Keeping your home functional
It can be really difficult to keep on top of our homes in the busy day-to-day lives that we lead. We are already on top of so much: meal planning, finances, job duties, kid activities, social outings, date nights and the list really could go on.
And unless you are living alone, you have other people living in the same house leaving messes in the midst of their busy lives. The overwhelm is real! I have found that something that works for me is giving each room in the house a function or purpose. Then each item or category that aligns with that function/room is easier to keep tidy.
I will take you through our home and give some practical examples of this idea, and maybe you can give it a go in your own space.
Upstairs
The upper floor in our home is mainly bedrooms and bathrooms. These are places for rest and relaxation.
Home Office/Hobby Room: If you have a room like this in your home you may have printers, paper, laptops, desktops, filing cabinets, pens, book shelves etc. Keep books related to your work or craft on these shelves. Obviously any important documents can be labeled and stored in your filing system. This is also where I would store a binder with furniture and appliance manuals. If you find a USB drive, charger, bills etc. lying around in your kitchen, run it to your office.
Bedrooms: These spaces are for relaxation and sleep. In our room we have blankets, books, and of course our clothing goes into our closet. In our Nursery we’ve decided that soft toys like stuffed animals and lovies as well as some books are stored. Nothing too noisy or loud, again for us bedrooms are sanctuaries. I also have my vanity setup in our bedroom but it is on my way to the bathroom which is where we’ll head next.
Bathrooms: Makeup, soap, towels, floss, toothpaste, bath toys, face masques, bath bombs… the bathroom is probably one of the easiest rooms to keep tidy especially for it being the dirtiest places in the home! This is also where you have an option to store first aid and medicine/vitamins. Bathrooms or bathroom closets are a great spot for toilet and bathroom cleaners as well.
Main Floor
On the main floor I have labeled the function of main living. This is where we spend time with guests, family and together making meals, playing games and watching tv.
Formal Dining: Not everyone has one, but if you do this is where getting into the “functional” mindset is helpful: In out formal dining space we have our bar/bar-cart, China cabinet with dishes, silverware, napkins and I also store my extra candles in this space as well. I like to view it’s function as “hosting a crowd”
Kitchen/Dining: Our regular dining area also hosts place mats and napkins. And our kitchen is full of regular kitchen items: appliances, every day dishes, food etc. We also store some vitamin/medicine and first aid in a cupboard here too.
Living Room: Our main living space is what we call the Library. It’s function is calming activities. Reading, puzzles and board games and a TV.
Laundry: This room hosts majority of our household cleaners and devices, as well as any cleaning/toiletries backstock (paper towel, tissues, toilet paper). The laundry room is also where I store and table cloths and flower vases.
Entryways/Closets: On the main floor we have two points of entry and I love having a place for shoes and bags to land. I have a small shoe rack by the front door, wall hooks for coats or they can go inside the closet, I have a hall tree by the garage door to hang jackets and bags with spots for shoes on the bottom and a basket for gloves, scarves and hats in the winter.
Basement
I have labeled our basement as the fun level of the home. We have a playroom with all sorts of toys, musical instruments and a home theater system. This level also has a guest room and bath.
Theater: We have a candy cart, mini fridge and popcorn machine with a large sectional to have a movie night with friends or as a weekly family tradition. This is where we have our video games and other main media as well.
Playroom: Musical instruments, blocks, play food, cars, trains etc. this is where kids are free to make a mess but have it clean by end of week. It’s truly the kid’s domain and when the whole family needs to make it to the theater for family movie night once a week is when it needs to be cleaned in it’s entirety.
