Dining room – Office from Martha Stewart
Every August I share simple, practical housekeeping routines on The Inspired Room. These posts are popular because many of us face the same everyday challenges. They may not be the prettiest topics, but the behind-the-scenes work is essential for a home to feel beautiful and function well.
August is also when I begin thinking about re-establishing routines and reorganizing spaces. With school and fall schedules approaching, I want the house to feel orderly and welcoming. Fall is my favorite season, so I try to get things in place now so I can relax and enjoy it.
Last year I wrote about the 4 Simple Housekeeping Routines I use to keep my home “clean enough.” Those daily practices are still the foundation of how I maintain our house. If you struggle with keeping things tidy, those simple routines are a great place to start.
Daughter’s original room and closet — being converted into a guest room and a combined game, gift, and wrapping closet
If you follow The Inspired Room on Facebook, you may have seen that my daughter and I have started a major reorganization of the second floor, which includes bedrooms, the laundry room, and linen closets. This will be a top-to-bottom overhaul to better suit our current needs.
The plan includes creating a new office space for me once the upstairs work is complete. I introduced this idea in a previous post about rethinking how you use your space. It might take time, but the goal is to make the house work better for our family.
STEP ONE TO HOME ORGANIZATION::
ASSESS YOUR NEEDS
The first step to getting organized is to assess the needs and issues you currently face.
Look closely at how you use your home, what works, and what doesn’t. That clarity helps you prioritize what to tackle and why. Homes evolve as families change, so plan solutions that meet your needs now while allowing for future adjustments.
Re-purposing rooms to suit your current lifestyle is often part of the process. Right now I’m reworking the upstairs bedrooms and closets. This is more than decluttering; it’s a full reorganization. Two rooms will get new purposes and four closets will be repurposed and reorganized to better serve our household.
Daughter’s current room, soon to be a guest room, as we begin clearing it out
In our house, the need for an overhaul comes from three main factors.
1. You often learn what works only after living in a space for a while. When we moved in, we made best guesses about where things should go. Over time we’ve discovered better ways to use closets and rooms to maximize function.
2. Life changes create new organization needs.
Since we moved in, our household routine has shifted in several ways.
Our middle daughter has spent time at college and returns for parts of the year, so her room needs to adapt to that. My parents and my older daughter and son-in-law visit more often, so a dedicated guest room is important. Our son needs less indoor play space now, my husband prefers working from a coffee shop, and I want a home office as my command center. These changes open new possibilities for how we use our rooms.
3. This past year has been exceptionally busy for our family. When life is hectic, projects get postponed because there’s only so much you can do at once. We’re ready to settle in and reduce the chaos.
We are ready to get settled here—no more chaos, or at least a lot less.
Oh my. Somewhere in this mess is the room my daughter is moving to. Heaven help us.
What changes do you need to make to your home to be ready for fall?
If you want more inspiration for routines and homemaking, I recommend exploring simple step-by-step systems to build daily habits. Small, consistent actions can make a big difference in creating an organized, well-managed home.