5 Spots in Your Home That Don’t Need to Look Perfect
There are many places in your home where tidiness counts. A neatly folded throw blanket on your sofa always looks better than one that’s forever crumpled in a heap. A well-organized entryway always looks better than one overrun with shoes, mail and Amazon packages. But there are some spots that I don’t fuss over, and I don’t think you should either. In fact, if you do fuss over them, I’m giving you permission to fuss less. Here’s where you can loosen the slack:
1. The Intimates Drawer. Let me go ahead and say that a drawer of neatly folded socks, bras and undies is a pipe dream. If folding your thongs into crisp little origami cranes elicits a thrill of joy, you do you. But I think it’s far easier to toss your balled-up socks and rolled-up undies into their own drawer organizers, and call it a day.
2. The Coat Closet. Your front hall closet doesn’t need to look Architectural Digest-worthy. What’s most important is that you have space to spare. Give your closet rod a few spare inches and a few spare hangers for incoming guests. If you’ve got a coat lurking in your closet that you haven’t worn in years, consider donating it, selling it, or giving it to a friend. Space is better than an overstuffed coat closet.
3. The Laundry Closet. If decanting laundry pods and detergent excites you, then decant away. I personally don’t get joy in containerizing and beautifying this most utilitarian area of the home. Again, just like the coat closet, it’s more important to have space to spare. No need to stuff your shelves with backups for your backups for your backups. One extra bottle of detergent is good and plenty.
4. The Freezer. Forget the acrylic bins and the containers. So long as you can see all your frozen food at a glance, you’re golden (or frozen!). If you have a pull-out freezer drawer like I do, simply line up items side by side (like a Marie Kondo-style file fold). If you have a larger freezer, line items up as you would books on a bookshelf. Then create zones for your different food groups. Voila. Easy. No freezer fuss.
5. Your Partner’s Closet. If you’re a clothing closet perfectionist like I am, you might have a spontaneous yet overwhelming desire to organize your partner’s stuff. Especially if they aren’t quite as tidy as you are, this might bug you. My advice: simply walk away from the closet and let it be.