Announcing Our New Site: The Organized Home

For more than a year, we’ve been working behind the scenes on our new book, Remodelista: The Organized Home (out next Tuesday, November 14, and available for preorder now), compiling our favorite organizing lessons learned over the past decade. The more we delved into the subject, the more we realized how central organization is to the well-considered home. So we’re thrilled to announce that today we’re launching a new website, The Organized Home, offering daily dispatches on smart, thoughtful storage ideas for all over the house.

We’ll be offering storage ideas broken down by room, from the kitchen to the utility room; highlighting our favorite organizing essentials (and where to buy them); rounding up the best storage accessories in our 10 Easy Pieces column; and tackling the challenges of small-space living. Want to learn more? Start with our Manifesto, below, a primer on better living through organization, then head to The Organized Home for more.

The Organized Home Manifesto

1. Buy fewer (and better) things. Resist impulse and stopgap purchases. Instead, zero in on quality.

2. Donate the stuff you don’t use. That includes unwanted gifts. Let someone else put your castoffs to good use.

3. Shop your own house. A surprising array of storage challenges can be solved with a well-made basket, tray, or hook—chances are, you already own many of the supplies that you need.

4. Steal ideas from organizational masters. Experts, such as hoteliers and shopkeepers, know how to come up with novel, affordable approaches to storage.

5. Ditch the plastic. Seek out products made of sustainable natural materials, such as wood, glass, canvas, and ceramic. They’re better for the planet, and you won’t have to stash them out of sight.

6. Know what you’ve got. Ample storage is not necessarily a good thing. We’ve been conditioned to think that huge closets are desirable, but the truth is, they can encourage you to avoid pruning your belongings (and to lose track of what you have).

7. Establish habits and routines that simplify your life. Always keep your keys and eyeglasses in designated spots.

8. Relax and make yourself at home. Too much enforced order is uninviting for occupants and guests alike; rooms are for living.

Head to The Organized Home for more.