In a whirlwind of spring cleaning, you decide to tackle that disorganized closet that’s driving you crazy.
You throw away weird random stuff. The shelves get a good swipe-down. Everything gets put back in a logical way.
And when you’re done, you back up. Maybe you snap a picture. And while you’re satisfied with how much easier it is to find your stuff, perhaps you think, Huh. That doesn’t look like the organized closets on the Internet.
Join the club, my friend.
Confession time
So I’m a pretty organized person. If you asked where the spare car keys are or where to find extra lightbulbs, I could direct you to the correct spot. Our closets don’t resemble black holes. Some of the drawers are even labeled.
But there is not any closet or cupboard in our home that is worthy of appearing in a magazine or going viral on Instagram.
And that’s super duper fine. Because beautiful photos are not the point of organization.
(What is? Keep reading, and I’ll tell you.)
But before that, I’d like to let you in on a top-secret tour today. Let’s call this home organizing: expectations vs. reality.
The expectation photos are gorgeous photos from home and organization bloggers. And the reality photos are from our very own home. The spaces in my photos are exactly as they appear in real life – I didn’t take anything out or rearrange anything. (If you’re ever tempted to peek inside people’s medicine cabinets, today is your lucky day.)
realistic Home Organization: Expectation vs. Reality
Linen closet: Expectation
Look at those matching baskets! The shelf space for cute signs and plants! And the basket and entire shelf that are completely empty!
Linen closet: Reality
First of all, our linen closet is in a hallway so tiny that I can’t back up far enough to get a full-length picture of it. It also doesn’t really have any “linens” – instead, it’s the catch-all place for all cleaning products, laundry and clothes care, bags (reusable, plastic, or otherwise), and backup disposable paper items. We have no room for cute, alas.
Pantry: Expectation
The matching labeled baskets (that don’t have random stuff that didn’t fit piled on top)? The decanted marshmallows? The matching turntables? Sigh.
Pantry: Reality
Again, small space and inadequate camera problems. (I love you all, but I can’t figure out how to take the pantry doors off their hinges for better photos. Apologies.) Our shelves are sorted by type of item – oils, sweeteners, and that sort of thing go on the turntable (next to the empty bottle of Scotch my husband doesn’t want to part with). Then there’s a shelf for baking, breakfast and breads, snacks, and dinner/everything else.
Fridge: Expectations
Look at that extra shelf space! The color-coordinated fruits and veggies!
Fridge: Reality
Tell me we aren’t the only ones with a million and one sauces? And so many beverages?
Office: Expectation
Doesn’t this whole set-up make you feel so zen? Especially those perfectly sized and labeled little drawers?
Office: Reality
Not only does our office hold a filing cabinet and extra office supplies, we also have enough craft supplies for a small army of collage makers, all spare electronics and household tools, seasonal decorations, and more spare gift bags than I’ll ever use. And getting this Tetris of a situation set up was A LOT of work.
So what’s your point about realistic home organization?
Real talk? The expectation spaces above are absolutely beautiful. They’re pleasing to look at, they are styled to perfection, and they are aesthetically lovely. Zero shade on anyone who lives in a space like that.
But comparing these photos to our own everyday, lived-in house is like comparing our daily uniform of jeans and tees to Beyonce after she’s had full makeup and hair and styling.
When we see photos of beautiful people on the Internet, we’re (mostly) aware of how filters and good lighting and expertly applied concealer influence the shot. We (mostly) know we shouldn’t play the comparison game. (Whether we do or not is a different story.)
But think that these conversations are often missing when we talk about our homes.
You see, I believe the point of organization is that it makes your life easier.
When you can find your stuff quickly and easily, without having to dig through or knock over a bunch of other junk, you save time and annoyance. You can spend those precious minutes doing other things that matter to you. *That’s* the point of organization.
But in the age of Pinterest and Instagram, our expectations get wacky.
We start to believe that to be actually organized, we should have a battalion of clear acrylic containers at our disposal, that our pasta and rice should be decanted into matching airtight jars, that our junk drawers should contain nary a piece of junk. After all, that’s what we see in these organizational accounts.
But if you look behind the scenes of these lovely styled shots, right outside the frame, there’s likely a pile of styling stuff, and the keys that no one wants to see on the counter, and a mess of lights and cords, and the random roll of paper towels that didn’t fit in the nice orderly organization system.
These photos can still serve as inspiration, of course.
But photos from the Internet should not be our standard for happiness.
There are SO MANY reasons why. Here’s a few:
We actually live in our homes.
Sometimes there’s more toilet paper than can fit in nice stacked rows under the bathroom cabinet. Or we have to squeeze a 9×13 pan into an already full fridge. Or we forget that we have a full bag of rice and buy more.
These things happen. They’re normal. Our houses are meant to be lived in and to flex with our needs.
Our husbands, roommates, or children may not care as much about organization as we do.
I can only speak to my husband here. And Adam is not brutally messy, by any means. But he also is not going to go out of his way to make sure that all of the objects on his nightstand are arranged at aesthetically pleasing right angles. And for the health of our marriage, I draw the line at dictating what his nightstand looks like.
We may not be millionaires.
Again, speaking to our own situation here, we’re very grateful that both of us are employed, especially in these times.
But we’re nowhere near wealthy enough for me to drop almost $300 on a small pantry organization starter kit. Those matching acrylic organizers are expensive. And while I’d love to outfit every closet as if my blog was sponsored by The Container Store (a girl can dream), we truly cannot afford it.
Plus, as I will continue to shout from the rooftops: HAVING MATCHING ACRYLIC CONTAINERS IS NOT A REQUIREMENT TO BE ORGANIZED. I can get by with the cheap y-weave bins from Target just fine.
Related: 9 Quick Tips to Get Organized on a Budget
We may not have a ton of space.
Adam and I live in a pretty average 2-bedroom apartment. We don’t have a big pantry, or multiple walk-in closets, or a basement, or a garage. Heck, we don’t even have a storage closet down the hall. All of our stuff has to be contained within 5 medium-to-small closets. So as much as I would like to, I can’t afford to leave our linen closet shelves 20% empty, because then there will be nowhere to put the paper towels or the humidifier or the reusable bags.
So if photos lie, how do we know if we’re organized enough?
I mean, you probably know this answer already. I bet you don’t need someone on the Internet to tell you.
But if you’d like something more concrete and helpful than that, go back to the point of organization. Remember, realistic home organization is all about making your life easier and save you time in the long run. With that in mind, here are some questions you can consider:
- Do all (or very nearly all) of your possessions have a designated home so you can find what you’re looking for most of the time?
- Do most of your spaces work the way you want them to? Or are there areas that constantly bother you? Piles that topple? Excessive amounts of visual clutter? A drawer where you can never find what you need?
- Do you (mostly) have like items grouped with like?
- Do you use and like the vast majority of your belongings?
If yes? Then you’re FINE. (Even if your closets aren’t photo-worthy.)
If no? Then some reorganization might be handy, if it matters to you and that’s how you want to spend your time.
(And it just so happens that I’ve got some organizing posts coming up, with a special focus on small spaces. If you want to make sure you’re in the know, get on my email list so you don’t miss it! Just enter your info below)
Any home confessions of your own? Tell me everything in the comments below!
P.S. You might also want to check out my favorite budget-friendly organizing products or tips to get organized on a budget.
You are entirely your grandma’s grandkid! Can organizational desires and abilities skip an entire generation? I love that you are a very practical and organized person! Hats off to you (and to Grandma!).
I mean, you did reorganize the Closet from Hell, so I don’t think it completely skipped a generation… 🙂