9 Essential Systems to Keep Your Home Organized and Functional

Ever feel like your home is in a constant state of chaos? The key to keeping your home organized and functional is creating systems that work for you and your family. Here are nine essential organization systems that will transform your home and make daily life easier.

9 essential home organization systems to simplify your space and keep it functional

1. A Functional Entryway or Drop Zone

two different entryways with coat hangers and shoe rack

Just think of what you have to put away when you enter your house: jacket, hat, scarf, gloves, shoes, purse, backpack, keys, wallet, random papers and mail, sunglasses, reusable shopping bags… That’s a lot!

And if you don’t have a system to organize it all, your house can get messy pretty fast!

So setting up an entryway / mudroom / drop zone, whatever you want to call it, is essential and should include:

Hooks or a coat rack for jackets and bags
A shoe rack or bin for shoes
A small bowl or tray for keys, wallets, and sunglasses
A basket for accessories like hats, scarfs, gloves…
A basket or wall organizer for incoming mail and papers
A designated spot for things that need to leave the house, like packages to return or borrowed items to give back

If you have kids, create a dedicated drop zone for them so they can participate in keeping things tidy.

2. A Home for Everything—Even Things Without a Home

decorative wicker basket with handle on side table

When an item doesn’t have a designated spot, it ends up on the kitchen counter, dining table, or another random place. This is what creates visual clutter!

Make it a habit to assign a “home” to everything in your house. And for those tricky, temporary items? Use a “home of the homeless” bin—a pretty basket or container that holds items you’re unsure about. The key is to go through it regularly and decide what stays, what gets tossed, and what needs a more permanent spot.

I personally have 4 baskets in my living room and kitchen to catch anything that I don’t really know where to put. There is a general theme for each:

one for things that need to be brought back to the bedrooms (usually full of kids clothes!)
one for random toys and other things my kids bring in the kitchen
one for medicines or more “seasonal” stuff that need to be easy to grab
and one for random objects that enter our house that I don’t know where to put

They give me the flexibility to not have to tidy-up everything perfectly. And since I did that it made a HUGE difference in the amount of time I spend picking up the house.

3- A Decluttering Bin or Bag

black container inside of linen wardrobe

Whether you’re in the kitchen grabbing a knife and you notice that knife again that you never use, or while picking up a sweater in the morning avoiding for the thousandth time that pink shirt, there’s always something that clutters our house unnecessarily.

An important system to implement to keep your home organized and functional is to actually get rid of the things that clutter your sight everyday. And for that you have to make it extremely easy on yourself. Like with everything else…

Choose a spot in your house that’s tucked away but easily accessible. Put a basket, a bin, a bag or a box in it (for example the inside of a closet). Don’t think that you will ever get this space back though. Because it is now dedicated to things you want to declutter. And there will always be some…

Don’t forget about the second part: actually getting that stuff out of your house once the container is full (sell or donate).

4. A Family Command Center

calendar, white board, weekly menu and pen holder on side of fridge - family command center

A command center is your family’s information hub. It’s a place where everyone can easily see important details like:

A family calendar for appointments, school events, and activities
A weekly meal plan to streamline grocery shopping and meal prep
Chore lists and to-dos to keep responsibilities clear

Keep it in a visible location like the kitchen or entryway for easy access!

5. A Charging Station

Cords, devices, and random electronics scattered throughout the house? A charging station keeps everything neat and in one place.

Create a dedicated charging station with:

A power strip hidden in a drawer or stylish box
Labeled charging cables so everyone knows which one to use
A spot for each device to avoid cluttered countertops

This not only keeps your home looking tidier but also ensures your devices are always charged when you need them.

6. A Smart Storage System for Cleaning Supplies

Instead of stuffing all your cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink (which is often inconvenient), store them where you actually use them:

Bathroom cleaners in each bathroom
Dish and kitchen cleaners in the kitchen
A portable caddy for deep-cleaning supplies that you move from room to room

This makes cleaning faster and more convenient!

7. A Functional “Junk Drawer”

open drawer with yellow containers inside full of household items

A junk drawer should be organized chaos, not just chaos! Instead of throwing random things in there, be intentional about what it holds.

Think of all those items that you reach for most often, group them by category and put them in containers. If you want to make sure your organization sticks, then take the time to label the containers. It will make it easier on the other members of the family to find what they’re looking for as well. And put it back in the right place.

Don’t forget to leave some room to breathe: things constantly come and go, so allow for that fluctuation without compromising the organization of the drawer.

Some useful items to keep are:

Pens, pencils, and basic office supplies
Batteries
Keys
A multi-head screwdriver and tape measure
Painter’s tape, zip ties, and felt furniture pads
A flashlight and lighter

8. A (Mini) Home Office

open cabinet with office supplies inside

Even if you don’t work from home, having a small, dedicated area for office tasks will make managing paperwork so much easier.

Find a cabinet, drawer, or corner to store:

Office supplies (pens, scissors, tape, etc.)
Mailing essentials (stamps, envelopes, labels)
Paper storage (printer paper, important documents)
Electronics (printer, laminator, shredder)

When everything is in one place, handling paperwork becomes much less of a hassle!

9. A Memory Box for Each Family Member

wooden box with photos and papers inside

We all have sentimental items we want to keep—old photos, cards, kids’ drawings… Instead of having them scattered around your house, create a memory box for each member of the family.

This keeps cherished memories organized and contained. If you tend to keep too much, use this rule: Once the box is full, you have to declutter it. That way, only the most meaningful items remain.