The home edit

Mark Stoller moved to Falcon in 2007.†He and his wife, Andra, both U.S. Air Force veterans, enjoy life with their daughters, extended family and adopted rescue dogs in Latigo. Mark savors the privilege of his wife and daughters being his muse for topics, people to meet and places to investigate.

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I was recently informed interior house painting is a periodic, repeating, unescapable activity.Andra announced we have looked at the same ëneutral, let them visualize their life here, house sellingí paint color on the walls for too long.After much aesthetics deliberation and more than 15 paint sample containers purchased from Home Depot, we selected our colors and the ìfunî is about to begin.I have learned you have to make a mess in order to clean ó we have managed that ten-fold!With the contents of shelves, cupboards, closets and drawers scattered all around, I am reminded of the Netflix show, ìGet Organized with The Home Edit.î Itís a reality show that demonstrates how to organize any and every space.The co-stars are Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin who demonstrate organization, form, and function in a repeatable process we all can accomplish in our homes.One clarification they make is how organization compliments, yet is different, from minimalism.A lifestyle design, minimalism is the choice to live intentionally with less. Organization is about efficient and orderly arrangement of what you own ó treat your possessions and space with equal respect.80/20 is the Golden Rule. Keep your home no more than 80% full and reserve the remaining 20% for breathing room.They promise organization will benefit you as a:

1. time saver ó everything has its easy to find place
2. money-saver ó know exactly how much you have so as not to over-buy
3. sanity-saver ó everyone, not just mom, will know where to find stuff
4. closure ó considering emotional ties to our possessions, either store them properly or let it go for others to treasure
5. calming ó feel grounded when clutter is reduced via an organized system

The Home Edit team lives by the four actionable steps of their organizing process: edit, categorize, contain and maintain.EDIT: take absolutely everything out of the space to be organized. It is recommended you start small with a kitchen drawer or nightstand drawer for good practice and a quick victory.CATEGORIZE: gather the stuff you removed from your space and create groupings of same/similar items to see what you have.This is the pare-down portion that complements both minimalism and the Kon Marie system of, ìDoes it spark joy?î Touch every object to determine if it will be used, donated, trashed or stored nicely.The standard questions to ask yourself for determining whether stuff stays or goes: Do I need it? Do I ever use it? Do I ever want to use it? Do I like it? Is it sentimental?CONTAIN: your possessions will need to fit in to a system of containers. Measure your space and purchase bins/storage boxes in various sizes to determine the best fit in your allotted space.Aim for consistency in the look and size of your bins/boxes. Honestly, Amazon delivered multitudes of packages to me for this one!Since my bins all look alike, the label on the front of each is incredibly essential.You may have to fold your clothes differently to fit the bins. I studied the Kon Marie clothes folding system and applied it with great success.The Home Edit ladies signature look is organizing anything with color by the Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet (ROYGBIV) color system.MAINTAIN: lastly, schedule time to revisit and re-edit your spaces.The Home Edit ladies have multiple books, a Netflix series and can be found on YouTube.Fresh paint and a solid organization system ó I think I am good for another five years!