.

Reset Your Desk at the End of Every Day

Just like we talked about closing down your house, do the same with your office space. At the end of each work day, take five minutes to clear your desk completely.

It sets you up for a much more productive morning and allows you to get right back into the swing of things without having to spend the first 20 minutes digging out from the previous day’s mess.

It is one of those small (almost effortless) habits that makes a really big difference over time.

Keep Supplies Organized and Within Reach

Things like pens, scissors, tape, and sticky notes should have a designated home on or near your desk so you are not digging through drawers every time you need something.

A small desktop organizer or even a small adhesive under-the-desk drawer keeps everything visible, accessible, and tidy without taking up too much space.

Top Home Office Organization Products:

Desktop organizer: keeps your most used supplies contained and within reach without cluttering your desk surface
Important documents binder: gives your paperwork a clear system so nothing piles up or gets lost
Cable management clips: keeps cords neat, organized, and out of sight for a much cleaner looking desk
Cable management box: works underneath the desk to make sure your cables stay out of the way

Finish With Occasionally Used Areas:

Once you’ve covered the main areas in your home, you can gradually cover the other (smaller) areas like the laundry room, the hall closet, etc.

Honestly, covering the main areas of your home is the hardest part. So once you’re done with that, and see the beautiful progress you’ve made, it’s easy to keep the organizing motivation going with the rest of your home.

Don’t feel the need to cover all of the other areas of your home in one weekend. Maybe choose a room to tackle each weekend until you’ve covered the whole house. You’ve come this far, so don’t burn yourself out!

How to Keep Your Home Organized:

Now that your home is organized, or at least on its way to becoming organized, there are a couple of things you should be consistently doing if you want to keep your progress.

Train Yourself to Put Things Back in Their Spot

This might not be something that you’ll be able to do consistently right off of the bat, so giving yourself reminders and visual cues throughout the house will help keep you on track until this becomes instinctual.

I know it can be tempting just to “take care of it later,” but this rule alone will keep your house consistently organized. It’s worth it for the extra couple of seconds it takes to put something back where it actually belongs.

Purge Personal Items Frequently

The truth is, it’s EXTREMELY hard to stay organized when you have too much clutter. And the clutter comes from accumulating too many products without regularly getting rid of items you don’t use.

A simple way to fix this is by using the one item in, one item out rule. If you bring something new into your home (no matter what it is), you have to get rid of something in return. This will help make sure you’re not bringing in more items than you have room for.

This one can be a little tricky, but try not to talk yourself out of it! Picking up on this habit will make it 10x easier to keep your house organized.

Otherwise you’re just going to end up having to go through the whole decluttering and organizing process all over again (don’t do this to yourself!).

Ready to Finally Get Your Home Organized?

Getting your home organized is one of those things that feels like a big overwhelming project right up until you actually start. Once you take it one room at a time and give everything a proper home, the whole thing becomes so much more manageable than you expected.

And after you organize, if you want to get your home sparkling clean, I have an entire how to clean your house guide that breaks it down room by room. Between the two of these posts, your home will be completely transformed from top to bottom.

This post was all about how to organize your home and completely transform every room.