The secret to organization is no secret: The simpler, the better. It doesn’t help anything to come up with an organization system that’s complicated and confusing. You’ll end up getting so frustrated trying to keep up with your system that you abandon it and go back to living in clutter because it’s just easier! Here are a few tidbits that will help you come up with a simple organization system.

Buy dual function organization and storage items. Need to store children’s or animal toys somewhere convenient? Get a piece of living room decoration that doubles as a storage unit. That way you can add to the decor of a room and provide yourself with a convenient spot to keep the toys where they can be retrieved easily.

Look for decorative storage items like this one that will add to the intrigue of your room more than a plastic storage bin but also are highly functional.

Color code! Get fabric storage boxes for your bookshelf and color code what goes where. Perhaps notepads and other paper products can go in the green fabric boxes, while crafting supplies can go in blue storage boxes. This is easy to get creative with and make it work for you!