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megram - magazine - Index

Making SPACE
HOW TO ORGANIZE A ROOM IN FIVE SIMPLE STEPS
BY HEATHER CAMERON
Maybe it’s that pile of papers sitting on the dining room table or the jumble of stuff
sitting on the kitchen counter or the closet that is jam-packed with clothes. Most people
have an area of their home that is asking for a little more organization, but where
to start? How about by making some SPACE?
SPACE is the acronym for an organizational approach coined by organizing guru
Julie Morgenstern. It stands for Sort, Purge, Assign a home, Containerize and
Equalize. As a professional organizer, I use the SPACE approach with each and every
one of my clients because it is simple, straightforward and successful.
STEP 1: SORT
The first step in organizing a space is to sort “like” with “like.” That means
pulling everything out of your closet, desk or room and sorting them into piles. This
will allow you to get a clear idea of what you have and how much. I often work with
clients who are shocked at just how much of one thing or another they have because
they have never seen it all out and sorted. As you sort, you will find it is a great time
to go ahead and start weeding out the items you obviously no longer want or need.
Remember to label each pile with a piece of paper or sticky note so you can be sure
that you keep putting similar items together. The categories for sorting should also
include donate, sell and trash.
Due West/Due East Magazine • Fall 2008 Ottawa Page 18