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Home » Organizing » 16 Organizing Ideas You Don’t Want to Miss {Best of 2015}

12/28/2015 · 3 Comments

16 Organizing Ideas You Don’t Want to Miss {Best of 2015}

Organizing

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Over the past year, our house has continued to get (and stay!) more organized. I’ve still got lots of problem spots to solve and share over the next year, but with each space I tackle, the house stays tidy a little longer, and becomes faster to pick up when things get a bit out of control.

When I looked at my most popular posts from last year, I could see that organizing was a hot spot for most of you as well.

16 Organizing Ideas - Photo of craft room wall and bathroom under sink

 

Top New Organizing Posts of 2015

#1: Bathroom Organization – My most popular new post from last year was a project that didn’t take very long, or cost very much, but continues to make my mornings more pleasant every single day.

As you’ll see if you visit the full post, the before was a BIG mess. Anytime I opened the cabinet doors I was frustrated, and so much of the clutter just stayed on the countertop. While I’m still not perfect at keeping the counter clear all the time, it’s MUCH better and quick to restore to order. The right products make all the difference with under sink organization in the bathroom.

 

#2: Desktop Organization – It seems that desks are another area many of us struggle to keep clutter-free. This post was before our full office makeover, but contains lots of helpful tips for keeping your workspace neat.

Girly Organized desk

#3: Garage Makeover – I’m still a little amazed we pulled this one off.

It was a little hard to put time and money into the garage when we have rooms in need of love inside the house. It turned out to be the best decision we could have made. Every project since the garage organization has been SO much easier because we know where things are AND we have room to work. Yes, it absolutely still gets messy during projects, but everything has a place, so clean up is less intimidating.
We did a complete garage makeover in under 5 weeks! The garage now has a built in workbench, plenty of storage, and an amazing copper floor.

#4: Cleaning Hard Water on Glass Shower Doors – This one isn’t exactly organizing, but it deserved recognition as one of the most popular posts of the year.

PLUS, it actually had an indirect effect on the neatness of the rest of the bathroom. Have you ever heard people say “like attracts like”?

Well, this year I’ve realized how true that is when it comes to our homes. When the shower glass was at such a horrible point, I subconsciously let the rest of the bathroom stay cluttered most of the time.

It wasn’t a decision I made, but I think I knew it wouldn’t look as good as I wanted, so why bother. Clearly, that isn’t the most sane way to operate the house, but I’ve noticed I do it time and time again and would bet that I’m not the only one.

How I FINALLY got rid of my hard water stains

# 5: DIY Garage Workbench – My favorite part of the garage is the IKEA-hacked workbench and storage area. All of the frequently used tools and supplies live here, and we were able to squeeze in tons of storage without spending tons of money.

Our DIY work bench was put together with IKEA supplies to keep the price low. Using RAST dressers, LINNMON table tops, and KALLAX shelves let us customize the perfect space on a budget. Adding a pegboard creates even more storage without adding much cost.

#6: Master Closet Reveal – Ah, the crown jewel of my year. Since it’s a new project, it was a ways down the most popular posts of the year list, but if I could only have one of the projects on the list, it would be this one.

It was the most challenging thing we’ve ever attempted. But, I can’t imagine anything more rewarding than all the hours of mental and physical labor culminating into my dream vision of a glam closet coming to life.

The “before” had become a space I didn’t even want to enter. Which meant I didn’t want to do laundry, because I’d have to find a place to put things once they were washed. 
You won't believe this master closet before and after - and it's was all DIYed to save money! We started with dysfunction beige on beige, and turned it into organized glam.

#7: Organized Home Gym – Hmm. This space is sadly my LEAST used organizing project on the list. It still looks great and makes me smile when I see it, until the guilt hits that I don’t use it often enough. I’m working on a new morning routine for 2016, and plan to incorporate this corner into my day.

You don't need a ton of space to create a mini-gym at home. It's amazing what you can fit into one corner! Click to see more details.#8: 12 Laundry Room Ideas The next two popular organizing posts came from a hashtag challenge I hosted this fall. Each week, Angela from Blue i Style and I would announce a theme, and anyone on Instagram could share their organizing ideas related to that theme. We ended up with tons of inspiration and shared our favorites each week.

Laundry room organization ideas for spaces large and small.

#9: 12 Bathroom Organization Ideas

Messy bathroom? Check out these 12 creative ideas for bathroom organization.

#10: Cabinet Door Organization – Cabinet doors are such an under-utilized space in most homes.

Once I started using mine to organize, I couldn’t stop. I gathered up 9 of my favorite ideas into one post last year. But I’m not done yet, watch for more ideas for using doors this year. I’ve even got at least one new one planned in our house this month!

Don't overlook the backs of your cabinet doors when you need more storage space. Doors can be used to organize everything from spices to QTips in the kitchen and bathroom. They also make valuable message centers. Click to see all 9 creative ideas!

#11: Top Guest Post: Free Time Blocking Printable – The most important thing for all of us to organize every day is our time. It’s our most precious resource, and I hate feeling like I’m wasting it.  Abby from Just a Girl and Her Blog guest posted here in May and shared a free printable that has been HUGELY popular. I couldn’t do this post without mentioning it!

Time-Blocking-Detail-A-Prudent-Life

Oldies, but Goodies

All the organizing posts below were written before 2015, but continue to be really popular on Pinterest. If you just started reading this year, you might have missed them!

#12: 5 Keys to Under Sink Organizing (Top Post of 2015!) This system had a lot of great features, but we revamped the kitchen sink cabinet again and now it’s even better! 

5 Keys to Great Under Sink Organization

 

#13: 7 Tips for Organizing Your Home

I learned 7 great lessons when organizing my home in 2014. You NEED to know them too!

#14: Lint Bin

This is a great idea if you don't have room for a trash can in the laundry room - make a wall mounted lint bin next to the dryer!

#15: Pantry Organization

Pantry Makeover Reveal

#16: Craft Room Organization

Organized craft room gallery wall

Whew, are you inspired to tackle your problem spots this month?  I’ve got new organizing ideas planned to share later in January and I can’t wait to get started on them!

Make sure you are signed up for the email list so you don’t miss them!

UPDATE: To see the top organizing ideas from 2016, click here! 

Organize your bathroom, desk, pantry, garage and so much more with the top 16 organizing ideas of 2015 from Polished Habitat.

 

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melissa

Melissa George

In 2013, Melissa founded Polished Habitat to share her passion for intersecting style and function to make everyday life more beautiful and less stressful. She does this by sharing easy home organization tips, home decor tutorials, and creative ideas to help readers think outside the box, no matter their budget. Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more. In 2018 & 2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, Polished Habitat was shortlisted for the Amara Blog Awards Best Interior Styling Blog - International. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods says

    02/22/2016 at 12:06 pm

    Oh my goodness ~ what fabulous tips! I love the garage the most. But my laundry room totally needs a makeover!

    Reply
  2. Jody says

    06/05/2018 at 7:34 am

    I love your work. Looking at organized spaces makes me feel calm. The difference with you is that you acknowledge that you are naturally a messy person. Sometimes you see a naturally neat person organize a space for a messy person and while I love a good before and after I find your posts more helpful. Other times people just tell you throw everything away, all you need is a bowl, a spoon and a bottle of apple cider vinegar, you actually have stuff! I love your decorating style, as well. Thank you for sharing part of your life with us!

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      06/05/2018 at 4:09 pm

      Ha! I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about and I’m really glad you find my life more relatable. I know some people thrive being minimalist, but I feel way better when I have a variety of THINGS on hand at the house, but know how to find them! 🙂

      Reply

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Welcome!

In 2013, Melissa started Polished Habitat to share her skill of mixing decor & organization to add style & function to everyday life at home.

Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more.

In 2018 &  2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, she was also short-listed by the Amara Blog Awards for Interior Styling, International Division.

Need to reach Melissa?
Email: Melissa @ PolishedHabitat.com

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