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Everyone has junk they need to get rid of. Whether you can’t part with stacks of expired coupons or give your closet the purge it deserves, extra things tend to accumulate in our homes as time goes on. Despite the attachment we can form to inanimate objects piling up in our places, saying goodbye to the things that no longer serve us isn’t all about aesthetics; it’s actually good for our health. 

“As professional organizers, we know the impact clutter and disorganization have on your physical and mental well-being,” says Pam Gilbert & Angie Smith, sisters and co-owners of Tidy Matters, the Alberta-based professional organization and home staging firm. “We approach every project as an opportunity to challenge ourselves to find new, creative solutions that bring form, function and style to our client’s homes and help them live a more simplified and stress-free life.”

Tidy Matters are featured presenters at the upcoming Edmonton Home and Garden Show running March 21–24 at the Edmonton Expo Centre. As part of their show feature, the sister duo is sharing their no-nonsense approach to home organization and decluttering. 

Ahead of the show, we asked the women behind Tidy Matters to give their top tips for achieving organizational success.    

101 of Home Organization with Tidy Matters 

What should someone consider before jumping into a home organization project?

 Some key things to consider before jumping into any organizational project are:

1. What is your overall goal for the space? Are you aiming to improve the functionality of the space, or are you wanting to completely change the aesthetic appeal as well?

2. The Commitment: organizing often takes much longer than people think. Are you able to commit the time and effort to complete the project?

3. Will you need support during your organizing journey? As you work through decluttering and organizing your items, it can become emotionally & physically overwhelming.  Assess if you may need support from a friend or professional prior to starting.

What are your top tips and tools for getting organized?

Our top tips for getting organized are:

1. Focus on one space at a time. Prioritize the spaces that cause you the most stress or the spaces that are most easily seen by others. By focusing on only one space, organizing becomes less daunting. Each time you complete a space, celebrate your success and keep going.

2. Schedule time to organize. Block off time in your schedule to work on your organizing projects. By planning ahead, you can eliminate distractions and avoid becoming overwhelmed.

3. Declutter first. Removing clutter will create space for the things you use and value. By keeping only the items you need, you'll spend less time and effort organizing and maintaining your space.

 

 

How can a person avoid feeling stuck or overwhelmed once they start to declutter and organize their space?

 

To avoid becoming stuck and overwhelmed, be sure to categorize your items prior to decluttering. Breaking big projects down into smaller categories will make the decision-making process easier and more manageable.

What is your favourite low-stress, high-reward organizational hack for newbies? 

Start small. Begin with a drawer or a small cabinet. These can often be completed in a very short time frame, and once you feel the reward, you will be motivated to keep going.

For someone who is more ambitious, what is a big project that has an equally mega payoff when it comes to creating a less cluttered and more organized home?

Garages are one of the larger projects in a home. Garages tend to gather random and unwanted items from inside and outside the home, making locating the items you need difficult. They are often used as additional storage space, and they hold items of all sizes. Decluttering garages and reclaiming the larger space can be exceptionally satisfying and rewarding, especially when you can park your car in them again! 

Are there any home organization trends right now that you love? 

We love space-saving solutions. With the current economy, more people are trying to make their current homes work, and many are even downsizing to smaller homes. It's important to remember that most of the time, you don't need more space; you need less stuff. Pare down what you own and maximize the storage space within your home. Look for space-saving solutions such as over-the-door racks, under-the-bed storage and wall shelving.

 

 

For more information on how you can tackle your spring cleaning and improve the look and feel of your home, be sure to catch Tidy Matters and hundreds of other design, renovation and gardening professionals at the 2024 Edmonton Home and Garden Show March 21–24. Tickets are available now online.

 

Catch Pam & Angie, live on stage, "Tidy Transformation: Making Space for a Better You", March 21 at 4pm and March 24 at 3pm.