If there is one thing that I learned last year with my 31 Days to a Decluttered Home series, it’s that we all love a good decluttering story.
If you’re struggling to get started, I find that looking at pictures of other people’s success can be really motivating. When I’m working on losing weight, I actually Google Before & After pictures with my starting weight. When I’m decluttering and reorganizing my home , I love to see pictures of others who have had great success. It inspires me and gives me ideas about how to set up my own spaces.
So for those of you committing to rid your home of clutter in 2016, I have some seriously inspirational pictures to help you stay focused on your goal.
10 Most Inspiring Decluttering Stories
#10. Small Pantry Declutter & Organization — Yup, been there, done that with our pantry. In fact, I’m sure most of us have had a “before” pantry like this at one point in our lives! These Pretty Providence gals did an amazing job decluttering and reorganizing their very tiny pantry. And they accomplished their amazing “after” with containers and organizers that we can all find at Target. Love that!
#9. Pantry Declutter with a Labeler — Whoa. The before. I’m fairly certain this The Kitchn blogger couldn’t find anything she needed on those roll-out shelves. In fact, she says that she uncovered three half-used bags of Polenta Grits (random!). That has definitely happened to me before, though, with oatmeal. Her after with all those labels is just perfect.
#8. Master Bedroom Declutter – Gosh, I can so relate to these before pictures. The laundry piled everywhere. The side table overflowing with books, papers and cords. It’s the exact opposite of the calming oasis that a master bedroom is supposed to be! But check out My Love for Words’ after pictures. Gorg!
#7. Junk Drawer Overhaul — Oh dear. Does anyone else have a junk drawer that looks like this? (All I could think: Well, at least it was all in a drawer, not out in the open on a shelf!) The Kitchn blogger’s after are practically zen. And a huge fan of all that pretty organization from stuff she already had at home!
#6. Realistic Linen Closet Organization — This is definitely another “hot spot” in my home; how about you? I just love what these Organizing Moms accomplished with their linen closet by keeping it realistic (and doable for the rest of us, too).
#5. Playroom Transformation — I’m not sure if this before picture is a Playroom or a Disaster Zone? But click the arrow to see the after and you won’t believe the transformation. What an inviting space for creative play. Even I want to pull up a chair at that little round table and do some coloring!
#4. The KonMari Method on a Closet — Without a proper closet/wardrobe, this AsianCajun blogger really had to get creative. I love that her after shots make the “wardrobe” fit in perfectly in the corner of her bedroom. And I especially appreciated reading about all the items she got rid of. She did a great job decluttering anything that “doesn’t spark joy” (that’s the #1 rule in Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up).
#3. Living Locurto — When your bathroom is short on space — and you have a lot to store — you have to get creative. Living Locurto did a great job of paring down and making it pretty. The only thing I’d have done differently is declutter more of that nail polish – although I’m not a “beauty products junkie”, so I suppose that’s easy for me to say that.
#2. Massive Garage Declutter & Organization — Ah, the garage. Even when the rest of your house is in pretty good shape, the garage (and basement) seem to hide all means of mess! Place of My Taste definitely struggled with an overwhelmed garage — but her afters are one of the happiest, most organized spaces I’ve seen.
#1. Family Closet Declutter & Organization — This family merged all their closets into one giant walk-in and call it the “family closet”. I’ve actually seen this idea before on Pinterest, and while it appealed to me (since we always have the kids laundry in our room anyway), I never wanted to implement it — for fear that it would end up like this before. But as soon as you click over to see This Handmade Home’s “after”, you will see why this project landed the #1 spot in my countdown. It looks soooo good. I want to go curl up in that closet! Amazing!
Which are your favorites of these declutters? Which one is most inspiring for you??!!
And before you go, here are a few quick peaks at some of my favorite before’s & afters from my own 2015 Decluttering Spree.
Thanks so much for sharing! Love that these have practical, affordable organization solutions!
Me, too!