How to Organize Like the Home Edit

If you haven't heard of the Home Edit, you've probably at least seen their products around.  Joanna and Clea are super active Instagram (it's gorgeous, by the way!).  They've organized for celebrities, and they even have an organizing show on Netflix.  Their style definitely has a signature look, and sometimes it isn't the most practical.  But if you're in love with that gorgeous, clean aesthetic, I can show you how to get it in your own home!  Keep reading, or check out the video here to see how!

Before we get into it, I want to say that even though the Home Edit style is beautiful, there is no rule saying you need to organize this way or that if it doesn't look like this, you aren't organized.  I've always said that only two things are required to be organized:

1. Every item has a home, and everyone living in your home knows where it belongs.
2. It has to make you smile.

That's it.  You can organize things cheaply or for free.  It can look any way you want.  Or if you don't care how it looks, it's still organized if you know where everything is and can easily find it.  If you're happy with your system, and it's functional, then you're organized!

I personally LOVE color coding and making things look beautiful.  Because it's something I love, I'm willing to spend the extra time and effort to make it look the way I want.  However, even I have spaces that don't really look that great.  Some of my areas are organized more like the Home Edit, and some areas aren't because it's just not super practical for me, and that's okay!

That said, here are a few things to remember if you're trying to make your space look more like the Home Edit Style:

1.  Remember that it's half organization, half decor.

If you're organizing like the Home Edit, you aren't just making things functional.  Half your job is to also make it beautiful.  Your system will be elevated in style and color.  You have to think not only about how you'll use the system but also about how pleasing it is to the eye.

2.  Use matching containers.

ALL their containers match in a space.  They use clear acrylic containers most often.  They also use the items themselves as “decor” and organize by color, which you can see through the clear acrylic bins.

3.  Purchase products just for their looks.

This is especially obvious in pantry organization.  Remember that the photos on Instagram or in magazines usually are not actual spaces being used by real families.  People go to the store and buy products just for the color and style of their packaging.  The chips are purchased for color and size.  The macaroni boxes are all exactly the same.

This isn't very practical for most people.  I shop at different stores, and I'll buy different brands of mac and cheese or crackers, and the boxes aren't always the same, and I literally never pay attention to the color of the packaging.  I care about the food inside because I'm actually going to eat it, LOL!

So, it's really hard to maintain this look if you're actually living and using products daily.

4.  The bins are all pretty full.

There's a sweet spot for fullness in bins.  You don't want it overflowing, but you also don't want it almost empty.  They look best when they're exactly “full.”  Yet this is really hard to achieve when you're living in a space and using the products.  You're never going to quite have the perfect amount of toothpaste or deodorant, and if you do, it will change in a few weeks when you need a new tube.

Keep in mind also that these photos are all staged for Instagram or wherever you see them.  In real life it might look almost as good, but it will never be quite as perfect as you see in the photo if your “stock” rotates in and out.

5.  They organize in rainbow order.

I actually love this method.  It's easy to do, and I especially like using it in kids' rooms.  It helps kids learn their colors, and most of the time we remember the color of the book cover, for example, so it's also easy to find items.

6.  Decant your items.

Almost everything in the Home Edit is decanted.  Crackers are put into bins, candy is poured into a container, etc.  Is it worth it to do this?  It does add quite a bit of extra work in a pantry.

However, sometimes it really makes sense to decant.  Sometimes it can keep crackers fresher if they're dumped into an airtight container.  If you have the same snack always on hand, it also make sense.  If goldfish are something you always have, then a container makes perfect sense.  But if a food isn't a staple or comes and goes in your house, then it probably doesn't need its own dedicated container.

I do decant some items in my pantry, and I keep others in their packages, so there's definitely a mix in my own pantry.

7.  Discard exterior packaging.

The Home Edit throws out almost all the extra packaging.  If they buy toothpaste or deodorant, the boxes go, and they put the products in bins.  What this really does is give uniformity to a space.  Not everything looks the same, but the bins the products are in DO look the same.  Basically the goal is extreme uniformity!

What are your thoughts on the Home Edit?  Do you love it, or is it a bit over-the-top for you and not really worth the effort?  I love geeking out on this type of aesthetic organization in some of my spaces, but I just don't find it practical to do it everywhere.  It certainly is beautiful, though!  I have to admit– I'm kinda addicted to their Instagram feed, LOL!

Organization that actually sticks for busy, happy lives