The phrase “get organized with the home edit” has become a cultural phenomenon, transforming the way millions of people think about cleaning, decluttering, and curating their living spaces. Whether you stumbled upon it through the hit Netflix series or discovered it through a friend’s Instagram feed, the home edit method offers a refreshingly structured approach to organizing a home that goes far beyond generic tidying tips. Unlike vague advice like “just throw things away,” this system gives you a repeatable framework you can apply to every room, every closet, and every drawer in your house. If you have been searching for a practical, step-by-step way to transform chaos into calm, you are in the right place.
What Is “The Home Edit” and Why Does It Work?
Developed by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin, the home edit concept blends interior design principles with professional organizing strategies to help people create functional, visually appealing spaces. The method is built on the idea that organization is not just about storage — it is about intentional living. Rather than following a one-size-fits-all checklist, the home edit encourages you to evaluate every item in your home based on how it serves your daily life and aesthetic goals.
The Philosophy Behind the Method
At its core, the home edit philosophy rests on three foundational principles: visibility, accessibility, and intentionality. Unlike the KonMari method, which focuses on sparking joy, the home edit emphasizes creating systems that make it easy to find things, put them back, and maintain order over time. This is why so many people find the approach sustainable — it does not ask you to live minimally; it asks you to live thoughtfully.
The method also accounts for real-life dynamics. Families with children, pet owners, and couples with different organizational styles all need customized solutions. The home edit framework adapts to these realities, which is a major reason it resonates so strongly with a broad audience.
How to Get Started with Your Home Edit
Before you dive into any room, you need a clear game plan. Starting without a strategy is the number one reason people abandon their organizing efforts within days. Here is how to set yourself up for success, whether you are a complete beginner or someone looking to refine your existing systems.
Step 1: Define Your Goal. Ask yourself what you want each room to feel like. Write it down. “I want my kitchen pantry to feel calm and functional” is more actionable than “I want to organize my kitchen.”
Step 2: Gather Your Supplies. You do not need expensive products, but having the right containers, labels, and tools on hand will save you enormous time. More on this below.
Step 3: Start with One Zone. Resist the urge to tackle the entire house at once. The home edit method recommends working in zones — a single drawer, a shelf, or one corner of a closet — to build momentum and avoid burnout.
Step 4: Sort, Curate, and Assign. Pull everything out, group like items together, decide what stays, and assign each category a designated home. This is the heart of the process.
Step 5: Maintain the System. Organization is not a one-time event. Schedule a brief weekly check-in to reset any areas that have drifted.
The Home Edit Method: Sorting, Categorizing, and Curating
The sorting phase is where most people overthink or give up. The home edit approach simplifies this by using a “keep, donate, discard, relocate” framework. Here is a deeper look at how each phase works in practice.
- Keep: Items you use regularly, love, or that serve a clear purpose in your home. Be honest — if you have not used something in over a year and it does not hold deep sentimental value, it probably belongs in the donation pile.
- Donate: Functional items in good condition that no longer align with your lifestyle or space.
- Discard: Broken, expired, or irreparable items. Recycle when possible.
- Relocate: Items that belong in another room. Do not let these distract you — move them to a temporary basket and return them after completing the current zone.
Once you have sorted your keep pile, the next step is curating. This means arranging items so the most frequently used things are the most accessible. The home edit team calls this the “eye-level” rule: place your everyday essentials at eye level, seasonal or occasional items above or below, and rarely used things in harder-to-reach spots.
Essential Tools and Supplies for Organizing
Having the right tools makes a dramatic difference in how smoothly your home edit goes. You do not need to spend a fortune, but investing in a few quality organizing products will pay off in the long run. Below is a comparison of popular options ranked by functionality and affordability.
| Tool | Best For | Budget Range | Durability |
| Clear Acrylic Bins | Closet and pantry visibility | $$ | High |
| Fabric Storage Bins | Under-bed and shelf storage | $ | Medium |
| Label Maker (e.g., Brother) | Consistent labeling across rooms | $ | High |
| Drawer Dividers | Kitchen drawers, bathroom vanity | $ | Medium-High |
| Velvet Hangers | Closet space optimization | $ | High |
| Over-the-Door Organizers | Small spaces, entryways | $ | Medium |
Pro tip from organizing experts: always measure your shelves, drawers, and cabinets before purchasing any storage product. The biggest mistake people make during a home edit is buying containers that do not fit, which creates new clutter instead of solving the old problem.
Room-by-Room Home Edit Strategies
Different rooms require different approaches. Here is a quick breakdown of high-impact strategies for the most commonly edited spaces.
- Kitchen Pantry: Group items by category (canned goods, baking supplies, snacks, breakfast items) and use clear containers so you can see inventory at a glance. The home edit method recommends placing a small label or tape marker at eye level to indicate when supplies are running low.
- Closet: Organize clothing by category first (dresses, tops, pants, outerwear), then by color within each category. This makes outfit planning faster and keeps you from buying duplicates.
- Bathroom Vanity: Use trays to group daily-use products together and store everything else in a cabinet. The rule of thumb is that everything on the counter should be used daily.
- Living Room: Assign a home for every remote, charger, magazine, and blanket. Use baskets or ottomans with storage to keep surfaces clear without hiding things away completely.
Beginner vs. Advanced Editing Approaches
If you are just starting out, begin with the easiest zones in your home — a junk drawer, a bathroom cabinet, or a single closet shelf. Completing a small edit quickly builds confidence and gives you a dopamine hit that fuels momentum. Intermediate organizers should tackle entire closets or pantries, while advanced home editors can take on whole rooms, including furniture arrangement and decor curation as part of the editing process.
Advanced Tips for Maintaining an Organized Home
Getting organized is only half the battle. The real challenge is keeping your home that way long after the initial edit. Here are expert-backed strategies that make maintenance effortless.
- The One-In, One-Out Rule: Every time you bring something new into your home, remove one similar item. This prevents accumulation and keeps your edited spaces from slowly reverting to chaos.
- Daily 10-Minute Resets: Set a timer and spend ten minutes each evening returning items to their designated homes. This tiny habit prevents weekend deep-cleaning marathons.
- Seasonal Audits: Every three months, revisit each edited zone and ask whether it is still serving your current lifestyle. People change, and their organizational systems should evolve with them.
- Family Systems: If you share your home with others, create simple systems that even children can follow — labeled bins at their height, a drop zone by the front door, and clear expectations about where things go.
Common Mistakes to Avoid During Your Home Edit
Even the most motivated organizers fall into predictable traps. Being aware of these mistakes can save you hours of frustration.
- Buying storage before sorting. Always sort first, then buy containers that fit your actual needs, not imagined ones.
- Over-organizing. If your system is so complex that it takes ten steps to put something away, it will not last.
- Ignoring sentimental items. Rather than keeping everything, curate a small collection of meaningful objects and photograph the rest if letting go feels too hard.
- Skipping the labeling step. Labels are not just aesthetic — they are functional. They make it easy for every household member to understand where things belong.
- Comparing your home to social media edits. The home edit aesthetic is aspirational, not prescriptive. Your organized home should look the way you want it to look, not the way a professional organizer styled it for a camera.
Conclusion
Getting organized with the home edit is more than a trend — it is a sustainable framework for creating living spaces that support the way you actually want to live. By combining intentional sorting, smart storage solutions, and consistent maintenance habits, you can transform every corner of your home into a space that feels calm, functional, and uniquely yours. Start small, stay consistent, and remember that a truly organized home is not about perfection. It is about making daily life easier, one edited zone at a time.
FAQ: Long-Tail Questions About Getting Organized with the Home Edit
1. How long does it take to complete a full home edit? The timeline depends on the size of your home and how much decluttering is needed. Most people complete a single room in two to four hours. A full home edit over several weekends is realistic for a standard three-bedroom house.
2. What is the difference between the home edit method and the KonMari method? While KonMari focuses on keeping only items that spark joy, the home edit prioritizes creating functional systems and visual harmony. The home edit also provides a more structured room-by-room approach with specific organizing techniques.
3. Can I do a home edit on a tight budget? Absolutely. The most important investment is your time and effort, not expensive storage products. Use what you already have — shoeboxes, baskets, and jars — before purchasing anything new. The home edit method works with any budget.
4. How do I keep my family on board with the home edit process? Start by editing shared spaces first and showing the visual results. Assign everyone a specific zone they are responsible for, and make the system as simple as possible. When family members see that things are easier to find and the space feels calmer, they become more willing participants.
5. What should I do with items I no longer need after a home edit? Create a donation pile, host a garage sale, or list items on resale apps. For items that are broken or unusable, check your local recycling guidelines. The key is to remove edited-out items from your home within 48 hours to avoid re-cluttering.
6. Is the home edit suitable for small apartments and tiny homes? Yes — in many ways, the home edit method is ideal for small spaces. Because it emphasizes visibility, accessibility, and intentional curation, it helps you maximize every square inch without making your home feel stuffed or overwhelmed.