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It's hard to find a home that fits all your stuff in the exact way that is convenient and memorable for you. Sure, you could upgrade your home with custom cabinetry and storage furniture, but who among us has the budget for extensive home renovations in every space? Until the day you hit the lottery, you need to be more strategic with how and where you store your items. Luckily, organization police don't exist, so there is no one to tell you there is only one way to use your walls, shelves, and organizing products. So don't be afraid to think outside the box.

To help get your mind rolling, let me explain a few tricks that helped me organize many spaces.

Using hooks in unexpected places

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Is anyone here a fan of Schitt's Creek? You may have noticed that Moira stored her wigs on hooks on the wall. What an easy way to view what you have available?! Downsizing from a mansion to a motel room was quite the challenge, so the Roses had to get creative in how they used their space.

In my previous home, I had a tiny closet under the stairs. The "ceiling" of the closet was more of a slanted wall. I installed hooks on the slanted surface to store a dressmaker's curve, yardstick, and parasol across sets of two hangers. These items were too long to store anywhere. They would have had to lean against a corner or lay across other containers otherwise. The slanted wall, instead, became a valuable area to keep these awkward-to-store items off the floor and in plain view for when I needed them.   

Categorize clothing by use instead of type

In a "why didn't I think of this sooner" moment that I recently had when unpacking my clothing, instead of sorting items such as t-shirts, bottoms, undergarments, etc., I sort items for their use. For example, uses could include work, lounge, and fitness clothes. Think of it as a one-stop shop for your specific wardrobe needs. 

You may already use the "sort by use" method in the bathroom, such as bath items grouped together and toilet cleaning products grouped and stored in another area of the bathroom. I've even enjoyed organizing special coffee or baking stations for some of my clients. 

Tension rods are for more than just curtains

Tension rods have been a tried and true method for hanging shower and window curtains. However, they can be valuable tools anywhere you have two parallel surfaces. You can use tension rods in drawers as dividers. You can place them under kitchen and bathroom sink cabinets to hang spray bottles. Using two or three close enough to each other will make an instant shelf! They are also handy for holding anything on a roll, whether paper towels or ribbon. If you only have a single wall, you can also attach a couple of hooks to hold the tension rods, either to hang wash clothes and towels on or to add S-hooks for hanging purses and accessories.

With a bit of ingenuity, you can create custom organizing solutions by creatively thinking about your items and space. The usual solutions for organizing may not work for a variety of reasons. As we've explored unconventional methods, it's evident that a fresh perspective can unlock hidden potential in your living spaces. So, don't hesitate to break free from conventional norms and tailor your organization techniques to suit your needs.